Robert Corbiere wins Wiky chief's job in landslide

by Michael Erskine

WIKWEMIKONG-The people have spoken, and incumbent Chief Robert Corbiere has been returned to office by a landslide in an election that saw 10 people competing for his job.

Chief Corbiere-who has tackled the position at the head of the Wiwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve with a pro-active economic development agenda, which includes a massive wind power project and exploring the possibilities of oil and gas reserves on Manitoulin's largest First Nation-easily fended off his competitors garnering 605 votes.

Although detailed information was not available from the electoral officer by press time, council results were made available. Joining Chief Corbiere in the governing circle will be Hazel Fox-Recollet (699), Eugene Manitowabi (553), Cecilia Pitawanakwat (518), Anna (Tillie) McGregor (462), Mary Jo Wabuno (424), Bernadine Francis (416), Rolanda Manitowabi (403), James Simon Mishibinijima (388), Raymond Jackson (352), Ron Wakegijig (348) and Duke Peltier (344). Mr. Peltier won a draw between Shelly Trudeau and Maureen Trudeau.

Chief Robert Corbiere was unavailable for comment by press time.

Yes! No! maybe...

Island mayors, reeves consider the next four years

by Michael Erskine

MANITOULIN-Although the September 29 closing of nominations are still over a month away, some of the Island races for top spot are already promising to generate some excitement-despite the hurdle of a four-year term.

There are many political and tactical reasons to hold off announcing a candidacy, especially for an incumbent, but that being said, most potential candidates for the jobs of reeve or mayor of Island municipalities have indicated that the new four-year terms for municipal councils and school board nominations announced this past summer are figuring into their deliberations.

One reeve who wasn't too concerned about the length of term was Billing's Austin Hunt, who, with over 50 years in municipal council service, had other concerns in making his decision to run for the position again.

"It did take me a while to make up my mind this time," he said. "If you have your health then the length of time isn't so much a concern. People take on this position for public service. I know it was not a popular decision (extending the length of council terms) here in the North, but the big southern guys wanted it so there you go. It didn't have much impact on my decision, though."

Les Fields, reeve of Assiginack, has decided to run again, but she admits the four-year term was a consideration. "It is a very long commitment to make," she said. "Nobody gets into this kind of job for the money-that isn't a factor-you do it for the community and what you hope you can accomplish."

Hugh Moggy, former reeve and current councillor, has been suggested as a possible candidate to challenge Ms. Fields, but he has not quite made up his mind. He candidly admits the length of time is playing a part in his decision. "I was happy when they made it into three years," he said. "But four years is perhaps too long a time for some people." His ultimate decision, however, would likely be based on other considerations than the length of time.

Tehkummah Reeve Jim Anstice has yet to delare his intentions, but he said the four-year term was not a large consideration in his decision.

One likely opponent for Reeve Anstice is Gary Brown, a long-time former reeve and current councillor. "I probably will run for the job again," he said, noting that the four-year term isn't much of a factor for him. "I did the job for 27 years, but I feel I still have something to offer."

Gore Bay's Ruby Croft is certain she is not running, but says she is reserving a woman's prerogative to change her mind. "I really don't think I will though," she said, noting that the four-year term definitely is figuring into her decision. "I have been at this for 18 years now, nine years as councillor and nine years as mayor. You do this for your community."

Gordon Reeve Jeff Hietkamp said he has not decided whether to run yet, and that the four-year term is a very important consideration. "These positions are really more of a volunteer thing than anything else," he said. "Four years is a very significant commitment for anyone to make."

Joe Chapman had yet to declare his intentions as of press time, but he said that a large part of his considerations hinge on who will be running for the position.

"The one thing I don't want to see is a return to the lack of financial control that has been the case in the past," he said. Still, with a law practice to consider and a young family at home, the time commitment, including the four-year term, have to be significant factors.

Northeast Town Councillor Jim Stringer has declared his intention to run for mayor this election, but the four-year term was not a large consideration in his decision.

Former Community Development staffer Peggy Young has also thrown her hat in the ring, intending to bring her talents in the field of economic rejuvenation into play on behalf of the community. The four-year commitment was a consideration in her decision, but Ms. Young said she feels that the contribution she can make to the community was well worth the commitment.

Former mayor Ken Ferguson said he was not likely to run, but was reserving the option. "Part of me would like to," he said, "but the thought of spending two or three nights away from home every week is not as appealing as it once was. Mr. Ferguson said the four-year commitment was significant for anyone.

Burpee Mills Reeve Ken Noland is reported to have yet declared his intentions, but he was unavailable for comment by press time.

On the school board front, former Rainbow District School Board trustee Larry Killens has declared his intentions to run, but as yet there has been no word from incumbent Ron Burdenuk.

With several weeks remaining in the nomination period, there is still plenty of time for potential candidates to put their hats in the ring-the final word on who is in and who is out will not be known for certain until after September 29.

Domtar, Weyerheauser merger gets positive nod

by Michael Erskine

ESPANOLA-In a troubled North American industry like paper manufacturing, sometimes you have to go big or go home, and a deal that will see Canadian giant Domtar join forces with parts of Weyerhaeuser to create a $3.3 billion US company to be named Domtar which will be North America's largest manufacturer of free-sheet paper with annual sale expected to exceed $6.5 billion, is in the works.

The deal is expected to be complete early next year.

"With this transaction, we are transforming Domtar into one of the world's leading paper companies, presenting shareholders with new opportunities and creating a stronger company for employees and customers," said company CEO Raymond Royer-who will continue to hold that position in the new company until he retires in 2008-in a release. "We are pro-actively enhancing the quality of our asset mix and taking decisive action to assure our future in a consolidating industry.  In addition to more than doubling Domtar's current paper production capacity, this compelling strategic and operational fit will make the new company financially stronger with prominent brands, a lower cost base and the necessary scale and scope to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace."

The new company will have its head office in Montreal, but the new corporation will be registered in the US for tax purposes. Operational headquarters will be in be in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

"Domtar has its roots in Quebec," said Mr. Royer "Maintaining the head office in Montreal was a condition of the transaction."

Under the terms of the deal, the new company will be owned 55 percent by Weyerhaeser shareholders and 45 percent by former Domtar shareholders. Although the deal has been approved by the shareholders of both companies, there are still approvals, including a special resolution by the Superior Court of Quebec, appropriate regulatory and other authorities, as well as customary closing conditions, that will have to be met before the deal is finalized.

In the same release the company noted that the backbone of the new corporation will be six highly efficient world-class uncoated freesheet mills that will provide two-thirds of its more than five million tons of capacity. The company went on to claim that those mills, combined with a solid mix of specialty facilities, will make the new company one of the most efficient and cost-competitive paper companies in North America.  The company will have an expanded North American reach and a wide range of well-known business and commercial printing paper brands.  With greater access to volume, increased depth of product offerings, and better service through a wider geographic footprint, says the company, it will be in a position to meet the needs of large and small customers alike throughout Canada and the United States. 

The company also says it will maintain the environmental leadership shown by both Domtar and Weyerhaeuser, notably through added capacity to expand its environmentally and socially responsible papers such as the EarthChoice¨ product line.

According to company spokesperson Christian Tardif, pensions will be unaffected by the move. "There should be no impact," he said. But when it comes to other employment impacts, Mr. Tardif said that was difficult to say. The industry remains a challenging one, but he went on to point out that the new combined company, with its combined assets, will be much stronger. "The synergies will make us better able to compete in the global marketplace."

Those synergies are expected to amount to $200 million in annual savings, but they will come at an initial implementation cost of $100 million.

Under the terms of the transaction, which is structured as a "Reverse Morris Trust", Weyerhaeuser's fine paper business, consisting of 10 primary pulp and paper mills (seven in the United States and three in Canada), converting, forming and warehousing facilities and two sawmills will be transferred into the newly formed company.

The stronger position of the company in the global marketplace is being greeted with some optimism by Espanola's politicians and with resignation by the companies labour leaders, who see it as a "survivalist move."

Domtar employs some 760 people in Espanola, and the new company will have nearly 14,000 employees world-wide.

Domtar investors greeted news of the merger with less optimism, sending the stock down 2.88 percent, but Weyerhaeuser stock rose on the New York exchange by almost as much.

Mr. Royer described the deal as the best option the company could find. Under terms of the merger, there will be a $1.35 billion US cash payment to Weyerhaeuser (equivalent to its outstanding debt on its involved assets), which, along with the closing price of Domtar stock on August 22, will make the deal worth $3.3 billion US. The payment is expected to be raised in the financial market by the new Domtar.

According to the company release, all shares of Domtar will be exchanged on a one-for-one basis with common shares in the new enterprise, but Domtar shareholders who are taxable Canadian residents can either exchange these shares for common shares in the new Domtar (which will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange and on the Toronto Stock Exchange) or they can receive the "new Domtar" Canadian subsidiary exchangeable shares (which will be traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange).

The exchangeable shares are the economic equivalent of the common shares of the new Domtar, with equal dividend entitlement and voting rights at the level of the new Domtar.  The exchangeable shares are exchangeable at any time at the option of the holder into the new Domtar common shares on a one-for-one basis.

For taxable Canadian residents who choose the exchangeable shares, the transaction will be tax deferred.  However, if they select to receive shares directly in the "new Domtar", the transaction is taxable.

EDITORIAL

Now is the time for people to step up to be counted

There are a host of old sayings that seem applicable to the municipal and school board elections that will take place this fall across Ontario.

"If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen," is one. "Put up or shut up," might be another-but as much as people love to hate their town fathers (or mothers for that matter), it is clear that anyone running for election to lower tier offices in rural communities do it for reasons that have little to do with money.

The most generous of stipends available to elected officials across Manitoulin must be seen in the light of the commitment, lost opportunities and time away from home and hearth that is required to earn it. In that light, it is truly a pittance-especially since taking on those positions is akin to giving every Tom, Dick and Jane with a grievance against the town/school board carte blanche to call you up at any time of the day and night to tell you off-and it isn't just the politician themselves who come under fire. In the recent labour strife at the Northeast Town, spouses and family members of council members found themselves being stopped in the streets and berated for their spouses' stance.

People get into municipal and rural politics because they feel they have something to offer the community-and as such they deserve our respect and admiration, regardless of whether we agree with them on any particular issue.

In must be said, however, that although the personal and family costs of political activism are high, without people of good will and talent stepping forward to pick up the challenge we will all be much worse off come November and beyond.

If your reason for running is limited to a single issue or goal, however, you may want to rethink your plans. There are a thousand details to consider in running a community, and they will still need to be attended to after that one motivating goal has been accomplished. Four years is a long time.

If you feel that you have the stamina, the talent and the good sense to help steer the ship of state in your community, however, it is time to step forward and make that contribution.

The rewards may be somewhat ethereal in some sense, knowing that you have done the best job possible under the circumstances, that you have helped make your community a better place, can give you pride in your accomplishments that is hard to match.

But in many cases the rewards can be quite tangible, with public facilities and services standing testimony to your efforts long after you have shuffled off this mortal coil-Rome was not built in a day, but the city fathers certainly had a lot to do with making it all happen.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

When did Aboriginal people give up child welfare?

First Nations should unilaterally declare reserves off-limits to CAS

To The Expositor:

This letter is in response to M'Chigeeng's peaceful protests outside the Wikwemikong and Gore Bay courthouses.

One of the most basic of questions that Aboriginal people must ask themselves is, "When, and at what point in history, did Aboriginal people give up their right to ensure the safety of their own children?" When did Aboriginal people voluntarily give the responsibility of Aboriginal Child Welfare to a non-Aboriginal child welfare agency? The quick and short answer is that Aboriginal people have never given up their child welfare responsibility-period!

It is inconceivable, at least in this day and age, to have Euro-Western middle class standards used as a benchmark to conduct investigations and Aboriginal child apprehensions in First Nation communities. Such a situation would be both unacceptable and deplored by non-Aboriginal standards if the situation were reversed. So, why should Aboriginal people be subject to such actions perpetrated by an agency not sanctioned by First Nation leadership?

However, there is an operational assumption here, that somehow Aboriginal people are "subjects" of the Crown. This is indeed a grave misconception and misunderstanding on the part of the powers that be. The unfortunate reality is that this assumption has authored the creation of legislative documents such as the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) and the Indian Act. Both documents have been framed under the above assumption, and without the input of Aboriginal people-what a tradgedy!

Regardless, child apprehensions conducted by the Children's Aid Society (CAS) continue to occur in First Nation territory, as in the case with M'Chigeeng First Nation. It is only a vague section of the Federal Indian Act that allows CAS to carryout such actions in First Nation communities. It should be noted that the Federal Indian Act contains no reference to child protection. Amended in 1951, the section of the Indian Act to which I am referring is Section 88, which clarified the extent to which provincial legislation applies to Aboriginal people. It states as follows:

"Subject to the terms of any treaty or any other act of parliament of Canada, all laws of general application from time to time in force in any province are applicable to, and in respect of, Indians in that province."

This section is not only vague but wreaks of the dishonor of the Crown. Certainly, this violates the 1982 Constitution Act in the form of section 91:24 which states that, "Indians and lands reserved for Indians are a federal responsibility." This particular section makes no reference to provincial jurisdiction and Aboriginal people. Regardless of section 19:24, the federal government assumes no responsibility to provide services under 91:24; this in spite of having the jurisdiction to legislate on Aboriginal child welfare.

Enter the Treaty of 1764, where Aboriginal nations were recognized as "nations" by the Crown. Nowhere in the history of Canada, nor in historical documentation, does it indicate that the First Nations gave up their right to govern themselves, their communities and child welfare. We need not go into residential schools and the sixties scoop to provide examples of child abuse perpetrated by so-called "well-meaning" non-Aboriginal child welfare advocates of the time.

In light of these historical events, it may be high time for the First Nations to begin steps to negotiate new funding arrangements that would allow Aboriginal control over Aboriginal child welfare.

Having said this, it would not be far off the mark for First Nations to unilaterally declare that the Children's Aid Society (CAS) be prevented from entering First Nation communities altogether to carry out a non-Aboriginal child welfare mandate.

Patrick Corbiere

Little Current

Comments given on wind power

Take a closer look at hard sell

To the Expositor:

The letter to the editor of August 16 presented several points regarding electrical wind power energy. I have researched the generation of wind power with some interesting results.

There are three basic questions to be asked about wind power:

1. Is wind power cost effective? My research, based on the amount generated against the cost per kilowatt to install is $20,000 per household. A total of 9369 turbines installed in Germany generates only 1.7 percent of required power. There will be little long-term employment other than the maintenance of the lines. These turbines only produce approximately 25 percent of their rated KW capacity on average.

2. Do wind turbines pollute? The transmission lines and transformer stations will detract from the esthetics of the area. In addition these units will emit irksome decibel noise for more than 400 metres. When they break down they are not cost effective to repair and become an eyesore to the area. The blades will throw ice in the winter months and are a hazard to birds.

3. Is it reliable? No wind, no power. A government study of wind patterns for the Lake Huron area indicates there is insufficient wind power for constant and reliable generation of electricity, i.e. wind speeds in the range 0 to 7 metres per second, are not commercially viable.

Another statement in your paper, "empty seats indicate acceptance of the issue," is certainly misleading. It has been my experience empty seats at public hearings indicate resignation to coming actions, nothing can be changed, and the deal is already accomplished. At best it indicates apathy to the issues and events, and not necessarily public approval of anything.

The people of Manitoulin would be well-advised to take a closer, serious look at the hard sell of manufacturers and others who advocate wind generators, and the minimum benefits that will accrue to Islanders.

W. Lawrence

Providence Bay

Reader applauds coverage

Keep up the good work!

To The Expositor:

I have been an Expositor reader for over 40 years, and I have to say my enjoyment of your publication has increased considerably over the last several months. The human interest stories (animal and otherwise), and the wonderful photographs, particularly of natural scenes, are great enhancements. The local news, good and bad, is well covered. In an era of intense media focus on "bad" news stories, the colourful (literally and figuratively) content of the Expositor makes for interesting and pleasurable reading year-round.

My compliments to the editor and staff. Keep up the good work!

Denise Smith

Sudbury