Buzwah man found murdered in his home

Wiky police, OPP_crime unit

mount massive manhunt

by Jim Moodie

WIKWEMIKONG-A roadblock was in place along Wikwemikong Way on Monday and anxiety was palpable in the community as swarms of police continued to look for the person or persons responsible in an apparent murder.

On Sunday at 2 pm the Wikwemikong Tribal Police responded to a 911 call and found a man dead inside a residence on Wikwemikong Way. As of late Monday police were still not releasing the victim's name as some of his next of kin remained to be notified, nor is the cause of the death being revealed until such time as a post-mortem is carried out.

A homicide investigation was in full gear by Monday, with members of the OPP Northeast Region Crime Unit and the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, as well as the UCCM Anishinabe Police Service, collaborating with the Wiky police.

People approaching or leaving the First Nation encountered police vehicles and pylons that blocked off the section of Wikwemikong Way-the main corridor accessing the village of Wikwemikong-on either side of the crime scene, which was not visible from either of these barriers. Motorists were required to follow a detour along a side road.

At 2:30 pm on Monday a large OPP trailer known as an "emergency post" arrived and was waved through the roadblock. The mobile command station acts as an extra office in the field, which can be particularly useful in a remote area like Wikwemikong, according to Al Boyd, community services officer with the Manitoulin OPP.

The Wiky Tribal Police headquarters in Wikwemikong was a hive of activity on Monday, with so many cruisers present that the vehicles overspilled the parking lot and stretched along a side street.

"We're actively investigating right now," said Mr. Boyd, when found inside the police station. "We have officers in the field interviewing people and we're checking every vehicle at the roadblock."

In nearby Paisley's Restaurant, staff and customers eyed a large TV screen that was tuned to a community bulletin issued via Wiky TV5. The message reassured residents that "schools will remain open and traffic will resume to normal as soon as possible," but warned that "the perpetrator(s) are still at large." Consequently, all residents were "requested to remain indoors for the night."

According to a release issued on Monday, "the preliminary information is indicating that this is an isolated incident, and police have no immediate concern for public safety." That said, police were reminding the public that at least one individual was still being sought in connection with the apparent homicide, and encouraged anyone with information relating to the incident to contact them at 1-888-310-1122.

The victim was described by several people on Monday as a nice older man who lived alone, kept to himself, and wouldn't have been likely to make any enemies. More than one individual is believed to have been involved in the circumstances leading to his death.

MHC_board agrees

to speedier system

of record transfers

for hospital clients

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-The Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) has decided to make a major investment in information-sharing technology that should provide more streamlined, safe and timely care for patients.

At a board meeting last Thursday, health centre directors committed to the purchase of a Meditech hospital information system, as is utilized by a variety of hospitals in the region through a partnership called the North Eastern Ontario Network (NEON).

"About 12 hospitals are members already, and another nine organizations were looking at it," said Derek Graham, CEO of the MHC. "We're moving forward along with Espanola and Blind River as a joint implementation to lower our costs."

The system will cost the MHC between $750,000 and $1 million, but "we will be petitioning FedNor to contribute a third of that," indicated Mr. Graham.

The Meditech software is currently in place at Sudbury Regional Hospital and others in the region, noted Mr. Graham, so Manitoulin's hospitals will now be able to share information and update patient records in a more efficient manner. "The main reason we wanted to do this is to have a greater degree of connectivity with regional hospitals," said the CEO. "Things like lab data and other parts of a patient's medical record will be integrated, and it also marries together and builds an electronic health record, so you don't have the information stored in two separate places."

The health centre has been eyeing this move for a couple of years, said Mr. Graham, "and felt the time was right." A key impetus concerned the health centre's aging laboratory software, which "is no longer supported by the company that produced it," meaning the MHC would have to invest as much as $250,000 just to replace that part of its info-tech systems, said the CEO.

"We felt it made more sense to make an investment in an information system that would have the lab module contained within that," he said. "Rather than just replace the lab software, we can automate all of our departments."

The price for joining the NEON group may seem steep, but Mr. Graham said the outlay "will be spread out over three fiscal years." And he believes the benefits to both hospital staff and clients of the health centre's two Manitoulin sites will be considerable.

Apart from simplifying and speeding up the paperwork involved in compiling patient information, Mr. Graham feels there could be a near-instant turnaround of radiology reports in the future. "Right now our two systems don't talk to each other, so it takes several days for an image to be transferred to Sudbury, have a report dictated, and come back," he said. With the new technology, a dictated X-ray reading can be rendered into text through voice-recognition software, "and go into the report immediately," said Mr. Graham.

The MHC expects that the Meditech software will be delivered late this year or early the next.

M'Chigeeng meeting studies possible

Anishinabek Nation members' criteria

by Lindsay Kelly

M'CHIGEENG-Being Anishinabe encompasses more than just a person's place of birth or their lineage-spirituality, a respect for the culture, language and traditions, and an involvement in the community are all important indicators of who should be considered Anishinabe.

That was the message given to facilitators at a day-long series of workshops hosted by the Anishinabek Nation in M'Chigeeng last Tuesday. On Manitoulin for one day only, facilitators-led by Wiky-based Jeanette Corbiere-Lavell, the citizenship commissioner-welcomed people from First Nations across the Island to hear their thoughts about the Anishinabek Nation's work to develop its own citizenship law.

Following the development of its political manifesto in 2006, the Anishinabek Nation determined to develop its own citizenship law in keeping with Article 9 of the document.

"Only our traditional governments have the right to define our citizenry and criteria for citizenship for our communities and within our nation," the document reads. "We reject the Indian Act in its attempt to legislate and define who an Anishinabek Nation citizen is and, as such, we reject the concept of Indian status."

The aim of Tuesday's consultation-one of nine taking place across the province-is to glean from members what they want to see included in the citizenship law. In their workshops, members attempted to answer two central questions: what should the criteria be to become an Anishinabek citizen, and who should determine who the Anishinabek are?

"This is open to whatever you think are the answers to these questions," Ms. Corbiere-Lavell encouraged. "It will be part of deciding what goes into the final member code."

The Indian Act has been oppressive to the Anishinabek for centuries and at the heart of the problem lies the federal government's Indian Act, argues the Anishinabek Nation.

The current problem stems from Bill C-31, an amendment made to the Indian Act in 1985, that limits who can be considered a person of Indian status. Section 6(2) of the bill states that only children with two parents who have Indian status can pass Indian status onto their children. This is often referred to as the "two-generation cutoff," because it cuts off Indian status after the second generation, leaving many grandchildren without Indian status. To this day, they are often referred to as "6-2s."

First Nations across North America that already have a membership code approach the situation differently, noted Fred Bellefeuille, legal counsel for the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI), the secretariat for the Anishinabek Nation.

Typically, nations incorporate descendency, place of birth, naturalization, or a combination of these deciding factors, into their citizenship codes, and they all have different methods for determining who is Anishinabek, Mr. Bellefeuille noted.

The Cherokee appoint people to a committee through the tribal council who then decide who qualifies for citizenship, while the Nisga'a Nation in British Columbia appoint people to a committee via their clan system. The people of the Anishinabek Nation must decide what works best for them to ensure their people continue, he said.

"There's a sense that we've been under the Indian Act for so long and that's why there's such a loss of identity-because we're clinging to the idea of the Indian Act," he said. "We need to set in place the foundation to move forward to try and ensure our survival for the future of our children."

Mr. Bellefeuille noted that, after the immediate development of the citizenship law, its sole benefit will be to help people identify themselves as Anishinabek, but the UOI hopes that eventually certain inherent rights will be recognized along with that identity.

Participants suggested overwhelmingly that there was a lot of work to do before they would feel free from the oppressive clutches of the Indian Act, but that developing a citizenship law was a good first start.

Kevin Eshkawkogan, manager with the Great Spirit Circle Trail (GSCT), said he would "rather see something done than nothing," but suggested that not all people take Anishinabek spirituality seriously.

"We don't need a law to tell us we are Anishinabek, but we need to live it every day," he said. "We need to take the teachings and apply them every day."

He also spoke of inconsistencies amongst band members who espouse Anishinabek beliefs and customs in theory but not in action. "We're keepers of the land, but we don't recycle, and we're burning garbage at our dumps," he lamented. "If you're Anishinabe, you're not just holding a card, you're living the lifestyle."

Former M'Chigeeng chief Joe Hare agreed and, borrowing a phrase from newly elected US President Barack Obama, suggested that more emphasis should be placed on "the content of your character" when bands are deciding who should qualify as Anishinabek.

Many people come to M'Chigeeng who are not band members, "but we come to accept them as a member because they help out, they're part of the community," he said. "The best calling is to help your fellow man."

That's why the former chief favours the naturalization process: it allows the membership some flexibility in determining who should be Anishinabek, and it has hints of the membership code developed by M'Chigeeng a few years ago.

The code includes conditions that must be met by the person applying to be a band member, and the council recommends whether or not the person should be accepted. "In the end, it's the people of M'Chigeeng who have to accept them," Mr. Hare said.

While the code isn't perfect, "it works reasonably well," he noted, suggesting that a similar setup could work for the Anishinabek Nation, with a knowledge of customs, traditions, history and language included in the criteria for membership.

For some, the terminology to be used in the code is of great significance. One Elder suggested that 'band' was preferable over 'tribe,' and some rejected the use of the word 'Indian' outright.

"I don't like the term 'Indian,' because I'm not an Indian from overseas," said Sheguiandah band member Sunset Sagutch. "I prefer the term Anishinabe."

The 21-year-old was one of the few youthful faces at the gathering. As the youth representative for his First Nation, he said he enjoyed taking part in the discussions on citizenship, but wished more youth had participated, because too many don't show respect for Anishinabek teachings.

Mr. Sagutch said he found the process educational, and learned information that he would take back with him to share with other youth. "I just like that so many people came out today to participate in the conversation on citizenship," he said.

Also important to the discussion is the issue of process. Once a code is developed, the members must decide who should be responsible for deciding who qualifies as Anishinabe: should it be administered by a committee, chief and council, or a sole adjudicator?

For the system to work, noted Mr. Bellefeuille, all member nations of the Anishinabek Nation would have to adopt and apply the citizenship law so that it applies equally regardless of the community in which it's used. Dual citizenship-the right of members with affiliation to more than one First Nation to decide where they want to register-could also be explored, he added.

M'Chigeeng Councillor Terry Debassige noted that knowing the fundamentals of the culture is central to the discussion on citizenship. "How can we define who we are if we don't know the fundamentals of our culture?" he argued.

"If we truly start to give respect to the notion, we have to start listening to what the Elders tell us," he said. "Elected leadership is secondary."

Anishinabek Nation members must start thinking of their communities as one nation, and stop dancing around the issue of the one-parent clause, which he called "the elephant in the room."

They should also rid themselves of the notion that the federal government controls their identity. "Why in God's name are we still adhering to what Indian Affairs tell us, when it's a policy that's brought nothing but death and destruction?" the councillor said.

Former Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation chief Pat Madahbee agreed, suggesting that evidence from history, along with the current government's agenda, shows the government is aiming to continue what he termed a "genocide" of the Anishinabe people.

Along with that comes the loss of land, since without Indian status eligibility, the government can legally declassify land as "Indian land," he charged. This is all part of the continuation of the government's agenda, as outlined by former Indian Affairs deputy superintendent Duncan Campbell Scott, who is on record as saying, "I want to get rid of the Indian problem," Mr. Madahbee said.

"Don't think for one minute that the government isn't saying to do what that Indian agent Scott said," he added.

Mr. Madahbee suggested it might be time for the Anishinabek Nation to take sharper measures in dealing with the matter, saying that if everyone stopped registering their children under the Indian Register, "it would force everything into disarray and force the issue."

"The Anishinabek Nation has been the most active on this issue," he said. "People in other areas are watching what's going on. Someone's going to have to show the way to stop this. Who will be the next child to lose their citizenship? We can't afford to lose anyone."

Before action can be taken, however, a system must be in place for the First Nations to fall back on, and it may take time before people see a change, Mr. Bellefeuille said. "Because we've dealt with the Indian Act for 150 years, we have to take the time to get out of that," he said. "It took us 150 years to get where we are today; it's going to take some time to get to where we want to go."

Mr. Debassige said he was disappointed that more people didn't come out to what are very significant discussions, but was pleased with the participation of those who did attend.

He suggested that non-Natives watching the issue unfold should be appalled at how "immoral and absolutely wrong this is for somebody else to determine who our people are," he said.

The Anishinabek tried to use legal means to get back inherent rights that were negotiated in the treaties, but that failed, as the Act of Gradual Civilization of the Indians took away legal means to do so, Mr. Debassige pointed out. The government has put up barrier after barrier-from the introduction of epidemics that wiped out Anishinabek warriors to the development of the residential schools system-in an "incessant and steady" disenfranchisement of the Anishinabek, he argued.

"People ask, 'Why didn't they do anything?'" he said. "It's because they took away our means, but it didn't mean we weren't protesting the whole time."

After leaving Manitoulin, the facilitators were to travel to Sudbury before heading south to speak with as many on- and off-reserve First Nations residents, from as many age groups, as possible.

Following the conclusion of the consultation sessions, Ms. Corbiere-Lavell will file her report and present a draft of the citizenship law at a meeting in April. The final draft will be presented during the annual meeting of the Anishinabek chiefs in June.

A straw poll of American Expositor subscribers reveals...

President Obama inspires hope across political spectrum

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-In the summer, it was not uncommon to see "Obama '08" bumper stickers on cars bearing US plates, particularly if you happened to be in the parking lot of the marinas servicing McGregor Bay, where well over half the cottagers fly the stars and stripes, along with, of course, out of respect, maple leaves.

Manitoulin and its outlying areas have always attracted a significant influx of visitors from south of the border, including a few famous types with last names like Dodge, Ford, Evinrude and, if you believe the rumours, Capone. We've also provided a year-round haven for a few expats who-for reasons of love, work, fate, quality of life, or objection to an unpopular war-have chosen to forsake the home of the brave.

We've even hosted a president before. That was in 1943, and the Oval Office holder of the time was none other than FDR, who spent a week fishing in McGregor Bay while reviewing notes for a conference in Quebec that would decide the next major Allied move in Europe.

It seems unlikely that BHO, though he faces many of the same challenges that confronted his New Deal-authoring antecessor, will be popping by here any day soon-he prefers hook shots to fish hooks, and Farquhar's ice cream would sadly fail as an enticement, given that the president apparently lost a taste for the frosty treat while working in his youth for Baskin Robbins-but Barack Hussein Obama's recent inauguration as so-called leader of the free world has certainly caused ripples that extend to these shores.

It would have done so even if we didn't count so many people of US extraction in our midst. Taking over at a time of great economic turmoil, from a predecessor who antagonized so many in the global community (as well as at home), and already iconic for having smashed the colour barrier to become America's first black leader, not to mention scored excellent grades in college, Mr. Obama has captured the attention and hopes of people the world over.

Still, the feeling is understandably strongest among those who elected this president. And few who call America home, whether black or white, old or young, or inhabiting a state that's traditionally red or blue, were immune to experiencing some sense of excitement as the new leader took over the keys to the White House last week.

For Norman Butt, who lives in Oxford, Ohio and spends summers in the Bay of Islands near Whitefish Falls, the moment was a cause for celebration. "I and my family, and most of my friends, are truly moved by what has happened," he said. "There's so much hope in this. I live in a university community, and many here are really glad for the change in administration."

An architect by trade, Mr. Butt said he's typically voted Democrat, but not always. In this case, he chose Mr. Obama because "I thought he was the best person to lead the United States." Even the "staunch Republican partner" with whom he shares an architectural office began to gravitate towards Mr. Obama after recognizing the dire economic straits the country was in, he said. "We had some good debates, and I think he started to ask himself, 'What kind of person can lead us out of this?'" said Mr. Butt.

The situation was similar for Dexter Sunderman of Hartselle, Alabama, who drives 1,860 kilometres over two days each summer, along with wife Laura, to spend time at a cottage at Honora Bay. Alabama is, of course, a Republican stronghold, but he and Laura, who live in the more liberal, and high-tech, northern part of the state, have never adhered to a particular political stripe.

"We both basically go with whoever we think is the best," said Mr. Sunderman. This time, both felt the Democratic candidate fit the bill. "Some of us," he chuckled, as his wife's enthusiastic voice could be heard in the background, "are even thrilled with Obama."

For Mr. Sunderman, whose job involves supplying paint for steel roofs (including the one gracing the new Welcome Centre in Mindemoya), the decision was largely based on economic considerations. He'd voted for Bush in 2000, but had already lost faith in the GOP by the end of Dubya's first term, voting for John Kerry in 2004. "When you find your financial portfolio dropping by 50 percent, you get a bit of wakeup call," he said.

This past fall, it was obvious to both him and his wife that something had to give. "The Republicans were in there eight years, and with the way both domestic and international policies were going, we needed a change," said Mr. Sunderman.

Less enthused with the result of the US election was Meric A. Curlis, a resident of Sycamore, Ohio, and owner of an island in McGregor Bay, who has always favoured the Republicans. "I think Bush did a good job of protecting us from terrorists," he said. "We'll see what happens now."

The Ohioan's qualms aren't connected to race, or a feeling that Mr. Obama is ill-equipped to lead the country, but a matter of clashing ideals. "He's our first black president, and we're all happy for that," he said. "But his philosophy and mine are different."

Still, Mr. Curlis is giving the new leader the benefit of the doubt, and is aware that the country didn't flourish under the reign of his preferred party. "We've got ourselves into a real mess, that's for sure," he said. "Obama has a big job ahead of him. All we can do is hope for the best."

He's not thrilled with some of the new president's cabinet appointments-in particular, he questions the choice of Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary, given that Mr. Geithner owed $34,000 in back taxes when he was picked to head the nation's financial system-but said he's vaguely encouraged by Mr. Obama's pledge to unite the warring sides of the political spectrum in the US. "I hope they can get together and get along," he said.

As for the generally cozy, but sometimes tense, relations between the US and Canada, Mr. Butt, for one, believes the dynamic will only improve under Mr. Obama's administration. The cottager said he has felt "almost embarrassed" coming to Canada in recent years, because his home country has been viewed with such distaste and distrust.

"I was hearing more people saying that Canada was becoming more Americanized, which is unfortunate, because Canada has so much character and beauty," he said. "I also think the past administration ignored a lot of good scientific policy if it didn't fit with what they wanted to do economically, so I'm really excited now, because I think environmental policies will be much more respected."

As someone who travels regularly between his Ohio home and his Ontario getaway, Mr. Butt said he has gained an appreciation of how decisions made in Washington can filter up, often negatively, to tiny, northern Whitefish Falls.

"I became tremendously discouraged by the last government's ecological policies, because I could see the effects up in Canada," he said. "I think we can make some great strides now on environmental issues like water controls, even if there's an economic cost in the short term."

For Mr. Butt, the appeal of Mr. Obama goes beyond the colour of his skin and the historical moment of an African-American assuming office. "A lot of the excitement is about race, but it's also about the environment and social justice," he said. "I think a lot of people voted with their hearts, and with a social conscience."

In his own corner of Ohio, which has been a key swing state in the past few US elections, the mood has been almost uniformly upbeat over the past few weeks, said Mr. Butt. But he believes that's generally true of the country as a whole.

"I think this feeling is happening pretty much everywhere," he said. "People are overwhelmed with the possibilities of it all."

Fitness facility speaks to trend of health consciousness

The newly opened Manitoulin Community Fitness Centre in Little Current is an excellent example of many related events, not the least of which is the coming together of a small core of volunteers who, with the arm's-length involvement of the municipality, has made the thing happen.

At last count, over 80 people had joined the co-operatively run gymnasium, each making a minimum six-month financial commitment that ensures the facility's year-one viability.

While the small group that came together to start this process late last spring deserves high praise and congratulations for its persistence, the new gym-with its very healthy membership-is also a useful and illustrative symbol in the community.

It is certainly a good example of people coming together to work hard on behalf of a needed community asset and of the recognition of this by the local council that has made the appropriate choice to support the project.

But in the bigger picture, both the gym initiative and the remarkable buy-in of over 80 citizens who have voted for the project through their wallets together with the support of area businesses, clubs and organizations that made donations for equipment purchases, the success of the project by all of these diverse community units is recognition of the importance of people maintaining good health for as long as they possibly can-hopefully life-long.

The new gym is an echo of the decision made by the physicians of the Little Current Medical Associates to convert their practices to a Family Health Team and this, in turn, is consistent with the direction the provincial health ministry is urging community health to take. The health team model uses a wide variety of medical services in addition to physicians (nurse practitioners, nutritionists and so on) who can intervene at any point along the continuum of an individual's health care and initiate treatments (both remedial and preventative) before the person becomes well and truly ill.

So it is with the focus against smoking. By way of a local example, it wasn't very many years ago that the trustees of the old Manitoulin Board of Education passed a motion banning smoking in the board's schools. The ban was directed against the practice of teaching and support staff smoking in their respective lunchrooms and lounges in the schools and it was taken to send a message to the student population that the board was discouraging smoking in general.

The motion, by the way, didn't pass without debate within the school board because the sanction against smoking in school buildings naturally included the trustees themselves, some of whom were used to smoking during regular meetings in the room the school board used for this purpose at Manitoulin Secondary School.

That was just over 20 years ago but the notion of adults in leadership roles smoking in a school building now seems like a dark-age concept. And so it is with the national and provincial governments' relentless campaigns against smoking. We will not revert to a general acceptance of smoking again.

As humans, it's our nature both collectively and as individuals to mature intellectually by our growing awareness; things we didn't previously think about are suddenly in focus and important to us.

So as we embrace the concepts behind the family health team approach to better health and take up the idea of improving and maintaining our strength and mobility and well being-perhaps at the new gym in Little Current-we can begin to commit to the responsibility of maintaining our own good health.

In Canada-in North America-members of the 'baby-boomer' generation have already or will soon enter their retirement years and there is clearly a growing consciousness of the importance to this cadre of citizens of maintaining their good health for the rest of their lives. Simply put, the alternative is unthinkable to the majority of this large group as it observes the current pleas for nursing staff for long-term care facilities and the thinly stretched health-care dollars.

The choice is a simple one: you take charge of your own health, insofar as this is possible and barring situations over which you have no control, and you work hard to remain healthy.

To our good health!

Council needs to curb spending to avoid tax increase

Taxpayers urged to make feelings known at Thursday budget meeting

To the Expositor:

The NEMI Ratepayers' Association is appalled that the taxpayers are yet again faced with another significant municipal tax increase. In January, 2008, we addressed council with a financial trend analysis to show how the gap between NEMI's expenditures are rising faster than its revenues with the taxpayers being the ones expected to pick up the cash difference. Council responded to us with information prepared by Councillor Al MacNevin which demonstrates the repeatedly significant tax increases that this council is expecting to gain from its ratepayers.

According to this information, the prior council, over three years in office, collected approximately an additional 6.2 percent of cash from the taxpayer's pocket. Using the same information for the first two years of this council's term and adding the proposed increase for 2009, this council will be collecting approximately an additional 17.1 percent of cash from the ratepayer's pocket.

The premier of Ontario has called upon municipalities to exercise restraint when setting the levy, because of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) reassessment! With these uncertain economic times, the proposed budget should have no increase for any ward in NEMI. Taxpayers cannot and should not be expected to sustain these kinds of tax hikes repeatedly.

The previous two budgets passed by the current council have been higher in costs. This budget follows the trend yet again, asking for substantially more, especially if you own property in Wards 1, 3 or 4. Our municipality's debt is approximately $4 million with substantial interest being paid on loans for a portion of this amount from our tax dollar yearly. It is time that operating costs be carefully examined and we begin to manage more frugally.

The executive of the NEMI Ratepayers' Association is calling on council to eliminate this year's tax increase. We urge each and every taxpayer in NEMI to speak to your councillors and the mayor about these increases and come to the public budget meeting on Thursday, January 29 at 7 pm at the recreational complex. Make your feelings known about your tax dollar.

The executive of the NEMI Ratepayers' Association:

Mark Volpini, chair

Irene Callaghan, secretary

Sam Nardi, co-treasurer

Linda Case, co-treasurer

Tony Ferro, director

Jack Wood, director

Chris Bousquet, director

Chris Tilson, director

New assessment not intended as cash windfall for municipalities

Assiginack's mill rate highest on Manitoulin

To the Expositor:

An open letter to the mayor and council of Assiginack.

Dear Mayor Fields and councillors,

Not knowing what the new budget is, and not knowing what your intent is, this is simply an appeal on behalf of all the Assiginack residents to not use the increased assessments as a cash windfall when setting your new budget.

The new assessments are now out to all businesses and residents, and municipalities can set their budgets for 2009. As a result of the Ontario ombudsman studying the assessment process we now have an assessment that is phased in over four years.

By way of explanation, municipal councils look at the total assessment of all the properties in their jurisdiction and apply what is called a mill rate to each property. This is their income from taxes. Of course they'll get money from other sources such as fees or whatever.

The mill rate works like this: Say your property is assessed at $100,000 and the mill rate is .012, you multiply the mill rate times your assessment to arrive at your taxes. In this case the taxes would be $1,200 ($100,000 X .012) per year.

Now back to Assiginack. For a residential property the mill rate is .017329993.  If you multiply this long number times your assessment on your assessment notice you just received, you can figure out your taxes. By the way this is the mill rate for last year, because the township hasn't set a new mill rate for 2009 yet.

When the municipality sets their budget, and they add up all the new assessments in the township they'll see how much money they're going to get for this year.  With the new assessments this is going to be quite an increase! In fact, in my opinion, more than they need to operate! The new assessment was never intended to be a cash windfall for municipalities. It is absolutely essential that the mayor and Council look at what they spent last year, what they need this year, and lower the Mill Rates for all residents of Assiginack. 

This letter is simply that-an appeal on behalf of all Assiginack residents for council to look at lowering all residential mill rates when setting the 2009 budget. This is especially important when you consider that the residential mill rate in Assiginack is the highest on Manitoulin.

Jim Griffin

Sunsite Estates

Bible offers answers to questions

People would be wise to consult its wisdom

To the Expositor:

We have been hearing on the news that signs are being placed on buses in England stating that, "Perhaps there is no God, so enjoy yourself." I also hear that these same signs may be placed on some city buses in Canada.

I recall reading an account many years ago about an atheist addressing a group of people. He stated that, "There is no God." A boy who was present said to him, "The Bible says, 'The fool has said in his heart there is no God' (Psalm 53, verse 1),  but you are a bigger fool than that, for you have said it out loud."

To see the different destinations of those who believe in God and those who don't, pick up a Bible and read the 16th chapter of the Book of Luke, verses 19 to 31.

Bert Hill

Providence Bay