Chi-Cheemaun starts season with four brand-new engines

by Alicia McCutcheon

SOUTH BAYMOUTH-Walk aboard the Chi-Cheemaun ferry and you may notice a number of new things. The staff have almost gone for a 'regal' colour scheme in the lounges with new, dark maroon chairs and gold tasseled curtains.

One may notice another, different sort of change while sailing the route-a marked change in vibration levels and engine noise. This is thanks to the four new Caterpillar engines working busily in the decks below.

The $10 million refit project began last year with the purchase of three new generators (one kept for backup) and a new exhaust system. All new motor control centres and switchboards were also replaced to keep up with the new electronically run systems.

"We're looking at a 20-year life but the hull is basically mint," says Mark Juffs, chief engineer aboard the Chi-Cheemaun. "I figure she's good for another 35 years."

The brand new generators are guaranteed between 15,000 and 25,000 hours before they are in need for a maintenance checkup.

With the generators averaging 1,100 hours per year, they could "conceivably go 13 years before we do maintenance on them," said Mr. Juffs.

It will be seven years before the new 2,300 horsepower, 8-cylinder engines will be in need of maintenance.

"Five years on the old engines would have meant a complete overhaul," he said.

With the four new engines, the Chi-Cheemaun has more horsepower at its disposal, but is limited in how much it can harness as it is "too much for the shafts."

Two engines are hooked up to one gear box, also new, which is then attached to one shaft.

Currently, the Chi-Cheemaun is running on two engines and will do so again during the fall, but come summer, it will be full steam ahead with all four engines-two inboard and two outboard-motoring across Georgian Bay at the summer speed of 16 knots, as opposed to the spring/fall speed of 14.5 knots.

Every week, the two engines being used are switched up to put hours on the new Cats equally-one week will see the inboards used, the next week, the outboards.

Although it's still too early to put a figure on fuel savings, the chief engineer says an improvement on this line item is "looking good," noting consumption is a "big issue."

One thing that's for certain, however, is that the new engines feature low emissions-a sure bet to keep both passengers and the Owen Sound Transportation Company happy.

"We're already exceeding regulations, and will be able to keep meeting environmental standards down the road," Mr. Juffs said.

He said he would like to see a new air compressor, oily water separator, and stabilizer controls (that keep passengers upright in stormy seas) added to his wish list for future refits.

Before water can be pumped from the bilge back into the lake, there can be no more than five parts per million (PPM) of oil in the water.

"We actually clean the lakes as we go, putting out only one PPM," Mr. Juffs said. "And then a motor boat goes by and undoes everything we've done to help clean up."

The current oily water separator still has some leaks, he noted, which is why he would like to see a new one.

The noisy engine room is practically full to capacity with the four shiny new yellow engines weighing in at a whopping 18 tons apiece. Two chunks of the car deck were cut out and removed before gutting the entire engine room to make room for the giant Cats.

"It was a huge project," he said.

It took five transport trucks to cart the engines, 12-ton gear boxes and forklifts needed to remove the engines once the trucks backed into the loading dock on the ferry.

Whereas the ferry used to be run with pneumatics and hydraulics, it's now strictly electric hydraulics.

"There used to be copper air lines from the wheelhouse to the OD box (the propellers' variable pitch control); now it's all electric," Mr. Juffs said.

He added that the bow thruster replaced last year was a "smoke monster" that would send black smoke billowing out over the South Baymouth and Tobermory harbours when snugging in to dock. The new electric "soft start" ramps the power up gradually and avoids those embarrassing situations caused by the old diesel bow thruster.

"There are some things that will take getting used to," said Captain Kerry Adams, pointing to the accuracy of the pitch control.

He noted that, from a driving viewpoint, he doesn't feel much of a difference between the old engines and the new ones, but is pleased with the savings in fuel they are sure to bring and the low emissions.

The captain of 17 years said that while the season is low, he'll work seven days on and seven days off, but come summer, he'll be there every day of the week.

Interestingly, Captain Adams has the claim-to-fame of being the very first member of the Seafarers Union to have taken a paternity leave back in 1985-he's been sailing for 33 years.

"Most of us here will be long gone by the time this machinery is outdated," he said. "It's kind of funny though-we spent $10 million and the boat still looks the same," he said, since money was spent below the car decks where the  improvements remain invisible to passengers.

"The old engines worked well, but emissions standards have changed," said Captain Adams.

A broader environmental change that worries the captain is a decline in water levels. He said he's seen a big change in levels during his time aboard the Chi-Cheemaun and worries they'll continue to decrease.

"Coming into South Baymouth, there's 19 feet of water-the Chi-Cheemaun draws 13 feet," he said, noting that during storms, the levels can change by one to two feet.

Jude MacDonald of Walkerton has been a member of the crew for the last 10 years and even met his future wife, a fellow employee, on the ferry. He said he's glad to see hear the hum of the new engines. It reassures him that there's job security for another long while.

Amtelecom's suitor snaps up Persona cable, Internet system

MANITOULIN-Bragg Communications-the same company currently in negotiations to purchase Amtelecom-has made a bid to acquire Persona Communications.

The announcement was made in a press release posted on the Bragg website on May 4. In it, Bragg co-CEOs Dan McKeen and Lee Bragg stated: "This purchase represents an opportunity to significantly grow our business, to build upon our success as a telecommunications and entertainment company, and to work with the management and employees of Persona. With a history of innovation by our EastLink employees and our new employees at Persona, we will continue to launch new products and services and provide excellent customer service."

The two companies have signed a purchase agreement which is subject to regulatory approval. If approved, the sale would make Bragg the largest privately held cable and communications company in Canada, and the only cable provider operating systems in all 10 provinces.

Persona Communications has 260,000 customers across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Its services include digital TV, hi-speed Internet, and telecom services. It specializes in providing service to non-urban areas, including Manitoulin.

Bragg announced its intention to purchase Amtelecom in April, after Amtelecom rejected an unsolicited purchase bid made by Bell Aliant in March.

Amtelecom shareholders have until May 23 at 8 pm to indicate whether they will accept the Bragg offer.

MNR_begins to plant brook trout in Manitou

by Jim Moodie

LAKE MANITOU-As the old Irish adage goes, "a trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea."

While some anglers will continue to bemoan the decline of the salmon fishery in Lake Huron, others will be welcoming an expanded trout presence in the Island's biggest inland waterbody.

Last week, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) planted 1,600 brook trout fingerlings-towards an eventual 10,000-in Lake Manitou, an historical haunt of the species.

On hand to welcome the new additions was Paul Moffatt, a representative of the Lake Manitou Area Association as well as the chair of the Manitoulin Streams committee. "They've never been this free since they were born," he remarked as the tiny fish-weighing 31 grams each-darted excitedly through their spacious new digs after being flushed from a ministry stocking tank.

A black lab owned by Assiginack councillor Bud Rohn sauntered down to check out the action, and spent a lot of time gazing intently at the flickering shapes, apparently debating whether or not to jump off the dock and eat one.

While far from the largest of native fish varieties, the brook trout draws raves for its colourful flecks and tasty flesh. Jim Hembruff of Wee Point Resort, where the fingerlings were released, noted that his clientele includes "a lot of fly fishermen" who will likely be thrilled to learn of the enhanced population of 'brookies.'

"It's all part of providing alternative fishing for people," said Paul Methner of the Blue Jay Creek Fish Culture Station, noting that "at one time Manitou had a trophy fishery (for brook trout) where you could count on catching one weighing three or four pounds."

Brook trout, also called speckles or squarebacks, "are still here and there" in Lake Manitou, said Mr. Methner, but "in relatively low numbers. This should boost it."

A member of the char family (which also includes lake trout), brook trout typically grow to between six and 16 inches, and prefer cold, clear water that has been relatively undisturbed by human impacts. "They're a good environmental indicator," noted Mr. Methner. "If they survive, that will tell us that the environment is pretty good."

Indeed, the ultimate goal of the stream rehabilitation projects that have been undertaken on the Blue Jay Creek and Manitou River is to create the kind of conditions that would allow the delicate brook trout-the only stream-dwelling trout native to the Great Lakes-to thrive again in these cold-water tributaries.

In the meantime, the MNR is hopeful the planted brookies will flourish in mighty Manitou's cooler corners. "It would be nice to see them take off and that niche develop where they sustain themselves," said Mr. Methner, adding, "you'll also see more brook trout in the Manitou River" as a few slip over the dam at Sandfield during periods of high water.

It was via the Manitou River that brook trout originally reached Lake Manitou. "Lake Huron once had a 'coaster' brook trout population that ran the tributaries, long before the rainbows were here," pointed out the fisheries expert. "Before the dams, they were able to migrate up to Manitou and grow to substantial sizes."

Older fishermen on the Island, among them Allan Tustian and Jack Hayes, "can remember the big brook trout that Manitou was famous for at one time," noted Mr. Methner.

The Nipigon strain of brook trout released last week grows larger than the typical 'brookie,' and the presence of such fish in Manitou should prove popular with resident and visiting anglers alike, Mr. Methner predicted.

"It's typically a style of fishing that's a little lighter with respect to equipment," he said. And compared to lake trout, which tend to lurk in the deepest parts of the lake, they're also "more of a near-shore fish," he pointed out, so an angler casting from land would stand a good chance of hooking one. "They'll come in looking for cold water inputs (i.e. springs) and cover, like a fallen tree."

The biggest brook trout on record was a 14.5-pound behemoth caught in the Nipigon River, but don't get too excited. Even the larger 'coaster' variety will typically top out at three pounds, and most brook trout will still fit easily in a frying pan.

That said, they'll taste good once they reach your plate. Their meat has a sweet, delicate flavour akin to that of whitefish and walleye. And, with their bright, speckled skins, they also provide a feast for the eyes.

Some anglers reach near-epiphanic heights when describing their appearance. Writing at a sportfishing website, BC angler Bill Luscombe deems brook trout "one of God's most beautiful contributions to the earth. Its lovely red spots and blue halos, combined with orange fins edged in black and white, take my breath away every time I see one."

Mr. Methner doesn't get quite that breathless in his praise, but does agree that brook trout are among the most eye-catching of fish species. Unfortunately (for them), they are also among the most readily caught, being "susceptible to hook and line, and easily harvested," he said. Plus they don't fare that well in competition with introduced species like rainbows and salmon, so it would be a challenge to reestablish a coaster population in the streams on Manitoulin that feed Lake Huron.

"It's very difficult because all the salmon run in the fall of the year, at the same time the coaster would run, and brook trout are sensitive-they don't tolerate getting kicked around by salmon," said Mr. Methner. Rainbows, meanwhile, may seem like a close relative of a brook trout, but are actually a member of the same family as chinook salmon, so act as competition to the indigenous variety of trout. "The two typically have their own preferences," he said.

Still, Mr. Methner believes there's a good chance the introduced coaster-type brook trout will flourish in Manitou, even if they don't run to the big water and back. "Lake Manitou is fairly large, so it can fulfill the same feeling for them," he surmised.

But it's always hard to predict how any situation might play out, since nature is never static and there are many variables that could impact on the population. "The lake is always changing," said Mr. Methner. "At one time lake trout and whitefish were the dominant species, but since then we've had smelt, walleye and bass as additions to the lake."

While some lake trout were stocked earlier this year in Lake Manitou, that program will be put on hold for a while, noted Mr. Methner, as the ministry wants to assess why the fish aren't reproducing at as high a rate as in the past, and it will be useful to see how a hiatus in stocking effects that situation. "In the past we've stocked as many as 60,000 fingerlings a year based on our egg collection, when we'd harvest as much as half a million," he said. "Now we're getting less than 200,000 eggs; over time, the fecundity rate of the female lake trout has reduced itself by about 50 percent."

The MNR remains puzzled as to why this drop in egg production has occurred. "Is it because of another top predator like walleye? Is the habitat declining because of warmer summers? Or are we stocking too much?" mused Mr. Methner. "We felt, 'let's not stock for a year or two, and see what happens.'"

Lake trout will be stocked again, he assured, but it will be on more of a "rotational basis," with the next planting scheduled for 2010. In the meantime, the population of lake trout remains "stable," he said. "They're smaller in size than 10 years ago but there's still a pile of them out there. And there's a rising number of unmarked fish, so we know that they're naturally reproducing."

The brook trout that were deposited last week originated from captive brood stock in a hatchery near Englehart, with eggs from that facility transferred to the Tarentorus provincial hatchery in Sault Ste. Marie for cultivation, explained Mr. Methner.

He expected that the balance of the 10,000 brook trout fingerlings promised for Lake Manitou would be released next spring.

I'm your neighbour

It's been "10 years this year" says Rick Armstrong of his tenure with Tim's & Co. Building Supplies in Little Current, and never a dull moment.

"You're seeing different people every day, and it's just crazy in here in the summertime-it's never boring," says the affable floor manager.

Prior to joining the Tim's team, Mr. Armstrong worked for 10 years at a hardware store in Manitowaning, a community which remains his home. A family man, he and wife Donna have three sons, all of whom play hockey.

This helps explain Mr. Armstrong's other, unpaid job: coaching. "I coached two minor hockey teams last year," he says.

But that's not the extent of his after-work exertions. Mr. Armstrong also helps out in his wife Donna's business-she operates the Manitoulin Soap Factory-and serves with the Assiginack Volunteer Fire Department.

When not involved in such commitments, the Tim's manager says he enjoys hunting and fishing-"when I have time to go."

Mr. Armstrong enjoys the atmosphere at Tim's, in part because there is a good rapport among the staff. "Your coworkers make an awful difference," he notes. But he also enjoys the clientele, and says it's interesting each year at this time to "see the summer residents coming back up."

Winter might be a tad slower for staff at the store, but not really, as "this is when we start doing renovations and stuff," he notes.

Tim's employs over a dozen workers, and although it's obviously smaller in scope than a sprawling urban home centre, the business, having joined the RONA franchise in recent years, can still offer products "at the same price as a big box store," notes Mr. Armstrong.

The challenge is having the space to stock all the items in RONA's product line, he says, but "if somebody wants something, we do our best to get it for them."

Shopping at local businesses like Tim's & Co. provides lasting employment for people like Rick Armstrong.

Rick Armstrong

clerk at Tim's & Co. Building Supplies,

Little Current

Editorial

Spread of invasive pests needs more rigorous policing

The emerald ash borer, an insect that attacks all varieties of ash trees, was first discovered in southwestern Ontario between Windsor and Chatham.

The Ministry of Natural Resources, realizing it was facing a serious problem, took drastic action and required the cutting down of all ash trees in several counties in that region.

The hoped-for effect was, of course, to take away the food supply and natural environment for the pest, in order to interrupt its progress into south-central and Northern Ontario.

Sadly, this drastic method has not been successful: the predatory insect is now munching its way through ash trees in the London region.

Another predatory insect, the asian longhorn beetle, has been dealt with in similar ways, but with similar results as it slowly expands its territory.

On Manitoulin, tourist operators have been asked by both federal and provincial authorities to ask campers coming to their establishments to not bring their own firewood.

It's a simple way of preventing the importing of these pests to Manitoulin and, by and large, there has been compliance and understanding when the request is made.

Naturally, not everyone makes the request every time a booking is made and so the process is flawed.

We do not want to lose our ash trees here. Our forests will look remarkably different without them, just as our landscape changed drastically with the loss of virtually every stately elm tree, the result of the infestation of the Dutch elm disease.

The federal and provincial governments must quickly move to a more aggressive advertising campaign if we have any hope at all of localizing the emerald ash borer and Asian longhorn beetle.

In the matter of firewood coming from infected areas, permanent signage along all of the major routes leading out of the areas of infection is immediately necessary.

To take a page from Saskatchewan's book (where the elm tree still survives), there should be firewood dumps at designated places, associated with the roadside signage, where people can offload firewood en route to northern or central Ontario, rather than risk carrying infected wood into uninfected territory.

On the way into Saskatchewan, along any of the main roads-of-entry, there are designated wood dumps and prominent signs explain that the reason behind all of this is to keep Dutch elm disease at bay.

So far, it's worked.

It's unfortunate for the Windsor-Chatham area that people have lost so many ash trees. But we don't want this devastation imported.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and its federal counterpart need to be far more aggressive in their demands on individuals carrying potentially infected wood.

Letters to the Editor

Smoking cessation, not smoking rooms, is the answer

The cure is simple: quit!

To the Expositor:

I would like to respond to the article in the May 2 edition of your excellent paper concerning Ontario's Smoke-Free Act ("Smokers' rights group points to Lodge tragedy as reason to change province's smoke-free act"). We are seeing a haze of smoke about tragic accidents associated therewith. I do not intend to deny or minimize these unfortunate incidents. I do want to draw attention to the other side of the ledger.

Smoking has been the direct cause of many house fires causing destruction and death. Many forest fires have been caused by careless smokers. Some 60 years ago a barn near where I live was destroyed by a fire started by a cigarette. I have been amazed that so many smokers seem oblivious to the fire hazard they have in their mouths. As most folk here know, I farmed for many years. On one occasion a gentleman came into our barn puffing on a cigarette and he was shocked when I told him to get rid of it.

I believe we are responsible for making wise decisions regarding our physical well-being. It is a well-known fact that smoking is a serious health hazard. God has given us wonderful bodies. As the Psalmist said, "I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14 NKJV.

In my view the solution is not to spend vast amounts of hard-earned taxpayers' money on smoking rooms but to encourage smokers to make use of the many programs available to help them stop smoking. The most important aid to quitting is a thing known as willpower. I will not identify the man but he had smoked for many years. As he approached 80 years of age his doctor told him he must quit. He put his cigarettes on the dresser in his bedroom and never smoked another one! The cure is just that simple. Quit!

I wonder, if everyone did so, what effect it would have on the climate change we hear so much about.

Robert (Bert) Hill

Providence Bay

Process for residential school survivors clarified

Misunderstanding about 'opt-out' form is rampant

To the Expositor:

This update is very important so that I can get the information out to our Aboriginal people nationally about the opt-out forms they are receiving. I know that our people have been filling out the opt-out forms and sending them in and didn't understand the purpose of the form. I don't know the count as of yet, but I know that people want to retrieve these opt-out forms that were sent in.

The information below is what I want to tell our Aboriginal sisters and brothers across Canada. From March 20, to August 20 is the opt-out period through the Agreement in Principle for the Survivors of Residential Schools across Canada. I think it's important to get the information out to the people because some people are filling out these opt-out forms not realizing their purpose. I know this because people started calling me on Monday, April 30, about these forms they have been receiving in the mail. I then made contact with others to find out how serious this opt-out form issue is. It's very serious because of the misunderstanding of this opt-out form.

For example, an Elder called me from northern Ontario telling me about receiving mail about residential school. The Elder wanted to know which lawyer sent the form in the mail. After I explained the purpose of the opt-out form, the Elder replied I don't want that to happen.

The next paragraph explains what will happen if there are 5,000 survivors of residential schools across Canada who opt out.

The opt-out form is for you; if you do not want to go with the agreement in principle that was negotiated in 2005, that is your choice-that is what the opt-out form is for. Do you want to know what happens if 5,000 people opt out? If 5,000 survivors of residential schools choose to opt out, then the agreement in principle will die and you will have to start over again. The Common Experience and the compensation for that will die. The independent assessment process for those who suffered sexual or serious physical abuses will die. The retroactive date for attendants at other residential schools across Canada is May 7, 2005. The people who went through the alternative dispute resolution-the ones who might be eligible for the automatic increase on their past settlement-that will die. There are women who went through the alternative dispute resolution and didn't receive their whole compensation of the settlement. My understanding is they would receive that percent, through the agreement in principle, but that will also die. Under the alternative dispute resolution, 70 percent was to come from the government, 30 percent from the church, but I know one group for whom it changed to 50 percent for each side.

At the top of the form I'm referring to, you will read 'opt out.' Please call your lawyer. If you don't have a lawyer, call someone first before filling any form out and sending it in.

I stated before that I don't agree with this agreement in principle, but I don't want to see our people having to start all over again.

I know that there are people who have filled out the form, sent it off, and they didn't understand the purpose of the opt-out form. Don't panic, some lawyers in the national consortium are having a meeting at the end of this month. The meeting is to see if these opt-out forms can be retrieved for those who didn't understand their purpose and don't want their forms in the opt-out count.

For further information, contact Mr. Richard W. Courtis in Thunder Bay at 1-877-266-6646, or Mr. Merkur and Marcia Schmitt in Toronto at 1-888-223-0448. If anyone wants to contact me, Martie LaValley, my number is 1-519-534-2348.

Martie (Martha) LaValley

Walks Far Woman

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