|
Swing bridge repairs
to be conducted in fall |
by Michael Erskine
MANITOULIN---Alarm spread quickly through the Little Current
business
community last week when it was announced the opening of the swing
bridge would be limited to three times a day from July 22 to July
24,
interrupting the passage of transient boaters at the height of the
tourist season. Political pressure quickly caused the Ministry of
Transportation to reverse their plans.
Ministry of Transportation (MTO) spokesperson, Paul Cayen, noted
that
a deluge of calls from local businessmen had caused the Ministry to
reassess their plans, and a decision was to be made on Monday, July
15, but political pressure quickly grew too intense to ignore.
The MTO was concerned about problems with an electrical cable tray
which had recently developed. The danger is that the problem could
result in a failure of the bridge's operation at any time, and that
would mean the bridge would be closed to boat traffic for days,
rather than hours.
"I understand their points," said Mr. Cayen. "It is a catch-22, if
it
were to fail, we could be closed for traffic for a few days."
The Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands Community Development
Corporation was very alarmed by the prospect of any interruption of
the flow of transient boaters to the docks and services in Little
Current, and they quickly swung into action.
Jim McBane, chair of the Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands
Community Development Corporation and a prominent local supporter of
the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, said that he had used
his
political connections, as well as official channels, to ensure the
bridge continued to swing.
"I placed a call to Minister Norm Sterling's office as chair of the
CDC, informing them of our concerns," said Mr. McBane. "I received a
call later that day from Karen Shaw, from the Minister's office,
informing me that the interruption would be postponed until sometime
in September. They hadn't decided exactly when yet, it is
tentatively
scheduled for September 16 to 20."
The boat traffic through the swing bridge is quite intense through
the main summer season, and Ministry of Transportation statistics
indicate that 3,800 boats go through the opening created by the
swung
bridge each season. That figure does not include the huge number of
smaller vessels which can traverse the channel under the bridge.
News of the possible limiting of the opening of the swing bridge
followed closely after the final public consultation meeting on the
CDC's proposed five-year strategic plan. A plan which calls for the
CDC to increase pressure on the upper levels of government to
provide
new transportation links to the Island. |
|
Wikwemikong
veterans plan to settle claims while still alive |
by Michael Erskine
WIKWEMIKONG---Wikwemikong war veterans wish to settle claims against
the government for the discriminatory treatment they received after
the war while they are still alive to make some use of the money.
A group of Wikwemikong war veterans and their spouses met with Chief
Gladys Wakegijig last week to hear her report on a meeting about a
government offer to settle veterans claims, and to express their
views on the matter.
"I wanted to have this meeting right away," said Chief Wakegijig.
"To
let you know what happened, what took place during the round table
discussions. We met with government officials to talk about the
contents of the offer."
Chief Wakegijig had accompanied Wikwemikong veterans John Mandamin
and Donald Fisher to the meeting, along with Daniel Rivers, to
investigate the details of the government's offer.
The offer, according to Chief Wakegijig, is limited to $39 million,
at least $3 million of which the government has earmarked for
administrative costs.
"The offer is for up to $20,000 for each veteran or their spouse,"
she said, stressing that the offer did not mean each person would
receive $20,000, in some cases it could be considerably less,
depending on the criteria set by the government for each individual
case and how many veterans apply.
Although in making the offer the government claimed they were making
it 'on compassionate grounds' it was made very clear that if a
veteran or his surviving spouse were to accept the government's
offer, they would be required to sign a waiver relinquishing any
future claim against the government.
Only those veterans or their spouses who were alive as of February
1,
2000, can claim the settlement offer. If they died before that date,
the family of the veteran has no claim, according to the government
offer, but if they were alive on that date and have since died, then
the money would go to the veteran or spouse's estate.
The offer fell considerably short of what many of the western bands
had estimated, noted Ms. Wakegijig, and the lack of an official
recognition or apology for the discrimination which First Nations
veterans encountered upon their return from overseas remained a
major
issue of contention.
Chief Wakegijig expressed her displeasure with the location of the
meeting and the costs involved in the government's handling of the
issue.
"I asked them why they chose the most expensive hotel in Toronto to
have the meetings at," she said. "I told them, I did not come here
to
spend the money the veterans should be getting."
Other issues involved in the settlement offer included the
government's provision that the veterans had to have settled on a
reserve, upon their return from overseas and be an Indian under the
Indian Act.
"In the case of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, no reserves
have ever been set aside, what happens to them?" asked Chief
Wakegijig.
Chief Wakegijig stressed that the meeting was informational. "We did
not meet the government in consultation," she said. "We went to get
information."
Nonetheless, the meeting was the first opportunity in which the
roundtable was able to address the government.
Veteran Don Fisher gave his impressions of the meeting in Toronto.
"At first I thought it was pretty good," he said. "Most of the
veterans want to settle, they are satisfied. Most of the veterans
don't have many years left, maybe five years, that is just the way
it
is. A lot of them do not have very much and they need that money
now."
The meeting had too much confusion, according to Mr. Fisher, and the
process quickly had people 'asking for the moon.'
The main point, according to Mr. Fisher, is that any veteran who
wishes to can take the settlement, although they will lose out on
any
larger settlement which may come down the line from a court case.
"The older veterans, they want to take the settlement, the younger
vets, the ones from the Korean War, they are younger and they
weren't
too happy," said Mr. Fisher.
Tom Peltier, a veteran family member, said he could see little
option
on the part of families of veterans who have died, other than to
sue.
"My father was in the service in both the First and the Second World
Wars," he said. "When he got out there was nothing, no business, no
money and no education. All these things which other veterans could
access. Our veterans weren't even told about those reduced
opportunities which were available to them."
Mr. Peltier noted that when civil servants bring a program to
Cabinet, there are usually three options.
"Option number one might be for $39 million, option two $80 million
and option three for $120 million," he said. "Of course they nearly
always go for the lowest option."
Mr. Peltier suggested that the government might well improve the
offer to include all veterans and their families, if pressed.
"The government hates class action suits," he said. "They have
indicated settling this is a priority with them, they may come back
with a better offer. With all of the bad press they have been
getting
lately, the last thing they need is more bad publicity."
As to the government's refusal to consider claims of veterans who
have passed on, Mr. Peltier noted that liability claims under
British
common law traditions award the damages to the estate of the wronged
person, making the limits on the government's offer likely to be
untenable in a court of law.
The tone and tenor of the meetings with the government were very
one-sided, according to Chief Wakegijig. "They seem to be calling
all
the shots," she said.
There were 28 veterans of the First World War, and 110 veterans of
World War II, according to Wikwemikong band lists.
One of the main priorities of the band at this time will be making
sure that all of the eligible veterans have been registered and
informed of the government's offer.
Chief Wakegijig will be appointing someone in the band office to
help
veterans and their spouses ensure that the proper papers and
documentation have been filed.
Another meeting on the government's offer will be held in Winnipeg
on
September 4 and 5, and the issue will be discussed by the national
chiefs in Montreal this week.
|
| Record number of
candidates nominated to Wikwemikong council |
by Michael Erskine
WIKWEMIKONG---A deep air of discontent underlies the nomination of
114 people to fill the 12 seats on Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve band
council, according to nominee Honorine Wright.
"I think it points to a deep discontent in the community," said Ms.
Wright after the close of nominations last Saturday. "People are not
satisfied with the way things are."
Although the number of people nominated to band council is a record,
many people do not let their names stand, and Wikwemikong Elections
Officer Bertha Trudeau and her staff will be very busy contacting
people to let them know they are currently on the ballot.
"The final list of who will be on the ballot will be ready
Thursday,"
said Ms. Trudeau. "People have until July 18 to inform my office, in
writing, that they do not wish to let their names stand. If they do
not contact me by Thursday, their name will be on the ballot."
If a person has not contacted Ms. Trudeau in writing by July 18,
they
may still withdraw, she added, but their names will still show on
the ballot.
The ballots will be mailed out to the off-reserve band members
Friday, July 19.
The May, 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision known as the Corbiere
Decision states that all eligible members, including those living
off-reserve, must be allowed to vote in Indian Act elections. It
also
means that eligible members are entitled to vote in referendums.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada changed the election regulations
for First Nation elections based on the Corbiere Decision.
Any band member over 18 is eligible to vote in the election and
will,
if they reside off-reserve, be sent a ballot.
"The onus is on band members to make sure we have an up-to-date
address for them," said Ms. Trudeau. "They have to contact the band
office and make sure the address we have for them is accurate."
Currently, off-reserve members may also run for chief, but not
council. Indian and Northern Affairs expects that this provision
will
also be changed by the courts shortly.
Mail-in ballots must be received by the Electoral Officer before the
polls close on August 24 to be counted. Any ballots received after
the polls close on August 24 will be void.
The ballots will be stored in the vault at the Wikwemikong Tribal
Police station, and counting will take place in the two days
following the election.
As of Monday, July 15, the following people had been nominated for
chief: Robert Corbiere, Michael Eshkawkogan, Bernardine Francis,
Joseph Hare, Wayne Jacko, Raymond Jackson, Gerald Kaboni, William
Kinoshameg, Marilyn Otakwadjiwan, Eugene Manitowabi, Gertrude
Manitowabi, Walter Manitowabi, Anna (Tilly) McGregor, Wayne
Osawamick, A. Hardy Peltier, Ian J. Peltier, Normand (Duke) Peltier,
Stanley Peltier, Ceceilia Pitawanakwat, Margaret (Peggy)
Pitawanakwat, George Roy (Sr.), Jeffrey Toulouse, Kenneth Toulouse,
Gladys Wakegijig, and Madeline Wemigwans.
A complete list of those standing for councillor will be available
from the Elections Office on Thursday. |
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