Ontario Works saves upgrading program

by Michael Erskine

ESPANOLA---The Cambrian College Basic Skills and Literacy (Upgrading) program in Little Current has been saved by the 11th hour intervention of the Manitoulin Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).

"I am pleased to advise you that we have developed a partnership with Ontario Works, Manitoulin Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board concerning their support of the upgrading class on the Cambrian College Campus of Manitoulin Island," said Cambrian President Sylvia Barnard in a release issued April 29, two days after meeting with members of the Manitoulin Campus Advisory Committee. "Ontario Works will provide the $35,000 shortfall for the 2004/2005 year, thus enabling the class to continue to operate full time for one more year."

The funding for the reprieve was made possible thanks to the success of the DSSAB's Ontario Works program.

"The money will come from the 'levels of service' funding we qualify for," said DSSAB CAO Gary R. Champagne. "Basically, it is employment funding you have to earn."

With each person that the local Ontario Works program helps to find employment, the board receives money.

While only some of the people who access the upgrading program are on social assistance, it was felt the program plays a critical role in fulfilling the Ontario Works mandate.

"Education is the backbone to getting people off social assistance," noted Mr. Champagne. "If there is no place to get basic skills and literacy training, what is their future?"

Thanks to the infusion of funding into the upgrading program, the program will now continue.

The reprieve, while temporary, will buy time for designated members of the Campus Advisory Committee to develop a sustainable model of delivery for future years. The upgrading classes, for the time being, will move to the College's location above the Post Office in Little Current.

"We will continue our explorations to find an appropriate alternate location for our campus over the next year," said Ms. Barnard, "and look forward to working with the Town of Little Current in this endevour."

Some details of the partnership arrangement have still to be worked out, but it is clear the upgrading program will remain, for now.

"We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Fern Dominelli, Director of Ontario Works, the Manitoulin Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board and (Algoma Manitoulin) MPP Mike Brown for finding this support for us at this time," said Ms. Barnard.

"Fern Dominelli and Gary Champagne sure stepped up to bat in a hurry," said Mr. Brown. "The great thing is that now the program can go forward while people work to find a long-term solution. It does show that people can solve problems."

While the intervention of Ontario Works will mean that people can still access upgrading on Manitoulin, other staff changes announced during the April 27 meeting of the Manitoulin Campus Advisory Committee will go forward.

"Continuing Education courses, and full time post-secondary and apprenticeship training programs will be provided where numbers warrant, as in past practice," said Ms. Barnard.

A staff person who until recently worked part of the time on Job Connect, while being fully paid for by Job Connect has been reallocated to work on that program entirely.

"We are confident that the additional staff dedicated to Job Connect will result in more students finding jobs on the Island," said Ms. Barnard, "and thus beginning their successful pathway into the world of work."

Manitoulin Secondary students win Envirothon 2004

by Michael Erskine

M'CHIGEENG---A crack team of Manitoulin Secondary School students proved academically dominant once again, improving on last year's Envirothon regional competition by securing top spot.

It was sweet revenge this year, as the Manitoulin team placed above St. Benedict's to capture top spot as last year's placement in the top two positions were reversed.

"We have the beginnings of a bit of a rivalry here," laughed Mike Zegil, the group's teacher advisor. "But it is a very friendly rivalry," he added quickly.

There were 17 teams from across the Rainbow District School Board, the Sudbury Separate School Board and the French school boards.

"The competition was very intense," said Mr. Zegil.

This year's team was comprised of Shawn O'Hare, Emily Whittington, Stephanie Barnes, Ashleigh Flood, Julia Wilson and Lindsay Orr.

When they go to the provincial championships this week in Tobermory, the MSS team will be battling 23 teams from across the province for the right to go to the International Envirothon in Virginia, USA.

Unfortunately, the team will be without Mr. O'Hare, as he was a sub this year. But, on the bright side, Mr. O'Hare is the only one of the team who is not moving on to college this year, so he has agreed to captain next year's team.

"This is very much a student driven enterprise," said Mr. Zegil. "When they came to me originally they didn't have a teacher advisor. They said please, please, please until I agreed to act as advisor."

Mr. Zegil has little actual input in the competitions, strict rules and an active schedule keep him deliberately far from the actual competitions.

To capture the top honours at the Envirothon, the MSS team attended a series of four workshops in aquatics, soils, wildlife and forestry, as well as a special topic, which was urban resource management this year.

After the workshops, the team returned to Science North on Competition Day to work as a team on tests based on the workshops, and then prepared a one and-one-half hour oral presentation. The results were then tabulated, weighted, and compiled to determine the overall winner.

The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, a community based association, will be hosting the annual Provincial Envirothon Competition in the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula thanks to the sponsorship of the Trillium Foundation (along with a long list of government, industry and community supporters).

The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association is dedicated to "achieving a healthy community on the Bruce Peninsula by promoting a healthy environment." A Biosphere Reserve, explains the group's website, serves as a model for co-operative efforts to conserve biodiversity, promote sustainable development, and increase local capacity for conservation and development.

The Ontario Envirothon is a hands-on environmental education program of the Ontario Forestry Association. A province-wide network of educators and resource professionals delivers this program through resource materials, field trips, workshops and competitions. Over 20 regional competitions take place throughout the year with the Provincial Competition taking place in the spring, and is followed by the Canon International Competition in Virginia during the summer.

Island municipalities continue to pursue smoke-free by-laws

by Neil Zacharjewicz

MANITOULIN - On the same evening the Tehkummah Township plans to give third and final reading to a smoke-free by-law for the municipality, a Central Manitoulin committee will be hearing from the public about their wishes on the same issue.

Tehkummah Township is planning to give third and final reading to its by-law at its regularly scheduled meeting of Tuesday, May 4th.

According to Tehkummah Reeve Jim Anstice, the municipality has been working toward a smoke-free by-law for quite some time, and a public meeting was held earlier this year on the issue. He noted that, while there was some discussion on the issue, there did not seem to be a lot of descent, and the township has received no correspondence opposed to the move. Reeve Anstice indicated that smoking has not been allowed in the municipal office for a number of years, and the senior citizens club disallowed smoking in their hall several years ago.

"To my understanding, it has gone fairly well," he said.

Meanwhile, in Central Manitoulin, Steve Shaffer is encouraging residents to turn out to a meeting of the township's Safety, Security and Health Committee, also scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 4th, to voice their opinion on the issue of a smoke-free by-law.

Mr. Shaffer, owner and operator of the Island Pub, has indicated he is opposed to council putting a smoke-free by-law in place for two reasons. The first is that, during the election campaign last fall, every candidate was asked for their position on the issue, and all the candidates said they would not support such action.

"They all agreed it was a provincial responsibility, not a municipal responsibility," Mr. Shaffer said. In fact, he pointed out that in the provincial election campaign, the Liberal government included as an election promise that it would pass smoke-free legislation for the province, in which case there would be no benefit for the municipality to pursue the issue.

"There is no reason why the municipality should be tackling it at this point," he said.

The second reason Mr. Shaffer has come forward against a smoke-free by-law is because of the impact it will have on his business. He pointed out a number of municipalities are reconsidering and reviewing their smoke-free by-laws because of the economic impact it is having on businesses in their area.

"Municipal politics is not supposed to be about killing local business," Mr. Shaffer said. He indicated that he had polled the patrons of his establishment, and the results were not encouraging. He said he was concerned that the municipality would pass a municipal by-law that would affect his business' ability to compete in the market place.

The prior council for Central Manitoulin had chosen not to pass a smoke-free by-law, Mr. Shaffer said, but opted not to as the issue proved to be very divissive in the community. The council of the day could have put the issue on the ballot in last fall's municipal election, he noted, but opted not to do so.

"They are trying to take away the rights of the people," Mr. Shaffer said.

The issue of rights is an issue that many people opposed to smoke-free by-laws raise, suggested Linda Belton, public health nurse with the Sudbury and District Health Unit (SDHU). However, she said that it is not about a person's rights.

"It's a health matter, not a rights issue," she stated.

Ms. Belton indicated that approximately a year and a half ago, the SDHU board of directors passed a resolution requesting that the member municipalities in its coverage area pass smoke-free by-laws.

"The SDHU is asking municipalities to go 100 percent smoke-free," she indicated.

As far as responsibility for smoke-free by-laws, Ms. Belton pointed out that the new Municipal Act approved by the prior provincial government did turn over responsibility on the issue to municipalities.

"The residents of their communities are faced with a health risk because of smoking," she noted.

Mr. Shaffer expressed concern that the SDHU has been trying to convince municipality's to adopt smoke-free by-laws

"The SDHU is a paid lobby group, paid for by the province," he suggested. "If the province wanted this, they could have legislated it."

Central Manitoulin Reeve Richard Stephens said he is looking forward to a healthy, two-sided debate on the issue, but downplayed any likelihood that the issue would become heated.

"I am not expecting a big, raucous debate," he stated. "It is not intended to be controversial."

Council gave first reading to a smoke-free by-law in April, but he indicated that there are no specific plans to hold another vote on the issue in the near future. He said council wishes to garner public input, as council cannot make any decision without first finding out what the residents would like to see.

"Personally, I have only heard from one party," Reeve Stephens stated.

Under the current by-law the township is considering, businesses in Central Manitoulin would have to be smoke-free effective January 1, 2005. Reeve Stephens pointed out that the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands and the Town of Gore Bay have already passed smoke-free by-laws in their municipalities.

Road to Wikwemikong approaching crisis breakdown

by Michael Erskine

MANITOWANING---Ruined tires and badly rattled bodies face commuters travelling on 'Cardwell Street,' the road into Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, Manitoulin Island's largest community.

In fact, Cardwell Street, a local name that refers to a combination of sections of Meredith and Cardwell Streets in Manitowaning, has deteriorated to such a dangerous point that Assiginack Reeve Les Fields, through whose community the traffic artery runs, and Wikwemikong Chief Walter Manitowabi, whose community's residents make up the vast majority of the roads users, felt compelled to call a joint press conference to bring attention to the issue.

"It is so bad now that it has become a safety issue," said Chief Manitowabi, reflecting the frustration felt by most members of his community over delays in repairing the road. "Something has to be done."

Reeve Fields also expressed concern and frustration over the impasse that appears to have developed over the road. Representatives of the two communities have linked arms in a common front on an issue that impacts greatest on residents of Wikwemikong, but upon whose shoulders the province would place the bill.

"Our understanding on this is that everyone else has stepped up to the plate," said Reeve Fields. "It is only the province who we can't seem to get to make any kind of commitment to help resolve this issue."

The difficulty lies in a question of jurisdiction. Responsibility for roads has been devolved onto the municipalities in the province, and therefore the province has continually stonewalled any suggestion that it contribute to the project, but the cost of bringing the road up to secondary highway standards is far beyond the capacity of the Township of Assiginack.

Chief Manitowabi agreed that it was unfair to lay responsibility for upgrading the road solely on the shoulders of the municipality's ratepayers, but noted that the economic development of his community was being threatened by the shortcomings of the corridor.

The preferred option in dealing with the issue would be to build a new road to provide access between Wikwemikong and Highway 6.

Manitowaning, in which Cardwell Street resides, is a community of 350 residents and the road presently services 15 families, a seasonal cottage resort and a golf course. As there is no alternative route to the community, the 3,000 residents and 3,000 non-residents of Wikwemikong must also use that road to access their community, and the constant pounding consistent with secondary road usage has taken its toll.

Wikwemikong has pursued an aggressive and pro-active policy of self-sufficiency through the past two decades, resulting in a major increase in traffic over the road link.

The Ministry of Transportation once provided subsidies for both the maintenance and capital requirements associated with the road, noted Reeve Fields, but "that is no longer the case."

"Our township has faced the same pressures that every other small Northern municipality," she said. "The pressure to maintain an aging infrastructure, meet new regulations in water, waste water treatment and delivery, simply means the taxpayers of Assiginack can not afford to correct the problem on their own. It would bankrupt the town."

Although it is quickly coming to a head, the problem is not a new issue.

In 1998, the two communities formed a joint committee to address the problem. Wikwemikong has taken a lead role in researching the solution because they are a larger community, with a larger administration and a larger budget.

Northland Engineering was commissioned to identify, and to put a price tag, on the work needed to bring the connecting link up to standard. That price tag came in at between $1.3 and $1.8 million.

A series of stakeholder meetings was held between representatives of the two communities, engineers, the Ministry of Transportation, Northern Development and Mines and Indian and Northern Affairs.

As the road lies off-reserve, and the province refuses to officially recognize the Cardwell Street corridor as a connecting link, and therefore a provincial responsibility as a secondary highway, no Ministry believes they have a program under which relief for the community's dilemma can be found.

Six years later, the issue remains unresolved and the committee is nearing complete demoralization from the "bureaucratic response."

"We are literally at our wit's end," said Reeve Fields. She pointed to the alligatoring along both sides of the road that is allowing water to seep into the road bed.

"The engineers tell us that the water and frost has jumbled things up so much down there by now that the road bed will have to be completely replaced," said Reeve Fields. "We have coldpatched it and applied Band-Aids for years, but things are far beyond that now."

In an effort to pursue another avenue, an avenue that is actually preferable to the current route at this point, the two communities have outlined an alternate route for an access road to the reserve utilizing property the band already owns along with some small property purchases that would have to be made.

The new route, pegged at a cost of $2.2 million, would, according to a presentation by the committee, shunt heavy truck traffic away from the residential areas of Manitowaning through which it currently must travel and allow for development of a new subdivision. In addition, the new route would alleviate the bottleneck that is hampering economic development in both communities.

Currently, 1,300 trips a day move across the pavement of Meredith and Cardwell Streets, and that, say the two communities is a level of usage that a rural municipal road simply cannot be expected to sustain.

The province maintains that it is not ignoring or shunting aside the issue, but that it will take time to reconcile the issue.

Minister of Northern Development and Mines, the Honorable Rick Bartolucci, cited the $1 billion Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund as a possible solution to the problem, especially as those monies specifically target water and roads projects, but admits that the parameters of applying for those funds will have to wait for completion of negotiations between the province and the federal government.

"We have been living with an unacceptable situation for over six years," said Ms. Fields. "Their answer seems to be to just hang in there. That just isn't an option anymore."

Reeve Fields and Chief Manitowabi requested a meeting with Minister Bartolucci on the issue when he arrives at the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities on Friday, May 7, but the Minister's office said the time-frame was too limited to allow the Minster to meet.

"Rick is aware of the problem and he does want to meet on this issue," said Algoma Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown, noting the meeting would not be possible. "Nobody should read anything more into it than that. It usually takes six to eight weeks at least to arrange a meeting with a cabinet minister."

Mr. Brown said he recognizes the seriousness of the issue only too well, and he is working to facilitate a solution.

"I share their frustration. Frankly, this problem needed to be addressed 10 years ago," he said. "Unfortunately, during the 10 years they were in power the previous government were too busy giving highways away to provide money to fix them."

The result of that decade of neglect, noted Mr. Brown is a situation where there are incredible demands on the provincial purse.

Still, Mr. Brown said, the ultimate solution will likely entail classifying access into Wikwemikong as a secondary highway.

In the meantime, the situation has become so desperate that Assiginack staff were told to investigate the legality of closing the road as a way of pressuring the province into finding a solution.

"Our legal counsel has told us we can't close the road," said Ms. Fields, who noted that political action of this sort is not the kind of thing she would even consider unless pressed beyond endurance. "But if something doesn't happen soon the elements are going to take care of it for us."