It's official!

Manitoulin joins Zone 10 fishery

management area Advisory committee struck to present Island concerns at broader zone level

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-A redrawing of the angling management map has left Manitoulin as a small fish in a big pond.

In January, the Island and its inland lakes were lumped into Zone 10, an area that sprawls from Wawa in the northwest to the French River in the south, and as far east and north as Elk Lake. The change came as part of a province-wide amalgamation of fishing divisions, which were cut nearly in half-from 37 to 20-and rechristened as fisheries management zones. Or FMZs, if you care to add a new acronym to your vocabulary.

For years, Manitoulin had been its own fishing district-number 28-and treated as distinct from other areas of the North. This made sense, said Bill Strain of the Little Current Fish and Game Club, since "the lakes on the North Shore are in Precambrian shield and entirely different from what we experience here with our limestone basin."

Now, however, Manitoulin will be just one voice among many on a council representing Zone 10, a vast region across which most fishing regulations will be harmonized.

The good news is that the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), recognizing the Island's exceptional character, has established a Manitoulin advisory committee that will have the opportunity to identify our area's priorities and air these concerns via its representative on the zone council.

"It's to serve as a sounding board and also as a means to forward ideas regarding fisheries management to the new council," said MNR biologist Wayne Selinger. He added that the only other part of Zone 10 that will have its own advisory committee is the French River. "These are specially designated areas within the zone because of their unique character."

The Manitoulin group met for the first time last week, with members on hand to represent fish and game clubs, tourist operators, First Nations, lake associations, the Manitoulin Area Stewardship Council and Manitoulin Streams.

Manitoulin has always had a voice in MNR decisions about the fishery, Mr. Selinger said, with the United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin (UFGCM) having fulfilled this role in recent years. "But the new group has broader representation," he noted. "We have eight or nine members right now, and are also approaching the Manitoulin Municipal Association. We're trying to cover the full spectrum."

At the inaugural meeting of the committee held at the Manitoulin Welcome Centre on March 17, Al Douglas, proprietor of Hideaway Lodge and chair of the Manitoulin Tourism Association, was chosen in absentia to represent the group at the zone level. "The committee will serve as a means to collate input for this individual to take to the Zone 10 council," said Mr. Selinger. "It's one voice but you're pulling in input from a broader group."

While most regulations regarding fishing seasons and catch limits will be consistent across the zone, as set out in the province's new Ecological Framework for Recreational Fisheries Management, the biologist said "there may be a need for (Manitoulin) to differ somewhat, as is already the case."

The daily catch limit for yellow perch on Manitoulin, for instance, is currently 25, as compared to twice that in other areas of Zone 10, noted Mr. Selinger. This owes to the fact that perch is more highly prized as a sport fish on the Island, where it grows to bigger sizes and is deemed an excellent meal.

"It's not really a sport fish in the balance of Zone 10," he said. "It's seen as more of a forage or nuisance fish, because they don't size up and provide the same kind of fishery as the jumbo perch on the Island."

Recognizing the value of this niche fishery, "we've rationalized an exception for Manitoulin perch," said the MNR rep.

The UFGCM would like to see protection of the perch fishery taken a step farther, with a closed season during spring spawning. Asked if this wish is likely to be granted, Mr. Selinger was hesitant to make a definitive prediction. "This is something that would have to go through the zone council," he said.

The most immediate change, and one that is already irking a few Islanders, is a reduction in the daily limit for lake trout. In the past, anglers on Manitoulin could catch up to three lake trout per day; that number is now poised to drop to two.

While the ministry, in rolling out its new fisheries framework for 2008, insisted that most anglers "will not notice big changes in the regulations," it did concede that, "in some areas, the change in boundaries will mean more significant changes in fishing seasons and fishing limits."

Moreover, because the MNR is most concerned about the protection of natural fish populations, a number of stricter rules have been put in place regarding the harvest of brook trout and lake trout.

Manitoulin has a relatively small population of the former (most of them reintroduced through recent stocking efforts undertaken by the MNR), but plenty of the latter, particularly in Lake Manitou.

Indeed, the population here of lake trout is so vibrant that, for years, the ministry has been drawing spawn from Manitou for the stocking of other lakes across the North, noted Kevin Hutchinson, a representative of the Little Current Fish and Game Club who will be sharing duties on the new advisory committee with Mr. Strain.

Initially, this withdrawal of spawn was rewarded with the stocking of lake trout fingerlings, said Mr. Hutchinson. But lately, the MNR has "decided that they don't need to put any back in because the lake is doing so well." The ministry is also harvesting fewer eggs from Manitou these days, he added, "because they now figure that it's better to take spawn from the area where it's going to be stocked, because they survive better."

As a result, Mr. Hutchinson said lake trout in Manitou are naturally reproducing at an impressive rate and the population is booming as never before. "The fishing this winter for lake trout has been, by far, the best fishing we've ever had."

He said it's striking how many trout in the 14"-18" range, perfect for eating, have been found by anglers' hooks of late. "The lake's full of them," he said.

Given this preponderance, Mr. Hutchinson feels it's unfair to subject Manitoulin to the same restrictions on trout as will be applied elsewhere across the zone. "We're unique in that we have a really good lake for trout," he said. "My concern is for the poor tourist operator, especially on Lake Manitou, where the livelihood is largely based on lake trout."

Knocking the daily catch limit down from three to two might not seem like a huge deal to some observers, but Mr. Hutchinson said it could be the difference in a trout fisherman's choice of where to spend his summer holiday. "If the ministry is saying you can only have two, then what is going to happen? Are people going to go to Michigan or to other places?" he wonders.

The ministry is additionally proposing a closed season for lake trout after July 15, since females are full of spawn in late summer. Mr. Hutchinson said he can understand the rationale for such a move in areas where lake trout are struggling to regain a foothold, but given Manitou's robust population of trout, and the fact that many tourists expect to fish for them all summer, he feels such a stipulation would be unfair.

To him, this is a perfect illustration of how the one-size-fits-all approach reflected in the new zone model simply won't work. "I find it a pretty hard pill to swallow," he said. "We're here on Manitoulin, trying to promote fishing, and all of a sudden we're forced into Zone 10, whereas for years and years we were area 28 and could have our own say. We should be our own specific, separate zone."

Mr. Strain agrees that this would be the ideal scenario, but given that there appears to be no going back, is trying to look on the bright side. "It's great that we at least have an opportunity to have a subcommittee to represent Manitoulin's interests," he said. "If it wasn't that way, you'd just have one person going to these Zone 10 meetings. This way, at least there's more of a collective voice."

It's a point that Mr. Selinger is also emphasizing. "It's one advantage to the new framework, in that we're giving stakeholders a greater voice in fisheries management," he said. Another bonus, he said, is that "attached to each zone there is a new fisheries monitoring proposal, where we'll be doing random sampling of lakes across the zone on a five-year cycle to evaluate populations."

This has occurred over the years for various animal populations, such as moose, he noted, but the MNR hasn't previously had "this structured monitoring for fish." The proposal would allow for "an unbiased random sampling of the province's fishery" that would greatly enhance the ministry's ability to manage the resource, he said.

In the meantime, he is hopeful that Manitoulin's concerns can be adequately reflected within the new zone, while declining to promise too much in the way of exceptions that might be made to various rules. "The flexibility regarding regulatory options on the Island remains to be seen," he said.

The first meeting of the zone council, at which Island rep Mr. Douglas plans to be present, will be held in Sudbury today (March 26).

Northeast Town rolls out its plan for new housing, industrial areas

by Lindsay Kelly

LITTLE CURRENT-The Northeast Town is set to embark on a new development project that will include the construction of a multi-lot subdivision and an industrial park in the heart of Little Current.

The multi-million-dollar project is in its preliminary stages, but is one Mayor Jim Stringer describes as exciting and believes will be a good economic development opportunity for the town.

"This is a really positive step for the town," he said following a recent council meeting. "Everyone who was there at the council meeting was in unanimous support of this."

According to the plan, when the new forcemain is installed-an ongoing project that will replace the old equipment at the Water Street pumping station-infrastructure will also be incorporated to service between 30 and 40 residential lots located adjacent to the Boozeneck Road, as well as a light industrial park located behind the Ministry of Transportation yard.

Council approved the forcemain project at a special meeting on March 17. The tender was awarded to RM Belanger at a cost of $1,633,336-the lowest tendered bid. It includes the installation of the forcemain and pump replacement at the main lift station, but will also service lots on Water Street West with water and sewer at a cost of $10,500 for each lot.

The total expenditure to service the lots is $115,976, with the majority of the cost ($63,476) covered by the town. The remaining $52,500 is expected to be recovered by hookup charges for five lots.

This will also facilitate the servicing of a new washroom facility in the downtown, something that was part of the town's original waterfront plan, the mayor noted.

The "really exciting part," he says, will be the servicing of residential lots, which includes the installation of sewers, a water main and hydrants, service connections to water and sewer and road construction at a cost of $356,680.

The town will be on the hook for $216,680, and it's expected $140,000 will be recovered from the sale of four lots at $35,000 each. Additional lots will cost $26,000 to develop.

"They'll be serviced with only water at this point," Mayor Stringer says, although the town hopes to qualify for funding from FedNor to extend sewer and hydro to those lots.

The development is also subject to approval by the Sudbury and District Health Unit and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, but the mayor said the lots have already been okayed for water and septic use.

The final part of the project will include the servicing of an industrial park, for which the town will apply to the Northern Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for funding. The town park will accept "light industry," which the mayor compares to the types of industrial businesses that currently operate within the town limits, such as Joly's Service Equipment and Supply.

The types of businesses operating within the park will likely be "quiet, small, and hopefully create some jobs," he added.

The plan does hinge on approval from the NOHFC, which approved an earlier plan for an industrial park that was later altered to its current form.

Additionally, the town needs to ensure the plan meets all the regulatory bylaws, and finally, funding from FedNor needs to be approved so the town can guarantee that sewer and hydro will be added to the unserviced lots down the road.

Once these details are in place, the next step in the development will be to set out a request for proposals, and Mayor Stringer said the town will look to the private sector to help develop the project.

This most recent development fits in well with the town's strategic plan to help boost the economy by expanding the tax base, as well as helping the town to expand in a positive way, and it is something that the mayor hopes will receive a positive response from residents who want to see the town cultivated in a beneficial way.

"The people who go to Mindemoya and Manitowaning to build can now stay in Little Current," the mayor said. "It puts money into the local economy to help us grow."

NOJHL boss quits; faults league reffing

by Randy Russon

SUDBURY-Mark Seidel has resigned as the commissioner of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League but he didn't leave quietly.

Citing personal reasons as factoring in on his decision to step down after less than a year on the job, Seidel also admitted frustration with NOJHL governors and referees as playing a role in his resignation.

"Refereeing is the biggest problem this league has," he told The Expositor, "and the governors are afraid to take control of the situation."

Seidel pointed to game four of the Manitoulin Islanders/North Bay Skyhawks opening-round playoff series as an example of "poor officiating."

"I predicted before the game that (referee) Doug Horner would ruin a good game-and he did," said Seidel, who took his criticism of Horner a step further.

"Horner hates (Manitoulin coach) Reggie Leach," Seidel charged, and "he's trying to run him out of the league."

Leach was ejected by Horner during the game in question with a gross misconduct for abusive language, and faces a hearing today (Wednesday) with acting commissioner Hector Seguin and the league's head referee to learn whether the suspension will carry over into next season.

Horner had no comment on Seidel's remarks, saying through NOJHL referee-in-chief Glen Campbell that referees are not allowed to speak to the media.

Seidel, who was the NOJHL's third commissioner in as many seasons, also said the time constraints of the job wore him down.

"The job pays poorly and I have no problem with that but I wasn't prepared with having to work 40-50 hours a week. I have other commitments that were suffering because of this job."

Seidel, who lives in Lively, owns North American Central Scouting, an independent service that rates junior-aged players for the National Hockey League, and also writes a blog for The Hockey News.

Not one to hide his feelings, Seidel also fired a shot of North Bay Skyhawks' general manager Guy Blanchard. Seidel accused Blanchard of having his "own agenda" and "trying to run the commissoner's office."

Seidel added that "I doubt that Mr. Blanchard and I will be having lunch any time soon. He thinks he's above the league."

Blanchard, for his part, said the NOJHL "is no further ahead as a league now than it was when Mark took the job. There have been no signs of progress, no updates on expansion, no corporate sponsorship in place."

Nearby St. Joe Island okayed for turkey hunt

Manitoulin farmers opposing the trend

by Jim Moodie

ST. JOSEPH ISLAND-As Islanders continue to debate the merits of a potential wild turkey release for these parts, with objections from farmers reaching a new crescendo, nearby St. Joseph Island is welcoming its first gobbler hunt.

On March 14, the province announced that the Sault-area island, part of the same limestone chain that counts Manitoulin as its largest link, has been approved, along with the Bracebridge and Minden areas, for a new spring hunt of the transplanted species. The season is set to commence on April 25 and continue until the end of May.

Brian Figures, acting president of the St. Joseph Island Hunters and Anglers club, said the inaugural hunt marks the fruition of a lengthy effort to establish a new sporting opportunity on the island. "We started the process to get the birds eight years ago," he said. "And four years ago we finally got them on the ground."

From an initial introduction of 65 turkeys, released at three different areas of St. Joseph Island in 2004, the population has now swelled to more than 500, said Mr. Figures. And because the birds have flourished to this extent, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has finally given the green light to a gobbler season.

Several criteria must be met before a hunt is okayed. Three years of successful breeding must elapse following a release, according to the MNR's new Wild Turkey Management Plan, and the birds must number at least 200 in the area under consideration.

The spring season for St. Joseph Island was one of several changes proposed in this latest management plan-a comprehensive update to the last one for turkeys, authored 12 years ago-that was released in draft form by the MNR in early January for public scrutiny and feedback. The 46-day period for public consultation wrapped up earlier this month.

Patrick Hubert, an avian biologist with the MNR, said that while some commentators expressed concerns about a fall hunt that has been proposed for other areas, "support for the spring season changes were almost universal." As a result, "we have been able to move pretty fast on that, and those seasons are now approved."

And that, to Mr. Figures and his fellow turkey boosters on St. Joe, is great news. "We're excited about it," he said. "We've worked eight long years to get it here."

The Manitoulin Longbeards, a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, have been lobbying nearly as long for an introduction of wild gobblers on the Island, but remain a few years behind their St. Joseph counterparts. The birds haven't yet had a red carpet rolled out for their arrival here, let alone had an opportunity to prove they can prosper in this habitat.

A pre-election statement made by Premier Dalton McGuinty in support of a turkey planting on Manitoulin made the development seem more imminent, but the province's new turkey plan is silent on the subject (except in the sense that Manitoulin is included in the general zone that is deemed an acceptable home for the species) and the pro-gobbler group here still faces a number of challenges before a trap and transfer is apt to occur.

On the one hand, a study conducted by the MNR concerning the birds' potential impact has identified several species protected under the Species at Risk Act that could be compromised by the birds' presence. Meanwhile, farming groups remain firmly opposed to the idea of a release, viewing the non-native turkey as another needless threat to their crops.

Jim Anstice, a Tehkummah dairy farmer and representative of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), said that local farm groups such as the Manitoulin Soil and Crop Association and Manitoulin Cattlemen's Association have formally voiced their objection via resolutions, as well as through submissions to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) registry regarding the new turkey management plan.

The OFA's contribution to this forum takes particular exception to a chapter of the management plan titled "Human-turkey interactions in Ontario." This section of the document cites a number of typical complaints about damage caused by turkeys to agricultural land, but contends that "birds are often blamed for damage done by other species and often the actual damage done by turkeys is insignificant at most."

The OFA, in its submission, accuses the MNR of presenting "a condescending, dismissive response to a serious and growing problem, treating farmers' reports of wild turkey predation as akin to urban legend." In the agricultural association's view, "turkeys are doing quite well because they are relying on high-quality agricultural products for their food," and "it is na•ve to assert that crop damage blamed on turkeys is often caused by deer, raccoons or both."

The provincial voice for farmers has additionally petitioned Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield on behalf of Manitoulin growers. "The Ontario Federation of Agriculture fully supports the position taken by its local members to not allow the introduction of wild turkeys to Manitoulin," writes OFA president Geri Kamenz. "Manitoulin is home to 215 farmers working over 140,000 acres of land," he points out, and of this agricultural tract, "approximately 28,000 acres is cropland," including some 4,000 acres of grain crops.

Grain, grown primarily on Manitoulin to feed cattle, already encounters enough foraging pressure from sandhill cranes, geese and deer, farmers argue. "Inviting more damage to farms by introducing a non-indigenous species is incomprehensible," writes Mr. Kamenz.

But on St. Joseph Island, where the transplanted birds have been roosting-and foraging-for four years, objections among the farming sector have been few, maintained Mr. Figures. "We had one complaint last summer that turkeys were digging up potatoes," he said. "But it was deer doing it, and the turkeys just came in after. The majority of landowners here are in favour of it."

Mr. Figures said that his group has consulted with farmers all along. "We had open houses and invited the public in," he said. "We talked to stakeholders, dairy farmers, anyone who had a concern. One farmer objected, but the rest don't seem to mind. One gets a real kick out of them. He has 100 around his barn every winter."

Unlike geese or sandhill cranes, turkeys "don't pick the kernels right off" a grain crop, Mr. Figures said. "They're more opportunistic. After a combine has cut a field, they'll come in and eat what they can. But they're not so much looking for plants as insects, because there's more protein in that for their young."

In this sense, a wild turkey can actually assist a farmer by gobbling back some of the pests that compromise crops, he suggested. "But when you see a bunch of birds walking through a field, you can't tell what they're doing."

On St. Joseph Island, turkeys have also become a regular presence in people's backyards, where they raid overflow from birdfeeders (knocked to the ground by blue jays and other songbirds) or snacks set out for deer. "I've got seven of them out there that I can see right now," remarked Mr. Figures.

He's eager to head out next month to try to shoot one or two (two is the limit for a season, and a hunter can only shoot a tom) in a neighbour's field, he admits. But Mr. Figures said it's also been interesting just to have the creature around as an intriguing new addition to the landscape. "They're a really smart bird," he said. "My wife and I really enjoy watching them."

They may now be a fixture of the St. Joe scene and generally accepted, but it was far from a slam dunk to bring them to this area, Mr. Figures stressed. The biggest roadblock wasn't opposition from the agricultural community, though: it was concerns raised by "an animal rights activist from southern Ontario," according to Mr. Figures.

"This individual wrote in to the EBR to say there would be a detrimental impact to a red-sided dace-a minnow-and to bald eagles," he said. "That set us back a year and a half. Nothing came right away because we had to go through all the hoops."

For Manitoulin to qualify for a release, a similar assessment of environmental impacts would first have to be completed, with input fielded from various quarters. "Manitoulin would have to go through its own consultative process, with a posting to the EBR," said Mr. Hubert.

Islanders have jumped the gun a bit by airing opinions on a Manitoulin turkey release at the EBR site for the current management plan, as this blueprint contains no recommendation for gobblers to be stocked on the Island.

"It's a bit of a challenge in evaluating the comments, because we didn't have a proposal specific for Manitoulin," said Mr. Hubert. Still, submissions from Islanders "might help in the future if we do have a consultation for Manitoulin," he mused. "It's helpful; it's just not specific to the proposal."

The main thrust of this year's turkey management plan is to introduce a spring hunt in three areas where the birds have already been reestablished, including St. Joseph Island, and to create a new fall season in several parts of the province where the birds are thriving to the point that their numbers warrant additional harvesting.

New introductions are not part of the current plan.

EDITORIAL

Manitoulin poised to withstand economic recession

With some notable exceptions (the softwood lumber dispute with US, the "mad cow" crisis, again a specific trade issue with the US) the Canadian economy has been humming along well for over a decade.

Lately, there have been hiccups as the prices for Canadian commodities (oil, gold) have dropped and the Canadian dollar has dropped south of $1 US to 99 cents.

Our American neighbours have begun an inflationary spiral and we are all wondering what impact this will ultimately have on Canada, and on the economy of Manitoulin Island.

Tourism is the primary "commodity" that we produce here and, judging by the inflation that gripped Canada and the US in 1990, 1991 and 1992, the economy of Manitoulin fared far better than did the economies of cities like Toronto where real estate prices dropped and people were put out of their jobs because the market for the goods and services they produced was, at least temporarily, interrupted.

By and large that did not happen in our corner of Northern Ontario.

Lakeshore real estate continued to sell, building and renovations continued on homes and cottages, and Manitoulin Island remained a sufficient draw to tourists that they continued to come here, although in slightly smaller numbers.

The most public casualty of the recession of the early 1990s was the discontinuation of the second ferry, the M.S. Nindawayma, which was purchased by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission in 1988 and put into service in 1989 in order to take the pressure off the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun.

That worked well for the first season: both ships plying the Tobermory to South Baymouth route were booked and busy.

In 1991 and 1992, the effects of that recession were felt, pressure on the ferry service declined and, after all the fanfare that had preceded the start-up of the Nindawayma service, the second ferry was quietly taken off the route, laid up in Owen Sound for a few years in case she was needed again and, finally, sold.

So our Manitoulin economy wasn't invincible to external market forces but the layoffs were few, the tourists continued to come by automobile and boat for vacations, real estate continued to sell, albeit a little more slowly.

Should Canada follow the Americans' economic slowdown, it's predictable that Manitoulin will again follow suit, to some extent.

The major impact on tourism will be, as it was nearly 20 years ago, potential job losses and decreased incomes in our feeder markets.

The federal government has predicted much lower growth this fiscal year than our economy has been enjoying for the past decade, which sounds perilously close to the prediction of a recession.

Well, as a holiday destination, Manitoulin continues to be "priced to sell." People need vacations and the resorts and campgrounds here have always tended to price their services conservatively.

It's the same thing with real estate: a glance through the real estate listings shows property (both vacation and year-round residential) available in every price range.

By our nature, we seem to have positioned our economy to be able to withstand the worst onslaught of a significant recession.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Case of slain M'Chigeeng man raises questions

This is just one slaughter of many

To the Expositor:

The February 27 Manitoulin Expositor editorial "Why was Byron Debassige shot by Toronto Police?" posed a commendable question, albeit one that was not answered.

Here are some more questions, along the same line:

Why did a Wikwemikong Trudeau die after being chased by reservation police?

Why did a Polish arrival die after being tasered by Vancouver airport police?

Why did Toronto police kick Otto Vass to death?

Short of the university education (history) of the youth of Canada, the slaughter of capitalist-conditioned workers will continue until there is no planet Earth left to slaughter.

Shortly there will be another phony "election" when workers will again vote for capitalist Cons-Lib.-NDP-Green Candidates and more slaughters.

Douglas K. Campbell

Highway 540 

Government should intervene in First Nation mining dispute

Jailing First Nations members for defending territorial rights a disgrace

To the Expositor:

At a recent Laurentian University Xstrata Nickel Memorial Lecture Series, "disgraceful" is how the former Ontario lieutenant governor, James Bartleman, describes the social conditions of First Nations in Canada. While I agree with what Mr. Bartleman said in his lecture, I am not at all convinced that such words are enough to deal with the "disgraceful" situation in First Nation communities across this great and wonderful territory so many call home. In fact, Mr. Bartleman should have vigorously promoted such a philosophy, followed by action, during his tenure in office as the lieutenant governor of Ontario. His after-the-fact rendition can be interpreted as a hollow gesture echoing the true nature and reality of relations between the First Nations and the nation state, Canada.

Just a day or so prior to Mr. Bartleman's lecture at Laurentian University, The Sudbury Star ran a news article entitled, "First Nations officials sentenced in dispute" (March 18). The article references a decision by Superior Court Judge Patrick Smith to sentence six members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation leadership to six months in jail for defying a court-ordered injunction that allowed an exploration company, Platinex, to begin drilling on (KI) traditional territory. Indeed, this is a disgrace-a disgrace to the province of Ontario for committing such a travesty, and a disgrace to the federal government, which has taken it upon itself to be fiduciary for First Nation people. It should be realized that such a context would only add fuel to and exacerbate an already disgraceful situation between Canada and the First Nations.

It appears that both levels of government are guilty of human rights abuses perpetrated against the very people whose ancestors may have very well welcomed the ancestors of Mr. Dalton McGuinty and Mr. Stephen Harper to North American soil. At that time, it was the First Nations who welcomed the newcomers and who were a major political force, as well as the largest landowners. Today Mr. Harper and Mr. McGuinty now enjoy control over territory obtained and wrested from the First Nations through questionable and fraudulent treaty practices. This, in and of itself, is an utter disgrace, and today, ironically, it is the First Nations who find themselves imprisoned for protecting their traditional territories that now dot the Canadian landscape!

I am continually appalled and disgraced that the province of Ontario would have the unmitigated gall to jail First Nation members for protecting the last vestiges of what KI traditionally owned prior to the arrival of Europeans to their home territory. For the province of Ontario to charge KI members for protecting what little territory KI now owns, compared to what they traditionally owned, is tantamount to charging a landowner for the trespass of a third party who has no legal authority or right to extract resources on such property. Does this not require the consent of the owner, and why charge the owner? This baffles the sanest of minds! However, this practice is not only unheard of in this day and age but is an absurd and outrageous example and abuse of the legal process in the province of Ontario and Canada-indeed, this is a reflection of the disgraceful context of the First Nations in Canada. It certainly speaks to the legalities of such a context and indeed to the legal limbo in which First Nations find themselves when it comes to protecting their traditional territories. Again, I agree with Mr. Bartleman's contemporary assertion made at Laurentian University.

As a Grassroots community member of the Anishnabek Nation, I would like to call upon First Nation leadership to unify and speak out against such an outrage and abuse of power. More so, I would like to call upon the premier of Ontario, Mr. Dalton Mcquinty, and the prime minister's duly appointed Indian Affairs representative, Chuck Strahl, to intervene on behalf of the six KI First Nation officials and do the honourable thing. The honourable thing would be to drop the contempt charges and free the six members of the KI First Nation and to begin steps towards open and honest dialogue and in the context of bilateral discussion and negotiations with the membership of KI First Nation. This gesture would be a step in the right direction as we, First Nations and Canadians alike, forge ahead into the new millennium.

Patrick Corbiere

Anishinabek Nation Grassroots Community member

Whitefish River First Nation

Cassie Campbell

Betty's Convenience

Gore_Bay

I'm your neighbour

Making sure customers are happy with the services and products sold at Betty's Convenience in Gore Bay is one of the main duties of being a clerk in the store, says Cassie Campbell.

"I like working with and dealing with people," says Ms. Campbell, who has been a clerk and cashier at Betty's for the past four years. The business is owned by Betty and Dave Little.

That the young cashier gets along well with her employer makes the job all that more enjoyable.

"Betty is a fair boss and easy to work for," says Ms. Campbell. "And if you have to take time off, she will give it to you. She is easy to approach."

As a cashier and clerk, Ms. Campbell, who is from Gore Bay, helps to stock shelves, balance the cash register till, sell items in the store, including lottery tickets, and clean the store during her shifts. "The whole idea is to keep customers happy," she says.

Customer service is a skill that will come in handy when Ms. Campbell takes on a second job this spring at the Manitoulin Island Country Club as a waitress.

Ms. Campbell, who stayed on for a fifth year of studies at Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) in M'Chigeeng last year, will be entering college this fall.

"I will be taking law," said Ms. Campbell. "I will be studying to become a paralegal."

Until then, Ms. Campbell is happy to continue helping customers on the West End at Betty's, where she'll greet you with a smile and good service.

Shopping at stores like Betty's Convenience in Gore Bay creates lasting employment for Islanders like Cassie Campbell.