Northeast Town rejects proposal for hotel complex near swing bridge

by Lindsay Kelly

LITTLE CURRENT-The Northeast Town council has rejected an offer to purchase land adjacent to the Manitoulin Welcome Centre, which has been confirmed to be connected to the proposed hotel development.

Council members gathered on Thursday evening for a special in-camera meeting "to address a matter pertaining to a proposed or pending disposition or acquisition of land for municipal or local board purposes."

By unanimous decision, council rejected the offer, since it did not meet the stipulations for acceptance required by council, Mayor Jim Stringer said.

"In general, there were parameters that had been set by council," the mayor explained. "The offer wasn't within those parameters, unfortunately."

Though details are not being disclosed at this time, Mayor Jim Stringer confirmed that the proposal was presented by the same party that has shown interest in the property in the past, noting that the offer of purchase is "what we've been waiting for" to move the negotiations forward.

In the motion the proponents are named simply 7043821 Canada Inc.; however, it is believed that three First Nations are interested in developing a hotel on the property and that Waubetek Business Development Corporation is acting as facilitator for the project.

Acceptance of the offer-which encompasses Part of Part 1, Plan 31R-590 of the Town Plot of Shaftesbury-was contingent on agreeing to the package as a whole, and the mayor suggested that, while parts of the offer were tempting, "we couldn't pick and choose pieces" of the package to accept while dismissing others.

There was no indication as to whether the party would return with a new offer for consideration, and the mayor said the offer reviewed on Thursday is currently the only active proposal council is entertaining.

The town is still keen to consider divestiture of the property if an appropriate option presented itself, however.

"I'm quite confident that council is still interested in this kind of offer," the mayor said. "Council has talked generally about being interested in this, but also about reissuing the request for proposals in terms of the property."

The last request for proposals was issued four years ago, he noted, and while the council isn't planning to take this step immediately, it is something the group is considering.

However, a second party has expressed interest in the property in the past, and he suggested that council remains certain that the Highway 6 property would continue to attract attention from other groups.

"Clearly there is interest and we're confident that there will be continued interest in the future," he noted.

While it would have been "great" to see the offer go through, there is no rush to get the property developed, and council is intent on taking its time to choose a plan it feels is appropriate for the site before settling on an offer, he added.

Mayor Stringer has previously indicated that the public would have an opportunity to comment on any plan for the site before it is approved by council.
 

Wiky's Rainbow Lodge earns initial three-year accreditation

by Lindsay Kelly

WIKWEMIKONG-The 33-year evolution of the Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre in Wikwemikong reached an important milestone this month, as the drug and alcohol treatment centre was approved for accreditation.

Reaching accreditation status has been a goal for the centre since it began the certification process in April 2007. With accreditation, the treatment centre, also known as Rainbow Lodge, is recognized as having reached national levels of excellence in addictions services.

Rainbow Lodge was set up in 1976 as an alcohol recovery centre, and became incorporated in 1992 as the Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre, which was designed to provide drug and alcohol treatment, as well as preventive education to residents. Through that time, the centre has remained a valuable resource in the community, executive director Rolanda Manitowabi noted.

"We just completed our 150th treatment cycle since 1999 under the incorporation and we're seeing 1,300 clients for treatment alone," she said during a community celebration on March 5. The accreditation process provides "quality assurance to ensure the best addiction services are being provided for our clients."

The accreditation process is a long, involved method of ensuring that the facility meets requirements set out by Accreditation Canada. Everything is assessed-from the centre's policies and procedures to its staff knowledge and environment-and combined with feedback from the community.

In total, Ngwaagan Gamig was weighed against 242 criteria and had to meet 55 standards to get a passing grade. "Although (the final report) is very clear on a few specific areas to improve on, we have met those standards of excellence," Ms. Manitowabi said. "The team has worked on these processes since April 2007 and the benefit has been enormous."

The work has urged team members to adopt a new mindset, constantly upgrading the work environment and their own knowledge to ensure excellence is maintained, and the facility's new status allows it to partner with agencies in other communities, Ms. Manitowabi said, adding that the team is constantly striving to do better with a constant focus on client services.

"The accreditation process was valuable," Ms. Manitowabi said. "At times it was overwhelming, certainly a lot of work and exhausting, but it was also very exciting."

Accreditation Canada's Helen TassZ, who worked with staff at the facility, said the employees embraced the process, and worked as a team to do the work required to become accredited for the next three years.

"They are truly committed to always improving the quality of care and services they provide to their clients," she said. "Accreditation is a lot of work, and the work the staff did was above and beyond their regular duties."

"You should be very proud to know that Rainbow Lodge, by being accredited, meets national standards of excellence," she added.

Guest speaker Tom Bressette, the regional grand chief with the Anishinabek Nation who looks after the health portfolio, congratulated Ngwaagan Gamig staff for their achievements, noting the important services that recovery centres provide as Anishinabek people move forward with healing from the effects of centuries of oppression.

Facilities like Ngwaagan Gamig are needed, and its recent accreditation enhances its reputation as a top-notch recovery centre, he said.

"Rainbow Lodge is a place for healing," Chief Bressette remarked. "People have come here for a long time because the services are culturally appropriate and fit our needs as a community."

He commended the First Nations/Inuit branch of Health Canada for supporting the centre's efforts, as well as Accreditation Canada who "worked tirelessly" with the facility's staff through the process.

Chief Bressette noted that there is a "staggering number of our people who have an addiction," which can often lead to a sense of hopelessness. And although there is "tons of work to do," facilities like Ngwaagan Gamig offer people in recovery a sense of hope, encouragement and the support they need to move on to a more positive place in their lives.

"I'm really happy these people have committed themselves to helping people," he said. "I'm really happy the community has taken an interest, because other people can come here now to get help."

Along with their accreditation status, staff also had occasion to celebrate their new status as indigenous certified addictions specialists. A number of staff members have earned this qualification, including Yvonne Recollet, Kim Kitchikeg, Jim Fox, Peggy Osawanimiki, Rolanda Manitowabi, Gilbert Pitawanakwat, Raymond Katt and Barbara Peltier.

There were also special recognitions for two long-time staff members, who have seen the treatment centre through from its inception.

Clarence Pangowish was involved with the centre as a treatment councillor for 19 years. A recent illness has prevented the long-time employee from continuing his work at the facility, but he said it was an honour to be present for the accreditation ceremony.

"I've seen the struggles we all went through in recovery, and as an organization, we've come a long way," he said.

He said he believes there is a "lot of work ahead," especially with the increased abuse these days of Oxycontin and other prescription medications, but "because of Rainbow Lodge, I've learned that people can change.

Joanna Manitowabi, a 21-year worker with Ngwaagan Gamig who was described as "the glue that kept the organization together," was recognized for her dedication to the job.

"Rainbow Lodge has always been close to my heart," she said. "I didn't go through the program-I didn't have a problem with alcohol, but I lived around it with my family. I'm glad I didn't go through what they did, but I wish they had the help that Rainbow Lodge gives."

"But I'm grateful that I did spend this long at Rainbow Lodge," she added. "I've enjoyed the workers, and I'm hoping to stay a little bit longer."

One person who did go through the program is Shawna Pitawanakwat, a self-described "proud past client" of the Rainbow Lodge recovery program, who shared her story with the audience.

Eighteen years ago, she entered the program at Rainbow Lodge after returning home to Wikwemikong to care for her ill father. Exposed to alcohol at the age of 12, she decided to make a change for herself and her children.

"I had to look at myself," she said. "I couldn't run away from it no matter how many times I moved."

"I very much hold dear to my heart what I went through there," she added, noting that she is still in contact with one of the people with whom she went through treatment and they are both still sober.

She said that she's come to appreciate the negative role alcohol played in her life, and she remains thankful for the experience, since it helped make her the person she is today. Although she stumbled a few times before ultimately being successful in her battle with alcohol, the lessons she learned at Rainbow Lodge were invaluable, she said.

"I think the tools I got at Rainbow Lodge helped me," she mused, noting that she went on to become a board member, a staff member and then a community partner with Rainbow Lodge. "They helped me to know where to go, who to ask, and that it's okay to ask for help."

"Through the program, I learned what a higher power was," she added.

To help people today in the community who feel lost, Ms. Pitawanakwat believes they need to follow what she calls the three Bs: believe in themselves, foster a sense of belonging, and become what they are intended to be.

Accreditation is a big step for the treatment facility, and Ms. Pitawanakwat said she was disappointed that members of council were not present to celebrate the important day. With so much negativity circling, in light of recent tragedies in the First Nation, she challenged them to acknowledge the positive things happening in the community, like Rainbow Lodge, which has been one of Wikwemikong's greatest successes.

"I commend Rainbow Lodge," she said. "I'm so proud of the work you've done and how far you've come from your humble beginnings."

Gore Bay Valu-Mart employees reject condition-of-sale contract

from store's potential purchaser

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-A last-minute wrinkle could protract or even jeopardize the sale of the Manitoulin Livestock Co-operative's Valu-Mart outlets to Loblaws Inc.

Last week, the employees of the Gore Bay Valu-Mart rejected an offer from the national food retailer concerning pensions and benefits. An agreement on this package was considered a condition of the sale going forward.

"We're disappointed that negotiations broke down," said John McNaughton, chair of the livestock co-operative board. "We thought we had a workable agreement there."

Employees at both the Gore Bay and Little Current stores are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), but "there are two separate contracts" at these locations, said Mr. McNaughton, so the decision in Gore Bay won't necessarily impact the bargaining unit in Little Current.

Attempts were made to reach a spokesperson with both RWDSU and Loblaws, but neither organization was prepared to discuss the labour relations snag in the press.

Mr. McNaughton said the co-op isn't directly involved in these matters, as "we try to stay arm's length, especially when they're negotiating something like that." But he hopes a deal can still be struck.

"There's still room to work," he said. "But we're running out of time."

The co-op has been in discussions with Loblaws for over a year now concerning the sale of the two grocery stores, and the hope was that the transaction would be finalized by the beginning of April.

"We thought we had everything lined up so that there would be minimal job losses," said Mr. McNaughton. "We knew it wasn't perfect, but felt it was a workable solution."

Should the sale of each store go ahead as planned, Loblaws would own the supermarkets but likely operate them as franchises under the same Valu-Mart banner.

Valu-Mart is a unit of National Grocers, itself a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor. Stores are typically operated by a franchise owner.

MNR begins exhaustive study into cougar presence in Ontario

by Jim Moodie

ONTARIO-Rick Rosatte was driving through a small town outside of Peterborough three years ago when he spied Ontario's most mysterious mammal. Two of them, in fact.

"It was an adult female and her young," said Mr. Rosatte, a senior research scientist with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). "I was so shocked I didn't think to pick up my digital camera. But I have no doubt."

Mr. Rosatte would not be the first Ontarian to claim to have spotted a cougar: naturalist Helen Gerson has documented over 300 sightings that were reported between 1935 and 1983, and hundreds more have occurred since, according to the Ontario Puma Foundation. This writer saw what he's convinced was a cougar while driving near Timmins in 1994.

The testimony of Mr. Rosatte, though, carries particular weight, given his previous contact with the species. "I worked for Alberta Fish and Wildlife in the '70s and '80s, and we had some in captivity," he noted. He even lived with a couple of these cats, acting as their personal keeper for a year.

When he moved back to his home province of Ontario to work with the MNR in Peterborough, he maintained his interest in the creature, officially deemed to have disappeared-in its wild form, at least-from Eastern Canada. "I would visit the cougars in Peterborough's zoo almost weekly," he said.

Seeing a pair on the loose, near the village of Enismore, in 2006, pushed his curiosity to a whole new level. "This really sparked my interest," said Mr. Rosatte. "Are there free-ranging cougars in Ontario?"

To answer that question, Mr. Rosatte is now combing the province for solid proof-tracks, droppings, hair-that would support the case for a wild population in this part of the country.

"There have been all these sightings, but almost no evidence," he said. "So I decided to start a research program to collect field evidence and determine whether these are native cougars, escaped cougars, or ones that have dispersed from the West."

The researcher began his project in the summer of 2006, shortly after spying that pair of oversized pusses, and more recently received $20,000 from the MNR for photographic equipment to aid in the investigation. "We purchased about 40 trail cameras in December, and gave one out to each district," he explained.

It is illegal for anyone-MNR wildlife experts included-to try to physically capture a cougar, so "what we're trying to do is capture an image," said Mr. Rosatte. "These cameras have an infrared sensor that is activated by motion and heat. The key is to get the camera to trigger quickly enough, and with the ones we've got now, they'll trigger immediately and take a picture per second."

While baited traps aren't an option, a few tricks can be employed to lure a wary cat into the range of the camera lens, including a liberal sprinkling of cougar urine. "You can buy this stuff, believe it or not," said the researcher.

While neither a vial of cougar urine nor one of these fancy new cameras has been toted onto Manitoulin yet, both would be quickly deployed if someone provided a convincing report of a recent cougar appearance. "There was a sighting on St. Joseph Island recently, so we've got a camera running down there," noted Mr. Rosatte. "The whole idea is to respond as soon as possible, and ideally find scats or hair evidence, but it's a real challenge because they're so reclusive."

Cougar sightings have occurred on Manitoulin in the past, including several made in recent years. Kevin Hutchinson of Sandfield, an experienced hunter and outdoorsman, is confident he spied one last year on the Gibraltar Road. In August of 2006, seasonal resident Gary Shaver snapped a picture of an apparent cougar in the field behind his camp, although the photo proved inconclusive.

About four years ago, Honora residents Mike and Jennifer Machum saw what they are positive was a pair of cougars on their property; not long after both Jim Bock and Irene Callaghan saw an oversized cat in that same general area. Denise Leblanc is pretty sure she saw one on the Rockville Road near Newby's Bay.

John Diebolt, a veteran conservation officer on Manitoulin, said that the past few years have been relatively quiet for cougar sightings, but going back a bit further, "we did have a pile of them there for about a five-year period."

One of the most credible reports came from a trapper on Manitoulin's West End, "who watched it with binoculars and had no question that it was cougar," said Mr. Diebolt. There was also a report of a pair of cougars "right in the village of Tolsmaville on Cockburn Island," added the CO.

The problem is that none of these sightings could be verified. And while Mr. Diebolt doesn't rule out the idea that a cougar or two might be roaming Manitoulin, he said he's always found it curious that they don't appear during the time when the woods of Manitoulin are most full of witnesses.

"The Manitoulin deer hunt goes almost two months, and guys are sitting out there eight to nine hours at a time, and we've never had a sighting from a hunter," he said.

Some wolf hunters, though, did discover what they firmly believe to be evidence of the creature's presence a few years back. The group was using dogs to track wolves in the Honora area when "we ran into the tracks of a cat," said Bruce Wood of Green Bay. "It was a good-sized track, close to the size of a timber wolf, but on closer inspection, you said, 'no, no, that's not a wolf.'"

It was winter at the time, and apart from the cat-like digits imprinted in the snow, there was also the impression of a long, ropy tail. "You could see where it had jumped this wire fence and a distinct tail mark where it came down," said Mr. Wood. "The mark it left was like throwing down a one-inch rope that was four-feet long. I wished I'd had a camera."

The farmer, and part-time wolf hunter, said these traces of cougar activity, and the cougars themselves, likely would have been long gone by the time he got back to check out the site again. "You see tracks one day and go back and they've moved, because they cover such a big area," he said. "One day they could be in Honora, and the next they'll be close to Manitowaning."

Mr. Rosatte agrees that these animals are exceedingly difficult to pin down. He recently travelled to Montana to scour a section of mountainous terrain with a resident cougar pro for signs of the creature, but even here, where you can see for miles and the species is abundant, the search was largely futile.

"I spent a week there with an expert tracker, who took me out with dogs," he said. "There are known to be 3,000 to 5,000 cougars along this mountain chain, and in that whole week, searching every day, we found evidence of just three, and treed a single cougar with dogs. So I think the probability of finding one here in Ontario, in the mixed or boreal forest, will be incredibly difficult."

Cougars are the second-largest of wild-cat species in this hemisphere-only the jaguar, found in Central and South America, is bigger-but has the largest range of any terrestrial mammal in this half of the world. "They'll travel about 50 kilometres at night, and have a home range of 500 kilometres," marvelled Mr. Rosatte.

A map of their current distribution shows a broad swath running up the western side of the continent, with BC and Alberta, plus a tiny corner of Saskatchewan, representing the sole areas of Canada that unequivocally count the cougar as an habitue.

During the last century, numerous cougars have been reported in the central and eastern parts of the country-indeed, more than 1,000 sightings have occurred since 1949 in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick alone-but few have been confirmed, and the handful that have are mostly presumed to be South American cats that escaped from captivity.

The last really solid evidence of a bona fide wild cougar in Ontario is "one that was shot in Creemore in the late 1800s," said Mr. Rosatte.

Still, there are increasing signs that the species has either survived here all along or come back in a closely related form. A scat sample taken in the Welland area in 2004 was analyzed for DNA at Trent University and positively ID'd as a cougar dropping, said Mr. Rosatte, and there have been other convincing indications of late that the feline is definitely afoot.

"We have over 20 pieces of evidence in the last three years," said the MNR researcher. "This ranges from tracks to scat to video." A photo taken in March of 2007, by a resident of Orillia, is unmistakably of a cougar, he added.

But confirming their existence is just the half of it. "My interest is determining the genetic origin of the cougars in Ontario and providing data for classification at the federal level," said Mr. Rosatte.

Formerly classified as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), the cougar has since been designated as data deficient, owing to the lack of genetic evidence to show that the eastern cougar is distinct from its western and southern counterparts.

Mr. Rosatte said one researcher has recently determined that "there is no difference genetically among the cougars sampled in North America." If true, this could mean the eastern cougar, as a separate subspecies, could be declared extinct, but protections afforded to the type of cougar (gravitating in from the West, or here already but incorrectly classified before) that is resident in our parts.

If they're here in a wild form, and naturally reproducing, then this would call for a status of endangered, or threatened, and a management strategy being developed, said Mr. Rosatte. "If we can prove there's a breeding population, then there has to be a recovery plan put in place."

But nothing will happen based on sightings alone, as these have proven famously unreliable. "There was a study in Oregon in 2000, where they tried to figure out how many of the sightings were accurate, and determined that only 7 percent of those reported were actual cougars," said Mr. Rosatte.

The MNR researcher said it's easy to mistake an animal for something else. "I know, just from having seen wildlife myself at sunrise, while driving, that you might see something for two seconds-like a red fox running full out with it's tail straight out-and your brain will fill out what you think it was."

The task, then, is to amass more physical evidence that can be reliably checked through genetic testing, and determine not just the general identity of these animals, but the specific genotype we have padding around in our forests and fields.

"A lot of the cougars in zoos are of the South American genotype," noted Mr. Rosatte. At the same time, "some people have brought North American wild cougars into captivity," for instance when kittens have been orphaned by a hunter and kept as pets. Such waifs could then be released or escape into the wild.

Whatever the origin of the cougars which seem to be making increasing, if fleeting, appearances in this province, Mr. Rosatte said the public should have little concern for safety. "We've never had a confirmed attack on a person in Ontario," he said. "The possibility is so remote that it's hardly worth talking about."

Mr. Machum agrees that the mere existence of a cougar in one's area should not be a cause for panic. He was more fascinated than worried, he said, when he first spied a pair of big cats through binoculars in his back 40.

That said, when the creatures showed up on a subsequent evening, when his own children and several of their friends were milling about, "I went and got my shotgun out of the cupboard," he said. "I didn't want to shoot the cat, but I had all these kids hanging around; it was getting dark, and this thing was approaching. When it closed to 100 yards, I said, 'You might be endangered, but you're going to be extinct.'"

In the end, the cougar melted back into the dusky woods and Mr. Machum didn't have to fire a shot, for which he's glad. "I think it's the neatest thing that they're out there," he said. "It means we've got a healthy ecosystem, and it adds to the thrill of the walk. Your senses definitely become more heightened!"

The Honora resident hasn't seen, or heard, any cougars of late near his home, but he figures "it's a cyclical thing," and they'll likely be back. "I swear on a stack of bibles, they're out there."

If any Islander encounters a cougar, or what they believe to be a sign of one, such as a print, scat, or tuft of fur, Mr. Rosatte encourages them to report the evidence immediately to the MNR and preserve it as much as possible for future analysis.

"If you see some tracks, you should put a pail over it, and also document a sighting as much as you can, making note of the animal's colour, the length of the tail, etcetera," said the researcher. If photographing tracks, "try to put something in the photo, like a ruler or pen, to show the scale, and send it to your local MNR office," he added.

A photo of the beast would be even more valuable, of course, and the sharper the better. But even if it's a small, blurry image, there's a good chance that it could be identified (or ruled out) as a cougar based on body proportions.

As difficult as it's been to get conclusive evidence of cougars in Ontario, Mr. Rosatte knows from his own glimpse of two roaming examples that the species exists at large here, and is confident that many other accounts reported over the years are valid.

Referring to the 300-plus sightings from the last century that were analyzed by Ms. Gerson, Mr. Rosatte noted that, "based on the descriptions, 189 of those were felt to be credible."

Assuming the MNR scientist collects a bit more hard evidence to add to the mountain of circumstantial information, the cat, as they say, should soon be officially out of the bag.
 

Editorial

Rainbow Lodge achievement comes at good time

Congratulations to Wikwemikong's venerable Rainbow Lodge on seeking and gaining its first accreditation status as an addictions treatment facility.

While the staff at Rainbow Lodge has been diligently going about its job since the mid-1970s, the accreditation of Rainbow Lodge is an extremely vivid signal to the community that this is a place professionally staffed and whose standards are on a par with its peer organizations across Canada.

There has been a great deal on the news of late-in this newspaper, in fact-about serious issues in the Wikwemikong community that are directly related to the mandate of Rainbow Lodge.

In fact, Rainbow Lodge can trace its origins to the aftermath of another troubled era at this large community in the mid-1970s. A rash of attempted suicides-some were, tragically, successful-led to recommendations by a coroner's jury and out of these came a full-time addictions treatment agency at Wikwemikong: Rainbow Lodge.

Just now, Wikwemikong is once again facing a degree of social chaos whose roots are directly linked to drug and alcohol abuse.

The chief and council recognize this and are forthright in their statement of concern-once again, publicly through this newspaper.

All of the pieces are in place: a caring and concerned administration with the political will to help abate the problem, a treatment facility that community members will now know meets or exceeds the high standards of national accreditation against which it has voluntarily agreed to be measured, and the small part of the community that is clearly crying out for help.

It is a positive sign that the community is prepared to publicly discuss the scope of the problem it faces and the toll it takes on the people-usually young people-involved, together with their families and others who suffer collateral damage, for that is the sign of a healthy community.

Wikwemikong has been brave about sharing its hurts and concerns in these pages in recent months and it's equally clear that Rainbow Lodge will bear a new importance in the months and years to come.

Letters to the Editor
 

Ontario's education system well on its way to privatization

Parents must protect public schools from "frontier capitalism"

To the Expositor:

In case you haven't noticed, the privatization of Ontario's education system has already begun and in the weeks and months to come, the process will surely accelerate at breathtaking speed. As Canadian economist Naomi Klein indicates in her most recent book, The Shock Doctrine, "Most significant privatization deals are always signed amid the tumult of an economic or political crisis, when clear laws and effective regulators are never in place-the atmosphere is chaotic, the prices are flexible and so are the politicians." Already this month, Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced that he has a long list of rules that he is about to change. What Premier McGuinty is not telling Ontarians is that he is beginning the process of deregulation and privatization. In other words, Ontario's public assets are now officially up for sale and the multinationals will be first in line to snap them up at bargain basement prices. Naomi Klein calls this "wild west" economic approach-"frontier capitalism" or a "modern-day form of looting public property."

Premier McGuinty and Education Minister Kathleen Wynne have already made sure that one large multinational publishing and software monopoly has been receiving most of the more lucrative contracts for educational programs, products and assessments in this province. Minister Wynne has been systematically dismantling the Ministry of Education when she has been contracting out government work to private organizations, many closely affiliated with the same multinationals and its numerous lobby groups and corporate "think tanks." Even the auditor general of Ontario has alluded to problems in the funding and delivery of questionable special education policy and programs. With a 54-percent increase in funding and only a 5-percent increase in the number of students being serviced, this has raised serious questions as to where all of this money is going!

Although Ontario's education system is well on the way to being privatized, Canada is one of a few remaining countries that has not been totally sold out to multinationals. For this reason, we remain one of the most at-risk nations in the world. Naomi Klein sums up the reality of the situation this way: "Today's multinationals see government programs, public assets and everything that is not up for sale as terrain to be conquered and seized-schools, the post office, National Parks...and anything else that is publicly administered."

The multinationals and unethical politicians have deliberately caused the economic collapse on Wall Street. They have subjected Canadians to what Naomi Klein calls the multinationals' economic "shock therapy" when they imposed the North American Free Trade Agreement on unsuspecting citizens. They have destroyed Ontario's manufacturing base when they gave away our jobs to exploited workers in their offshore sweatshop factories. Now they are holding our learning-disabled children hostage in Ontario's education system. What are we going to do about it? Wake up parents! It's time to take back Ontario's public education system.

Don Morgan

North Simcoe Parents for Education
 

Public access to crown lands must be preserved

MNR pays no regard to public input

To the Expositor:

The Temagami Stewardship Council (TSC) continuously endeavoured to educate the public on issues concerning natural resources and the environment, from the fishery to water quality and septic systems. It was frustrating how few people were interested enough to get informed or involved. It is, however, time for the citizens of Northern Ontario to become informed as to what is happening to our right to access on public Crown lands.

At the present time there is an MNR policy to provide a privileged few in Northern Ontario with access to large tracts of Crown land and restrict access to the public. The people who live in Northern Ontario do so because they love the lifestyle. A lifestyle that includes hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, berry picking and all those activities that make living in Northern Ontario special. Consider the village of Dubreuilville in Northwestern Ontario, where 85 percent of the Crown land surrounding the village is now restricted to public access. Forests and lakes where citizens have grown up fishing, hunting and berry picking are now closed to the public by gates and signage.

The MNR is using the questionable validation of Local Citizens Committees (LCCs) to justify this policy while at the same time paying no regard to the public input provided to and by the LCCs. The Ontario Recreational Alliance (OntORA), sponsored by the Ontario Steelworkers will be manning a booth at the Toronto Sportsman Show from March 18-22 in an effort to inform the public. If you can't make the show, check the web page at www.crownland.org or the TSC page at www.temagamistewardship.ca. Please be informed.

Gaye Smith

former chairman Temagami Stewardship Council

Paisley
 

Input sought for map of forgotten Island communities

Gore Bay historian compiling names and locations

To the Expositor:

I am attempting to assemble a map of the Manitoulin District that will depict all of the original settlement locations, and their respective names, and am searching for additional information that anyone might have on this matter to allow this map, or paper, to be as complete as is possible.

Years ago on the Manitoulin and Cockburn Islands, and along the North Shore, there were settlements established primarily, but not necessarily, from there being a Post Office located at this point to serve the people of that immediate area. There were many such places and their names are now all but forgotten. Names such as Foxy, Advance, Squirrel Town, Fernlee are but a few of the many names that once existed are now gone and forgotten. There was a multitude of small settlements that had a distinctive name to identify them; I would like to collect these place names and document them on a map, and perhaps with an attached paper, so future generations may know of them and their location.

If you can be of assistance will you please write the names of settlements, and their locations on a paper and mail or give them to me, or call me at 282-2306.

Your assistance is appreciated.

W. John McQuarrie

P.O. Box 152, 9 Thornburn St.

Gore Bay, Ontario

P0P 1H0