Citizens sign up for voluntary cormorant cull  

Cite Ministry of Natural Resources inaction  

by Jim Moodie  

MANITOULIN-The May 24 weekend is generally a time for opening cottages, kicking back with a few beers, perhaps trolling for lake trout.  

A handful of monarchy-minded folks may still associate the weekend with the birth of Queen Victoria, while a few diehard NHL fans may cling to the faint hope of tuning into playoff hockey. One thing that surely doesn't spring to mind for most when they think of the long weekend is a vigilante cormorant cull.

 Yet that is precisely what a number of Islanders are planning to do on the coming May long weekend.  

For the past week, a petition authored by the United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin (UFGCM) has been circulating on the Island, and the pages are filling up fast. "We the undersigned," the petition states, "agree to meet on the May 24, 2005 weekend to cull as many cormorants as possible to protect what little is left of our sports fishery. We will equip ourselves with all necessary equipment."  

Nowhere in the petition is there direct mention of firearms, but it's doubtful that 'equipment' here refers to a water pistol or a leaf blower.

 Asked whether the group intends to shoot cormorants with guns, Rick Gjos, a retired police officer and president of the Little Current and District Fish and Game Club (and a representative on the UFGCM) was at first coy, but later allowed, "If we have to shoot them, we will. We're not going to touch the eggs-we're going to cull the adult bird."

 This is against the law, according to John Boos, acting senior avian biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). "Cormorants are protected under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. They're not a game bird; you can't get a licence," he said. "They will be doing something that contravenes the act."  

Mr. Gjos isn't convinced of the illegality, however. "Is it illegal?" he asked. "I've never seen them on the endangered species list, and they're not protected under the migratory birds convention act. You don't need a licence to shoot a crow, do you?" he asked.  

Bill Strain, also a member of the Little Current and District Fish and Game Club, said that he's prepared to break the law if that is what it takes. "I really don't give a damn if I get a fine. So what? I'm a patient man, but my patience has run out. I'll go to jail over it if I have to," he said.  

Mr. Strain operates Whitehaven Cottages in Sheguiandah, which was started by his parents in 1948, and he is intimately familiar with the fishery in the Sheguiandah area. "I grew up here, and guided during high school. I saw my first cormorant in 1980, down in The Pool at the end of Baie Fine-and I thought, what the hell is that?" he recalled.  

Since that time, the population of cormorants has exploded, and the numbers of fish have decreased, said Mr. Strain. "We used to have a good perch fishery in Sheguiandah Bay. I've seen these birds work as a group, driving a school of fish into the shallows where they just mutilate them."

 Mr. Strain sits on a stewardship council for the Northeastern Georgian Bay region, and at a recent conference in Midland, members of stewardship councils were able to listen to a presentation from John Casselman, a fisheries biologist for the MNR. "He spoke about these drags that they've been doing year after year in certain locations, where they drag a long net like a wind sock along the bottom. What's happening now is that everything is disappearing-the alewives, smelt, sticklebacks, they're just gone."  

The resort operator added that, "if you talk to anybody with downriggers who goes out to Heywood Island and places like that, they're not marking any bait fish on their fish finders. Five, six years ago, there used to be clouds of them."

 While Mr. Boos admits that cormorants, whom he describes as "opportunistic feeders," have driven down populations of bait fish, he pointed to other factors as well. "We've had two years of alewife reproductive failure because the lake (Huron) has been frozen over the last two winters, and that affects them."  

As a result of the collapse of alewives, which represent the cormorants' main food source, the cormorants themselves have been reduced in numbers over the past couple of years, the biologist said. "In 2000, there were 29,000 cormorant nests on colonies in Lake Huron. In 2004, that number was down to 19,000-we've seen a 33 percent decrease in all of Lake Huron."  

He admits that the population remains high relative to a dozen years ago. The new figure "brings us back to the numbers of the late 1990s, and 20,000 nesting pairs is still a lot," he said. Still, there are far fewer cormorants now than there were in 2003.  

It isn't a lack of alewives alone that accounts for the drop in cormorants. Mr. Boos also credits the MNR's egg-oiling program at certain sites in Georgian Bay and along the North Channel. By coating the cormorants' eggs with a food grade mineral oil, the embryo will die because the "the eggs are porous and need to breathe," he said.

Breaking eggs is ineffective, as cormorants will simply re-nest and lay more eggs, but when eggs are oiled, the bird can be tricked into sitting on the 'dud' egg. Mr. Boos noted that the process is entirely humane, as the eggs "just contain yolks, not little birds," and "if eggs do hatch on a colony, they're just left alone."  

"We've gone from 12,000 nests on the study site to less than 6,000, so egg-oiling is having an effect, a long-term effect," said the avian biologist. Meanwhile, he said the MNR is in the fifth year of a five-year study of the cormorant problem on Lake Huron. "We're waiting for the results to come in, sometime in the new year, and then we'll have a sense of what's next. During the next month there will be meetings of the technical team (of which he's a member) and the steering committee, and there will be action items decided on."  

Data from the egg-oiling program will be combined with information gleaned through a net study and studies involving electro-fishing and hydro acoustics, Mr. Boos said, to provide a comprehensive picture of the cormorant's impact on the fishery.  

Mr. Boos said that complaints about government inaction are unfair, particularly since "the MNR has done more in Lake Huron than anywhere else in the province." Cormorants are a problem all across the Great Lakes, he noted, with Lake Ontario being particularly affected.  

Local tourist operators and fishermen complain, however, that the MNR has been inactive and evasive. "We've been lobbying the MNR for years to do something and they're not doing it, so we're doing something ourselves," said Mr. Gjos. "This five-year study they've been doing, we haven't been able to get it-they don't seem to want to release it."  

Mr. Gjos feels the egg-oiling initiative is worthwhile, but "it's not the total answer. We think you have to cull some of the adult birds as well to get the population down to a manageable size." He added that the UFGCM has no intention of "decimating the cormorants-we just want them to be manageable."

 Pressure from environmental groups is believed to have hindered the MNR from authorizing a cull of adult birds. Mr. Boos pointed out, however, that when the MNR authorized a cull at Presqu'ile Park in order to protect trees, "we had all sorts of outpourings from NGOs (non-governmental organizations), but the minister still allowed that to happen."  

For his part, Mr. Gjos is surprised that an environmental group would oppose a cull of cormorants, as "they're not just impacting the fishery, they're also ruining vegetation on these islands (where they roost) and affecting water quality. These cormorants also take over nesting spots for gulls, egrets and terns."  

It's the dwindling number of sports fish, though, that is clearly the main concern of the UFGCM. As Mr. Strain noted, "this past summer, as a tourist operator, I had 32 northern pike come into the cleaning table all season long. Back in the 1980s, you'd see a dozen to 15 a day."  

Mr. Strain added that, as a teenager, "these hammer handles (small pike, in the 12" to 14" range) were seen as pests; you couldn't keep them off your hook. Now, all the smaller fish are taken by cormorants."  

Solely blaming the cormorant for the decline in fish stocks is an oversimplification of a complex issue, however. Even Mr. Strain admits that "salmon are no doubt a factor too, because they're not originally a fish in the Great Lakes."  

Nor, for that matter, are alewives-the cormorants' favourite snack. "Alewives are an exotic species," noted Mr. Boos, likely imported through the dumping of bilge water from boats. And as their numbers decline, as they have recently, "we're seeing native species like Lake Herring rebounding," pointed out the biologist.

 Cormorants themselves are often said to have recently invaded the Great Lakes, but that isn't technically true. Cormorants were documented on Lake Huron in 1932, and existed in the thousands in the 1940s, but the introduction of the pesticide DDT decimated their numbers over the next two generations. It was the banning of DDT, along with the introduction of such exotic species as alewives, that largely accounted for their return and recent boom.

 No one doubts that cormorants are having an impact on fish stocks. The MNR maintains that the bird's principal diet is bait fish, however, and remains skeptical of claims of cormorants eating larger fish. "There are stories of cormorants eating 20" pike, but I haven't seen it," said Mr. Boos. "Looking at their stomach contents, you'll see they are opportunistic and will eat what's available, but it has to be small." That said, Mr. Boos conceded that, "if perch are abundant, I'm sure they'll eat perch."  

Many Islanders are getting fed up with what they perceive as stalling tactics on the part of the MNR, and are prepared to, as Mr. Gjos put it, "take a stand. Either that, or we just walk away and let the fishery collapse."  

Whether the proposed cull indeed occurs remains to be seen, as does the response of conservation officers, who presumably will be out to enforce the law if it does. But boaters and canoe trippers planning holiday excursions for the May 24 weekend may wish to give cormorant rookeries a wide berth.

House fire claims life of Spring Bay resident  

by Michael Erskine  

SPRING BAY-Friends and neighbours kept somber vigil outside the yellow tape surrounding a Perivale Road home where a tragic fire is believed to have taken the life of a Spring Bay man in the late hours of December 2.  

An Ontario Provincial Police forensic identification team found human remains in the ruins of the home, and a coroner was called to the scene before the remains were removed and taken to Sudbury for post-mortem and identification on December 3. The services of a forensic dentist have been requested to assist in the identification.  

Although Central Manitoulin, Burpee Mills and Gore Bay fire departments had responded to the fire shortly after midnight on Thursday, they arrived to find the house totally engulfed in flames. The early morning light revealed that the building had been completely destroyed in the blaze.  

The OPP and the Fire Marshal's Office are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the fire. That process may prove long and difficult due to the massive damage the building sustained from the intense heat of the fire; the building literally burned down to the foundations, leaving only portions of the basement walls standing.  

The elderly owner of the home at 2040 Perivale Road, Arleigh Coulam, has not been accounted for since the night of the fire and is presumed by most to be the deceased victim.  

Friends and neighbours described Mr. Coulam as a nice gentleman who was very well thought of in the community.  

Further details of the actual identity of the victim will be released by the OPP once positive identification has been established.

Whither the Wild?  

Manitoulin Wild seeks more community support  

by Michael Erskine  

MANITOULIN-The controversy surrounding Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute's involvement with the Manitoulin Wild has led to numerous unfounded rumours about the team, particularly after the UCCM chiefs called for a police investigation to insure no criminal activity had occurred at the school. The former association between the school and the Wild has led to the team's co-owner and manager, Larry Leblanc, coming under a great deal of personal grief as well.  

Rumours have been engendering inaccurate comment in Internet chat rooms and local coffee shops, a factor that is adding a great deal of difficulty to the already challenging job of running a Northern Ontario Junior A Hockey team. The innuendoes Mr. Leblanc and his family have been forced to endure as a result of the publicity, he notes, would border on the ludicrous were they not so galling when viewed in light of the reality of running a Junior A hockey team in as challenging a market as Manitoulin.  

It should be clearly stated that the Manitoulin Wild are not under police investigation, nor is there any credible suggestion in the team's financial statements, acquired through sources hostile to Mr. Leblanc's management, that the owners' of the team have profited materially from their association with the organization.  

But the suggestions of impropriety have the team's creditors clamouring for immediate payment, even while Mr. Leblanc and his associates scramble to keep the team afloat.

 "I had to pay for our most recent roadtrips out of my own pocket," said Mr. Leblanc. "It hurts me personally when the team's bills aren't kept up-to-date."

 Despite the current shaky financial position of the team, Mr. Leblanc remains adamant that the franchise could be a viable operation given a little more support.

"We have the greatest fans in the league," he said. "You couldn't ask for more."  

But what is missing from the equation that could put the team on secure footing is support from the municipality or a significant major sponsor.  

"We have the support of most of the businesses on the Island," he said. "But a lack of major sponsors hurts us. What we need are a couple of sponsors in $15,000 t0 $25,000 range."  

Unfortunately, the only local candidates for a major sponsorship role have turned the team down flat.  

"North Bay's access to a large number of national companies makes them the only team in the league that really has a chance of making a good profit," said Mr. Leblanc.  

Former Espanola Screaming Eagles owner Wilfred Auge knows exactly what Mr. Leblanc is talking about.  

"The gate is only 10 percent of what a team needs to operate," he said. "You need sponsorship from business, and that is not an easy thing to do. We were always scrambling to make ends meet and we had the support of Domtar."  

Mr. Auge suggested that members of the hockey going public might consider providing indirect support to the team by sponsoring the needs of individual players who cannot afford to play hockey on their own.  

"Help them compete on an equal footing," he said. "I am sure on the Island, not everyone can afford to play."  

A booster club is one of the ideas Mr. Leblanc is hoping will catch on in the community to help keep the franchise on Manitoulin.  

"They could operate a licensed event upstairs and get involved in fundraising," he said. "Other communities have them. They could host bingos and other things to raise money to help meet the team's operating expenses."  

Mr. Leblanc has already been approached by one organization that has offered to hold bingos to help the team.  

"We tried that," said Mr. Auge. "It takes a lot of effort. You have to keep a lot of paperwork; there are legal ramifications. You need a non-profit charter and those aren't easy to get."  

Still, a booster club can harness a great deal of community support if enough people step up to the plate to make it work.

 Raffle tickets are also an option, he noted, but they, too, are problematic, requiring a non-profit charter, unless you go through the league.  

"Then they would probably want a cut," said Mr. Auge.  

Coach Stephane Soulliere knows first-hand about the sacrifices those involved in Junior A hockey make for their team: he hasn't been paid in months. Yet the coach keeps coming out to fulfill his role on the team and still voices strong support for Mr. Leblanc.  

"Larry is doing what he can to keep the team afloat," he said. "Without help from the town and community its going to sink; it's half-sunk already."  

Mr. Soulliere suggested that the town could help, if not by providing free ice time, then by giving the team a percentage of the concession booth sales.  

"If we had that we could pay for the ice time," he suggested. "That alone might be enough to keep us afloat."  

The team players have also been without the $40 stipend they get for expenses. Although the players are not paid much-peanuts as Mr. Soulliere called it-they need that money for gas and food money, or just the little things that make life better.  

"One player was asking me when they would be getting their $40," said Mr. Soulliere. "He wants to be able to buy his brother a Christmas present."  

The financial situation does have an impact on the players, he added, even though they try to not let it bother them on the ice.  

"It's still in the back of everyone's minds," said Mr. Soulliere.  

One of the issues Mr. Auge sees hampering the league is the reliance of some clubs on money to attract, buy and sell players and the expectation of players' parents that once they make it to the Junior A level of hockey everything is paid for them.  

"The league put that out," he said. "Players do come from all over," he added, however, "It is a heavy commitment for them."  

Mr. Leblanc is currently seeking to sell all or part of the team, and he said he has two parties that have expressed an interest in keeping the team on Manitoulin, as well as had off-Island inquiries.  

"I don't want to see the team leave the Island," he said. "I'm not interested in that. Parry Sound wants to get a Junior A team back; there are other communities that would like to have a Junior A team. I want to see it stay here."  

To anyone conscientiously researching the team's finances, particularly when viewing leaked financial documents indicating the financial liability the team's owners are currently exposed to, one thing is abundantly clear: they aren't into it for the money.  

Island hockey fans will have an opportunity to come out and support the team in Little Current at an upcoming back-to-back Wild series called the Chi-Buck Cup, when they play against intense rivals, the  North Bay Skyhawks, on December 17 and 18. The last encounter with North Bay resulted in a tight one-goal game and a fight-filled third period.  

Northeast Town quotes $20/ft. for purchase of lakeside roads  

by Lindsay Kelly  

MANITOULIN-The Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands is considering selling its shoreline road allowances, and if you're a waterfront property owner, the town wants to hear from you.  

At a December 1 meeting, Northeast council passed a motion that would allow them to survey owners of waterfront property in the municipality to determine their interest in acquiring the shoreline road allowances in front of their properties, at a proposed market price of $20 per foot, plus legal costs and survey fees.

 Mayor Joe Chapman indicated that, at the last public meeting regarding shoreline road allowances, there did seem to be interest from members of the public in purchasing the land, but felt council should ensure that interest in a more formal manner before taking the next step in selling it.  

"Before we embark on it (selling the properties) I think we should conduct another survey to see, is there much interest in it," he said. "If not, then we won't continue with it, but if there is, then we will look into it."  

Mayor Chapman also noted that the cost of $20 per foot was not an exact figure, but one put in place to give council something about which they could debate.  

"It could be more, it could be less," he remarked, adding that if the town were to send out a survey without stating a price, it might return an inaccurate estimate of how many people were actually interested in buying their shoreline road allowances.

 Council came to the $20 per foot cost estimate based on research into about 10 similar types of properties across southern Ontario, including those on Lakes Joseph and Rosseau in Muskoka. That estimate is low, however, and $30 per foot is closer to the median, Mayor Chapman pointed out.

 Councillor Jim Stringer voiced his concerns over the proposed procedure. Primarily, he felt that residents needed to be aware of the additional legal and surveying fees, as well as the administration fees and any additional fees the town added to that figure. He also felt $20 per foot was too low an estimate, and based on market values, the cost would probably be twice as much.

 "At the same time, people need to be aware of Custodial Care Bylaw: 2003-46," he continued. "Anyone who owns the property has to take custodial care of the abiding shoreline road allowances."

 This means shoreline road allowance owners would have to monitor the property for fires, picnicking, camping, littering and prevent any other behaviour or actions that degrade the property in any way. Councillor Stringer felt a copy of the bylaw should be attached to the survey when mailed out to residents, so they could be "apprised of that."  

A few councillors said they would support the motion, as long as changes were made before it was passed, one change being the exclusion of the phrase "market price" from the motion. Council argued that the market price was not applicable to what the town wanted to sell it for, because the only party entitled to purchase a shoreline road allowance is the resident who lives on the adjacent waterfront property.  

But rather than keep debating the issue, a vote had to be taken first on whether or not residents would be surveyed.  

"We've already spent a lot of time debating this," Councillor Sam Nardi said simply. "We need to find out if anyone is interested in this thing."  

In a recorded vote, Councillors Koehler and Stringer voted against the motion, while Mayor Chapman and the remaining council members voted for it.