A classy move..........................and a nice shot.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2011/11/04/18927271.htmlCherry passes on honorary degree from RMC
By Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun
Concerned controversy may take away from “a special day,” Don Cherry has declined an honorary degree from the Royal Military College.
“I can’t accept the degree and I won’t attend the convocation,” Cherry said in an interview Friday about the Nov. 17 ceremony in Kingston. “I am sad because I was really looking forward to spending time with the 800 cadets.”
Perhaps instead they can line up to get their picture taken with French Professor Catherine Lord.
It is because of her bizarre and vitriolic complaints that the legendary hockey coach and commentator wont be there. “On many occasions he publicly expressed his contempt for many groups of the Canadian population, notably for the French-speaking Canadians, for the (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) community and for the immigrants,” Lord wrote in an open letter. “What message will RMC send, in celebrating Don Cherry, to the students coming from these groups? And what will the Canadian people remember from RMC, as a serious and prestigious institution?”
The message would be: “Thanks, Don, for all you have done.”
So much for all of those Canadian soldiers who have died in battle to assure free speech, I guess.
It’s also unfair because Cherry’s never had any serious issues with French-Canadians, other than those who want to separate from Canada.
To add insult to a vicious attack, the RMC faculty board passed a resolution of “dissatisfaction” about the 77-year-old receiving the degree — never once mentioning Cherry’s continuous and unabashed war time support for the troops.
The institution meanwhile stands behind its decision to grant him the degree.
“For more than two decades Don Cherry has been a stalwart public supporter of the members of the Canadian Forces and their families,” said spokesman Capt. Cynthia Kent. “Through his public appearances, he has continually drawn attention to the work and sacrifices of Canadian Forces members, along with the contributions of military families. In Canada and overseas, he has visited Canadian Forces personnel to boost their morale with both his entertaining personality and his heartfelt appreciation for their sacrifice. RMC’s honorary degree is also to recognize Mr. Cherry’s charitable causes, including organ donor awareness and Rose Cherry’s Home for Kids, which is a paediatric and hospice care facility for children now called the Darling Home for Kids.”
It’s difficult to find Lord’s resume of contributions to Canada but perhaps embarrassing RMC like this will earn her a Wikipedia mention and pats on the back from Canada’s left.
Either way it was a low blow aimed at Cherry, who not only is from Kingtson but has a long personal history with the college. His mother worked there, as did his grandfather, Richard Palamountain, who then enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force where he fought and was wounded at Vimy Ridge in 1917. Palamountain returned back to the college as an employee following the war for 17 years until his death.
If not for a mean-spirited French teacher it would have been a special moment for the great Canadian patriot.
Cherry also has a long resume of honorary awards from Canada’s miliary and men and women in uniform.
He received the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service, and was made an honorary lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion, an honorary member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and an honorary membership in the Ontario Association of Police.
He said he was very proud to be bestowed this latest honorary degree but in light of the letter and public spectacle did not want to distract attention from the two others who were also honoured — the late RMC teacher Brig.-Gen. John (Jack) Cadieux and military veteran Lt.-Col. John Desmond Gibson.
“I wouldn’t want anything to take that moment away from those families,” Cherry said. “The day should be a positive.”
As for the classless move coming from inside an institution that should understand Cherry’s importance to the troops, the coach was philosophical.
“All I know is I went to Afghanistan to spend last Christmas with the Van Doos and they didn’t seem to mind me,” joked Cherry. “They treated me so well and I have to tell you I was sure proud of them.”
With the help of the legendary Quebec City Royal 22e Régiment he fired an artillery shell on which he wrote “To the Taliban: Bon Chance” to which he later joked to the troops, “I think I spelled it wrong (it should have been ‘bonne’) but they got the idea.” Being with the Van Doos “was by far the greatest thing I have ever done in my life and the greatest thing I will ever do,” he added.
However he did point one thing missing from the trip:
“When I was in Afghanistan in all the bases I visited I didn’t see Catherine Lord there anywhere." 
