Nature's new weather patterns upset traditions

Golfing on Christmas Day!

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-Golf on Christmas? How about a boat ride on New Year's Day?

It sounds implausible, yet these were two very real options for Islanders this holiday, as temperatures hovered above zero, snow refused to fall, and most lakes remained open well after Christmas.

As of the weekend, Lake Manitou, which usually freezes up in December, had only a sprinkling of slushy floes in its bays, while even Ice Lake, so-named for its propensity to freeze up quickly and firmly, had only a thin skim of frozen stuff on its surface.

"At Christmas, it was still open in parts," marvelled Ice Lake resident Bill Baker. "That's unheard of. It's never been this late, ever. It's usually covered in November."

Even now, Mr. Baker said he wouldn't trust the ice that has formed on the famously shallow lake. "By looking at the tracks along the shore, you can see that the animals are still staying off it," he noted.

Veteran fishing guide Jack Hayes said there was ice on Big Lake and some of the other smaller inland lakes, but apart from the year when Lake Manitou "still had whitecaps on it in January," which occurred some 18 years ago, the 73-year-old said he had never encountered so tardy a freeze-up.

He noted that it's been a tradition to go ice fishing for perch on Lake Mindemoya between Christmas and New Year's, because "there's always a big run there at that time." This year, Allan Tustian and some other anglers were out fishing all right, but they weren't using ice shacks. "This year the guys went out by boat," said Mr. Hayes. "That was a first."

So, it seems safe to assume, were the rounds of golf played on the Manitoulin Island Country Club course during the Noel. Peter Fletcher of Gore Bay took to the links on Christmas Eve day with his son John, who was visiting from Toronto, "and there were three guys ahead of us," he noted, adding with a chuckle, "other years I've been ice fishing on December 24."

According to the golfer, "the greens were in excellent shape, but some of the fairways had quite a bit of water because of the rain earlier in the month. We played by 'winter rules' and moved over to a dry spot."

A few other diehard golfers like Dave Johnson and Mike Arbour were reportedly taking advantage of the extended golf season as well, with some clubs being swung on Christmas Day itself.

But if the mild spell has been a boon to golfers and boaters, not to mention provided a welcome dip in heating bills for most residents, the freaky weather has been an unwanted 'gift' for many others, especially those who thrive on winter recreation.

The week before Christmas, Green Acres proprietor Wade Kearns could be seen pumping gas in his shirtsleeves. Asked if he was enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures, he replied, "No. I hate it." His business, like many others, relies on snowmobile traffic at this time of year.

Bill Baker, a snowmobiler himself, said, "you're going to have a lot of unhappy sledders right now, and it's also hurting the dealers, repair businesses, and places selling gasoline."

Mr. Baker was born and raised near Ice Lake, as well as lived on Lake Kagawong for many years. "You look at Kagawong right now, and it's got ice just a quarter of the way out, and if any wind comes it will push it off. New Year's day was always when we had a big skating party on Kagawong, but that's not happening this year."

Ice fishing, tobogganing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and snowman-building are also presumably on hold for the time being.

The usual patterns of nature have also been turned upside down. Spied often and easily in December were snowshoe hares, whose coats had already turned white, while the white stuff itself had melted away, denying them the usual camouflage. In some areas farther north, bears were believed to have come out of hibernation.

Deer, meanwhile, were under no pressure to head for their winter yards, as they would normally do at this time of year. "It's been good for the deer," said Wayne Selinger, a wildlife biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources. "Most years, they would have moved south to the yards by now. I imagine they're moving, but taking their sweet time."

He noted that less pressure on the yarding areas will be beneficial in some ways, as "it will let some of these important areas regenerate a bit. In a bad winter there's always a concern about over-browsing."

On the other hand, mild conditions will likely cause the deer herd to swell again in population, which isn't necessarily what wildlife managers want. "I believe we've had some success bringing the population down, but this isn't helping," said Mr. Selinger.

If the warming trend continues in coming years, as many scientists are predicting, the impact on ecosystems could be enormous. "It will certainly throw a few things out of whack if it continues," said Mr. Selinger. "When you see insect populations emerging that normally emerge in spring, that has an effect right on up through the food chain."

Species adapted to more southern climates will move north, while snow-adapted creatures head farther north to follow the retreating snow. Warm-water fish like bass may begin to supplant brook trout and other cold-water species. Beetles that dine on pines and spruce may occur in greater infestations.

"It will be a long time before scientists realize the full implication of climate change," said Mr. Selinger. "But it sure seems to be getting warmer."

Birch Island woman receives prestigious Order of Ontario

ALGOMA-MANITOULIN-Dr. Lillian McGregor has continually demonstrated a spirit of giving back to her community.

On Wednesday, December 20, her efforts were given special recognition as Dr. McGregor was presented with the Order of Ontario at a ceremony held at Queen's Park.

"Over the course of six decades, Dr. McGregor has given of herself to many organizations, both as a volunteer and as an Elder," MPP Mike Brown said. "Society has benefited greatly from her efforts, and this award is a testament to her willingness to help others."

Dr. McGregor has a history of contributing on boards of Aboriginal organizations, including serving as an Elder for Ontario's Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy. She is a retired nurse and respected leader in the Aboriginal community, a teacher of traditional ceremonies and an advocate for Aboriginal languages.

She is also the first Canadian Aboriginal woman to receive a Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa from the University of Toronto. She maintains a close association with the University of Toronto where she has counselled and encouraged Aboriginal students on the road to success.

In October, Dr. McGregor was also presented with a 'Leading Women Building Communities' award, which was created to recognize women's exceptional leadership in improving the lives of women and girls in communities across Ontario.

The Order of Ontario is the province's most prestigious official honour. The men and women invested in The Order are deemed to be representative of the best of Ontario's caring and diverse society and stand as shining examples for everyone. It recognizes the highest level of individual excellence and achievement in any field.

The first Order of Ontario ceremony took place in 1987. To date, 404 recipients have been named to the order. Nominations are made by the general public. An advisory council, chaired by the Chief Justice of Ontario, reviews the nominations and makes recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor in Council regarding appointments.

Dr. McGregor is the fifth recipient to come from Algoma-Manitoulin. Past winners from the riding include Dr. Jack Bailey of Little Current, Mary Lou Fox of Kagawong, Claire Dimock of Elliot Lake, and John Rochon of Elliot Lake.

Tendering of tire removal job anticipated for early February

MANITOULIN-The tendering of a contract to remove the massive tire heap from the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation is still a few weeks away.

Initially, the department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) had hoped to have selected a suitable candidate by this time, having solicited letters of interest through a government bidding site in October. But the process has now been delayed somewhat.

"Unfortunately, the department hasn't selected a successful bidder for the project," INAC spokesperson Brock Worobel communicated just prior to Christmas. "To that end, we are looking at the beginning of February for identifying the successful firm for the cleanup project."

Mr. Worobel noted that a request for proposals was issued on December 20.

Pending the completion of the tendering procedure, Mr. Worobel declined to comment on the amount of money budgeted for the project or the length of time it might take, as such details "would jeopardize the competitive process."

It is estimated that over one million scrap tires are currently stockpiled on the First Nation, making it the largest tire dump in the province. Local municipal leaders and concerned citizens have been lobbying for months to have the potentially hazardous heap removed.

Speaking on behalf of INAC in November, Mr. Worobel maintained that "it's been identified as an urgent issue."

EDITORIAL

A new year brings new opportunity and new challenges

The accomplishments of Island entrepreneurs over the past year, aided and abetted as they were by the fine folks at LAMBAC and FedNor, are to be lauded and point to the certain eventuality of even greater things to come in 2007.

Together, however, we face one of the most desperate challenges to confront mankind since millennia before the birth of Christ. The science behind global warming has become irrefutable, no matter what the naysayers and apologists may say, and denial will almost certainly doom our children living today to a world far-impoverished from what we enjoy today.

Looking outside our windows this past Christmas, savouring the lower heat bills of December and January, and basking in the unaccustomed warmth, it is difficult to understand what all the fuss is about. The recent study compiled for the British government, however, makes it clear that the drop in global GDP coming in the wake of a warming world will devastate us all.

It is an uncomfortable truth, a truth that screams for denial, and the media has by its very nature been complicit in facilitating that denial. News sells best when it is presented as a conflict.  Any journalism teacher will reiterate that fundamental, ad nauseum: it is all about conflict and balance is to be striven for.

Unfortunately, that virtue of striving for balance inherent in our North American media culture sometimes gives too much credence to one side of the story. We try so hard to present a fair and balanced view that one expert's opinion can weigh equally in the balance scale of a story with that of a thousand contrary opinions.

Global warming is an inescapable fact. Period. The time to ruminate, pontificate and obfuscate has long passed. Let 2007 be the year in which we all do our bit to conserve-reduce, reuse and recycle-like our very lives depend upon it, because they do.There is hope in the future and dealing with the prevention of further global warming (estimated at one percent of global GDP) is something we can easily afford. Ignoring this problem will be more than just a crime against humanity, however, it will be a crime against the world.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

God's wrath will pour out on the nations-rapture due in 2007

Prophet of Jeruselum Hill wishes God's blessings on all in the coming year

To the Expositor:

At this time of year many people are thinking about the first coming of Jesus Christ, but my thoughts are anticipating the second coming of the messiah. Maranatha.

"Jesus shall reign where're the sun doth its successive journeys run."

The signs of the times indicate that the return of Jesus will be very soon. According to the biblical timetable we are almost at the end of the first 6,000 years since God created the heavens and the earth. The seventh 1,000-year period is the millennial Sabbath short the Millennium, also called the Messianic age. This is the period when the earth will enjoy its rest, Is. 14:7. (Sabbath), 2 Thess. 1:7. This is a period of peace, because Jesus has returned and has put Satan in the pit so he cannot deceive the nations (people) anymore to commit the sins that cause all the misery.

God is a good God, and He loves to bless his creation (all people). But God is also a just God who has vowed to punish sin, Jer. 18:8, 26:3, 36:3. Before Jesus returns the wickedness of mankind will be so great that God will pour out his wrath on the nations. Many people think God is so loving, that he won't destroy people, but my God is the same God who destroyed most of mankind with the flood in Noah's day, and who destroyed Sodom because of the homosexuality in it. With all the abortions (murder) and homosexuality around, the world has become like Sodom. There are only two possibilities, 1) repentance, like that of Nineveh, who repented at the preaching of Jonah, and received God's mercy and 2) God's wrath. As God has revealed already that there will not be national or universal repentance (Rev. 9:20+21, 16: 9+11) it is clear that only the second possibility remains and God is going to pour out His wrath on the wicked. But every individual who repents will not have to suffer the outpouring of God's wrath.

At this point I consider the year 2014 the most likely date that Jesus will return to establish the kingdom of God on earth (Millennium). And if there is a rapture seven years before Jesus returns, that would be in 2007. I consider the most likely date for a rapture the Day of Atonement (At-One-Ment, or the becoming one of the bride with Christ). Please notice it is only the true church that will be raptured.

In Mat. 7:21 Jesus says: "Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Probably the most important resolution anybody can make is: "I am going to do the will of God." Together with that decision of course goes the decision to find out what the will of God is, for how can you do God's will, if you do not know what God's will is? God wants you to know what His will is, Eph. 5:17, Col. 1:9. God's will is revealed in God's word, the Bible. So together with this decision goes the decision to study the bible for yourself to find out what God's will is.

There is not one topic the New Testament (N.T.) spends more space on than warning against false doctrines (heresies). People who believe and/or advocate false doctrines will not enter the kingdom of God, (Millennium) Gal. 5:19-21.

With over 33,000 denominations, cults and sects in "Christianity" (please notice the quotation marks, for not everyone who calls himself Christian is a true Christian) who teach conflicting doctrines, there is a lot of false doctrine around. When somebody tells you that your doctrines are wrong, you should investigate, for conflict on doctrine is God's way to guide you into truth. God can only guide you into truth when you investigate His word, John 8:31+31. Your eternal destiny depends on this!

Biblical faith is: "God says so in His word; that is the way it is and I am going to obey it." John 17:17 says: "Thy word is truth."

Probably the most important resolution anyone can make is: "I am going to accept the Bible as the word of God, the truth, the only source of sound doctrine, and I am going to obey it." In other words: "I am going to (re)build my life on Biblical principles." God promises blessings: health (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual), happiness, harmony, prosperity, joy and peace for obedience to His Word, and that is for everyone who obeys Him, Deut. 28:1-15, Is. 1:19. Please notice the commandments mentioned in Deut. 28 are the Ten Commandments, including the 7th day Sabbath.

Deuteronomy means second law; it receives its name from the Ten Commandments which are listed for the second time in the Bible in Deut. 5, and God writes them for the second time on two stone tables in Deut. 10:1-4, so when the book of Deuteronomy mentions the commandments, those commandments include all Ten Commandments. When God gives those Ten Commandments, He says: "You shall not add to them or take away from them," Deut. 4:2, 12:32. "You can recognize a false prophet (teacher) by the fact that he will try to make you transgress any of God's commandments," Deut. 13:1-5, so when somebody advises you not to keep God's 7th day Sabbath, that person is a false prophet, (teacher). 1 John 2:3+4 say: "By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says: "I know Him," and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him."

About one third of the N.T. is quotes from, or allusions to, the Old Testament (O.T.) and the only way to correctly interpret the N.T. is by correctly connecting it with the O.T. passages it alludes to. The words commandments and love in first John refer to the commandments and love in Deut. When you read Deut. 5:10, 7:9, 10:12+13, 11:1, 13+22, 13:3, 19:9, 30:6,77,8,16+20, you can only come to one correct conclusion, and that is that when Jesus says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heat," and when John mentions love and the commandments in first John, they refer to Deut. and mean the Ten Commandments, including the 7th day Sabbath. (Sunday is not God's Sabbath). "This is the love of God that we keep His commandments," 1 John 5:3, 2 John 6. "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of God's commandments is what matters," 1 Cor. 7:19.

Jesus says in Matt. 19:17: "If you want to enter life, keep the commandments" (this principle applies to every one). It is clear that Jesus means the Ten Commandments, for when He is asked: "which ones?" He answers by quoting five of the 10 commandments (see also Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:20). Of course Jesus does not mean that you only have to keep five of the Ten Commandments or nine but all 10, for if He would leave one out he would be a false prophet, Deut. 13:1-5.

There is no commandment in the Bible to keep Sunday; Sunday worship is a tradition of men, that makes the commandment of God to keep the 7th day Sabbath holy void, Matt. 15:3+7-9, Mark 7:7-13. People who keep Sunday instead of God's 7th day Sabbath worship God in vain.

One of the basic problems when we deal with the conflict between Sabbath and Sunday is that the conscience of those who keep Sunday is seared by the constant practice of this sin. (About 90 percent of "Christians," that is about 1.8 billion people practice this sin.)

What needs to be realized is that it is not the conscience that decides whether this is sin or not. Neither do we decide by how many people practice a certain sin whether it is sin or not. It does not matter how many people practise or condone homosexuality, it remains a sin. 1 John 3:4 says: "Sin is the transgression of the law" (K.J.). The same law that tells us that murder, lying, stealing and adultery are sins tells us that transgressing God's 7th day Sabbath is sin. I could read Rom. 7:7 as: "I would not have known that the transgressing of God's Sabbath is sin unless the law had said: "Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy." Transgressing God's Sabbath is sin like murder and adultery, and like all sin it separates from God, Is. 59:2.

God takes this sin so seriously, that He sent Israel into Babylonian captivity for it, Lev. 26:34+35, 2 Chron. 36: 20+21, Neh. 13:15-22, Ez. 20:23+24. What happened to Israel is a type (pattern or example) for the church, 1 Cor. 10:6. (Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat its mistakes). The church (about 90 percent of it) is in "Mystery Babylon" for this sin. As about 90 percent of "Christianity" practice this sin, it is indeed the great apostasy of 2 Thes. 2, and many will be doomed for believing this lie, verse 12. God foretold in Lev. 26:40-45 that Israel would confess this sin. (Remember, Lev. 26 deals specifically with the Sabbath, verse 2, 34+35). After Daniel, (one of God's most notorious prophets and the wisest man in Babylon) had been about 85 years in Babylon, he understood by books (probably Lev. 26 and the writings of Jeremiah), that Israel was in captivity for this sin. That is the confession he makes in Dan. 9. Through this confession God's mercy is received and it sets the stage for the finishing of the rebuilding of the temple. Famous wise Christians like Daniel will recognize and confess this sin, and that will help restore the church and prepare it for the bridegroom (rapture).

Repentance is the resolution (decision) that you will start obeying God (including all His Ten Commandments). There is no resolution more important than this one, for all God's blessings including your health and eternal destiny depends on it.

"The keeping of the 7th day Sabbath is a condition for entering the Millennial Sabbath (Rest) and so also a condition for becoming the bride of Christ and being in the rapture." And that is "Thus says the Lord!" Is. 56. Are you ready for Jesus' return? Are your doctrines sound? I wish you God's blessings for the coming year.

The prophet of Manitoulin

Jerusalem Hill

Hank Reckman

M'Chigeeng