Wiky band members reject proposed custom election code

by Michael Erskine

WIKWEMIKONG-Opponents of the proposed new custom election code for Wikwemikong were celebrating victory after a referendum question was soundly defeated last week, but Chief Robert Corbiere disputed that assessment.

"There were no winners here," he said, "only a major loser, the Wikwemikong band."

Wikwemikong resident Tom Peltier, who financed a series of advertisements opposing the new code, was clearly pleased with the result, however.

"Chief and council need to be progressive in social programs instead of letting their citizens fend for themselves," he said. "Ethics is the new buzz word. Webster's dictionary describes ethics as 'conforming to an accepted standard of good behaviour.'"

Chief Corbiere noted that the election campaign for chief and council was clearly already under way in Wikwemikong, and that important band business was being hijacked for partisan political gain.

"The next general election campaign gates have been opened up," wrote Chief Corbiere in a letter sent to band office employees prior to the referendum, and addressed to 'Dear Fellow Employee.' In the letter, Chief Corbiere contended that Wikwemikong's own custom election code was being smeared in the Manitoulin Expositor. The letter concluded with an admonition to "show the Manitoulin Expositor that all of the smearing allegations about Wikwemikong were not true."

The initiative failed to pass on two counts: first was that the vote against the code was 607 to 316; the second was a failure to get the 20 percent voter turnout set as a threshold by chief and council.

"We didn't have the numbers," admitted Chief Corbiere. "We needed to get 1,021 out to vote and then we needed 51 percent in favour to pass it."

Although chief and council recognized that getting that high a voter turnout in a non-election plebiscite was challenging in itself, Chief Corbiere said the legitimacy of the result demanded the high bar be set quite high.

Large numbers of off-reserve band members came from Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury to vote in the referendum, noted Mr. Peltier, who questioned why, when there were 3,800 off-reserve members eligible to vote, only 1,030 ballots were mailed out.

"It's their responsibility to keep the list up-to-date," he said.

Band officials have pointed out, especially since the advent of the Corbiere Decision, the impossibility of the task when off-reserve band members make no effort to contact the band office to update the list.

Mr. Peltier noted that Wikwemikong members were dropped from the list because they had not updated their information, even though their information had not changed in years.

Despite the large numbers of voters 'trucked in' by the code's opponents, the initiative still failed to receive the required number of voters to be valid.

Now that the initiative has failed, Chief Corbiere said he would recommend the question be shelved for a future chief and council to deal with. In the current election-charged climate, it would be difficult to move the question forward.

"The attacks have been personalized against me," he said, while pointing out that the actual decision-making power in the band is vested in the council.

Mr. Peltier questioned Chief Corbiere's decision to move ahead with the custom code so quickly, but chief Corbiere refuted that allegation.

"Gladys (Wakegijig, Chief Corbiere's opponent in the last band election and a vocal critic of the chief as a band councillor) was on the custom election code committee in 1988-1989," he said. "Raymond Jackson (the other vocal critic on council), as band councillor, had the custom code portfolio for four years. He attended meetings, workshops paid by the band, all those years, yet he brought back nothing."

Ms. Wakegijig, however, stressed in a pre-referendum interview that there were still significant flaws in the text of the code.

Chief Corbiere asserted that "Ms. Wakegijig and her group used fear-mongering tactics."

"They were informing people with the wrong information," he said, "causing confusion and concern among voters who had not considered the matter strongly up until the date of the referendum."

Among the misinformation being spread in the community, said Chief Corbiere, were allegations that chief and council were trying to extend their term for an extra year. The code was clearly not retroactive and would only apply to future elected councils.

"They were saying a treaty was nearly signed in 1990 (a reference to the 1990 Manitoulin Land Agreement between Island bands and the province)," said Chief Corbiere. "There is no connection there at all. It was just there to confuse and alarm people."

Chief Corbiere said that he was concerned about the status of band economic initiatives because of all of the bad publicity being spread about the community in the world at large.

"I will give you one example," said Chief Corbiere. "We had a group of Chinese investors interested in coming here. After the bad publicity began, they pulled out."

Chief Corbiere fired back at his opponents, pointing out that Ms. Wakegijig was opposed to the purchase of Rainbow Ridge Golf Course, an initiative Chief Corbiere said is proving profitable while employing 15 band members.

"Now she is trying to bring down FirstTel, which employs another four band members and is starting to make money as well."

Chief Corbiere said he was most concerned about claims by the referendum opponents that people were "voting down the wind farm project." The strong 'no' result may be an indication that there is opposition to that economic initiative. "Do we have a referendum on that now?" he asked.

"They were saying I wanted to sell band land," said Chief Corbiere, citing a claim he found particularly offensive. "For everyone's information, the chief cannot 'sell' any band land."

Even if council backed such a sale, the minister of Indian Affairs has final say over such a plan, and it is highly unlikely that any minister of the Crown would endorse such a political landmine.

"It was all just nonsense made up to scare people," said Chief Corbiere.

In reference to a controversial clause of the new code that required candidates for chief to be resident on the reserve for at least three consecutive years, Chief Corbiere said two local elders had told him recently that under the traditional method of choosing a chief, the candidate had to be resident for at least seven years.

"It isn't all bad news," said Chief Corbiere about the defeat, in one of his trademark quips. "Now that we fall back under the Indian Act, Paul Martin, Steven Harper or Jack Layton are eligible to run for chief."

Chief Corbiere took the opportunity to praise Nikki Manitowabi and her team for an exceptionally well-run referendum. "I would also like to thank the people who worked so hard on the custom election code."

The failure of the custom election code to pass was unfortunate, said Chief Corbiere, but the business of the band will continue, despite the difficulty of moving forward in an atmosphere of negative and false information.

Mother, son die in tragic crash

by Michael Erskine

ESPANOLA-A fatal accident claimed the lives of two people this past weekend, forcing a road closure that stranded people on both sides of the Island's only artery to the mainland for most of Saturday.

Kathy Mildred Love (50) and her son Brody Ross Love (25), of Sudbury, were killed when the driver lost control of her south-bound Taurus, crossed the road, and collided with a north-bound pickup truck driven by Harold Frost (55) of Little Current. Mr. Frost and his passenger, Rachel Howell (52) received non-life threatening injuries in the collision.

The accident occurred in Merritt Township on Highway 6, almost halfway between Espanola and Willisville, near Raven Lake.

Road and weather conditions at the time of the accident were described by police as "extremely poor."

The accident occurred around 10:30 am, and police cordoned off the area until investigators from the OPP Technical Traffic Collision Investigation office could complete their work. As there was no route to detour around the accident scene, the road remained closed until approximately 7 pm on Saturday evening.

Described as a 'proud Manitoulin native' who married her high school sweetheart, Tony, also a Haweater, Ms. Love moved to Sudbury where she worked for the Royal Bank for 28 years. She was the daughter of Earl and Effie Freeman of Little Current.

Ms. Love's husband was at the family cottage on the Island, awaiting his family's arrival from Sudbury, when he was informed of the death of his wife and son. As Ms. Love was approaching retirement, the couple was planning an eventual return to the Island.

Brody Love was a father himself, leaving behind his fiancZ Heather Marsh and a four-month-old baby boy, Regan Anthony. Brody Love was described as an avid fisherman and Maple Leafs fan, as well as a caring and giving individual who was always quick with a joke. He spent many summers on Manitoulin and worked many of them for Williamson's General Store.

Both vehicles remained on the road after the collision, said eyewitnesses, with at least one vehicle held in place by the intervention of the guardrails.

Police officers from the Manitoulin detachment set up a checkpoint at the Little Current swing bridge, and Espanola police set up a post just north of Canadian Tire to inform people of the road closure.

Northeast Town CAO Dave Williamson was among the first on the scene of the accident. "It was a horrible experience," he said. "One I do not want to experience ever again."

It was even worse, if possible, for Mike and Marilyn Farquhar, who were also close to the accident scene.

"We grew up with the Freemans," said Mrs. Farquhar.

The day-long road closure impacted upon many people's plans, and long lines of vehicles remained outside the police roadblocks, their occupants hoping to be able to resume their trips.

Some people with four-wheel-drive vehicles braved the rugged Fox Lake Road between Whitefish Falls and Espanola in an attempt to skirt the accident and reach their destinations, but it quickly became all but impassable and several turned back.

"Some people apparently stayed in line for the whole time," said Community Services Officer Al Boyd. "They didn't want to lose their place, I guess, but they wound up waiting for a very long time."

The road closure was unavoidable, he said, due to the lack of alternate routes. Traffic through the accident scene had to be avoided while the investigation was ongoing.

"Even though the road conditions were bad, there are still skid marks and other information to be collected from the scene," noted Constable Boyd. "People may ask why we didn't just route vehicles around the accident, but in a serious accident case like this, you have to investigate very thoroughly. If we let traffic through, evidence would quickly be erased by the volume of vehicles and it would become impossible to reconstruct the scene."

A trust fund for Brody's son Regan has been set up at the Royal Bank on Lasalle Boulevard in Sudbury.

Visitation was scheduled to occur yesterday (Tuesday) at the Island Funeral Home and the service takes place today (Wednesday) at the Little Current United Church. A memorial service will take place at 2 pm on Thursday, January 12, at Holy Redeemer Church in Sudbury.

Veteran councillor presents strikers' petition to NE council

Al MacNevin pleads human issues

by Lindsay Kelly

NORTHEASTERN MANITOULIN-The labour dispute between the Northeast Town its workers took a new twist last Wednesday evening, when a former Little Current councillor stepped up to the table to offer his opinion on the matter.

At a regular council meeting on January 4, concerned citizen Al MacNevin made a presentation to council, offering his opinion on the 15-week-old strike. As someone who served four terms as a Little Current town councillor, and also has experience in conflict resolution-both from the employer's standpoint and that of a union-Mr. MacNevin felt he could offer a unique perspective on the issue.

He opened his presentation with the delivery of a petition carrying more than 600 signatures of Manitoulin citizens who wish to see an end to the strike. Following Mayor Joe Chapman's acceptance of the petition, Mr. MacNevin reiterated that the three major issues causing the rift are the management doing union work, the contracting out of work to outside parties, and job security. Wages are not a huge problem, he noted, since the town, in its flyers and advertising distributed throughout the community, are offering the employees 2.5 percent, while the union is asking for 3 percent.

"I think the focus should be on the other issues," he said.

Management doing more work that is regularly done by the union costs the taxpayers more money, Mr. MacNevin surmised. "If managers are doing more union work, and they are paid a higher wage rate, it seems like you're wasting money having managers doing union work," he said. Increasing the number of hours management can do union work is "the wrong direction to be going" if the town wants to end the strike, he advised. And if the bargaining unit were to agree to the increase of allowable working hours by management, they would be opening up an opportunity for the town to eliminate their jobs, he maintained.

In addition, while contracting out work may seem cheaper to the town, and cost-effectiveness may be the reason for doing it, in the long run it may cost the town more money, since, in his experience, contractors offer an inexpensive bid the first time, but in subsequent bids, the costs go up, Mr. MacNevin continued.

"If your intent is to break the union, you've done exactly what you need to do," he said, adding that the steps the town has taken to replace striking workers with full-time staff workers "pits workers against each other."

Mr. MacNevin also believes there needs to be more discussion during the meetings between the bargaining unit and the town, rather than an exchange of envelopes, adding that some workers currently feel coerced by the methods that have been employed in negotiations so far. He reminded them that they are representative of all the taxpayers in the community, and not just management and administration.

As a way to bring a new perspective to the debate, Mr. MacNevin suggested that council "shake things up" on its bargaining committee. The current committee excludes some of the veteran councillors on council who have experience in municipal politics, and yet they could bring experience and wisdom to the table, he said.

While a deputation to council usually consists of a presentation only, Mayor Chapman said that, because the issue is one of great importance to the community, he would welcome the opportunity for further discussion, and proceeded to address the issues Mr. MacNevin had raised.

"It's important to have this discussion," he said. "Everybody in the community wants to hear both sides, and you're raising points that people in the community want answers to."

Mayor Chapman maintained that striking employees were not being coerced or threatened in any way, and the town's position has not been one designed to break the union. And, he continued, just because two sides disagree, it doesn't mean that one is trying to break the union.

"I think we realize the union performs a very necessary role in society," he said. "Some would argue that their role was greater in earlier times, but I think we accept the fact that unions are a necessary reality in this community in 2006."

While he didn't agree with Mr. MacNevin's use of the term 'scabs' to describe replacement workers, he did defend the town's use of alternate workers in the monitoring of the town's water treatment plant.

"Public safety trumps union-management disputes every time," he said. "We want to keep the community's water safe, and we don't want to see anybody's health jeopardized."

As to the contracting out of work, Mayor Chapman said that cheaper is not always better, and noted that the town makes its decisions based on "sound financial analysis." While there is a "perception going around right now" that the town is contracting out to "get rid of workers," this is not the case, he added. Rather, the language in the current contract is unclear about what constitutes union work versus management work, and the town feels that language must be cleaned up "to avoid unnecessary arbitration and disputes."

Early on in the strike, the town said it would protect the jobs of the workers, and it still will, Mayor Chapman maintained. And while the part-time jobs were not guaranteed, it isn't council's intent to lay off employees, he said.

Council simply wants to maintain its right to contract out work as it always has for certain items, including lawn maintenance in the town's cemeteries, roadside work, the cleaning of the town office, and the issuing of dog licenses, he offered. The town recently purchased a new snowplow at a cost of $175,000, he continued. Why would the town buy a new plow for the unionized staff to operate if it was planning on contracting that work out? he asked.

"Can the workers come back at any time?" he asked. "Yes. They can come back tomorrow if they want to."

He suggested the workers could come back to work without a contract and continue to bargain with the town, noting that the workers were never locked out of town facilities, but chose to take strike action.

Mayor Chapman also took issue with the idea of limiting the number of hours of union work performed by management. Under the union's proposed 12-hour limit, Greg Wright-whom, Mayor Chapman pointed out, has always operated the zamboni-would only be permitted to operate the equipment on a supplemental basis. Similarly, treasurer Sheryl Wilkin-who was formerly part of the union before recently being hired on in a management capacity-would suddenly be unable to perform the work she has done for more than 20 years.

The council, he said, is concerned about the non-union employees who have been with the town for many years, and while the union's thinking might be appropriate for employers with a larger workforce, the strategy is difficult to employ in a small workplace.

"It's not realistic for council to agree to what the union thinks is union work," he said.

Mr. MacNevin argued that the union employees are concerned with the councils of the future who may not agree with this council's perspective. "You could be gone in a year," he said. "The union can't trust each council will agree," he said. "They need something in writing for the long term."

Mayor Chapman said he'd welcome Mr. MacNevin's suggestions on how to address the issue of management performing union work while protecting the rights of both parties, emphasizing that the town does not take preference over any of its employees.

"You're no more or less valuable an employee if you're a union member or a staff member," he said.

As of press time on Monday, no meeting dates had yet been set up between the town and the union bargaining committees.

Health ministry confident Manor will meet standards and end sanction

by Jim Moodie

LITTLE CURRENT-While a new administrator and board chair endeavour to put the Manitoulin Centennial Manor on a firm footing for 2006 and beyond, the home for the aged remains under provincial orders to not accept any new residents until operational shortcomings are rectified.

The sanction was imposed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on December 14, following a number of inspections of the facility by a compliance advisor, the last of which occurred in early December. The Manor was found to fall short of ministry standards in three categories.

A shakeup in the management structure of the facility followed just before Christmas, with administrator Kathy Deacon stepping aside to make room for Jeanette Lapointe, and board chair Pentti Palonen being replaced by board member Gary Green.

Mr. Green declined to comment on the current situation at the Manor last week, citing an obligation to meet with board members and staff prior to making announcements in the press. He said that a statement will be issued soon by the publicly-funded home.

In the meantime, the ministry is maintaining its freeze on admissions, while at the same time expressing confidence in Manor management and staff to provide quality care and address the problems that were identified. "The board of management of the Manor has been working positively and co-operatively with us to ensure a high standard of resident care and are working towards achieving full compliance (with ministry standards)," said David Jensen, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Mr. Jensen specified that the "issues of non-compliance that led to the suspension of admissions were in the areas of dietary, nursing, and environmental services, which include interior upkeep."

Asked if applying a freeze on admissions was unusual, Mr. Jensen replied that approximately six to eight long-term care facilities are put under such a sanction per year province-wide. Apart from calling attention to problems that have been identified, 'sealing' a home also has the operational benefit of slowing things down to allow a facility to focus its efforts on the patients it is already serving, according to ministry officials.

As for when the suspension might be lifted, Mr. Jensen said there is no exact schedule. "We keep checking, and once we've checked back and seen that they have achieved full compliance, it will be lifted."

While the seal on admissions is neither unheard of nor necessarily problematic, it has proven frustrating to at least one family, which had hoped to re-admit a resident who had been temporarily hospitalized in Sudbury, but couldn't, since the individual was on respite care and would have to reapply for a bed.

The other two long-term care facilities on Manitoulin, meanwhile, are already at capacity or close to capacity, according to an informed source, so finding alternative care options for the elderly on the Island could be difficult if the need arises.

While management at the Manor has so far been reticent to discuss its plans for the facility, reports that representatives of Jarlette Health Services-the private firm which operates the Manitoulin Lodge nursing home in Gore Bay, as well as others in the province-have been present in the facility, are fuelling rumours that this company may have a role in future operations. It is unclear at this time, however, what, if any, role that may be.

Relations between the facility's unionized employees and management have been strained over the past couple of years, but they are expected to improve under the new regime. A long contract dispute was finally resolved prior to Christmas, and staff members anticipate a more co-operative dynamic this year.

Manor workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which include registered practical nurses (RPNs), personal support workers, and health-care aides, as well as dietary and housekeeping staff, had been without a contract since December 31, 2003. In an arbitrated settlement finally delivered on December 9, workers made gains in wages and holiday time for long-serving employees, while losing benefits and sick-time coverage for part-time employees. In lieu of a benefit package, part-timers have been compensated financially. Wage increases for all employees are retroactive to the cessation of the last contract, and workers received a welcome 'bonus' just prior to Christmas.

Registered nurses (RNs) at the Manor, who are represented by the Ontario Nursing Association (ONA), also negotiated a recent pay increase.

Inspections of the Manor are, as with all long-term care homes in the province, a regular occurrence. And, as of January 2004, they have been improved, according to the ministry's website, by occurring unannounced. A compliance advisor from the Sudbury regional office, who is also a registered nurse, conducts the review.

Among the areas examined are the general condition of the residents, health and safety issues, areas of non-compliance identified in previous visits, and interactions between residents and staff. The results of the annual reviews are posted within the facility and are also available through the ministry's website. Inspections also occur at other times throughout the year, as warranted.

While a suspension of admissions is a serious censure, it appears to be the least severe of the measures the ministry can take if a home is deemed to have not met standards. Other enforcement measures include suspending or revoking the home's licence, refusing to renew a licence, and taking over the operation of a home.

Ministry officials say there is no intention to exercise these more drastic options, and that the community should not be alarmed about the situation at the Manor. They are merely advising the board, which they say has been quite co-operative, in how to amend the problems that exist, and any decision on the structure of service delivery belongs to the local board itself.

THE REAL AND THE SURREAL: The yard beside Murray Thompson's home on Lakeshore Drive near Kagawong is literally jammed with snow and ice sculptures that fill the mind with wonder at the skill, imagination and patience required to produce (at least) 15 fantasy figures in larger-than-life scale.

photo by Tom Sasvari

Dear Dave and Beth,

This is a really hard problem for me to deal with. I am with a girl I like a lot, but now I know I don't love. I want to end it, but I am afraid that she will go really ballistic. In the past, when we've had fights, she hasn't reacted very well. I am afraid for her mental health so I am a scared to break up. Any advice so I can let her down gently?  Remember, I like this lady, and don't want to hurt her.

Just Friends

Dear Just Friends,

If you want to end it and you're worried about her going ballistic I would suggest that you tell her on the phone. Give her a two-hour cooling off period, and then go over to her place. Take all the blame for your relationship not working out and if she seems to buy it, get out real quick. I'm not sure if this will work for you, but it sure worked great for my girlfriends. They were right and I did get over them.

-Dave

Dear Just Friends,

It's very hard to end a relationship when there is only one person who puts their everything into it. I'm not sure how long you two have been together, but if you are trying to convince yourself that you need to move on, then do it. It will take her a while to get over it, because she does have feelings for you, but she will get over you. And don't worry about her 'mental health.' Women are a lot stronger than you give us credit for.

-Beth

Dear Dave and Beth,

I am so sick of the gossip that is going on in my small town.  Is there anything one person can do?  It's not only me that is the subject, it's everyone and everything. Why can't people just let things be?

Tired of the Talk

Dear Tired,

When it comes to gossip, you must remember that some of it is fair dictum (the truth), and that kind of gossip is all right (good and bad), but if it's the other stuff (BS, or lies and half-truths), it's not worth the good ear you were born with. Learn to distinguish the two and only repeat what you think is worth repeating. The only other suggestion that comes to mind is to carry earplugs and after you say hi, install them.

-Dave

Dear Tired,

I've said it once and I'll say it again-get used to it! We live in a small community, which has good and bad points. For example, if your family member was sick, everyone would pull together to help in any way they could. But, if someone's marriage is breaking up, they have to break it down and analyze it. So, all I can say is: ignore it. It'll be someone else next week.

-Beth

Send your letters to editor@etown.net or Box 369, Litle Current, Ont., P0P 1K0.

EDITORIAL

Lessons can be learned from democratic setbacks

The people of Wikwemikong have spoken and the resounding percentage of negative votes cast in the recent referendum sends a clear message that the membership are not ready to endorse a new election code.

We can only hope that this setback will n¼ot be taken as a vote of non-confidence in the current chief and council, for it would be very unfortunate if positive economic development initiatives were to be thrown out along with this one question.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the current chief and council of Wikwemikong, two things cannot be taken away from them. They do have vision and they do have initiative. The intiatives of the current chief and council are centred largely on the development of a self-sufficient and economically-sustainable community, and to that end those initiatives deserve to be considered on their own merits. They should be assessed in the interests of the band membership as a whole and not viewed strictly through the lens of an election campaign or by partisan affiliation.

Chief Robert Corbiere is right when he says that the people of Wikwemikong are unique, collective and strong, and that strength was clearly demonstrated during last week's referendum-albeit with a result not to his liking.

Defeat is part of the democratic process, as is a free and democratic press. From each setback along the way in a democracy, lessons can be learned. We hope that the chief and council of Wikwemikong are heartened by the active participation of their community and that they continue to pursue the goals of sustainable economic development upon which this referendum should not be taken as a judgement.

Wikwemikong is now back under the provisions of the Indian Act in regards to election procedures, put there, oddly enough, mostly by people to whom the act is in itself a complete anathema. There is no question that a sovereign nation requires its own method of choosing its leadership and governance, so the issue of a custom election code is only 'shelved' for the time being.

It is up to the leadership of Wikwemikong to win the confidence and the consensus of the community that will enable it to move forward and accomplish this goal.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

This council is anti-business and anti-people

It saddens me after spending 33 years on the Island

To the Expositor:

This week I received my latest issue of the Expositor which I look forward to each week. Even though I have moved, as I am on total disability, and want to be closer to my children and grandchildren, my heart is still on Manitoulin. I lived and worked on Manitoulin for over 33 years!

Enough is enough! I am still, and will be, a taxpayer in NEMI for many years. The strike has become too much! NEMI council's latest ad, "Setting the Record Straight," is misleading and a joke. Who can live, let alone raise a family, on a miserly $12.44 per hour? Every worker I know gets all those "holidays" and sick days. Eye glasses and safety wear is subsidized, not paid for. The extra $4.40 in benefits is mandated by law, not by the goodwill of the town. Oh yes, and that 2.5 percent raise? Last month inflation was two percent; prior to that it was well above 2.5 percent. So we are asking our employees to come back to work for less money than they were actually making before the strike!

Remember, this is the same council that replaced the clerk-treasurer with three highly-paid employees. We saved money? They reneged on their agreement with our fire chief and would not pay him what had been agreed upon. Then they turned around and spent $30,000 of unbudgeted money opposing a hotel complex on Low Island with really dumb objections. They lost and looked really stupid. This does not surprise me, as this council is the worst council I have ever seen anywhere!

The hotel complex on Manitoulin will benefit Manitoulin. Its primary proponent, Aundeck Omni Kaning, was further insulted over the taxation issue of land they bought in good faith and which NEMI threatened to take back in tax sales.

It is time that NEMI settled this strike in good faith, although, given their track record, this council hides behind in camera sessions and speaks with a forked tongue. They should at least run ads that are not full of misrepresentations.

The people on strike are our friends and they are wonderful volunteers within the community. Any time I have worked with them on Haweater weekends or on trade fairs or many other events over the past few decades, town staff have always gone beyond the call of duty. They deserve our support.

I note an Expositor article about low-cost housing (at the motor court) being gone from Little Current. Again this council is to blame. When we owned this property we were charged the same water/sewer charges as for a three-bedroom home and council refused to provide us with any relief. Three years ago we tried to install water meters, and they never were installed due to the negligence of council and its staff as they waffled and delayed the process of the installation of water meters. It confirmed my belief that this council is anti-people, anti-business, and I would hope at election that they be turfed out. The only exception is Jim Stringer, who tries to do what is right but faces threats and other intimidations for speaking out.

This basically forced us out of business. We were losing money every year!

I am saddened by all of this, as I have done my hardest to promote Manitoulin and to make things better over the 33 years I spent on the Island. It really makes it worse when NEMI is the laughingstock of other municipal policticans all over Algoma-Manitoulin and all the way down to here in Brechin and Orillia.

Frank Reynolds

Brechin

Puppy rescue inspires hope but also despair

'Doggy dumping' is not an isolated occurrence on Manitoulin

To the Expositor:

I was both joyful and sad upon reading the article  "Good citizens rescue abandoned puppies," January 4. Joyful that these puppies were saved, thanks to Mr. Bernatchez and Mr. and Mrs. Savage, and to the Ferguson family for taking them in and finding them homes. God bless you! Sad that someone could do this inhumane, callous act to a litter of helpless puppies. Thank goodness these wonderful people were there before more than one of those precious babes was lost.

To the person(s) responsible for this disgusting and shameful act, where is your moral decency? Your compassion? If you don't want the burden of a litter of pups, fix your dog! Five weeks isn't even old enough to leave their mother let alone be expected to survive in the winter with no food or water.

Sadly, this kind of action-'doggy dumping,' as I call it-is certainly not an isolated incident here on Manitoulin, as most everyone knows. I have a two-year-old dog named Kaiser that I love with all my heart that came to me under similar circumstances. My dad found a mother and her litter abandoned at Balsam Corner on the Bidwell Roadin October, 2003, and Kaiser was one of those pups. He was maybe six to eight weeks old at the time. As well, this past summer, my parents took in a two-year-old dog found wandering in the bush near their cottage. My family looked and looked for his owner and no-one knew who he was. It became quite obvious that Duke was another victim of doggy dumping. Several other people that I have shared these stories with have also told me that they came upon their dog in this same fashion. It just breaks my heart.

Well, whoever you are (and others like you): I hope you are caught and that you are never entrusted with an animal ever again. You and others like you are not worthy of the privilege of owning an animal. The people that are responsible for abandoning Duke, Kaiser and his family were never found, but I will never forget. Everything in life comes full circle. Remember that!

Angela Moggy

Mindemoya

Election code was flawed Voters wisely rejected it

To the Expositor:

To all the band members who stood up to be counted and drew the line in the sand so to speak, and said we will not be forced into accepting this new election code that was seriously flawed, and if it was passed would have seriously harmed our community.

By rejecting this new Wikwemikong custom election code, the people of Wikwemikong once again proved that they are wise and sensible when it comes to deciding on issues that will have a long-lasting effect on our community and especially on our future generations. The people of Wikwemikong have once again proven that they will not exclude anyone who is a member of our family, the family of Wikwemikong. The people who reside off the reserve in cities and towns through out Canada and United States and other parts of the world, who in them, carry Wiky in their heart.

We proved to them that they are in our hearts also and that we will not abandon them. They are our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandmothers and grandfathers, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, cousins and friends. They have every right, as we who live here on our sacred territory, to decide how we conduct on choosing our government here in Wikwemikong, as well as on all the important issues that will affect us now and our future generations to come. This is very important to all of us, because we do not give up or leave our rights here in Wikwemikong when we leave to find work to support our families or to find residence in cities or towns through out the world.

By the clear and deciding results of the vote, rejecting this proposed custom election code, I hope chief and council learns from this and puts more effort into consulting with the people and that once the consultation has taken place that the chief and council will hear the advice of the people. I can almost hear them now (chief and council), saying, 'well, we don't have the dollars for a proper consultation process,' but they do have the dollars for a retreat for 10 people at a resort in Sault Ste. Marie. Ten councillors, because they excluded two councillors that were elected by the people. If they can do this, then I'm sure they can find the dollars for postage to inform all of our people.

They spent a lot of time and resources in trying to promote a seriously-flawed custom election code, when they should have spent those resources on developing a document with the people that would have passed, instead of wasting a huge amount of our money in preparing someone else's custom, because there was nothing in the proposed custom election code that was our custom. I'm just wondering whose custom is this proposed custom election code is referring to?

I want to thank each and every band member who voted 'no' to rejecting this proposed document. I commend your courage for standing up for yourself and for those band members who live off the reserve. Chi miigwetch for your wisdom. I'm sure our fellow band members who reside off the reserve thank you very much also, because you spoke up for them by voting no.

I want to also say a special thank you to Tom Peltier, and fellow band members who were working to help the people who are not here to speak for themselves. We owe you a debt of gratitude. I supported your efforts by distributing 500 flyers also encouraging the people to make the right choice, to be a voice for the people who were excluded.

Again, Chi Miigwetch, and let's work together to hear the people's voice.

R. Gerry Kaboni

Wikwemikong

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