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Paramedics and firefighters
sheared for Cancer
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by Michael Erskine
MANITOULIN---Sunscreen shares may be a good buy this summer, as
a
plethora of bald pates are to be found on many of Manitoulin
Island's
emergency services workers.
Assiginack and Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands
firefighters
joined their paramedic colleagues from Rainbow Emergency
Services in
the barber's chair, giving up their curly locks to raise $3,154
for
the Canadian Cancer Society.
"It was very good," said Myrna Ferguson, president of the local
chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society. "We had never done
anything
like this before. I tallied up $3,154, but there is apparently
another $1,000 or so to come."
Assiginack firefighters Dwayne Elliott, B.J. Lafleur, Kevin
McMurray
and Steve Wood; Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands
firefighters
Chief Rick Milne, Gary Morphet, Darrin Smith, Dan Turnbull,
Jason
Smith, and John Mastelko; Ambulance paramedics Sherri Steele
(also a
firefighter), Coleen Strand (also a firefighter), Denis Seguin
and
Dan Turnbull and just plain volunteer Valois Seguin (Denis'
father
from Noelville) sat very still while local hairstyists Linda
Case of
Hair Trends, Brenda Burnett of Island Girl, Freddie Shore and
Catherine Senior (of Welland) from Hair and Nails 2000, applied
the
shears. Rudy Corbiere did not make it to the shearing due to a
long
anticipated canoe vacation, but the shears will be waiting for
him
when he returns.
Dave Hill, of Rainbow Emergency Services, presented the two
women who
gave their locks with a lovely bouquet of flowers, and to each
of his
valiant team a hat and do'rag, to protect them from the sun.
No tears flowed as the locks fell and no one backed out of the
challenge, but how could any less be expected of highly trained
professionals who routinely put their lives on the line in the
most
dangerous of situations.
"Compared to an everyday call, this wasn't much of a hardship,"
said
Chief Milne, who expressed pride in the dedication of all of the
participants.
The event was a great success, especially considering the short
turn-around time for the challenge.
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MMA
Land Claims |
by Tom Sasvari
KAGAWONG - The Manitoulin Municipal Association has struck a
committee to deal with the issue of the 1990 land claim
agreement and
its impact on the payment of taxes.
The committee, made up of Central Manitoulin Reeve Mary Nelder,
Billings Reeve Austin Hunt, Northeastern Manitoulin and the
Islands
Mayor Ken Ferguson, and Assiginack Reeve Hugh Moggy, have been
charged with the task of striking up discussions with the
province on
the issue and liasing with the United Chiefs and Councils of
Manitoulin (UCCM). The committee hopes to meet with Algoma -
Manitoulin Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Mike Brown and
Member of Parliament (MP) Brent St. Denis to discuss the issue.
The decision to strike the committee was made at a meeting of
the
Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) last week. The MMA has
stated
it agrees with UCCM that the provincial government should honour
its
1990 land claim agreement, and that the province should also pay
the
taxes for lands purchased by First Nation bands on Manitoulin
which
are located off reserve.
"We were made aware of the situation at a meeting with the
United
Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin (UCCM) on May 8," said Mr.
Moggy,
chair of the MMA. "The whole issue came to a head because
Billings
(Township) threatened to put certain properties purchased by
M'Chigeeng on the tax registers."
Mr. Hunt told MMA members that Billings had been advised by its
legal
counsel and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to
proceed
with putting property purchased by M'Chigeeng on the tax
register. He
noted it would only take place on properties purchased after
1997.
Following the meeting, Mr. Hunt explained this had been done
over the
course of the winter, prior to the request by UCCM to discuss
the
issue with the MMA. He said Billings council has just received a
letter from the First Nations requesting the properties not be
put on
the tax registers. However, he indicated, council will have to
consider the issue at its regularly scheduled meeting on June 4.
He
said council may choose to consider the possibility of seeing if
they
can withdraw their request to have the properties listed on the
tax
register.
It was explained by Mr. Moggy, at the time of the 1990
Manitoulin
Land Claim Agreement, "in the agreement it was assumed that any
property purchased by the bands adjacent to their property would
be
tax free. In 1997, AMO (Association of Municipalities of
Ontario)
lobbied the province with their concerns that this arrangement
wasn't
fair. The province then passed legislation that as of 1998 any
lands
purchased by the bands off-reserve would be subject to municipal
taxes."
At the meeting with the UCCM, MMA members were told that one of
the
concerns from the UCCM is that a failure to pay property taxes
would
result in the reserve losing the property through the Municipal
Tax
Sales Act. If the property were to fall under the Municipal Tax
Sales
Act, the UCCM felt it would have no recourse but to close all
road
allowances.
The UCCM also indicated that they would work with the MMA to
resolve
the issue with the province, and also felt that the province
should
pay the taxes on property bought by UCCM members.
"Royal Assent was never given to the legislation of the province
in
1998, so the bands are saying that the province has not honoured
the
agreement," said Mr. Moggy.
The issue, if not resolved, could affect a major business on the
Island in the next couple of years. Perry Newman, Lafarge Canada
Quarry Manager, pointed out Lafarge mines 40 acres a year and
are
progressing on a concession road south and a sideroad east in an
area
on Western Manitoulin. They will reach a road allowance that is
controlled by a local First Nation in two years. "The UCCM has
said
that nothing will happen on these roads until the government
honours
the agreement that was reached with them in 1990, so it is an
issue
that could affect (Lafarge)," he said.
"The province agreed to allow for no taxes on land (First
Nations)
purchase for the next 25 years, they need to honour this
agreement
withthe UCCM, and we as municipalities need to get grants in
lieu of
these taxes," said Mr. Moggy.
Municipalities can decide to not charge taxes on these
properties,
said Ms. Nelder. "So, we could honour the agreement ourselves,
even
if the province isn't honouring them. But there is still the
question
of our needing to get something on these lands assessment, that
we
have to pay DSSAB and other services through the province."
"This is a big issue that is becoming very serious," said Mr.
Moggy.
"I don't want to see the municipalities and First Nations
getting
into a dispute over this. It is the province and the Feds
responsibility. We didn't make the agreements, they did. The
province
hasn't lived up to its agreement."
"It's typical for the province to make municipalities look like
the
bad guy," said Mr. Hunt.
Jeff Hietkamp, Reeve of Gordon Township agreed the MMA should
set up
a committee to give Island municipalities direction on the
issue. He
added, however, "I think it's unfair to hold the municipalities
accountable for something that we didn't do. The province is
where
the fault lies. The Island municipalities and First Nations are
neighbours and we have to work with each other."
"The agreement was struck, with several errors and flaws in it,"
said
Mr. Ferguson. "The legislation was not given Royal Assent and
one of
the reasons it was not given is that some issues need to be
looked
at, and the province and First Nations should be doing just
that."
"As Jeff (Hietkamp) said, we are neighbors and we should work
together to try and persuade the province to move on this
legislation
and deal with the agreement that was made with the UCCM," said
Mr.
Moggy.
"And they (UCCM) should avoid the threatening tone that was
presented
to us, and work together to resolve this," added Mr.
Hietkamp.
"We need to work together on it and stand together. The province
needs to take responsibility for this issue," said Ms. Nelder.
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MSS Archery team
medals at OFSAA |
by Neil Zacharjewicz
M'CHIGEENG - Eleven Manitoulin Secondary School archers have
returned
home with the booty after successfully plundering the Ontario
Federation of School Athletic Associations Archery championships
of
its gold, silver and bronze.
The Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) team returned from the May
21-22 competition, held in Richmond Hill, with a gold and bronze
in
the boys team competitions. The gold winning team, which will
bring
the OFSAA banner back to hang proudly on the walls at MSS,
consisted
of Kyle McVey, Adam Mainprize, Raymond Pardiac and Chris Purdy.
The
bronze medal winning team consisted of Adam Sinclair, Jeff
Purdy,
Jeff Smith, and Ron Mathews.
Individual medal holders included Meghan McCutcheon, Jessica
Machum,
Tanya Taylor, Raymond Pardiac and Adam Mainprize.
Mr. Pardiac was third individually, while Mr. Mainprize was
fifth.
Ms. Taylor placed third in the girls limited division, while Ms.
McCutcheon brought home the silver in the unlimited category.
"I think they did great," suggested Jim Smith, who coached the
team
along with Mike Wesno. "We have quite a strong release shooters
team.
Everybody came through very well."
Mr. Smith indicated while there were not enough girls this year
to
field a full girls team, the girls did very well on an
individual
basis. Furthermore, he pointed out Mr. Pardiac's individual
performance was excellent, noting while he placed third, he was
only
four points away from winning second place.
Mr. Smith explained several of the shooters will be joining the
team
he will be taking to represent Northern Ontario at the upcoming
Ontario Summer Games.
"It was pretty exciting," said Kyle McVey. "We were pretty
pleased
with the way we performed."
He said last year the boys did not fare as well, but that did
not
deter them this year.
"We were pretty confident in ourselves," he suggested. "It was
all fun."
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