First Nation leaders pledge war on drugs to deal with crisis of

youth crime, violence Anishinabek Nation_Deputy Chief Hare

recommends drug testing of band leaders

by Keith Lacey

SUDBURY-The deputy grand chief of the Union of Ontario Indians says it's going to take a concerted effort by Aboriginal leaders-and hundreds of thousands of parents-to turn around the troubling drug problems that have infested First Nations across Canada.

As the keynote speaker at the inaugural Anishinabek Nation War on Drugs Strategy Conference-which started Monday and wrapped up Tuesday-Glen Hare of M'Chigeeng said it's time for parents and Native leaders and Elders to ensure young people are given proper direction and guidance so they will say no to illicit drugs and the myriad of problems they are causing among so many Aboriginal people and communities.

"We've got to take back control of our kids...we have to and we can," said Chief Hare, who told the large audience of 350 First Nations Elders, chiefs, social workers, police officers and Native youth how he overcame a serious alcohol addiction 20 years ago and has dedicated his life to improving the lives of Aboriginals.

"I know with proper leadership, we can turn things around. It's time to take back control over our children," said Chief Hare. "The CAS (Children's Aid Society) shouldn't have to look after our kids any more."

More than 350 people, including representatives from all 42 member communities of the Anishinabek Nation in Ontario, gathered at the Caruso Club for the two-day conference. The conference was originally supposed to be held at the Whitefish Lake First Nation, just west of Sudbury, but due to overwhelming demand, it had to be moved to a larger venue. While most of the participants were from Ontario, there were also representatives from First Nations in Manitoba, Quebec and British Columbia.

The conference was two years in the making as Native leaders at the provincial and federal level identified a rapid increase in drug abuse and trafficking, which leaders indicate has reached near epidemic proportions in many Anishinabek First Nations.

Chief Hare said the Union of Ontario Indians put on the event with three objectives: to inform Anishnabek leadership on the current research, trends and actions with regards to prescription drug abuse and misuse and illicit drug abuse in First Nations and across Canada in general; provide a forum for Anishinabek leadership to discuss possible solutions and actions to address the situation; and to facilitate the development of strategic principles to begin the process of dealing with drug abuse and trafficking in First Nations.

While many First Nations have successfully tackled issues relating to alcohol abuse, the fact is many Aboriginal youths are having their lives destroyed by illicit drug use, with the prevalance of prescription drug abuse particularly troubling, Chief Hare said.

The chief said he "personally supports" regular drug testing of all First Nation leaders and councillors.

"It would be one step in the right direction...and show the youth" the leadership is committed to keeping drugs out of their communities and out of the hands of young people, he said.

The reality is many young Aboriginals have turned to prostitution and petty crime to support their drug habits and it's heartbreaking to see young lives being destroyed due to drug abuse, Chief Hare said.

It's up to community leaders and parents to commit to doing everything in their power to develop strategies and programs to keep children busy and away from the temptation of drugs, he added.

"At the end of the day, we have the authority over what happens to our children in our community," he said.

Hazel Fox-Recollet, chief of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, said this conference is a giant step forward in helping First Nation leaders determine which strategies have proven successful in battling drug addiction, especially among youth, across the country.

It's easy to bury your head in the sand and ignore the problem, but the reality is there's been a dramatic increase in drug use, particularly prescription drugs, on Wikwemikong and other Northern Ontario First Nations, over the past decade, said Chief Fox-Recollet.

"Where are these drugs coming from and why are there so many in our communities? These are questions which we must find answers to," she said. "We need to continue to raise these questions among First Nation leadership and come up with viable solutions."

The Wiky chief said conferences like this are so valuable because there are a lot of great programs and success stories out there, and being able to share what has worked and what doesn't work with other leaders is crucial in moving forward to find solutions to a troubling problem.

She is confident that this conference will become an annual or bi-annual event heading into the future.

$3 million pumped into local infrastructure

Six Island municipalities qualify for Build Canada funds

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-The sound of hammers, backhoes, pile drivers and drills should be echoing across the Island this spring as over $3 million in government funding greases a variety of infrastructure projects.

Last week, news arrived that six Manitoulin municipalities had qualified for assistance through the Build Canada Fund, a program that provides two-thirds of a project's cost via federal and provincial contributions, leaving local levels of government to cover the remaining third.

"It will be great for the economy," enthused Northeast Town CAO Dave Williamson, whose municipality is among the beneficiaries of the largesse. "We should have a good summer for construction."

This funding predates the stimulus package that was announced last month by the Harper administration. "It's actually a program that was in place prior to the budget coming out," said the CAO. "We applied for this in the fall."

Last week, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown revealed that the province's share of funding for Manitoulin will be $1.6 million, an amount that will be matched by the federal government. With the municipal portion added to that, nearly $5 million will be spent on local roads, bridges and facilities this year.

In the southeast, Tehkummah has been pledged $600,000 in government help to repair and replace bridges in the township. Reeve Gary Brown said that "most of that money will go to replacing the bridge over the Manitou River on the Government Road," while the remainder will assist in fixing up other spans, such as a pair on Lakeshore Road and one in Snowville (the responsibility for which is shared with Central Manitoulin Township).

"The Government Road bridge is very important to the township," Reeve Brown noted. "The new bridge will be realigned over the Manitou River and will be two lanes." Since an engineer's report has already been carried out for this project, "it's one we consider shovel-ready," he said, "so hopefully it will get started this spring."

In Assiginack Township, a $350,000 infusion will allow for the development of a waste-diversion program at the municipal landfill site. "We're designing and creating a depot for recycling, similar to what you have in Northeastern Manitoulin," said clerk Alton Hobbs. "And we want to do composting as well."

Capacity at the dump is dwindling, he said, so the municipality is determined to "extend the life of the existing landfill through waste diversion," and had already engaged an engineering firm from Sudbury to develop a design for a recycling yard.

"We were going to have to proceed regardless, but this funding comes at an opportune time and means we can look at new equipment versus used," said the clerk, adding, "It will make it a lot easier on taxpayers." Mr. Hobbs said the municipality's hope is to have the recycling facility "operational by this fall."

In the Northeast Town, $173,000 in government assistance will allow for a makeover of the Limit Street Bridge in Sheguiandah. The municipal portion of the project ($86,500) "has already been allocated through the reserve account," said Mr. Williamson. "It's been a priority for the past three years."

Given the deteriorating condition of the bridge, which crosses Bass Lake Creek near the Batman Sawmill, "we've had to reduce the load limit," noted the CAO. "We looked at building a new one but decided we can get another 50 years out of it through rehabilitation."

The work will include repairs to the entrances, decking, guardrails and abutments, said Mr. Williamson.

Central Manitoulin has been awarded nearly $200,000 for a major reno at the Mindemoya Arena. Reeve Richard Stephens said the work will involve "a new steel roof, a heat retention barrier underneath, as well as new boards and glass."

The municipality "has been working with the arena advisory group" in planning out the project, said the reeve, and is thrilled that the money has come through from the upper levels of government to make it possible. Once the work is complete, the arena "will be updated to a more environmentally friendly and energy-saving status," said Reeve Stephens.

Municipalities on the West End are also getting a leg up for their infrastructure needs. Gore Bay will receive nearly $800,000 to put towards its new water plant, while Gordon and Burpee-Mills will get about $1 million and $400,000, respectively, for roads projects within their borders.

Across the North Channel to the east, Killarney has been pegged for a $300,000 infusion for waste-management infrastructure.

Across the riding, the Build Canada contributions for infrastructure projects approach nearly $10 million, which means almost $15 million in spending once the municipal share is factored in.

In all, 20 communities in Algoma-Manitoulin have qualified under this latest round of infrastructure investment.

The consensus among municipal representatives is that the flow of funds couldn't have come at an more opportune moment, as planning for the projects can now be quickly finalized and the work put out to tender in time for a spring construction start.

It is anticipated that more money will be in the pipe for similar projects-and there is no shortage of infrastructure needs among Island municipalities-and some could come through the same funding mechanism.

Mr. Williamson noted that the infrastructure commitments identified in the recent federal budget may well be funneled through existing programs such as Build Canada. "The intent seems to be to extend this program for another round," he indicated.

Danny Dodge intrigue in development as TV_docudrama

Mindemoya duo hopes to use local actors, resources for film about auto scion's strange end

by Jim Moodie

KAGAWONG-It's a story that's been told in newspapers, magazines and books, not to mention at numerous websites and, in appropriately ominous tones, around a few crackling campfires. Now a young artist hopes to translate the tragic tale of Danny Dodge to the screen.

Marcus Mohr, an aspiring filmmaker from Mindemoya, has been hard at work on a script for a 30-minute docu-drama on the auto-family scion and his strange death near Kagawong in 1938. If everything falls into place, he plans to start shooting the historical short as soon as this summer.

As many Islanders have heard-and a few, like Austin Hunt, remember-Danny was less than two weeks into his honeymoon with local bride Laurine MacDonald when a bizarre explosion occurred at his Maple Point resort; three weeks later, a pair of local fishermen reeled in his lifeless form from the waters of the North Channel. It was declared an accidental death by drowning.

Although Mr. Mohr grew up on Manitoulin, he didn't actually learn about this mysterious chapter of Island lore until just "a couple of years ago, when I was reading a book at Chapters." But he was instantly intrigued, and started reading up more on the controversial event.

Last year, he wrote a film treatment and secured a $3,000 grant through CTV to develop a screenplay. He's been working on the script ever since, while simultaneously seeking production money through the Ontario Arts Council (OAC).

"If the OAC funding comes through, I'll probably go ahead and start filming this summer," he said. "Post-production would be done over the winter of 2009/2010."

Helping him out on the project is fellow-Islander Cody McDermid, whom Mr. Mohr describes as his "assistant director and writer."

The two envision the movie as a half-hour special that would be broadcast on television-CTV has first rights to the product, although they don't own it, noted Mr. Mohr-and would utilize local actors and resources for its creation.

Since the event happened over 70 years ago, the story will be told mostly through dramatic recreation, said Mr. Mohr, with "narration to hold it all together." He's confident that the roles of the historical characters can be ably filled by thespians from Manitoulin.

The pair is also exploring a partnership with the Old Mill Heritage Centre in Kagawong, as the museum-in concert with the current owner of the Dodge property-has recently amassed some valuable information regarding the Dodge era on Manitoulin, following a trip to Meadow Brook Hall, a mansion-turned-museum in Detroit that commemorates the famous car clan.

Rick Nelson, curator of the Old Mill, said the board of the Billings museum has invited the duo to their next meeting on March 2 to discuss a possible arrangement, whereby information might be shared in return for some degree of influence and stake in the project.

"The board is a bit sensitive to stuff that's unique to our museum," he said. "If we get involved we'd like to be a full partner."

Mr. Mohr is eager to forge an alliance with the Kagawong museum, as he wants the film to be as accurate and informative as possible. His initial instinct, he admits, was to pursue the murder-mystery angle of the story and provide a possible scenario for foul play, but his plan now is to stick to the official version and mention lingering questions in passing.

"There was a provincial inquest, and it was suspicious-I don't think anybody would argue that," he said. "But we will just mention some of the theories; we won't state them as fact."

While Mr. Mohr has sketched out his script, he's still collecting any material he can to ensure the story is told properly. "I just got a confirmation the other day that the Archives of Ontario are going to send me some files concerning the inquest, so hopefully I'll have that soon," he noted. "My walls here are plastered with photocopies of newspaper articles. It kind of looks like a scene from A Beautiful Mind, where (asocial math genius John Nash) is drawing circles and connecting dots."

Should the project go ahead, it would be Mr. Mohr's first foray into filmmaking, although it wouldn't be a complete departure for the 27-year-old creative type. He studied animation at college, and is an accomplished painter and sculptor. One of his works earned a prize at last year's LaCloche Art Show.

He currently resides in Sudbury, and when he's not writing movie scripts, he's paying his bills by working at Sudbury Memorial Works. "It's where I do all my sculpting, because they have the equipment," he noted.

As for fashioning a believable facsimile of the 1938 scene on Manitoulin for his film, Mr. Mohr admitted this poses something of a challenge, although perhaps not as daunting a one as you might think.

"There's a place here in Sudbury called Stage and Street which has a lot of period stuff, like Flapper dresses and hats, that you can rent," he said. "And the clothes that men wore in those days isn't really all that different from now."

A film about Danny Dodge wouldn't be complete without a car-the son of automotive magnate John Dodge was famous for bombing around on Manitoulin in a slick set of wheels-but Mr. Mohr figures he's got that covered through a local car buff who owns a 1941 Dodge.

The trickiest part will be coming up with something to stand in for the speedboat that the doomed cottager drove in those days. The boat is critical, because it was during a frantic trip by water to reach the hospital in Little Current that Mr. Dodge fell (or leapt, or was pushed) overboard and met his mysterious end.

Not too many watercraft of that era and style are floating around Manitoulin these days, so Mr. Mohr expects he may have to use a less authentic boat and do "some creative camera shoots and cutting" to dodge, so to speak, around the deficiency.

Still, he's eager to hear from anyone on the Island who might have a boat that would vaguely approximate the one that Danny Dodge owned in the 1930s, or might otherwise be able to contribute props or information for the project.

The filmmaker can be contacted by email at mmohr_ca@hotmail.com, or by phone at (705) 585-4368. His website is www.marcusmohr.net.

F

EDITORIAL

Communities are responsible for their own security

After the sun set last night, people living in Manitoulin Island's largest community locked their doors and sat huddled in their homes, too fearful to walk their own streets. They are living in fear that the streets of their community have been given over to gangs of young thugs: children of the night who are following a false path to respect and achievement; youths who have come to believe that violence and crime are the only paths that lie open to them.

Throughout history, heroes have populated our legends, mythologies and popular entertainment. From Beowulf to Shane, from Lu Tung Pin to Nanabush, the mighty and clever warrior figure arrives on the scene, often astride a spirited white charger, weapon in hand ready to slay the dragon, outwit the monster or send the gangsters packing. They save the day and then ride off into the sunset to the cheers of a grateful crowd.

Safe communities are the right of every Canadian, but it is up to ordinary citizens to serve and protect that right.

We are not talking about taking the law into your own hands, or espousing fire-with-fire philosophies. Leave that to the Hollywood mythmakers.

Rather it is time for ordinary citizens to refuse to allow their community, their friends and neighbours, to be held hostage in the night any longer. It is time for citizens to pick up the phone and call in what they know about a crime, or to stop into the police station and to report what they know, or to stand to testify against the criminal acts they have witnessed. These are the true community heroes deserving of respect and admiration.

'Marginalized' communities throughout history have always been the victims of choice for gangs and the confounding paradox is that those victimized communities also provide a fertile recruiting ground for criminal gangs.

When a young person without hope for the future runs afoul of the criminal justice system and is placed in an institution, survival often dictates that they fall under the wing of the gangs while 'inside.' When those young people come home, they bring the gang mentality with them, and instead of preying upon the larger society (which they blame with some cause for their marginalization), the gang members prey upon their own communities-mistaking fear for respect.

Police have historically been identified as agents of the oppressors and the community saw 'ratting someone' out to Five-Oh as bad a transgression as committing violence on the helpless and unprotected, so that tattletales have often been punished more by the community than the perpetrators of the crimes.

A few short decades ago, the community of Wikwemikong was beset by a rash of suicides. Many organizations-Rainbow Lodge being one example that easily springs to mind-rose up out of that period to deal with the root causes of despair. While the scourge of suicide still haunts the community, it has become less common and there is help now in the community where before there was only despair.

There is no man on a white horse coming to save the community from gangs or wayward youth, and no government program or police agency will single-handedly save the day; the solution to these problems cannot be imposed from Ottawa or Toronto, because at the end of the day-today and every day-the real community hero who will make a difference is you.

Letters to the Editor

Letter writer should focus on the positive in Assiginack

Community is fortunate in light of country-wide doctor shortage

To the Expositor:

Whiner. That is what came to my mind as I read the letter ("Answers needed in regards to Assiginack doctor shortage") in last week's paper.

There are a lot of communities on the Island with no hospitals or clinics within its town limits and most people realize there is a doctor shortage in the country. We have a very friendly and knowledgeable nursing and clerical staff at our clinic; unfortunately, because we only have one doctor, when a contract cycle ends, or they decide to move on for whatever reason, it is noticeable. New doctors come and go all the time at our two hospitals on the Island, without notice. I can see that if you want a reason for our past doctors leaving, one might be thankless and demanding patients!

I won't deny maybe they didn't like it here-I can't say for sure because I haven't spoken personally to every one of them. But, that is good advice: if you're not happy somewhere, move somewhere else! Manitowaning is a great community, a community that has countless and thankless volunteer organizations and committees, a community of which I am proud to be an active member and resident.

Instead of Caroline Bowland's letter promoting Manitowaning as being known as "the town with no doctor," it has definitely helped us qualify for being known as the town with the biggest whiner. Anyone wishing to thank Ms. Bowland for helping us qualify can give her a call.

Rick Armstrong

Manitowaning

Low_Island park offers vast recreational opportunities

Work will continue thanks to volunteers, donations

To the Expositor:

The Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) wishes to thank the Little Current Lions Club for the lumber donation, as well as Joey Bowerman for building benches at the outdoor skating rink at Sisson Park.

CSAC recognizes the importance of the outdoor rink-it is a spectacular complement to Low Island Park. It is encouraging to watch the many residents using the facility for the purpose of exercise and recreation.

CSAC continues to prioritize Low Island as part of our recreation and leisure mandate. Although there is still work to be accomplished, our municipality can be proud to have a wonderful park, which offers a slate of recreation activities and natural grounds for residents and visitors to enjoy:

¥skateboarding at Sisson Park;

¥skating and ice hockey on the outdoor skating rink;

¥a soccer pitch;

¥two baseball diamonds;

¥climbing equipment with swings;

¥beach volleyball;

¥a beach.

As well, let's not forget about the vast green space within the park, considered to be one of the most natural benefits of Low Island Park. Visitors of the park can stroll, hike or jog along the walking trails, or picnic and relax among the trees and grassed areas of Low Island.

It is wonderful to be a part of a community where residents, organizations and volunteers can come together to make worthwhile projects a success! Thank you once again to the Little Current Lions Club and Joey Bowerman!

Mark Volpini

chairperson

Community Services Advisory Committee

Speculation about divine implies there's hope for all

Belief in God allows us to enjoy life

To the Expositor:

A member of the church where I pastor was upset about the recent atheist-sponsored posters appearing recently on the sides of buses in various cities. The poster reads, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy life."

It upsets me, too, that many people do not believe in God. By using the word "probably" at least it shows they may not be entirely certain. There may still be hope for them to not only believe in God but to come to know Him personally as God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Ghost. It is only when you come to know Him that you can truly "stop worrying and enjoy life."

Martin Garniss

Providence Bay