maudit anglais

The county of Amherst in the Laurentians is holding a referendum to change its name to something a little more palatable. Apparently, this General Jeffrey Amherst character from whom it took its current name wasn’t exactly a beacon of goodwill and civility. In fact, his tactic of handing out smallpox-contaminated blankets to Aboriginals—killing thousands as a result—is thought to have been among the first uses of biological warfare. (Meantime, some well-meaning Montrealers are trying to get Amherst street in the city’s gay village renamed to “Rue Domagaia” for the same reason.)