Unopened road allowances not for hiking in

Northeast Town Council rules at public meeting

by Lindsay Kelly

LITTLE CURRENT-Before the public meeting to discuss the proposed Northeast Town walking trail had even begun last Thursday evening, a lineup to get into the meeting room snaked out into the hallway, where trail opponents patiently waited their turn to sign a petition indicating their opposition to the trail. It was just foreshadowing of what was to come.

Following more than two hours of presentations, discussion and debate, the proposed trail was scuttled after council passed a motion preventing the ski club from developing a route on unopened municipal road allowances.

That's the simple story. But a more detailed look at how the meeting progressed, who attended the discussion, and why so much anger and bitterness was brought forth that evening sadly seems to reveal a level of resentment that has divided the community.

It was the intention of council to allow anyone with a vested interest in the trail to come forward and present his or her case to council, and it would then take into consideration those comments and apply them to its decision about the trail, which would stretch 36 kilometres through the municipality and link its communities.

Eight people chose to make a statement, and Mayor Jim Stringer wasted no time in letting those people present their cases, imploring everyone at the meeting to "be respectful of each other as we move through this process."

Returning for the third time to make his case for the trail was its architect, Dr. Roy Jeffery, who cited health benefits for both residents of, and visitors to, the Island.

His belief in the potential benefits of the trail remained unshaken, despite the proliferation of what he deemed "misconceptions as to what we're trying to do."

He pointed to the good work the Manitoulin Nordic Ski Club volunteers have done over the years, taking a small operation on municipal property and turning it into a largely self-sustaining organization that offers ski programs for kids and adults, as well as entertainment via the Café in the Woods series, which brings funding in for further community programming.

As times change, so has the ski club's mandate in an effort to offer "year-round recreational opportunities for residents and tourists," and the proposed trail would fit that directive, Dr. Jeffery noted.

"I believe we've proven over the years that we're a reliable, hard-working organization with support from council, and without costing the taxpayers anything," he said. "I think people have expressed concerns that the trail would run higgledy-piggledy through the township, but that's not the case."

The trail route, which he outlined in detail, would be non-motorized, would not use skidoo trails, and would be maintained by volunteers, Dr. Jeffery said. In addition, trail users would be insured under the ski club's insurance policy, and volunteers would apply to provincial and federal grants to gain funding for development, so the trail would not cost taxpayers any money, he continued.

"We don't have anything to say about who uses the road allowances, we're just asking to run the walking trail along it-it's already used for other purposes," he said, noting that private land would be used only with the landowners' permission. "I'm a farmer, I was raised on a farm. I would not have suggested this routing if I thought it would have an adverse effect on farmers."

What resulted were protestations from audience members comparing experiences from the Bruce Trail, and suggesting that problems would arise in the form of litter along the trail route, liability issues and involvement from outside organizations, such as the Environment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC), despite Dr. Jeffery's strongly repeated assertions that the trail was not connected to the EBC.

An objection was raised by Councillor Paul Skippen, who wanted Dr. Jeffery to explain his affiliation with the EBC, and Dr. Jeffery gladly obliged.

In the Northeast Manitoulin area, the EBC owns separate properties, he explained. One is an area in White's Point that was donated to the EBC for bird watching, and Dr. Jeffery has been granted permission to develop a side loop to the area for those interested in that activity.

Despite gaining permission from the EBC to route a trail across another property they own, the Bidwell Bog, Dr. Jeffery has decided against extending the trail past the Silver Birches area, he explained.

However, when pressed by Councillor Skippen to explain his affiliation with the EBC, Dr. Jeffery explained that, like many people present, he was a member of many organizations, the EBC just being one of them. "But it doesn't mean they're involved with this project," he emphasized.

Dr. Jeffery also noted his involvement with the preservation of Freer Point, which, he explained, was a conservation area developed on private land with private money, and, like any landowner, the EBC is required to pay taxes on that land.

"I'm very proud of the fact that Freer Point is now a preserve," he said. "It's a beautiful section of property, and I hope it will stay the same. I have nothing to be ashamed about in regards to Freer Point-it just has nothing to do with the trail, nor does the EBC. I've never hidden my affiliation with the EBC."

He asserted that he doesn't want the EBC involved in the trail any more than the average landowner, and, although he may be affiliated with the organization, "there is no place for the EBC in this discussion."

Like many of the landowners, Dr. Jeffery said he doesn't believe in government control, and would therefore not welcome larger organizations looking to restrict land use on the Island.

"I want our kids to see those views (along the trail) so they understand what they have here," he emphasized. "I want them to get out here, away from the TV, because if they don't understand what they have, they don't realize what they could lose."

"The Niagara Escarpment Commission will only be allowed in if the municipality allows them to come in," he added.

Public health nurse Linda Belton, of the Sudbury and District Health Unit, also spoke in favour of the proposal, citing the benefit of trails in maintaining healthy lifestyles. "Our motto is 'working with our communities to promote and protect health and to prevent disease,'" she said. "Trails support an active lifestyle that improves health."

She presented staggering statistics that illustrate the high incidences of disease and illness in the SDHU catchment area. On average, about 850,000 people in the area have been admitted to the hospital to treat cardiovascular disease, and more than 6 percent of the population in the SDHU catchment area has been diagnosed with diabetes.

Compared to statistics from a few years ago, obesity in boys tripled, while it doubled in girls, and 58 percent of adults in areas throughout the Sudbury District are considered to be overweight. Islanders, in particular, are "a lot more overweight than in the rest of Ontario," Ms. Belton said.

Using the audience as an example to illustrate those statistics, she noted that "two-thirds of the people in this room do not meet the guide for physical activity."

But along with the health unit, the Ontario Trails Strategy, introduced a few years ago by the provincial government, is in support of trails as a way to increase physical activity amongst Ontarians and improve communities, Ms. Belton added.

Their statistics have shown that trail development adds value to communities, creates jobs for the people who develop trails, and increase property values. It also brings together volunteers who work to maintain the trails and acknowledges the contributions of generous private landowners who allow the development of trails on their property.

But aside from all of those benefits, trails are fun, Ms. Belton concluded.

If people were hoping to hear more in the way of endorsements for the trail, they would be disappointed. The remaining seven speakers were uniformly opposed to the proposed trail.

Ed Ferguson Sr., who was followed by his son, Ed Jr., gave an amusing, but sincere, account of the fears of farmers at the prospect of a trail being developed on the unopened municipal road allowances. While trail proponents may see the trail as an opportunity to improve health, welcome tourists and generally improve the community, farmers like Mr. Ferguson worry about whether their hunting rights will be affected, and if they will see a scenario develop that is similar to those cited on the Bruce Trail, in which landowners lost many rights to develop and use their land as they saw fit.

Mainly, farmers worry that "hikers will be a royal pain in the ass forever," Mr. Ferguson said, adding that the issue of the trail is largely about "pride, ownership and control of the land-I think that's what this is about tonight."

For families like Mr. Ferguson's, who arrived on Manitoulin in the late 1870s and have maintained their homesteads here since, the parade of people arriving on the Island has always been accepted, whether they've been visitors, bird watchers, conservationists, or people looking to live closer to nature. But "we never imposed our values on them," he said.

While he said he values the contributions of volunteers like Dr. Jeffery, with whom Mr. Ferguson worked on the original development of the ski club, and he doesn't deny his good intentions, the issue is simply dividing what is generally a tightly knit community, Mr. Ferguson said.

"I don't want to see the community divided as it is tonight," he said, "but just look at the track record of the Bruce Trail."

The restrictions placed on the landowners that followed were simply too confining, Mr. Ferguson said, adding that the idea of having to ask permission to cut wood makes him "shudder."

"I love the vision that people have of a hiking area-it's a great vision," he concluded. "But I also love Manitoulin just the way it is."

Echoing this sentiment were other landowners, including Ed Ferguson Jr., Doug Hore, Dale Wood, and Mike Meeker, co-chair of the Manitoulin Landowners' Association, who maintained that, "I don't think we can ignore an experience like the Bruce Trail, especially when you consider the connection to the area."

He said he has talked to 100 people who lived on the Bruce Trail and experienced land use restriction issues, and that they resent being told what they can and cannot do with the land. A commonality throughout their comments was the "bitterness and anger about how they lost their land," he said. "It started with the trail and expanded from there."

Mr. Meeker also cited changes to the Species at Risk Act and the Endangered Species Act that he fears will further restrict use of the land, and believes that municipal planning boards on the southern Bruce lost all power, because the Niagara Escarpment Conservancy was able to veto its decisions, affecting more than 1 million acres of land. He fears that a similar situation would ensue with the Manitoulin Planning Board should the trail be developed.

Max Burt, who operates a farm on the west end of the Island, presented a letter on behalf of the Manitoulin Soil and Crop Improvement Association and the Manitoulin Cattlemen's Association.

The land they farm is the land on which they live and build their businesses, Mr. Burt said. Farmers go through painstaking controls to ensure nutrient safety, and to control food systems, he said, but developing trails running adjacent to farmers' properties "puts our livestock and livelihood at risk," he said.

The group sees "no direct benefits to farmers," and in fact, can only see negative results arising from a trail development.

He spoke of a personal experience a few years ago on his farm in which a British man visited the Burt farm during Britain's foot-and-mouth disease crisis. With such diseases threatening crops and livestock on a global scale, farmers now have to take extreme precautions to protect their livelihoods, he said, noting that he escorted the British man off his property because "he could have destroyed two of the commodities of the four I sell on my farm."

Throughout these presentations, decorum was maintained, for the most part, by presenters and audience members alike, with many of the presenters voicing their admiration and respect for those sitting on the other side of the issue, even though their opinions on the matter differed.

Reactions from some audience members were hostile, however, with one woman taking offence to Ms. Belton's comments, and mistakenly suggesting the public health nurse had called everyone in the audience obese. One man suggested that local biologist Judith Jones walked his property looking for wildflowers, and claimed she later replanted flowers taken from other areas of the Island on his property.

Most audience members simply presented an objection to the trail, and proponents of the proposed route were largely outnumbered.

It was this lopsided representation at the meeting that seemed to tip the scales in favour of the trail detractors, and it was used to encourage council to make a decision on the trail that evening, via an unexpected motion sprung on council by Councillors Bruce Wood and Paul Skippen.

Despite objections from Councillors Dawn Orr, Al MacNevin and Melissa Peters, procedural bylaw was waived, allowing the motion to be put on the table for discussion.

In addition to preventing the ski club's trail from being developed, the motion goes one step further, stating the town's opposition "to the development of hiking and/or walking trails by groups and/or individuals associated with the Biosphere, Conservancy or any other land trust on any municipal property."

Surprisingly, the councillors who put the motion forward and have been the most vocal in their opposition to the trail, had little to say when the opportunity arose. Councillor Wood said simply, "I'm glad this has come to discussion-I think it should."

Councillor Skippen maintained that, "I have nothing against walking or hiking trails, but in reality, I don't want to give anyone else the opportunity to do something with other people's property," adding that the Island should "stay the way it is."

Councillor Marcel Gauthier suggested that, despite keeping an open mind before attending that evening's meeting, testimonials from speakers like Ed Ferguson Sr. and Mike Meeker were prompting him to vote in favour of the motion and against the trail.

Councillor Jib Turner said that he was opposing the trail based on first-hand experience. Seeing a wild area he hiked as a child being turned into a park, which then saw piles of garbage accumulate, plastic signs spring up and outhouses erected along the way, helped him come to the decision that "I can't support developing a trail on unopened road allowances."

For Councillor Bill Koehler, the reaction from citizens being overwhelmingly opposed to the trail convinced him that the trail was a bad idea and that he should vote against it.

Unfortunately, when it came time for the remainder of council to speak their minds, decorum was temporarily lost while some members of council and the audience talked and laughed instead of affording the rest of council an opportunity to speak their minds.

When those people settled down, Councillor Dawn Orr told of why she was of mixed opinion about the issue. During the more than 10 years she and her husband had a trail running through their property, they only experienced one problem, she said. And while she wouldn't support a project connected to the EBC, "I don't want to shut all doors to Manitoulin," she said.

She supports the efforts of health professionals encouraging more physical activity, but noted the clear objection voiced by opponents of the trail. "It's really too bad there aren't more people here who support it," she added.

Councillor MacNevin noted his disapproval with the attacks-through innuendo spread in the community and through conversations with other councillors-on Dr. Jeffery and the ski club that have occurred since discussion surrounding the trail commenced. The discussion has divided the community, but "the worst thing you can do is to attack them to convince them to drop everything," he said.

In addition, Dr. Jeffery has contacted private landowners to get their permission for the trail, so if they have given their consent to have a trail run through their property, "why can't they make that decision?" he asked.

While the town can't guarantee that there won't be restrictions put on land use in the future, the province can wield that authority at any time, whether there is a trail present or not, he added.

"There are still ways we can talk to the landowners about developing trails and I think we should do that," he said, noting that the development of trails is a key component of the town's recently devised strategic plan. "Abandoning the development of trails and tarnishing the reputation of the ski club and suggesting that we sell the land (on which the ski club sits) is wrong."

Councillor Melissa Peters said the fate of the trail required further discussion, and she was dismayed at being forced to make a decision on the spot, echoing Councillor Orr's thought that she would have welcomed more speakers acting in support of the trails.

"I'm voting against this because I don't feel we've heard from everyone we want to on this issue," she said.

While, at this point, the decision had generally been made in favour of the motion opposing the trail, Mayor Stringer offered his opinion on the matter. He noted the strong objection voiced at the meeting, calling it a "very difficult issue," adding that "virtually everyone here is opposed" to the trail.

Although he said he supports "the spirit of the motion," he does not support the negative sentiment attached to it.

"We're potentially tarnishing the image of a very important volunteer group, and I'm pretty sure we don't want to do that," he said, adding that he does not want to eliminate the idea of developing trails altogether.

In a recorded vote, Councillors MacNevin and Peters voted against the motion, while the remaining councillors, along with Mayor Stringer, voted for the motion.

Zhiibaahaasing tire removal begins with on-site shredding

by Margo Little

ZHIIBAAHAASING-The tire removal operation under way at Zhiibaahaasing First Nation is going well, according to Chief Irene Kells. An American recycling company was recently hired to dispose of the massive tire dump on Western Manitoulin.

The press has been barred from witnessing or documenting the shredding project. An Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada (INAC) imposed gag order has prevented media from reporting fully on this serious health and safety issue.

The tiny First Nation (population 52) has been roundly criticized by its neighbours for stockpiling over a million tires on its 769.5 hectare land base. Over the past several years, a private company, known as Cockburn Island Recycling, operated on the reserve. Employees collected $2 for every discarded tire supplied by automotive shops on Manitoulin and elsewhere. Although the company pledged to recycle the tires they picked up, equipment failures led to an out-of-control buildup. Now the price tag for cleaning up the hazardous material will be at least $4 million.

Despite the backlash, Chief Irene Kells remains steadfast in her view that tire recycling is a viable economic development vehicle for her remote community. She continues to express disappointment that potential funding bodies saw no merit in the scheme.

In an interview outside the band office April 3, she reiterated her stance. "We still feel bad that it was taken out of our hands," she said. "It was our economic development project but no-one would fund us. They do not want us to be in the tire business period."

She acknowledged that the band members are somewhat pleased to have the American tire removal experts on the scene. "It's good to see the tires go because we know we are not allowed to handle tires anymore. So there's some comfort to see them go for safety reasons. Of course, people are relieved in a way, because they were worrried that a fire could be started up on purpose," she noted. "Those sleepless nights are over, but people are also sad because they know First Nations people could have done the job."

From her perspective, the Empire Recycling and Disposal crew has been working efficiently since the machinery arrived on site on March 14. She says it's a quiet operation so it doesn't disrupt the community. "It's going very well; they are working really hard out there," she observed. "The tires are being eaten up pretty fast."

Her husband, Bob Kells of Cockburn Recycling, echoed the chief's assessment. "They are ahead of schedule," he agreed. "This (shredding) machine is pretty efficient."

He anticipates that approximately 20 trucks will be used to transport the material off the Island. "It will all be shredded before the trucking starts," he said. "The first load might go out about the middle of May. As soon as the half-load restrictions have been lifted, special trucks will haul it (the shredded rubber) away."

Meanwhile, Zhiibaahaasing is benefitting from some short-term employment during the INAC-backed cleanup project. Mr. Kells reported that four band members are working with the contractor. Two are on the payroll full time and two are part time or casual.

Chief Kells denied permission to photograph the shredding operation citing INAC prohibitions.

Empire Recycling's superintendent, Mike Vagi, also prevented a press tour of the site. The INAC contract blocks media access, he emphasized.

He said the INAC agreement does not stipulate a specific time frame for concluding the operation, but he expects to finish the actual shredding by May 1. The tender for trucking the material to southern Ontario has not been awarded yet.

The company's makeshift office is located at the rear of the village community centre. From here the crew maintains contact with their headquarters in Orlando, Florida.

Superintendent Vagi has 12 years' experience in the tire removal business including other large-scale dumps in Ontario and Quebec. Empire Recycling is an international company with a home base in Florida and a branch office in Guelph, Ont.

Although it was previously reported that Zhiibaahaasing would be utilizing all the Cockburn Recycling equipment, Mr. Vagi said that Empire brought in all their own machinery including a shredder built in the US. Spare parts were also transported to the plant to handle breakdowns. "We brought one piece (of heavy equipment) from Florida and another piece from Guelph," he added. "We also brought our own fire truck."

The first order of business was to train First Nations crew members in fire suppression, he said. He also consulted with the Sheshegwaning firefighters.

Although he acknowledged that cleaning up the Manitoulin tire dump is a massive undertaking, he said it has been a very smooth operation so far. Once it is shredded, the rubber is destined for the company's established customers in southern Ontario. It will be used for a variety of purposes including road base and landscaping.

Project electrician Moe Bailey was also on hand last Tuesday to offer his perspectives. There are no glitches or setbacks to report at this point. He estimates that the shredder handles 20 tons per hour and since the operation runs 10 to 12 hours a day, they are proceeding quickly.

"I keep the machines running," he said. "And things are going along pretty much on schedule. We did do a few minor repairs such as fixing hoses on the hydraulics to prevent oil spills. We are extremely careful to protect the environment."

Brock Worobel, INAC communications director, Ontario region, has indicated that the government's news blackout on the cleanup will be lifted by April 11 or 12. He said that if the First Nation is agreeable, he will travel to Manitoulin to escort the press to the Zhiibaahaasing plant.

Island honours Vimy anniversary

by Alicia McCutcheon

MANITOULIN-Monday marked the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge and what many historians consider to be Canada's birth as a nation.

Ceremonies were held at cenotaphs across the country, coinciding with the rededication of the Vimy Memorial in France, with thousands of students from across the country, along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Queen Elizabeth, and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, present to witness the historical event.

Vimy Ridge, on April 9, 1917, was a heavily fortified, seven-kilometre ridge occupied by German troops. Previous attacks on the ridge had cost the French over 100,00 casualties.

For weeks, the Canadian troops practised their plan of attack. The infantry were given the roles of grenade throwers, machine gunners, and rifle men. Tunnels were built toward the ridge, their aim being to bring the soldiers closer to the front more safely.

Both Canadian and British artillery hammered the enemy lines thanks to new tactics which allowed the soldiers to target, then destroy, enemy positions. The troops had a massive supply of artillery as well as a new shell fuse which allowed for shells to explode on contact instead of burying into the ground first, then exploding. This made for better destruction of defences like barbed wire.

During the Vimy ceremony at the Little Current ceremony on Monday, Master of Ceremonies Roy Eaton told the crowd gathered how the troops would march for three minutes, stop and repeat-a tactic known as a creeping barrage. The artillery would fire 100 yards ahead of the troops who marched at the pace set by them.

At 5:30 am on Easter Monday, the four divisions of Canadian troops stormed the ridge together, for the first time in history.

Over 15,000 Canadian soldiers stormed the German troops along the front. The infantry continued to push forward, despite the heavy artillery they were facing. Tales of heroism and bravery surround the historical day as the soldiers attacked machine gun nests and forced the surrender of German soldiers from their dugouts.

"All four divisions of the Canadian Corps advanced as one, representing our country from the Atlantic to the Pacific," Comrade Colin Pick told the group gathered around the Manitowaning Cenotaph. "As they advanced up the ridge in the midst of driving wind, snow and sleet, they did frontal attack against Hill 145, the highest point of Vimy Ridge, and a formidable enemy stronghold, and achieved a great Canadian victory."

By April 12, Canadian troops had taken Hill 145 and Hill 120, known as the pimple and the sight of the Vimy Monument.

Comrade Eaton pointed out to the Little Current crowd that five families in attendance-the Taylors, Kifts, Marshalls, Boyds, and Turners-counted family members who fought in the battle for Vimy Ridge.

"The Memorial on Vimy Ridge does more than just mark the site of the great Canadian victory; it also stands as a tribute to all who served Canada in battle during WWI," he continued.

"We can be proud Canadian as we remember those who fought in all battles of the past, and we can also be proud of our troops today as they fight for freedom in Afghanistan and other places of conflict around the world."

During both the Manitowaning and Little Current ceremonies, sorrow and remembrance was expressed over the loss of six Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan on Sunday.

The Easter Sunday fatalities bring Canadian losses in Afghanistan to 51 soldiers since 2002, making it the worst loss felt since the Korean War. The soldiers were killed when an attack was made on their armoured vehicle just west of Kandahar city.

East Coast buyer has outbid Bell for Amtelecom

ONTARIO-Bell Aliant has met with some competition in its bid to secure oustanding units of Amtelecom trusts now that a second company has expressed interest in aquiring the telecommunications firm.

Bragg Communications Inc., an Atlantic communications company which operates as EastLink, has announced its intention to purchase outstanding Amtelecom shares at $14.25 per unit, which amounts to a 9.6 percent increase over the Bell Aliant offer of $13 per unit.

The announcement was made on April 3, the same day that Bell indicated that the deadline, by which Amtelecom was to respond to Bell's offer, had been extended to this Friday (April 13). The original deadline was April 5 at 5 pm.

Bragg Communications Inc. has been operating since 1998, offering communications, entertainment and advertising services to both business and residential customers throughout Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

In a press release, co-chief executive officer Lee Bragg indicated that the company's intention in making the offer is to add to Bragg's current list of services.

"Bragg Communications' decision to purchase Amtelecom is based on a desire to augment our existing business with a company that complements our expertise as a provider of cable, Internet and phone services," he said.

The offer includes the following stipulations: Amtelecom will not actively seek additional offers; Bragg has the right to match competing offers; and "under certain circumstances," Amtelecom will pay a $3.67 million non-completion fee and reimburse Bragg $1 million in expenses.

In addition, the offer will only go through if 66.66 percent of the units are included in the offer. The offer has a shelf life of 36 days.

The Bragg announcement comes directly after Amtelecom's mid-March recommendation to unitholders to reject Bell's takeover bid and not tender their shares into the offer.

Amtelecom has maintained that Bell's offer is inadequate and "opportunistic," saying that the offer would benefit Bell shareholders, while providing little gain to Amtelecom unitholders.

The Amtelecom Income Fund is a telecommunications trust, with shares listed as AMT.UN on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Amtelecom provides cable television services to about 8,800 subscribers and Internet services to about 13,000 subscribers across Ontario, including various communities on Manitoulin.

EDITORIAL

NE Town motion smacks of guilt-by-association paranoia

The Northeast Town council had a hot potato on its hands, as it found out, when local physician and community builder Roy Jeffery proposed building a hiking trail in the municipality, using in part unopened road allowances.

Following a heated public meeting on the issue last Thursday, council convened an impromptu meeting and passed a motion indicating it would not support the building of such a trail on unopened municipally owned road allowances.

That is fine. The council was catering to the will of what they perceive as the majority of Ward 4 landowners.

What isn't as fine is the second paragraph of the motion, which reads: "Be it further resolved that the Council for the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands is opposed to the development of hiking and/or walking trails by groups and/or individuals associated with the Biosphere, Conservancy or any other land trust on any municipal property."

In our opinion, this motion is not only punitive in tone, and perhaps in intent, but smacks very much of the guilt-by-association paranoia we usually associate with the "red-under-the-bed" communist fear-mongering characterized by the infamous US Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early and middle 1950s.

By this extended motion, council appears to have itself bought into the worst fears that could be imagined by some Island landowners.

Dr. Jeffery, to whom we can attribute no other motive than wanting to improve the municipality in a tangible way, was himself found suspect by some of the people attending the public meeting last week.

Dr. Jeffery is, in fact, a member of the board of directors of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC), a privately-funded organization (not to be confused with the World Biosphere program adminstered through UNESCO) that has purchased a part of the Cup and Saucer escarpment, the Blueberry Marsh on the Bidwell Road, Freer Point on the North Channel at Honora Bay, among other parcels on Manitoulin, and which is also active in the ownership of property it deems to be representative in southwestern Ontario.

And that association, according to comments made by members of the public last week, somehow renders Dr. Jeffery as suspect, even though he stressed at the meeting that the Northeast Trail initiative was his alone, and not a program of the EBC.

To allude again to the red scare paranoia of the 1950s, Dr. Jeffery and his ilk might be likened to "fellow travellers"-those who were merely suspected of commie sympathies.

The council's sad little motion, the part with "Biosphere" and "Conservancy" in it, certainly picks up on these fears and this paranoia.

It is one thing for a group to convince itself that there are monsters lurking in the closet.

It is quite another thing for the ostensibly thoughtful people we elect to represent us to buy into the monster theory and, indeed, imbed it into a motion that is duly moved, seconded and passed.

This was not this council's finest moment.

Fear has deprived community of healthy hiking opportunity

Degree of paranoia and fear-mongering shocking

To the Expositor:

Following the recent meeting in Little Current concerning the proposed hiking trail I returned home feeling a deep sense of sadness. I was genuinely shocked by the degree of paranoia and fear-mongering that I witnessed at that meeting. I could not understand how the issue of the EBC (Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy) could be so confused and intertwined with the development of these trails. The intention in proposing this trail system to the Northeast Town was simply the result of a vision to promote healthier communities. By this, we mean providing an opportunity to explore the natural beauty and peacefulness of our lovely Island while at the same time hiking and climbing and breathing the fresh clean air we are so fortunate to experience in this environment.

Being able to explore and immerse oneself in the natural world along these trails is a way to rejuvenate, invigorate and find a sense of calmness and balance in an often chaotic and stressful world. Because of fear, these opportunities have been taken from the local population and from potentially many others who bring much needed revenue to this Island. I hope we haven't sent a message to people wanting to visit Manitoulin that they are not welcome.

Continuing with the theme of healthy communities, I would like to thank Linda Belton for her support and for her informative presentation on the current statistics of our area with regard to obesity and diabetes. She is a professional health-care worker who believes in promoting wellness and ways and means to achieve this. Quite obviously, to her, walking and hiking are great options in pursuing a more active lifestyle. Her message was to educate and to encourage all of us to take charge of our own health for ourselves, our families and, ultimately, our communities.

In closing, I would like to thank Dr. Roy Jeffery for his integrity and huge heart. He has given so much of himself to this community and most recently to this project. He is an honourable man who volunteered countless hours in pursuing this ideal of a healthier lifestyle for locals and visitors. He devoted himself to this vision to hopefully inspire and encourage others to experience the natural beauty around us while at the same time becoming more physically active and healthy in body, mind and spirit.

We, as a club, are proud and grateful to call Roy a friend and to acknowledge his efforts on behalf of his community.

Kerrene Tilson, president

Manitoulin Nordic Ski Club

PS: When in doubt, take a hike!

Reasonable debate hijacked by angry mob at trail meeting

Landowners' association spreading fear of Big Smoke bogeyman

To the Expositor:

First, I'd like to say 'thanks!' to Dr. Jeffery and the Manitoulin Ski Club for their trail proposal, and to the Expositor for its carefully researched series on the topic. Those are not really thankless tasks, although anyone who attended the last Thursday's public meeting in Little Current might think so. Attentive readers of the Expositor series who missed that event must be wondering why such a public-spirited proposal was so loudly shouted down at the meeting.

I have to confess that I went there expecting to hear a reasonable discussion involving the town, the trail proponents, and interested NEMI residents who own land near the proposed trail route. I did learn that some of these landowners had already expressed their approval of the trail proposal and were happy to co-operate with it. What I didn't expect was that an apparently enraged mob from all over the Island would descend on the meeting to prevent any such co-operation from taking place. And what's especially surprising is that the opposition was led by the Manitoulin Landowners' Association (MLA), an organization whose avowed purpose is to defend the rights of landowners to do what they want with their land.

By the ordinary standards of logic, it's difficult to see why the MLA would be so eager to interfere with the wishes of those NEMI landowners or their discussion with the town council. But the MLA has its own unique logic, which is difficult to see beneath the layers of anecdote, rumour, innuendo and speculation which serve as their ammunition. Therefore, as a public service, I'd like to offer this short course in MLA Logic.

The basic and dominant idea is that if you own land, the Evil Monster from the Big Smoke is out to get you. It wants to take over your whole life so that you can't even spit on your land without its written permission. The Monster has supernatural powers and takes many forms, but one of the worst is the Niagara Escarpment Commission. Then there's the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, which is really the same as the NEC, because its name includes the word "escarpment" (never mind what it actually does). The same goes for anything that has the word "biosphere" or "conservancy" in its name. They are all fronts for the Evil Monster, and they're looking for any excuse to come after you.

The favourite stomping ground of the shape-shifting Monster is a place called the Bruce Trail. Therefore, wherever there's a trail, there the Monster is bound to turn up, ready to devour any innocent landowners trying to mind their own business. It follows that anyone in favor of a public trail, even if he's your neighbour and a fellow landowner, is really an agent of the Monster.

That pretty well covers it. Actually it looks more like legend than logic, but never mind, it will serve you well if you like throwing your weight around and terrorizing people. And that's important, considering that if anyone wants to invite the public to use a trail on his or her own land, there's not a thing you can legally do to stop them.

However, I must say that it seems a terrible waste of energy to gang up on a local volunteer outfit like the Manitoulin Ski Club. Just imagine what all that energy could achieve if it took on some real and present dangers to Island life, such as oil addiction, climate change, and the ongoing deterioration of the Great Lakes! It's true that serious work on these real problems might require us to keep the swing bridge open to outsiders, but that seems a small price to pay, considering that most of our ancestors were outsiders to the Island once upon a time.

Gary Fuhrman

Honora Bay

Abattoir deserves FedNor support

There are more farms than aquaculture operations

To the Expositor:

An open letter to Tony Clement, federal Minister of Health

Dear Honourable Minister:

Thank you for your letter dated January 16, 2007 stating you could not help us with the Waubetek situation we currently find ourselves in.

In your previous letter dated May 30, 2006 you stated that FedNor recognizes the significant role that primary agriculture and agri-food processing plays in the economy of northern Ontario. A recent agricultural brainstorming session for the Sudbury/Manitoulin area highlighted the need for a slaughterhouse. Most respondents replied to this survey that a Manitoulin-based abattoir was a priority.

Then we read in the local newspapers this past week that FedNor invested $330,000 into the Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association (NOAA) to support, sustain and develop fertilizer from fish scraps. According to the NOAA website, there are 13 fish farms located on Manitoulin and in northern Ontario. This aquaculture association contributes 77 percent of Ontario's fish market and puts approximately $13 million into the northern economy.  This association also has inspected fish processing plants available.

Now compare 13 fish farms to the approximately 175-225 farms where beef and dairy operators, hobby farmers and feedlot operators are located in the Manitoulin/North Shore area. These farms represent approximately 21,000 cattle, as well as 19,000 wild deer that run in the farmers' land so that hunters from all over Ontario can come for the deer hunt in the fall, thus adding more finances into the Manitoulin economy. Not included in these statistics are hogs, sheep, red deer, buffalo and chickens that are present on many farms.

Manitoulin and the North Shore district do not have the luxury of having even one available abattoir or processing plant where farmers can take their beef for slaughter. These farmers and operators add millions of dollars-$25 to $30 million-into the northern Ontario economy as well. These facts and figures are from OMAFRA statistics.

Shouldn't these farmers and feedlot operators that make up the primary agriculture for northern Ontario and our half-completed Island Abattoir have the same right as the Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association for funding?

Richard and Miriam Williams

Manitoulin Meats and Bakery and Island Abattoir

M'Chigeeng