Artist Lorne Haddad meets public at Turner Gallery

by Michael Erskine

LITTLE CURRENT---Few residents or visitors to Manitoulin Island have missed visiting the Turner Gallery above the 125 year-old Turner's of Little Current store, but this past weekend provided a good reason, in addition to the constantly changing art offerings, to go back for another visit, as artist Lorne Haddad was on hand.

Mr. Haddad's renderings of well-known and beloved barns, vehicles and houses from across the Island's landscape have allowed people to bring a little bit of history and a lot of good memories home with them, to hang on their walls, and recall those special Island moments.

Many of the haunting derelict houses and barns depicted in Mr. Haddad's work have since disappeared from the Manitoulin landscape, victims of time and the vicissitudes of progress and renewal.

"There is a big two-story modern house there now," said Mr. Haddad's daughter, as she looked wistfully at her personal favourite, an old Victorian-era farmhouse with a caved-in porch.

The new house built in place of the derelict is nice, she said, but it is just a new building,  one like a thousand others in any city.

"These old places had such character," she said.

With 43 years of experience painting Manitoulin landmarks in watercolour and pencil, Mr. Haddad has brought his innate ability to render that character into a memorable work of art.

"I do enjoy it," he said of his preoccupation with ancient buildings. "But I have a little more trouble getting around these days."

Art lovers and history buffs can delight in the offerings of the Turner Gallery, taking a few moments out to view the personal museum of Manitoulin's premiere merchant family is worth the trip in itself, with Mr. Haddad's works on display the trip becomes a must.

by Neil Zacharjewicz

NORTHEASTERN MANITOULIN and the ISLANDS - Councillor Sam Nardi has admitted that he no longer feels comfortable speaking freely in In Camera sessions of council for the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands following the recent leak of a document related to the Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the Quality Inn proposal.

"What are we going to do about this leak?" asked Councillor Nardi, at the July 20th meeting of council. "We can't speak freely at an In Camera session."

While council had been considering the concept of having all confidential documents returned to Clerk-Treasurer Ned Martin following any In Camera session, it was pointed out by Councillor Jim Stringer that often council does not complete the business it is considering, and having access to those documents assist in a councillor's consideration.

"Some mistakes have been made," he said, noting this is the second time a leak has occurred from an In Camera session. The other instance Councillor Stringer was referring to was the leak of a Notice of Motion he had made, which led to a story in the Wednesday, May 12 edition of the Manitoulin Expositor suggesting that he was reconsidering the position he had taken on the Quality Inn proposal. Councillor Stringer had originally voted against the proposal in a narrow vote by council, 5-4, to turn down the proposal.

A second leak of documentation, and the one at issue for many members of council for the town, was the confidential document leaked to proponents for the Quality Inn proposal, from the town's planner and chief witness, John Kennedy, to the mayor, that became public at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing. In that document, Mr. Kennedy said he could not support the town's position not to grant Streetwise Developments a zoning by-law amendment and an Official Plan amendment to allow for the hotel based on the evidence provided by the town.

Councillor Bill Koehler said he had no problem with the idea of returning confidential documents to the clerk, but noted that if a member of council really wanted to leak a document, they would find a way.

"I do not know how you are going to stop it, really," he said.

Whoever leaked the document to Streetwise Developments lawyer probably didn't mean to do it on purpose, Councillor Marcel Gauthier said. He noted that, in the past, he has heard stories from people downtown about things that had occurred during In Camera sessions of council, within a day of the meeting. He added that some people may not realize that what is said in an In Camera session is meant to stay there.

Turning in documents was not likely to solve the problem, Councillor Tony Ferro said.

"We did swear an oath," Councillor Ferro reminded council, adding that he hoped the individual in question had learned their lesson.

While Councillor Gary Green said he had no problem with the concept of returning confidential documents to the clerk, he suggested for many councillors, there is still a learning curve. He said he hoped council would keep its In Camera sessions to a minimum, and noted that many of the people he talks to feel council goes In Camera too often. He suggested council cut its In Camera sessions back to a bare minimum.

"I just hope it doesn't happen again," stated Councillor Nardi.

Councillor Jib Turner said what had happened went well beyond just a leak. He said that someone had deliberately sent the document to an opposing side's attorney.

"I find it reprehensible," Councillor Turner said. "It has me wondering who they are working for."

"I don't for one minute accept this was an accident. I don't for one minute accept this was a learning curve," stated Mayor Joe Chapman. "This was a deliberate act of sabotage against the town and its case to the OMB."

Mayor Chapman suggested council was supposed to represent the community as a whole, not individuals within that community.

"If this happens again, there are going to be some very serious consequences," he stated. He proposed having a representative of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing come in to talk to council on the issue of In Camera sessions.

"You should know what In Camera means if you are on council," suggested Councillor Bill Koehler. If anyone did not understand the concept, then they should step down, he said.

Mayor Chapman said he hoped council never had to talk about the issue again.

Trimpus first in Mackinac-Manitoulin Yacht Race

Mollikett and Belle take cruising class honours

by Michael Erskine

LITTLE CURRENT---A heady froth boiled at the prow of the Titan as she slipped across the finish line just off Narrows Island at the mouth of Little Current harbour, but when it came time to mount the podium and accept the winning cup for the inaugural Mackinac-Manitoulin Yacht Race, Racing Division, it was Captain Leonard Alksnis at the helm of Trimpus, out of Toronto, who had the best corrected time.

In the Cruising Class, Mollikett, with Captain John Rilett at the wheel, took the overall honours for best corrected time over the two legs of the race, and the shiny new trophy from major race sponsor, Manitoulin Transport. Robert Backie's Belle may have come in fourth overall in the Cruising category, but the Belle kept her own in taking the Cruising A division in leg one.

"We are going to be back," exclaimed Captain Alksnis, as he accepted the Racing Class trophy, leaving no doubt as to how he and his crew felt about the new 130-mile race between Mackinac Island, Michigan and Manitoulin Island, Ontario. "We are over-whelmed!"

The race for the finish buoy, and bragging rights for being the first to actually cross the line, was just within the grasp of Captain Allan McInally and the crew of the Attitude, but with the spinnaker heeling her over too hard, the vessel broached, and Attitude went sailing past the wrong side of the marker. By the time the vessel had trimmed sail and tacked about to re-cross the line, the Titan had already slipped across.

The six racing division class vessels crossed the finish line in the 30-mile Gore Bay to Little Current leg of the race with four minutes and 27 seconds dividing first from second in overall corrected times, but it was nearly two hours before the tail-end Saint Barbara made its crossing complete.

The race saw a huge variety of weather, with nearly everything you could imagine for the time of year making its presence felt at one point.

"We had everything but snow," said Little Current Yacht Club Commodore Roy Eaton.

Although there was little to no wind just before the July 21, 2004 start of the race from Mackinac, the wind miraculously rose to the occasion to send the vessels streaking in stately form towards Gore Bay and the finish of the first leg of the race.

"Then the fog set in so hard you could not see the end of the boat," said Mr. Eaton. Then came rain, thunder and lightening, but not for very long.

During the evening revel in Gore Bay, as sailors completed the first leg and settled in for a good night's 'rest' at the hospitality tent, the winds picked up dramatically enough to attempt to make off with the tent itself. The racers met nature's attempt at vandalism with good humour.

The hospitality and warmth which greeted the racers and their crews more than offset a little wind, and many of the sailors could be seen happily 'tacking' their way home along the Gore Bay docks after the evening ended.

Although fog and a bit of rain may have dogged the early part of the race, the weather on the final leg through the North Channel from Gore Bay, could hardly have been better, as clear blue skies held only the lightest scud of clouds across the horizon, with just enough touches of white fluff to provide a colour contrast setting off the warm summer sky.

The winds came from the North/Northwest for most of the final day, an almost ideal orientation to pull some serious canvas taught, although a lull close to the end of the race threatened to drag the ending out for the cruising class vessels, a sudden sweetening of the wind brought them in close together, in good time and with a fine wake generated behind each boat. The serendipitous conclusion matched the beginning bringing with it the conclusion among many race enthusiasts that Mother Nature and G'Chi-Manitou must also be avid race fans.

Sitting on the deck of the Race Committee boat, Laurie Leeson's spacious and well-appointed Midnight Rambler, a handful of Little Current Yacht Club dignitaries, the race marshal, Jim Rodgers, and the Expositor all had a perfect view of the finish line, and the racers themselves, as the boats came through.

With spinnakers billowing in the distance, the racing vessels provided an exciting spectacle as the boats approached the finish line, but as they drew closer, voluminous sails were dropped and the actual crossing of the line proved slightly more sedate under reduced sails.

The Mackinac-Manitoulin Yacht Race uses a standard handicapped system to rate vessels, and it is those corrected numbers that determine overall placement in the race, so the order that the vessels enter the Port of Little Current may well not be the order they finally hold in the standings.

Overall placing for the entire racing class, according to corrected times, were Trimpus, at 17 hrs, 32 mins, 17 secs; Attitude, with 18 hrs, 14 mins, 56 secs; Michael Schultes' Titan, running 18 hours, 28 mins, 18 secs; LeRoy Pieri's Adagio closed in at 19 hrs, 29 mins, 31 secs; and finally Sam Kovak's Saint Barbara garnered the 'pickle' with 20 hrs, 19 mins and 4 secs.

The corrected times scoring in the cruising class found that Mollikett was tops at 19 hrs, 17 mins, 50 secs, but Mark Smith's Frenzy swept in at 20 hrs, 9 mins and 50 secs; third up, Jeff Van Alstine's Stardust crossed at 20 hrs, 16 mins, and 17 secs; Belle's time of 20 hrs, 38 mins, 28 secs; The Legend made it across in 221 hrs, 4 mins, 35 secs; Tack Too, with 80 year-old Bill Hibbard of St. Joe's Island at the helm of the tiny Tanzer took only 21 hrs, 33 mins, 50 secs; Kokopelli Too, with Stephen Ord, scored 21 hrs, 27 mins, 45 secs; Dennis Centis, on Azzurro's deck managed 21 hrs, 31 mins even; I Can Too, Rick Collins captain, 21 hrs, 36, mins, 24 secs; Killarney, with Brent Murphy, 21 hrs, 40 mins, 29 secs; White Pearl, with Ben Leeuwestein, 22 hrs, 19 mins, 33 secs; Solace II, Gord Barkey, 22 hrs, 47 mins, 42 secs; NYNA, Bart Huthwaite presiding, 23 hrs, 29 mins and 12 secs. On Purpose, the Canadian Yacht Charters entry and Tom Foolery, under James Kettle did not finish.

As the large yellow buoy that marked one end of the finish-line was drawn up over the bow of Laurie Leeson's cruiser, Midnight Rambler, the sense of accomplishment pervading all those aboard involved in the race was palpable.

A weary, yet broad-smiled Little Current Yacht Club Commodore Roy Eaton, who ran the race along with many other members of the club, made his way down the waterfront docks, stopping every few feet to speak with people who came up to offer their congratulations. In typical form the veteran organizer demurred personal praise in favour of the hundreds of volunteers whose efforts made the race possible.

The first Mackinac-Manitoulin Yacht Race is now an entry in the history book of Great Lakes boating, and position of the winners, Trimpus in the racing class and Mollikett in the cruising class will now be secured for the ages.

Farmers' Market becomes a meeting place

by Michael Erskine

MINDEMOYA---You can get anything you want at the Central Manitoulin Farmers' market... well almost.

Certainly the selection of produce and crafts available at the market, which occupies the Mindemoya Arena from 9 am to 12 pm each Saturday, has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1997, especially during the last three years.

"We have over 30 vendors during the summer months," said Farmers' Market Manager Maja Mielonen. "It drops down to around 20 or so in the off-season."

The market has really become a meeting place for people in the Central Manitoulin area, she explained, as the number of vendors and the variety of the products offered has grown, so too have the customers and casual browsers.

Fresh baking, berries, preserves and meat are the main food staples during the seasons the market is open, but when the harvest season comes on Manitoulin, the variety of farm produce skyrockets.

But farm produce is just part of the mix, as those long winter months often provide the time to produce a wide range of other products; things like exquisite knitting and detailed woodcrafts.

The Farmers' Market has also provided a great jump-off spot for entrepreneurs, noted Ms. Mielonen.

"We are really trying to be a platform for young enterprises," she said, "by providing a dependable market to show their wares without it costing too much."

Funded through members' fees and a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture "Project Team" program (for the second year), the Mindemoya Farmers' Market is well on its way to re-creating the social, as well as the economic role, that the town marketplace has played through history.

There are three markets that fall under the Manitoulin Farmers' Market purview, including one at the Gore Bay arena and one in Little Current, located beside the Bank of Montreal on Water Street. Ms. Mielonen said all three have been doing very well.

"We work very closely with local organizations and the municipalities have all been very supportive," she said. "The local Lions Club is a sponsor here in Mindemoya, the Manitoulin Co-op and the head office of the Bank of Montreal have all been great sponsors as well, as has the Community Centre Board."

Walking along the booths at the Farmers' Market is an eye-opening experience. Chainmail clothing, tye-died T-Shirts and scarves, floppy, multi-coloured hats and mats made from re-cycled plastic shopping bags add huge variety to the wares offered.

Here you will also find organically grown produce, in season, red deer meat, locally grown, and smoked breakfast sausages from Mennonite farms on the Bruce.

"We have also worked out a plan with Linda Belton, of the Sudbury District Health Unit," said Ms. Mielonen. "We want the market to be an educational tool for people, a place where they can find healthy food and learn to live a healthy lifestyle."

The Farmers' Markets on the Island have certainly grown since their inception, and they provide a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to get their feet wet without selling off the farm, as well as an inspirational and informative place to pick up healthy food, a nice woodwork present for that wedding this summer, or even a chainmail bra... just ask for Dylon Whyte.