Cup's first Island appearance draws 1,000+ hockey fans

by Jim Moodie

ROCKVILLE-As you approached Rockville on Saturday from various points on the Island, helpful little markers started appearing on hydro poles reading "The Cup" or, in one case, simply, "Cup."

If you were a foreign visitor with little knowledge of Canada, you might have thought a coffee shop lay in wait, or perhaps the Cup and Saucer Bluff. But for those who were already aware of The Cup's presence on Manitoulin-and perhaps even a few who weren't-it was all that needed to be said.

Yes, hockey's holy grail touched down in Rockville on the weekend, and droves turned out to behold this first appearance on Manitoulin of Lord Stanley's venerable mug. The oldest trophy in North American pro sports (it dates way back to 1892), the chalice had arrived compliments of Randy Carlyle, coach of the NHL champion Anaheim Ducks and long-time Rockville cottager.

As pilgrims neared the quaint Rockville Hall, located at the famously redundant intersection where the Rockville Road somehow meets itself, an army of volunteers clad in bright orange T-shirts ("official parade tees" of the Stanley Cup champs, no less) appeared to direct traffic and explain the cup-viewing protocol.

Carol Sheppard's horse field had been temporarily converted into a parking lot, with Brad Parkinson having provided the grass-cutting duties earlier in the week and other volunteers pitching in to stake out rows for vehicles.

Once parked, cup visitors were issued a number by "ticket man" Dave Winston and asked to wait outside the hall until their turn came for a spin past the prize. People milled around on the lawn, where a refreshment stand serving hot dogs and drinks had been set up (with all proceeds to benefit the community hall) and where Carlyle himself could be found, amiably chatting with anyone who approached.

Casually clad in shorts, T-shirt and a pair of blue Crocs, the coach didn't immediately jump out as being different from anyone else in attendance. Until you got closer, that is, and realized he not only looked exactly like that guy you saw on TV, grimacing behind the bench of the Ducks, but had a likeness of the cup and the phrase "Stanley Cup Champions" printed across the front of his T-shirt.

Carlyle shook hands, signed autographs, and posed for picture after picture. At one point he was holding baby Madison Smith of Mindemoya in his arms; a moment later, he had his arm draped around Tony Ferro's septuagenarian father. In between, a young boy approached, nervously at first. "Hi there bud," Carlyle said. "Shy? C'mon!"

Asked if he'd ever had his picture taken this many times in one day, Carlyle laughed. "Yeah-yesterday in Azilda."

Having grown up in that Sudbury borough, the coach had elected to take the cup to his home arena first, where he estimated "over 2,000 people showed up." Then he'd hopped in his car and, along with an official entourage from the Hockey Hall of Fame, toted the goblet over to his home-away-from-the-arena on Manitoulin.

Travelling with him at the same time was the Norris Trophy, which Carlyle had won in 1981 as the NHL's best defenceman. So visitors to the Rockville Hall got a double blast of hockey iconography once they stepped through the door.

Before they could do so, however, they had to get past gate-keeper Joe Dwyer, who checked tickets while wielding the shaft of a hockey stick. "This is so I can cross-check any gate crashers," he joked.

Inside, a festive row of stakes had been set up with ribbons stretched between them to create a zigzagging queue. The poles were actually snowmobile trail markers, but had been nicely decorated with orange bags around their bases and bright new Sande hockey sticks (on loan from the Islanders junior team) jutting from their tops.

Because of the anticipated throng, visitors were limited to a mere 15 seconds with the cup, but that seemed to be enough time for most to get a good gander at the shiny beaker and strike a pose (or three) for a photograph. Shari Lariviere of Naughton, who watched Carlyle in his days as a junior player, couldn't resist the urge to kiss the silver goblet, while Lillian Greenman of Barrie Island and Laura W. Scott of Spring Bay were nearly in tears from the excitement of it all. "We'll never see that again," rued Ms. Scott.

People started arriving at 10:30 am, with the doors of the hall being thrown open around 11 am, and by 2:30 pm, Ticket Man Winston had issued pass number 940. By shortly after 3 pm, when the public viewing session was officially declared closed, the count had risen to 1,050-and that didn't include a few people, like this writer, who snuck in without getting a ticket, or any of the 30-plus volunteers, who waited until the very end to have their time with the trophy.

"It's a lot of people for a little community hall like this," remarked Carlyle. "We have to thank Carol Sheppard and all her helpers for putting it together for us. It turned out to be a great event."

Chaperoning the cup across the Island and providing security were Philip Pritchard and Walt Neubrand of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Asked if Rockville represented a rather obscure place to bring the trophy, Mr. Pritchard said it wasn't that unusual. "What's amazing is that most hockey players come from rural communities," he said. "A lot of them are from small towns and they appreciate everything that was done for them there, so we go to a lot of out-of-the-way places."

Prior to bringing the cup to Azilda and Rockville, Mr. Pritchard had escorted it across Europe, with stops in Sweden, Finland and Russia, as Ducks players Samuel Pahlsson, Teemu Selanne and Ilya Bryzgalov call those countries their respective homes. On Sunday, he was poised to fly from Manitoulin to Lucknow, where assistant coach (and another Rockville cottager) Dave Farrish had chosen to spend his time with the cup, and "the next day we're in Tampa," remarked Mr. Pritchard. "Then Cranbrook, BC, for the Neidermayers, and Ottawa, for Sean O'Donnell. The travelling road show continues," he sighed.

While the travel can get to be a bit tiring-Mr. Pritchard is on the road 150 days of the year, and has been doing the same job since 1988-the rewards go beyond getting to hobnob with hockey stars. "It's one of the greatest traditions in sport," the cup keeper maintained. "The guys get to bring home the trophy they earned, and it's a way of showing that the team is more than the guys on the ice-it's the wives, kids, grandparents."

He enjoys winding up in small communities like Rockville, he said, where the people "are so great, and make the whole event so personable."

Spared, on this occasion, the suit he is expected to wear to more formal events, Mr. Pritchard was rather inconspicuous in his summer garb, but produced the famous pair of white gloves from a pocket of his shorts when it was time to tote the cup, along with the Norris trophy, over to the shiny rental SUV that would carry both awards, along with Carlyle, to their next destination, rumoured to be a private shindig at the Schoolhouse Restaurant in Providence Bay, with possible stops at a few Mindemoya businesses along the way.

Before wedging himself into the vehicle beside the trophies, Carlyle said he was pleased to see everything go smoothly and glad that no-one had to be turned away. "Parking was the biggest issue, and we didn't want a mish-mash of things going on. It's nice that it was done properly, with some order."

As for the 1,000-plus people who turned out to both gawk at the cup and extend their congratulations to the coach, Carlyle said it was a testament to the spell of the sport, and its traditions, in this country. "It really demonstrates, again, the passion we have here in Canada for hockey."

Bat in Manitowaning

tests positive for rabies

Resdients urged to vaccinate pets and bat-proof homes

MANITOWANING-The Sudbury and District Health Unit is reporting that a bat that was found dead in Manitowaning on August 12 has tested positive for rabies. Another bat with rabies was earlier found in the north end of Espanola on July 14.

The health unit has seen a significant increase this summer in the number of reported bat exposures. To date in 2007, 19 cases involving bats have been reported. Eight bats were submitted for testing, with two testing positive for rabies. Ten people have received the rabies vaccine so far this year following exposure.

While bats are very helpful in keeping insect populations in check, it is important to be aware of a few simple precautions to protect yourself against rabies.

People may become infected with rabies when bitten or scratched by a rabid bat or when a rabid bat's saliva comes into contact with broken skin or moist tissues of the mouth, nose or eyes.

Rabid bats are rarely aggressive. A bat may be rabid if it is active by day, if it is found in a place where bats are not usually seen, and/or if it is unable to fly. These bats are often easily approached, but should never be touched.

A bat has sharp, needle-like teeth that may cause a relatively painless, unnoticeable bite. If you are bitten by a bat, or if saliva from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water.

Bob Moulton, an environmental support officer in the health unit's Environmental Health Division, strongly encourages people who are bitten or scratched by animals to consult a physician and to report the incident to the health unit as soon as possible.

If there is no sign of a bite wound, you should still call the Sudbury and District Health Unit at 522-9200, ext. 398, or toll-free at 1-866-522-9200 when:

¥A bat lands on a person;

¥A person wakes up to find a bat in the room;

¥A bat is found in the room of a person unable to report contact, such as an infant.

The best way to prevent human exposure is to keep bats out of your home and cottage. This can be done by covering all outside points of entry. Watch where the bats exit at dusk and keep them from re-entering by hanging loose plastic sheeting or bird netting over these areas. After the bats have left, make sure that the openings are permanently sealed.

The best time to bat-proof your home or cottage is in the fall when most bats have left to hibernate. This involves caulking holes in the building's exterior-even those as small as 1/4- to 1/2-inch in diameter.

Tighten screens, cap the chimney, place draft guards under doors leading to the attic and outside, and fill plumbing fixture holes with steel wool or caulk. For help with bat-proofing, contact a pest management company.

Do not touch or handle dead or dying animals-particularly bats. If animals must be handled, use puncture-resistant gloves and a shovel to place the animal in a container or plastic bag.

The Sudbury and District Health Unit also encourages you to vaccinate your pets against rabies and re-vaccinate them according to your veterinarian's directions.

For more information on bats and rabies, please call the Environmental Health Division of the Sudbury and District Health Unit at (705) 522-9200, ext. 398, or visit www.sdhu.com.

Bear influx in McGregor Bay prompts awareness seminar

by Jim Moodie

McGREGOR BAY-In the rugged, informal world of McGregor Bay, where boats are the prime mode of transport and phones don't always work too well, it is not uncommon to have a guest arrive unannounced on your doorstep.

But when the visitor is the type that weighs 300 pounds, speaks in grunts, and doesn't bother to knock before busting right in, even the hospitable folks of this region tend to get a bit edgy.

This summer the cottage area has experienced an unusual amount of black bear activity, with over a half-dozen camps broken into and many more sheds and garbage bins given a good once over-or clawing over, as the case may be-by the ebony omnivore.

And while no-one's been hurt or even particularly threatened to date, the heightened presence of the hefty mammals has been worrisome enough that upwards of 100 bay dwellers turned out last Monday for a "Living with Bears" presentation that was sponsored by the McGregor Bay Association.

"We had a really good turnout," remarked Lynn Rogers, a Middle Sampson cottager who, along with wife Jan, organized the helpful talk, held at the St. Christopher's Church hall on Iroquois Island.

The total membership of the cottagers' group is 170. Subtract the likely number that weren't actually staying at their cottages at the time, and you have to figure that pretty much everyone who was in the bay at that particular moment decided to hop in a boat and head over to Iroquois Island for the bear summit.

By contrast, a Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands council meeting held at Birch Island the week prior drew just four cottagers. Seems bears-the one critter with a proven ability to kill us-will always be more interesting than bylaws. But particularly so in years when they're darkening doorways.

"Over the years they've been around, and occasionally we get one that could be called a nuisance bear," said Mr. Rogers. "But this year there just seems to be an outbreak in various places, and it's got people a bit concerned and on the alert."

The Rogers themselves had their camp broken into this year. The B&E occurred in the spring, before they arrived for the season, but they've also had more recent brushes with the black beasts. When contacted last Thursday, they had just had a visit from a mother and two cubs.

The trio was snooping around the couple's garbage bin, said Mr. Rogers, but hadn't done much damage, largely because the box, which the two call their "bear guard," was specially built by a welder in Espanola to be ursine proof. "It's metal, and strong enough they won't pull it apart," the cottager said.

Bears are nothing if not persistent, however, particularly when peckish, so after being thwarted by the Rogers' receptacle, the furry family simply ambled next door, where they proceeded to wreak a bit more havoc.

"They went to our neighbours', who had left the day before, and went right through the house," said Mrs. Rogers. "They ransacked the whole kitchen. We just finished cleaning it up and boarding it up in such a way that it should take a pretty clever bear to get in there now."

Murray Still, who operates Stillwater Marina at Birch Island, said he's heard of lots of bear incidents this summer from various patrons who come and go from his docks. "Bears are coming around on the islands, and basically knocking at their doors," he said. "About six or seven camps have been broken into."

While many blame any such mischief on the cancellation of the spring bear hunt in Ontario, and feel a reinstatement of that season-or an out-of-season cull-is in order to stem the "invasion," the Rogers are of a different mindset. They feel the onus is on residents of bear country to acquaint themselves with the habits of the species and take the necessary steps to reduce the chances of a visit.

It was with this in mind that the two arranged for last week's talk, delivered by Jim Johnston of Elliot Lake. The retired businessman-cum-outdoors educator is the president of the Friends of Algoma East, a conservation group that has made great strides in helping to reduce the number of bear incidents in the former uranium town.

After launching their own "Bear Smart" program in 2003-prior to the Ministry of Natural Resources rolling out its province-wide Bear Wise initiative-Elliot Lake went from having "500 calls of bear disturbances in 2003, to just 87 in 2004," Mr. Johnston noted.

The reduction was largely achieved through residents altering their habits, he said. His group's education program, combined with strictly enforced municipal bylaws, prompted people to keep their garbage indoors, clean their barbecues, tote suet-filled birdfeeders inside at night, and clean up under fruit trees before the fermenting lumps became a major bear attractant.

And the program continues to pay dividends. "This year we've had 167 bear calls, but that's still less than half of what we had before," said Mr. Johnston. "And we've had almost no calls in the last two weeks-which is pretty good given it's a really bad food year."

By this he means that pickings for bears have been pretty slim this summer, as the lack of rain has stunted the growth of blueberries and other favourite staples. And when those food sources dwindle, bears become emboldened to check out other options. Like the pantries of cottagers.

"They're totally food-driven," said Mr. Johnston. "They'll eat insects, ant larvae, even tent caterpillars. Dr. Lynn Rogers, who has studied bears for 38 years in Ely, Minnesota, figures one bear ate 30 pounds of tent caterpillars in a day."

That this bear-studying Lynn Rogers happens to share the same name of the McGregor Bay cottager who organized the recent bear presentation is accidental, but not entirely irrelevant. The latter hails from Michigan, and is aware of his namesake in Minnesota; he even visited Ely once, "because of the same spellings of our names," he noted. But he didn't know all that much about the bear expert's work until Mr. Johnston came by to do his bear presentation.

Mr. Johnston, on the other hand, has become quite familiar with the professor's research in the field of black bears, having attended two week-long courses at the North American Bear Centre overseen by Dr. Rogers in Ely. He describes these sessions, which involved both lectures and field trips into the heavily bear-populated regions of the Boundary Waters area as "a life-changing experience."

The Elliot Lake educator contends that reports of bear aggression are often overstated. "Most black bears are relatively afraid of people," he said. "You don't want to become totally complacent, but in areas where they are used to being around people, there have been no attacks."

Of the six fatalities in the province in the past century that have been attributed to bears, five of those occurred in a relatively remote corner of Algonquin Park, and three of those deaths came at the claws of one bear, he noted. "In over 100 years, just three bears have been documented to have killed someone, and all three were rogue male bears in remote areas."

Mr. Johnston said that, unlike the more aggressive grizzlies out west, black bears are historically wired to be aloof. "In the ice age, black bears became more of a prey animal than a predator," he noted, "because there were other predators like sabretooth cats, dire wolves and giant short-faced bears that would prey upon them."

This isn't to say people shouldn't be wary of the species. In his talks, Mr. Johnston discusses the use of pepper spray for possible encounters-he demonstrates proper spraying techniques, too, using "an inert test model" that doesn't contain the disabling ingredient-but warns that, while effective in incapacitating, or at least discouraging, bears, they can also be quite dangerous to humans. "You have to be very careful about which way the wind's going, and for people with asthma, they can cause a fatal attack."

Better than get to the point where you have to haul out your bear spray, Mr. Johnston recommends taking every step you can to prevent the possibility of an encounter. This includes obvious things like containing your garbage and disposing of it promptly, but also less-obvious things like avoiding the use of blood meal as fertilizer and curtailing the use of black oil sunflower seeds in birdfeeders, as both are apparently quite appetizing to black bears.

"We'll always have bears," noted Mr. Johnston. "But hopefully we'll be responsible and there will be no reason for them to bother us. They're trying to bulk up for hibernation, so they won't waste energy if there's nothing to keep them there."

Claudette Doucet

Island Foodland,

Mindemoya

I'm your neighbour

When you shop the deli counter at the Island Foodland in Mindemoya, chances are you will have run into Claudette Doucet. She has been a deli clerk at the Foodland for the past three years and says she enjoys her job and the people she gets to work with.

"Sometimes people don't have a lot of nice things to say about the service industry, but I really like it," she said. "I enjoy working with the staff and dealing with the customers."

When Claudette gets a spare moment to herself, you may just find her with her nose buried deep inside of a book. She admits to a major love of the written page.

The mother of two is getting ready to send her youngest off to university in New Brunswick this week, where Claudette is originally from.

She moved here from the east coast province with her husband 25 years ago, first landing in Elliot Lake. On a trip to Manitoulin, the couple fell in love with the place and made their move to Sandfield, where they reside.

Claudette makes note of the employment issues that face some residents of the Island, saying that she has two jobs keeping her very busy, but adds that she is happy to live, and work, where she does.

Shopping at local businesses like Island Foodland provides lasting employment for people like Claudette Doucet.

EDITORIAL

Cup visit a coup for spirited volunteers of Rockville

The small but spirited community of Rockville served notice on the weekend that, while it might be out in the sticks, it sure can whip together a professionally run event-involving a few sticks of the hockey variety, some hot dogs, and, um, the Stanley Cup-when called upon to do so.

This summer has been memorable for several first-time events, including a Country Fest in Little Current and week-long Summer Fest in Gore Bay, as well as better-than-ever editions of old favourites like Haweater Weekend and the Prov Fair. The Gore Bay Summer Theatre's 'Marion Bridge' drew rave reviews, while Debajehmujig's summer offering, 'The Gulch,' has also been described by many as the troupe's most entertaining production yet.

But for pure novelty and star power, it's hard to top the appearance in Rockville this past Saturday of the Stanley Cup. The viewing session of the NHL's storied prize at the Rockville Community Hall drew over 1,000 people in the space of just four hours-that's, let's see, 250 people per hour-and no-one left disappointed.

It wasn't, of course, an official happening along the lines of a play or fair. There was no advertising. No advance ticket sales. Indeed, it didn't cost a cent. But people learned about it anyway, largely through word of mouth, and if they didn't know precisely where Rockville was on the map, they followed their noses, not to mention a few little handmade signs stuck helpfully at intersections along the way, reading, simply, "The Cup."

That it happened at all owes to the generosity of Randy Carlyle, the cup-winning coach who has made Rockville his seasonal home for three decades and wanted to share his achievement with the Island community.

But credit for making the event both a slickly run and refreshingly informal experience owes entirely to Carol Sheppard and her crew of Community Hall volunteers, drawn from both the year-round and seasonal populations of Rockville. These 30-plus helpers, clad in orange T-shirts provided through the Ducks organization, ensured that everyone who showed up found a handy place to park and had a chance to both congratulate Carlyle and ogle the cup-all in remarkably short order, given the predictable crush of people and potential for long waits.

It's easy to get cynical about pro sports. When hockey rinks are named after massive corporations, ticket prices to NHL contests cost a fortune, and Canadian cities are denied new franchises, we can even become fed up with our national pastime.

But the cup's pit stop in tiny Rockville was a public-minded affair that acted as a reminder of the sport's humble roots and our ongoing fascination with its traditions, as well as proved that just because someone helms an NHL bench in Anaheim, it doesn't make them an unapproachable parvenu, let alone a Californian.

Kudos are due to both Carlyle and his crew of helpers for making the Stanley Cup's first tour of Manitoulin an exciting and inclusive experience.

For the community of Rockville, it's certainly a coup. "The day the cup came" will no doubt be proudly recalled over the course of many Tuesday night euchres, turkey suppers and Hallowe'en potlucks to come.

Letters to the Editor

Motorist thankful for helpful treatment on Manitoulin

Where else do you find exceptional, generous people?

To the Expositor:

You don't want to break down anywhere else but in northern Ontario. My recent experience encouraged me to write this letter to thank the people involved and to let the rest of the country know how great you people are.

My 29-foot motor home blew its transmission on Manitoulin Island just outside of Kagawong. I pulled over and stopped at the nearest spot that I could. A young couple, Mike and Pat from North Bay, had observed my problem and immediately stopped and offered a ride back to Kagawong and insisted they would wait and return me to my vehicle. It was Saturday afternoon, nobody was open, and no tow trucks. Debbie, owner of the Esso Station/general store allowed me to make numerous calls on her very busy phone and assured me she would get me back to the car. So I thanked Mike and Pat (who dropped by my unit and relayed what was happening to my wife. Many thanks, guys). After many calls, and tying up the phone, we finally arranged a tow, at which point Debbie arranged with another woman, Sharon, who own Tweebles Gift Store, to drive me back. It turned out we were parked in the parking area of a friend of hers who had closed her store "Spirit Fire" (handmade candles) and it was up for sale, but she would call her and let her know we would be there for a while.

At this point another young lady, Chris, who rents the house at the rear of the property, stopped and asked if she could be of any help, and when we explained our problem and that a tow was coming, she offered us water or anything else she could do if we should need her. Wow! Where do you find these exceptional, generous, nice people? Manitoulin Island and Sudbury-that's where. And on telling my story to others I have been assured this is quite normal in northern Ontario. Way to go, folks, and a big, big thank you.

Mel and Louise Atkins

Bradford