Manitoulin citizen establishes Island's first pet welfare fund

Suggests others may also contribute

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-As shown by the swift and compassionate response to a litter of pups that was abandoned on a Manitoulin roadside earlier this winter, there is a strong urge that exists locally to help needy creatures.

There have also been numerous ideas tossed around over the years to create an animal shelter of some description here, including one hatched by the late piano legend Glenn Gould, who talked of retiring to Manitoulin to establish what he called the "Manitoulin puppy farm"-a place where any sick or homeless animal could find refuge.

Unfortunately, none of these ideas has yet come to fruition. Meanwhile, unlike other areas of the North, Manitoulin has neither a Humane Society nor a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). And as Little Current resident Sandy McGillivray points out, in a letter published in this week's Expositor, "for those of us concerned about the humane treatment of animals, (this) means that there is no organization in the community to support."

The animal lover says he's followed the various proposals for a shelter or Humane Society chapter, but "none of them seemed feasible. Even a little Humane Society here would be very expensive."

Still, Mr. McGillivray wanted to do something to improve the lot of animals on Manitoulin. And after hearing so many tales of animal cruelty and injustice, such as the case of the abandoned pups and similar stories involving kittens, he finally figured, "better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

Elaborating on that point, Mr. McGillivray reasons: "We can curse these characters who drop puppies and kittens off, but we can't do much for irresponsible people, except maybe try to give a hand out to the animals."

Since creating a facility or organization hasn't seemed plausible, Mr. McGillivray decided to focus on the resources that already exist on Manitoulin. "The idea came to me that, if you wanted to do something, you could work through the local vets," he relates.

Veterinarians on Manitoulin already deal with stray and abused animals, providing them with shots and making efforts to find good homes for them, but they aren't compensated for such services. Mr. McGillivray decided to investigate the possibility of establishing a municipal fund that could support the work veterinarians are already doing in this regard. "I don't think they should bear the whole brunt of the costs," he says.

Central Manitoulin township was chosen to host the fund, he says, since "both Island veterinarians are in that municipality, and it is central to the Island." Reeve Richard Stevens and clerk Ruth Frawley were responsive to the idea, he says, and helped set up the reserve fund.

Mr. McGillivray kicked off the new animal welfare fund in December by making an initial donation of $500, and is hoping other Islanders will follow his lead by donating whatever amount they can spare. He notes that tax receipts will be issued to contributors, since the donations are made to the municipality, but all of the money will go towards assisting needy animals.

"One hundred percent of the fund will go to what it's intended to do; it's local, and you know where it's going," Mr. McGillivray says.

The money can be used by veterinarians to cover the costs of care for homeless or injured animals, as well as, potentially, to subsidize the costs of spaying and neutering (and other types of veterinary care) for pet owners on a fixed income, he indicates.

Those interested in donating to the Central Manitoulin animal welfare fund are encouraged to contact the municipality at (705) 377-5726, Box 187, 6020 Highway 542, Mindemoya, Ont., P0P 1S0.

"I hope this has a resonant chord with people interested in the humane treatment of animals on the Island, and helping animals that are in distress," Mr. McGillivray says. "There are lots of things we can do for animals, whether it's putting them down humanely or providing operations for an injured animal that somebody's found."

Manor board chair feels municipal brinksmanship is dangerous gamble for Island

by Michael Erskine

MANITOULIN-As the municipal revolt over the increased deficit at Manitoulin Centennial Manor continues to grow-despite the support of Gore Bay, Assiginack and the Northeast Town-the future of the Manor is being gambled on a spin of the wheel for provincial funding, says Manor Board Chair Gary Green.

Currently Burpee Mills, Billings and Central Manitoulin councils have served notice that they are not willing to pay to settle the deficit at the Little Current nursing home, urging the board to turn the facility over to the province to manage (and, hopefully, fund), while the Town of Killarney maintains that they are no longer in the district and therefore fall outside of the Manor's levy.

"I don't understand where they think they have a choice in this," said Chair Green. "We were quite clear at the meeting in Mindemoya. The act says you shall pay-not you might pay, or you could pay. It is quite specific-they don't have a choice."

Whatever the choices are, they bring the horns of a dimemma for municipal politicians like Jim Anstice, of Tehkummah.

"I have family in there, my grandmother, by aunt, my wife's mother, I know we need those spaces here," he said. "But with the cost, I don't see how we can do it."

As for the province picking up the tab, Mr. Green said those municipalities who are suggesting that route have a lot more faith in the willingness of the province to pay out money they are not legally required to than he does.

"Oh, they will take it over all right, but the province isn't in the business of running nursing homes," he said. "They will hire someone to manage it and then they will hand the bill to the municipalities."

The board, he said, believes that bill will be much larger than what is facing the municipalities now.

Northeast Town Mayor Joe Chapman disagrees. "I don't think it can get any worse," he said, while expressing a lack of confidence in the current administration structure to rectify the situation. "The existing management situation was a dismal failure," he said. "It led to the financial collapse of the place, terrible staff morale, and costs that have just spiraled out of control."

Mayor Chapman said he realizes that the current board is dedicated and most are new to the job.

"To be fair to most of the people on that board, they haven't been there very long," he said. "They didn't make this mess-but it is still the same structure, and I don't think it works."

Billings Reeve Austin Hunt also said his council had lost faith in the ability of the system to work.

"One of the concerns is that there is no light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "There is no confidence that this will turn around."

Reeve Hunt said he had an opportunity to buttonhole Health and Long-term Care Minister George Smitherman on the issue at a recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario meeting, and what he heard there indicated that there wasn't much relief in sight from that quarter either.

As a result, he said, he and his council felt they had no other option than to vote to opt out of the Manor.

"This isn't just a problem here," said Reeve Hunt. "From what the minister told me, there are a lot of other places in much the same boat."

Mayor Chapman said he isn't sure the municipalities are legally required to pay the levy.

"Where is the agreement behind this thing?" he asked. "I haven't seen it and neither has anyone else."

The lack of a signed agreement is not relevant, counters Chair Green. "It doesn't matter," he said. "We are under the act and the act says we have to pay. It isn't optional within the district."

The funding municipalities who are calling for the ministry to take over the home are playing a very dangerous game of chicken with the province, asserted Chair Green.

"It's a very treacherous slope they are on," he said. "Sure, the province can take it over, and sure they can try and get a private company to take it over, but what happens if you have a business that is losing money and you can't sell it? You tell me. If, God forbid, it happens, they will have to explain it to their taxpayers."

"The other nursing homes on the Island are full; Sudbury is full," noted Chair Green. "What are we going to tell people when they have to travel all the way to Parry Sound to visit their aging family members? Are they willing to risk that?"

Mayor Chapman dismissed Chair Green's concerns as "fear mongering," joining Central Manitoulin Reeve Richard Stephens in the confidence that the province would not dare to shut down a facility like the Manor.

Mayor Chapman questioned why the board is reluctant to relinquish their role to the province. "I don't understand it," he said. "They seem to be clinging to control for reasons that are unclear to me."

Chair Green said he and his board were motivated by three factors. "First, we as a board would cease to exist; second, if the province takes it over, our taxpayers will be taking more out of their pockets to pay for this; and third, at the end of it all, I am not willing to risk those beds on a spin of the wheel with the province. The province has already said we have too many beds for a community our size and Sudbury wants them. You do the math on that and see where it leads."

In the short term, continued Chair Green, the board can mitigate costs by scheduling all of the changes that need to be made. "If the province comes in, they may just decide to fix everything immediately and then send us the bill," he said.

Whatever comes to pass, it will not happen overnight, said Chair Green. "These things take time to develop, wherever they are going."

The Manor board of management will meet on March 16 to discuss developments, and Mr. Green did not rule out any path at this time.

"Whatever is decided, the bills for this year have to be paid," he said. "No matter who is in charge. They will just send it to collections or to court, whatever it is they do when someone doesn't pay."

Mayor Chapman said he wasn't as certain as to where the final billing would fall. "The province is going to have to make a legal case on this," he said. "I am not certain that they can."

Uncertainty is a big issue for many municipal politicians, and Reeve Anstice suggested the municipalities should meet on the issue before any concrete actions are taken, both to discuss the issue and to consult with those who have some of the answers.

"No offence to anyone, but there seems to be almost as many opinions on the liability issue as there are lawyers out there," he said. "We need to sit down and figure this thing out rather than each of us reacting on their own."

In other circumstances, however, when a question of withholding funds has arisen, it has been pointed out by municipal councillors that a considerable amount of funding comes from the province-far more than is sent to Toronto by the municipalities. In this regard, the deck always seems to be stacked against the municipalities.

ACIL scraps rezoning bid But is renegotiating Fisher Harbour's lease on water lot

by Jim Moodie

LACLOCHE-Alexander Centre Industries Limited (ACIL) has abandoned its plan to construct a 30-metre storage silo at its Fisher Harbour site on Little LaCloche Island, but representatives of the McGregor Bay Association and the Whitefish River First Nation say the company's operations must still be monitored closely to ensure the environmental integrity of the LaCloche area isn't compromised.

ACIL was poised to pursue a zoning change for the site through the Ontario Municipal Board, since the building would have exceeded a 12-metre height restriction set out in a bylaw of the Northeast Town and a proposed amendment drew opposition from the Whitefish River First Nation. In mid-February, however, the town received notification from ACIL's solicitor that the company would no longer be pursuing its appeal through the OMB.

Mark McGoey, a consultant overseeing the company's bid to renew its water lot lease with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), noted that "it would have been quite expensive to put it through the OMB, and we felt it was in the best interest of all parties not to pursue it any further. It would have not only cost ACIL, but also the First Nation and the town."

More to the point, the rationale for the structure had evaporated with the decision of nickel giant INCO to pass on the harbour as a transfer station for Voisey's Bay concentrate. "Because of opposition (from McGregor Bay cottagers and the Whitefish River First Nation), INCO went with a different scenario and have decided to go by rail car," Mr. McGoey said. "So the project is no longer viable."

Mr. McGoey noted that "we had put off the OMB hearing until it became official that (the concentrate) was going a different route, and also to see how our environmental assessment was going."

As a prerequisite to any new agreement with the MNR regarding the water lot lease, the company has to complete an environmental assessment-a process that is ongoing, with a second draft presently in the works. The previous 30-year lease expired in 2004.

Mr. McGoey said that the company's "preferred option is to own the water lot," as he says is the case "for most harbours on the Great Lakes." Barring that, he says the ACIL would expect another 30-year lease.

News that the silo project won't be going ahead has been welcomed by its detractors, including two members of Northeast Town council. In a message published in the January newsletter of the McGregor Bay Association, Mayor Joe Chapman noted that both himself and Ward 1 Councillor Jib Turner "are always concerned with protecting our natural environment and water quality," and had "voted against the planned Fisher Harbour development, although the majority of council approved the project. Fortunately, it now appears that this project is dead."

Ann McGregor of the McGregor Bay Association described the cancellation of the project as "wonderful," but qualified that it's "a small step in the right direction."

She is not so sure that the issue, as Mayor Chapman described it, is "dead." Her association, along with the leadership of the Whitefish River First Nation, remains concerned that the company is transporting materials for which it does not possess appropriate permits, and is seeking a significant expansion of its business.

"They have made no bones about the fact that they intend to double their business over the next 10 years and are prepared to take any commodity," Ms. McGregor said.

Mr. McGoey freely admits that ACIL would welcome increased traffic at its port. "The facilities there are underutilized," he said. "We bring in 18 ships of sand a year, and five ships of salt per year. At the other end of Manitoulin, at the Lafarge quarry, ships are going in and out every day from May 1 to October."

He said the company "would like to create more business" by accepting more commodities at its facility, such as "pulp and paper and aggregates." The current commodities list includes limestone aggregate, but Mr. McGoey said, "we'd like to expand that, because we don't see any difference between limestone and granite or quartzite. We have our own quartzite quarry on our property, but we can't ship it," he pointed out.

Ms. McGregor is alarmed, however, by the company's track record of accepting material for which it did not have permission. "In 1975, when they first got their commodities list, it covered wood, lumber, steel, iron ore pellets, limestone, paper products, containers and coal," she related. "Now, since about 1987, they have been trucking both silica sand and salt without a licence."

In 2004, the company applied to have bulk salt, which Ms. McGregor said they were "already doing," added to its commodities list, along with silica sand, nickel and copper concentrates, aggregates and slag, and cement and cement products.

Mr. McGoey said the issue of the unlicensed materials "has been addressed in our environmental assessment. When we made our application (to extend the water lot lease) 14 months prior to its expiry date, we asked permission to keep bringing in those products." He said that the MNR granted this permission, "as long as we are actively engaged in the environmental assessment process."

That process is scheduled to wrap up "by the end of this year, according to the time frame set out by the MNR," said Mr. McGoey.

The company representative believes that Fisher Harbour has an impeccable environmental record, pointing out that numerous studies have been conducted, the results of which substantiate this claim. "In 2000, we did a very thorough water study, and came out clean as a whistle. We've never damaged the environment or had a spill in the water."

Mr. McGoey contends that ACIL has "done nothing wrong, other than back 30 years ago some documentation didn't get done in the proper way."

He further feels that opposition to the Fisher Harbour facility from the Whitefish River First Nation is hypocritical, since the Lafarge operation on Birch Island occupies property owned by the reserve. "They don't want a harbour here (at Fisher Harbour), but they don't object to the big cement silos at McGregor Bay that are 180 feet tall," he remarked.

Both the First Nation and the McGregor Bay Association feel, however, that there are numerous issues to address regarding the Fisher Harbour operation, and that the recent scrapping of the storage building project, while welcome, should not make people relax.

"People need to be aware of what's going on," Ms. McGregor said, noting that her association, along with the Whitefish River First Nation, have attended numerous meetings with the company, as well as ministry personnel, to try to ensure that ACIL is adhering to environmental standards, and has spent over $100,000 on lawyers and consultants.

"My concern is that this company has been irresponsible in the past towards the environment, and I'm afraid that this will continue, because they've publicly said they want to double business and are open to any product," said Ms. McGregor. "Our main concern is the water and air quality, as well as road traffic. I'm concerned the environment is taking a back seat."

EDITORIAL

This is no time to second-guess Afghanistan commitment

It was with stunned disbelief that the Expositor witnessed the latest political drama being played out in Ottawa, as representatives of the two opposition parties openly suggested the government open a debate on Canada's commitment to deploy troops in Afghanistan.

One of those parties now suggesting a revisitation of the decision was, until most recently, holding the reins of power in this country, and it was they themselves whose hands were at the helm when the decision to send our nations forces into harm's way was made.

It defies belief that a party of the stature of the Liberal Party of Canada could show such blatant disrespect for the men and women who serve this country to enter into an exercise in second-guessing their deployment for crass partisan posturing.

Our troops are in harm's way. The decision was taken by the government of the day and the Canadian Forces were sent to defend democracy and to help build a better life for those for whom war has been the known world far into the deepest recesses of even recorded memory. They are committed for a set term and we should be sending them all of the support-material, psychological, and yes, spiritual-that they need to complete their mission and return safely home to the arms of their families.

It was a Liberal Minister of Defence who toured the country before our soldiers were deployed, warning the country that many of those soldiers were likely to return upon their shields before the job was done.

The military, and their friends and families, have long and vengeful memories when it comes to demoralizing and shameful moves by politicians. William Lyon MacKenzie King, that most clever of politicians, forgot that principle when he displayed what was considered to be a wishy-washy approach to conscription during the Second World War. Firing his defence minister who believed Canada's troops were feeling let down, King hand-picked a successor to support his slogan, "Conscription if necessary, but not necessarily conscription."

King's lack of empathy with those who were dying for their country overseas was met with such contempt that serving soldiers, who in those days could assign their votes to whichever riding they wished, voted in droves to help humiliate the prime minister by defeating his choice for minister of defence resoundingly in a by-election for an Owen Sound seat.

If the country's commitment to its role in Afghanistan is to be debated, so be it, but let that debate commence upon the brink of the completion of their current tour-not just as it has barely begun!

A time of renewal and re-building is coming for the Liberal Party as it ponders its future and seeks out a new leader with the vision and commitment to return it to power. Judging by this recent odious performance, that leader will most certainly not be the current defence critic.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Manor chair and board are on right course

Privatizing, giving to the province, would remove input

To the Expositor:

Hats off to the new chair of the Manitoulin Centennial Manor and the board. Finally, some truth and honesty on the state of affairs at the Manor.

It has been a long time coming after years of less than adequate management. And it is not a surprise, as the chair has pointed out the deficit has been building and has been reported year after year. But no-one was realy listening!

It is disappointing that some municipalities have chosen not to pay their share for our parents' care and that some are calling this an unaffordable disaster. The board chair has assured us that the problem can be fixed and we need to give him and his board our 100 percent support.

My mother received tremendous care at the Manor during her final years and in spite of all the difficulties the staff stayed the course and did their jobs with limited resources. We have the ability to set our own agenda here and if we give it up to the private sector (the debt has to be paid first), or if we let the province take over, then we will pay whatever they deem to be necessary without any input from us.

The other two nursing homes on the Island operate well and under essentially the same rules so the Manor with its huge list of deficencies and its debt needs to be fixed. Running away from the problem is not an option. The Manor board has the power to assess what they deem to be necessary. In the past the board comprised mainly of municipal politicians did not do the right thing by the Manor as they seemingly only looked at "keeping the taxes down" which has led to this mess.

The Island needs the Manor. The population is aging quickly and it is a proven fact that 75 percent of people over age 80 will need some kind of special care. The population of Manitoulin has a high number of people over 50 and the need for long-term care beds will only increase and not decrease.

Two years ago when I did the math, we paid seven cents per month per person on Manitoulin for the Manor and we paid $2.37 per person per month for policing. We encourage people to have healthy lifestyles and live longer what are we going to do with them when they need a place like the Manor.

I hope and pray that we give our wholehearted support to the new chair and his Board.

Frank Reynolds

Brechin

Reserve fund for animal welfare established

Concerned residents encouraged to contribute

To the Expositor:

As you know we have no SPCA or Humane Society located on Manitoulin Island. For those of us concerned about the humane treatment of animals it means that there is no organization in the community to support.

With these thoughts in mind, I approached the reeve of Central Manitoulin, Mr. Richard Stephens, last summer, and he agreed to check with municipal staff regarding the establishment of a reserve fund dedicated to animal welfare. Clerk-Treasurer Ruth Frawley made the inquiry and found that indeed it was possible to set up such a fund. The reason I contacted Central Manitoulin was because all Manitoulin Island veterinarians are resident in the municipality.

I made the initial donation last December, and Ms. Frawley expressed the intention of conferring with the local veterinarians to examine how the proceeds of the fund may be used for the aid of animals in distress.

I believe many residents of Manitoulin have similar concerns about animal welfare and would wish to contribute to the Central Manitoulin animal welfare fund. Tax receipts are issued to contributors since the donations are made to the municipality, which distributes the money to local veterinarians on behalf of abused or otherwise distressed animals. Those wishing to give to this worthy cause may do so by mail or in person at the Central Manitoulin municipal office, P.O. Box 187, 6020 Hwy 542, Mindemoya, Ontario, P0P 1S0, telephone (705) 377-5726.

Alexander McGillivray

Little Current

FedNor minister urged to carry on programs

Obligation to Northern Ontarians is immense

To the Expositor:

An open letter to Tony Clement, the Minister for FedNor:

I wish to congratulate you on having been appointed Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor). Though you have been bestowed a great honour, your portfolio also comes with an enormous responsibility towards the people of Northern Ontario.

As you know, FedNor is a federal regional development organization in Ontario that works with a variety of partners, as both a facilitator and catalyst, to help create an environment in which communities can thrive, businesses can grow and people can prosper. In fulfilling this mission, FedNor has become one of the government of Canada's lead federal agencies serving residents of Northern Ontario. Projects such as the Northern Ontario Development Fund, the Youth Internship Program and the Community Futures Program promote economic growth, support community-based projects, provide access to capital for small and medium-sized businesses and social enterprises, continue to support business-oriented, not-for-profit organizations, as well as create a positive environment for the growth of small business. The initiative is intended to provide many services to our region including community economic development, strategies for innovation and technology, telecommunications infrastructure and applications, trade and tourism, human capital, business financing and very importantly, a forestry aid package. Your portfolio, therefore, is essential to giving political and policy direction to a very important agency for our region.

Having had the pleasure to work closely with former Liberal Ministers of State (FedNor) such as Joe Commuzzi and Andy Mitchell, I know first-hand the results which can be achieved through this agency. Many important projects-including infrastructure programs, youth internships and cultural programs-would simply not have taken place without this influence at the highest levels. It is with this spirit of co-operation in mind that I write to you in the hopes that we can continue this relationship for the benefit of Northern Ontarians and, more specifically, the citizens of Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing. On behalf of the communities and the people of my riding, I look forward to an early and strong commitment to FedNor by your government.

Brent St. Denis, MP

Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing