Three young men facing charges for

first-degree murder

Victim mourned at weekend funeral

by Jim Moodie and Margo Little

GORE BAY-A 62-year-old Buzwah man was laid to rest in Wikwemikong on Saturday and two of his three alleged killers, all in their 20s, made appearances in Gore Bay court on Monday.

Clarence 'Tate' Lewis, a well-liked handyman and bachelor, was identified early last week as the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred inside his Wikwemikong Way residence on the weekend of January 24-25. An autopsy performed at the Sudbury Regional Hospital last Tuesday confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

Two of the accused made a brief appearance in Gore Bay court on Monday. Patrique Raymond Gareau of Sudbury was transported from the Sudbury District Jail to Manitoulin for the 10 am session. Clad in prison-issue orange coveralls, the 20-year-old showed no emotion as he glanced at the crowd in the courtroom.

Lawyer Victor Vere, acting as agent for Mr. Gareau's attorney John Saftic, asked presiding Justice Louise Serre to remand the matter until February 23 at 10 am.

Travis Esquimaux, 22, was also brought into the prisoner's box Monday. Dressed in corrections Ontario orange, he surveyed the audience momentarily before he was ushered away again.

Duty counsel Susan Hare spoke on behalf of the lawyer representing Esquimaux. She asked Justice Serre for an adjournment until February 9.

The third suspect in the case, Jordan Trudeau, is also scheduled for the Gore Bay court docket on February 9.

The deceased, whose funeral occurred on Saturday at the Holy Cross Mission Church in Wikwemikong, leaves behind eight siblings (three others died earlier), 16 nieces and nephews, and 30 great-nieces and great-nephews. He is described as a humble and affable jack-of-all-trades, who was often seen trimming roadsides, patronizing yard sales, and tinkering with equipment.

"I didn't know him really well, but I knew he was a nice guy," remarked Audrey Wemigwans. "He was always cutting weeds along the road with his tractor."

A Facebook page created in his memory includes some two-dozen tributes, which point to his "happy and smiling" disposition and his "kind and caring" ways. As one commentator writes: "It is indeed a sad day when such a kind and gentle spirit is taken in such a violent way."

Police first learned of the fatality during the early afternoon of January 25, at which time the victim's suspected assailants remained at large. A concerted investigation was launched by police, with members of the OPP's crime unit and criminal investigation branch joining forces with the Wikwemikong Tribal Police and Anishinabe Police Service to scour the community, and its outlying areas, for the fugitives.

By the end of the day on Monday, three individuals had been taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder: Travis Esquimaux, 22, Jordan Trudeau, 27, and Patrique Gareau, 20. Both Mr. Esquimaux and Mr. Trudeau hail from Wikwemikong, while Mr. Gareau is a Sudburian who had been spending time in the community.

Mr. Esquimaux was the first to be apprehended, while Mr. Trudeau had turned himself in by Monday evening at the Wiky police station. Also by Monday evening, Mr. Gareau was arrested in Sudbury by members of the Greater Sudbury Police Service.

In the case of each arrest, police encountered little resistance, according to Al Boyd, community services officer with the Manitoulin OPP. "It was very peaceful," he noted.

At this point, police are not specifying which individual they feel committed the actual shooting. Nor, said Constable Boyd, can they yet assign a motive to the crime or speak to the broader circumstances surrounding the incident, although many in the community are pointing to substance abuse and drug procurement as a factor.

Mr. Esquimaux, who had been working as an intern with the Debajehmujig Theatre group prior to this incident, was flown by helicopter to Sudbury on the afternoon of January 26 for a court appearance. According to the Sudbury Star, he was clad in a special corrections garment that is employed when there is a concern that an inmate may harm himself.

Mr. Gareau appeared in Sudbury court the following day, wearing jail-issue orange overalls and handcuffs. He made no comment during the brief appearance, according to the Star.

As of last week, all of three of the accused were being held in the Sudbury District Jail, said Constable Boyd.

According to information supplied The Expositor, the body of Mr. Lewis was first discovered by Stan Osawamick, a relative of the deceased. But it remains unclear exactly when the alleged murder occurred.

"There was nobody else in the residence at the time of the offence and no witnesses to the crime itself, so we don't know when the actual shooting took place," said Constable Boyd. "Our criminal investigation branch is still actively investigating, and we're trying to do a timeline over the whole weekend."

The violent event has rattled the community of Wikwemikong, which has experienced a rash of stabbings and drug busts over the past few years, but nothing quite of this scope or severity.

"Wiky's a big family," noted one resident, who after first agreeing to share some thoughts for attribution later asked that his name be withheld. "It's a tight-knit community, so when something like this happens, it's a shock, and everyone feels it. The community is in trauma and is aware that something has to be done."

The alleged slaying came on the heels of a suicide that occurred earlier that same week in Wikwemikong, so many nerves were frayed, and hearts raw, to begin with. Then it got worse.

"We have a young person who hangs himself, and then, a few days later, a homicide," said this commentator. "That's why it's so traumatic."

While the two events aren't directly connected, it's possible that the one played into the other, as one of the individuals charged with the murder of Mr. Lewis is known to have been close friends with the youth who took his own life.

It was expected that a community meeting would be held soon, perhaps as early as this week, to provide an opportunity for debriefing and healing among the members of this First Nation.

As the largest community on Manitoulin, not to mention the North Shore, with a youth demographic that's considerably bigger than many others of comparable size, the rate of crime here is not entirely surprising, but it remains a cause of alarm and concern for many who call the area home.

It is also a community, though, that has the wherewithal to solve its own problems, in the view of one resident. "This community has a lot of resources," he said. "We have to realize what's going on and pull these resources together. The community has to stay strong and talk about what is happening here."

Island municipalities looking to cash in on budget stimulus

by Michael Erskine

MANITOULIN-The ink was hardly dry on the new federal budget before municipal staff and council members were scrambling to find where the $30 billion might help meet the challenges confronting Manitoulin communities, but they are faced with the same old conundrum-the devil is in the details and they are not available.

Although the Liberal and NDP opposition parties have condemned the backlog of existing municipal infrastructure projects sitting on desk of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Minister John Baird-totaling by some counts almost $25 billion-Island municipalities have by-and-large had good success with getting their project funding delivered.

Most Island municipalities do not currently have projects in the pipe waiting for funding, but all have their staff and councils looking closely at what might be eligible.

The budget contains additional funding for the Communities Component (for municipalities with a population of less than 100,000) of the Building Canada fund. Through that funding, $500 million over the next two years, Ontario will see an extra $195 million. Divide that by the population of Ontario, and then multiply it by the population of your community, and you have some idea of the pot available. In addition, there will be a $500 million fund for recreational facilities, swimming pools and community centres, and $225 million over three years to extend broadband coverage to un-served communities.

The feds have also offered up some $2 billion in direct, low-cost loans to municipalities looking to finance improvements to housing-related infrastructure, such as sewers, water lines, and neighbourhood regeneration projects.

As part of a promise to speed up projects, the government announced changes to the Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

A $4 billion infrastructure stimulus fund will be created for provincial, territorial and municipal government infrastructure, including roads, clean water systems and public transit. Ontario will be getting around $1.56 billion over two years-that's 39 percent of the total.

There are funds to increase social housing- -$1 billion over two years for renovations and energy retrofits on a 50/50 basis with the provinces-which is good news for municipalities who must now shoulder that cost through the District Social Services Administration Board. The North will get another $200 million to support social housing over the two years. Ontario's share of the booty should come in around $800 million.

The forestry sector in Northern Ontario will be getting $170 million over two years to secure a more sustainable and competitive forest sector.

Despite all of this seeming federal largesse, municipal leaders approach the concept of 33-cent dollars with caution. "There is only so much out there in available tax dollars," noted Billings Reeve Austin Hunt. "We don't know many of the details yet, but if the municipality has to come up with one-third of the cost, we have to be very careful."

Reeve Hunt noted that quite a number of projects have been completed recently in his community, but that there were certainly plenty in the works. "There is always more work that needs to be completed than there is money to go round," said Mr. Hunt. "It has to be used wisely."

Assiginack Clerk Alton Hobbs said that the Township of Assiginack had "nothing shovel-ready, to use the current buzzword," at the present moment, but that council was currently looking at one infrastructure project they were not yet ready to discuss publicly.

Assiginack Reeve Les Fields that it was difficult for small communities to have the kind of projects targeted in the budget laying around on the shelves. "You can't just spend money on studies and projects that you are not certain will ever see the light of day, and it isn't responsible use of our taxpayers' money," she said. "If we spend the money beforehand and it sits on the shelf, well that is a terrible waste we just can't afford."

Reeve Fields noted that it isn't always easy for small communities to come up with the requisite one-third share, especially in rural areas facing the challenges found on Manitoulin.

"You always have to ask yourself, 'Is it good business?'" she said.

Reeve Richard Stephens of Central Manitoulin said that he believed that the federal budget would have an impact on his municipality's planning. "It's certainly going to have an effect on what we can do," he said. "But if we have to come up with a third of that money, a lot of it won't be in the cards."

It was a sentiment reflected in the thinking of Tehkummah's Reeve Gary Brown, whose community has a $500,000 bridge and road building project in the works. "I think most of the money (in the budget) will be going to those places down south that have been hit very hard by the economic slowdown with a lot of people out of work," he said. Mr. Brown said he remained cautious about predicting what the impact of the federal budget would be. "We haven't seen any of the details yet."

Municipal politicians have learned to watch out for the demons in the fine print.

Hydro defends

use of herbicide

as lake dwellers

Appeal for ban across the Island

by Tom Sasvari

MINDEMOYA-The Lake Manitou Area Association (LMAA) is calling on the Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) to ban the use of the herbicide Garlon Ultra, even while Hydro One maintains the herbicide is a safe and necessary application for the Island.

Representatives from all three bodies attended an MMA meeting last week, during which they discussed the use of the herbicide by the hydro company for clearing brush and shoots from around hydro lines.

Derek Malacek, a member of the Lake Manitou group, believes the herbicide is harmful to the waterways on Manitoulin and that its use should be banned as a way to lessen its harmful effects on the environment.

"I would suggest that a priority consideration is given to these issues and steps taken to lessen the impact on environment everywhere we can, and that we voice our concerns with Hydro One and ban the use of other harmful chemicals, as was done already in many communities in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada," said an impassioned Mr. Malacek, who has been a staunch supporter of a Garlon ban. "We would like to propose that the (MMA) work with their council members to establish a working sub-committee to develop an environmental protection bylaw for the betterment of Manitoulin Island."

Hydro One disputes the negative effects of the herbicide, saying the company is careful to ensure their actions don't include a detriment to the environment.

"In the area of  pesticides, we take great measures to make sure the herbicides we use do not effect the environment negatively, in any way," noted John Bowen, program officer of provincial lines and forestry services with Hydro One.

Mr. Bowen, who has been with the company for 30 years, noted the extensive system the company has in place to supply the Island with power, including a transmission line between Espanola and Manitoulin Island, as well as substations or feeders throughout the rest of the Manitoulin area.

"We have to maintain our forestry program to keep our lines free of brush and trees off the lines," he explained. "It is essential for the services we provide that we don't have trees on our vertical lines."

"Trees pose a danger not only to hydro service but those in the area when they  fall over and hit the power lines," Mr. Bowen added.

On Manitoulin alone, Hydro One has more than 1,200 kilometres of lines, with a distribution line stretching between Cockburn Island, Killarney and Espanola, and an additional 130 kilometres reaching 44 stations, explained Manitoulin crew member Jamie Hunter.

Mr. Hunter noted Hydro One has a eight-year tree-clearance system in place, through which the company focuses on a certain area each year.

"Right now we are working around the M'Chigeeng and Rockville areas," he said. "A certain area will only be sprayed with herbicides once every eight years, if necessary, in trouble areas."

That means that any one area is only part of the tree clearance program every eight years, and in seven of those eight years, no herbicide is applied.

"Along with the manual and mechanical cutting of brush and trees off lines, I want to stress any work or herbicides we spray in a particular area is with the permission of the landowner of the property," Mr. Bowen emphasized.

The use of herbicides is due to the "tremendous stumpage regrowth" of deciduous trees, Mr. Bowen explained. If the areas aren't treated, the foliage grows back too quickly, and will infringe on established clearances and work areas, he added.

"So to combat this, the herbicide Garlon Ultra is used when needed for brush control on Manitoulin Island," he continued. "Any type of herbicide used in Canada has to be registered. Numerous studies have been conducted on Garlon Ultra which show there have been no effects on humans, water or the environment in any way when applied according to the label. The federal government only allows the producer to make and sell this product if it is proven it won't be harmful to the environment or, for instance, groundwater, in any way."

Garlon Ultra has replaced the earlier use of Garlon 4, which was first registered in 1991 and reregistered in 2004, during which time extensive tests have been conducted to show there have been no incidents of fish kills, harm to the environment, water quality or humans, Mr. Bowen said, adding, "it is a very good product."

In addition, any Hydro One employee must be properly trained to use the herbicide, "and Hydro One training and its crews exceed all required standards and levels," Mr. Bowen added.

Mike Cote, a forestry technician with Hydro One for the Sudbury District, told participants at the meeting that the Ministry of the Environment has done four inspections during the past year on areas where Garlon Ultra has been used, and "everything-soil, groundwater, everything-has come back 100 percent safe."

Other stipulations guide the use of the herbicide, including distance restrictions.

"No herbicide is applied without the permission of the property owner and, under our own regulations, no herbicide is applied closer than three metres or 10 feet from the surface of water, at a minimum," Mr. Bowen emphasized. "We will increase this length from the surface of the water if conditions dictate it. If it gets into the water, and we are confident it doesn't, it will not have any negative impacts on the water quality, vegetation or the fish in a waterbody."

Attendees at the meeting had numerous questions for the Hydro One representatives, including MMA member Austin Hunt, who questioned the rate of acceptance by landowners, to which Mr. Bowen replied that 80 percent of private landowners who were asked gave permission for the herbicide to be sprayed on their property. "In terms of municipalities, we did a survey about a year ago, and 92 percent in the province allow the herbicide to be used on their property," Mr. Bowen added.

Richard Stephens suggested that if Hydro One is using a new product on the market, in this case Garlon Ultra, "it would be prudent to make sure the municipalities are aware of this, and there has been a change made in the type of sprays you are using."

Mr. Stephens was assured that Hydro One crews would be going to each municipality in which the crew will be working to provide an information package about the new product.

Steve Chenard, a Hydro One crew foreman based in Sudbury, added that "the Town of Elliot Lake is so impressed with this product they want to use it on their right-of-ways."

Mr. Malacek remains unconvinced, however, and during his presentation to the MMA, he suggested that the Island's unique topography-comprised of "limestone structure, fissured with myriad channels large and small which deliver substances which are sprayed, poured or dumped on the land at some distance from the shore"-makes it especially vulnerable to foreign substances such as herbicides.

"Lake Manitou Area Association is an organization representing over 500 members who have properties which they enjoy on this lake. Our vision is to 'keep our lake great,'" he said. "In order to accomplish this we must be vigilant to any potentially harmful species or substances which may be introduced to the lake in various ways."

"It is our contention, and that of many studies, that anything that is added to the land upstream of the lake will eventually migrate into the lake," he added. "This is true of all the lakes on Manitoulin which are of the same general structure."

Although the hydro lines are situated at some distance from the lake, there is still the possibility that materials sprayed on the rights-of-way will end up in the water table and eventually the lake, he argued.

"Garlon is a material which is harmful to aquatic life and in our view should not be used where there is a possibility of residues leaching into the lake," he added.

Referencing a soil survey map the group received from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr. Malacek noted that the variations in soils is not as great as it would be in other areas of Ontario.

"The relief is low, and flat-lying limestone bedrock is at or very near the surface over a large part of the Island," Mr. Malacek argued. "The soils that can be used for cultivation are those occurring on lake-laid clays, sandy outwash and till plains and many of the shallow soils are used as grazing land for livestock. The agricultural potential of this area in terms of soil use is limited."

"This reinforces our concern regarding soil absorption of Garlon and the area's capacity to absorb it," said Mr. Malacek. "As such, we fear the long-term negative impacts Garlon could have on our environment, aquatic life, and current and future generations. Numerous examples of environment protection bylaws enforced in the province of Ontario could be used to model a bylaw tailored specific to Manitoulin Island."

Mr. Malacek contradicts Hydro One's assertion that the herbicide is harmless, noting that he was recently in contact from a former company employee who worked regularly with Garlon 4.

"After several years he started to experience health problems, and therefore was transferred from ground crew to a managerial position," Mr. Malacek related. "His health continued to deteriorate and now he is on disability pension, has internal injuries and is in very poor health, which was caused by his many years he was working with Garlon 4. In his words, this practice is done in order for Hydro One to save money, and he assured me that Garlon is much more toxic than Hydro One people are willing to admit."

Wiky man questions pot clampdown while access for pain relief is limited

by Peter Higgins

MANITOULIN-With the passing of laws that authorize medicinal use of marijuana, a workable solution to supply the marijuana still has yet to be ironed out, particularly here on the Island.

It is a complicated issue, with strong advocates on both sides of the debate. In one respect it is viewed as a drug that causes intoxication, while others consider it an age-old medicine that acts as a pain relief for a long list of diseases and ailments.

In Canada, the law to legalize the use of marijuana came into effect in 2001; however, Canadian doctors have refused to support Canada's Medical Marijuana Access Regulations (MMAR) applications after provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons across the country told doctors not to sign the required forms.

There has been a long string of conflicting medical reports about the pros and cons of the use of marijuana-too long to list here in this article. Suffice to say, the debate is still on and it affects Canadians all over the country, even here on the Island.

Richard Corbiere, an advocate for a homegrown supply of the substance for medicinal use, has run into opposition both within the government in Wikwemikong and the provincial government vis-^-vis the police.

The federal government voted to allow those patients who are in pain to be treated with marijuana. The problem is not who is eligible or how to get a prescription but how to actually get the medicine when living here on the Island, he said.

"It's my desire to supply the patients at the Wikwemikong nursing home with their medicine," said Mr. Corbiere. "But those in administration running the home threatened to charge me with trespassing when I was there."

There is sympathy among patients for Mr. Corbiere providing a medicine for those who are in pain. He is not in the business of trafficking marijuana for recreational purposes. For Mr. Corbiere, it is medicine, so the obstacles are both frustrating and infuriating. Clearly, there is a problem.

"I want to supply seniors with their medicine, and save them the costs, hassles and inevitable logistical obstacles of travelling six hours to Toronto to fill their prescription," said Mr. Corbiere from his home in Wikwemikong.

"It doesn't make any sense to me that Mr. Manitowabi (chief administrator at the nursing home in Wikwemikong) would threaten me with trespassing when all I'm attempting to do is the provide medicine to those who have a prescription," he said. "These patients have an inherent right to fill their prescription."

But according to Gary Reid, police chief in Wikwemikong, it is a simple matter. "It is illegal to grow marijuana," stated Mr. Reid. "If you have a licence from the government then that will be okay, but otherwise, it is illegal."

As it stands now, anyone who has a prescription to use marijuana as a pain reliever must get the medicine from one of three licensed suppliers in Toronto. Mr. Corbiere wants to grow it here on the Island, become licensed and then supply the sick. To do this, he must get a licence from the government.

"The whole process of supplying the medicine is currently a work in progress," Mr. Corbiere said. "So right now, with this unexplained marijuana crackdown going on by the Sudbury police and the police on Manitoulin, it's creating havoc. I don't understand why they don't spend their time going after more serious criminals and pursuing more serious matters."

But according to Mr. Reid, there is no crackdown. "I'm not aware of the situation with Mr. Corbiere and his problem at the nursing home," said the police chief. "Again, growing marijuana without a licence is illegal. I wish Mr. Corbiere every success with his endeavours, but he needs a licence."

Richard Corbiere is not an unqualified supplier of the 'devil's weed.' He ran a compassion society in Victoria BC for many years. In Victoria he saw the effects of treatment with medicinal marijuana on those in the house.

"In the house in Victoria, the average age of a street person was 49, and we saw the average of undesirable incidents go down from three a week to about one a month," he said. "Instead of using alcohol to ease their pains, marijuana met the need without the side effect of violence."

It may take some time for citizens to become accustomed to the change in laws, so Mr. Corbiere insists on educating the public as to the usefulness of marijuana as a medicine. "There are many here in Wiky who say one thing and then do another," he said. "There is still a stigma involved so those in power are afraid to stick up for the new laws legalizing medicinal use of marijuana."

Despite the fact that the laws are clear, the misunderstandings and general unwillingness are bewildering for Mr. Corbiere. "The supplier needs to get a licence from Health and Welfare Canada, and that takes about five to six months," Mr. Corbiere said. "And those with a licence cannot sell the marijuana to anyone without a prescription, yet getting a licence is both difficult and time-consuming."

Mr. Corbiere, 56, plans to obtain his licence and grow the plant here on the Island. "With type B diabetes such a problem here among Natives, why shouldn't there be a grower here on Manitoulin? Up to 40 percent of some reservations have diabetes," he noted.

Some of the diseases and conditions that marijuana is said to help include Alzheimer's disease, asthma, migraines, glaucoma, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, epilepsy, hepatitis C, and psychological conditions, among  others.

The Green Party, now one of the four mainstream parties in federal politics, has as part of its platform the full legalization of marijuana, and is promoting more debate on an issue that has been on the table for more than 40 years.

EDITORIAL
Harper government must steer stimulus quickly

With the Liberal opposition signalling that they would support the Harper government through the early days of what is widely predicted to be the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the federal government can now roll up its sleeves and get to work doing what they were elected to do-and for most hard-working Canadians who wear no particular political stripe, it is long overdue.

Even Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes, whose party left no real doubt as to how they were going to vote even before the budget was unveiled, decried the "locking of parliament's doors," although those doors would have remained locked a lot longer had the government been defeated and the Governor General unconvinced of the advisability of a coalition in the face of strong opposition in most of the country outside of Quebec.

Luckily, wiser heads prevailed and the business of keeping the country's economic wheels turning is going forward, even though the hands on the wheels belong to someone whose ideological predisposition is to follow a completely different road.

The prime minister and his government must move quickly to release monies needed for the rebuilding of Canada's infrastructure and to get money into the hands of those who need it the most in time to do some good.

The lessons of the Great Depression have shown that infrastructure money flows far too slowly to be the kind of stimulus most needed by the economy, so all dispatch is necessary. But that dispatch should not come at a complete gutting of the environment-providing yet another bend in the road in which the Harper government's passengers are not terribly comfortable with the driver's penchant for wearing blinkers.

Rather than placing a one-third barrier on small municipalities trying to access stimulus dollars, a process that will slow the flow down to less than a trickle, the federal government should enter into a 50/50 cost-sharing agreement with the provinces. If you want to see municipal politicians move really, really, fast, put free money on the table, and watch out for your fingers.

Mr. Harper has an opportunity here to prove himself a great and courageous leader, turning aside the indignation of his own most avid supporters to do what is best for the country. In the whacky world of politics, that proof will almost undoubtedly come at the price of his own political career, but history records the actions of the great more vividly than that of the mere survivor.

John Diefenbaker watched his government fall because he would not allow nuclear warheads to be placed on Canada's Bomarc missiles. How many Canadians would disagree with that decision today? Not many. Now if only Canadians paid more attention to their own history and accomplishments, the prize for Mr. Harper might be worth the cost.

Letters to the Editor

Liberals made right decision in supporting budget

Result of non-confidence vote too much risk

To the Expositor:

Did the Liberals make the right call for Canada in deciding to support a budget that had many flaws? From this writer's viewpoint, I believe it was the best choice from a poor lot of alternatives.

Clearly, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty did some serious reflecting over the prorogued break. Whether the budget they brought forward was cast with the good of Canadians as its primary motivator-or surviving a strong legal and democratic parliamentary challenge by the coalition of the Liberals and NDP-is really moot.

What that budget contained was enough stimulation to satisfy most observers, though those same observers would probably say they could find no focus to Mr. Flaherty's plan-it seemed that, in haste and desperation, he threw a little goody into the pot for just about everyone.

Like Mr. Ignatieff (about whom, I confess, until this call, I had serious reservations), I concluded that, though the coalition had merit, the risk of forcing a non-confidence vote and precipitating yet another election was one that political parties should not be gambling with at this time.

The coalition did demonstrate that, in a minority parliament-where the party with the largest number of seats persisted in behaving as if it ruled in a dictatorship-each seat does count, each MP carries some weight and a majority of members, from whichever party, decides.

I would caution MP Carol Hughes about joining Jack Layton's cacophony of name-calling. He knew exactly what the risks and benefits of the coalition were going in. As we have seen over the weekend, Mr. Duceppe has again made separatism his number one aim going forward, proving that the viability of the coalition supported by the Bloc was always a high-risk endeavour. Take it that way, Ms. Hughes, and prepare for the time when you have to defend your seat!

Paul Darlaston

Kagawong

Federal budget lacking in ways that would benefit the North

Manitoulin not immune from economic downturn

To the Expositor:

The NEMI Ratepayers' Association feels that the federal government may be on the right track with its budget to provide economic stimulation at this time. However, we do not feel that it has gone far enough in spite of the large price tag attached to it. Here are some of our thoughts on the latest federal budget.

One area that it is lacking is in directing money towards green energy for the future. This is a growing, environmentally safe industry that should have been stimulated to provide more jobs. Prime Minister Harper also failed to address the subject of affordable seniors' housing. Our senior citizens on a fixed income deserve the help as much as those who are losing jobs. The national day care program is one that would also have benefited from more tax dollars. Although the child tax benefit was increased, those that are out of work in this recession will require more time to retrain for skilled infrastructure jobs and also to search for employment making affordable day care imperative.

Jobs are probably the best form of economic stimulus but this budget does not really address that issue sufficiently. At a time when major industries in the North are being hit hard-mining, forestry, nickel and steel-no assistance for these industries in the North is being offered. Although southern Ontario will receive about $1 billion in funding, Northern Ontario does not see a benefit package from this budget! Is this because we have no Conservative federal members of parliament?

Manitoulin Island is not immune from this economic downturn. Although the provincial and federal governments have pledged money to market tourism, our tourism numbers are falling. Since there are few businesses here that do not rely on tourism to some degree, many businesses on Manitoulin will suffer. We cannot expect people to spend money saved through the proposed tax cuts when they are worried about their jobs and their future.

We are also concerned about the speed with which this money will arrive to municipalities for infrastructure projects that provide more jobs, and the price tag attached to it. According to news releases, the Build Canada Fund is the vehicle for the delivery of this economic package. Application must be made for specific municipal projects. These must be approved in order to receive one third of the required amount from the federal government, one third of the funds from the provincial government and one third from the municipal government. That's where NEMI's council may have some difficulty. In order to raise this needed cash, either a loan or raising taxes would be the likely way to achieve the ends. However, NEMI already has an approximate debt load of $3.98 million, much of which has accrued through the municipal portion of current and past government-funded projects. Our taxes repeatedly continue to rise annually. Revenue is not being generated in sufficient funds any other way. Again, our municipality would be spending money they do not have. Neither raising taxes nor adding more municipal debt appeals to us.

We agree with the opposition party that this large amount of debt for the country must be monitored as it is being accessed. However, we feel, as do some mayors throughout the province, that the money will not arrive soon enough to create the jobs and training required for those facing unemployment during this recession. We would have preferred a more comprehensive package streamlined for efficiency and affordability to include everyone.

The executive of the NEMI Ratepayers' Association