House of Commons, Senate legislate future protection

for lighthouses

Communities have two years to argue for heritage status for local structures

by Lindsay Kelly

MANITOULIN-After nearly a decade of lobbying, Canadian lighthouses-the iconic beacons that have guided sailors safely to shore and characterized this country's marine heritage-will finally receive protection from divestiture following the passing of a bill designed to make it easier to bestow the lights heritage status.

An Act to Protect Heritage Lighthouses cleared the House of Commons, while simultaneously passing third reading in the Senate last week, and is expected to receive Royal Assent shortly. Its aim is to prevent unauthorized alteration or demolition of the aging structures and give communities greater participation into the selection process when distinguishing lights for heritage status.

"Until now lighthouses deemed surplus to operational requirements have been burned down, blown up or demolished without consultation with adjacent communities," former British Columbia senator Pat Carney, who sponsored the bill, said in making the announcement.

Bill S-215 provides guidelines to select and designate heritage lighthouses; prevents the unauthorized alteration or disposition of heritage lighthouses; requires that heritage lighthouses be reasonably maintained; and facilitates sales or transfers of heritage lighthouses in order to ensure the lighthouses' public purpose.

Federally owned lighthouses exist in every province except Alberta and Saskatchewan, and yet, news of the bill's passing seemed to travel slowly last week. It came as a surprise to local marine heritage guru Bill Caesar, who is the Sheguiandah Museum board chair and has lobbied to keep the Strawberry Island lighthouse from divestiture and possible demolition.

"That's absolutely fantastic," the White's Point resident said. "What wonderful news."

He and other Island residents became alarmed two years ago when they learned that the Strawberry Island lighthouse-the picturesque red and white beacon perched along the shore of Strawberry Island in Northeastern Manitoulin-was under review for possible divestiture by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office.

A representative was tasked with evaluating the lighthouse and giving it a heritage value. Mr. Caesar and other Manitoulin stakeholders lobbied the government fearing that, if the lighthouse was deemed to have low heritage value, an important part of local marine heritage could be lost forever. That was in October, 2006, and lobbyists have yet to learn the fate of the light.

Mr. Caesar speculated that prior knowledge of the bill's upcoming third reading could account for the review office's sluggish disclosure of its findings. But Bill S-215 is positive because the government would put in place significant measures to ensure communities are notified before the lighthouses are divested, he suggested.

"This will be a lot of help in terms of letting us know where we're at," he said.

The bill's passing comes at a potentially precarious time for the lights. At the North Channel Marine Tourism Council meeting last month, Dr. Robert Burns, a heritage resources consultant to the federal government whose job is to conduct historical research and analysis of government buildings which are being considered for demolition or divestiture, warned that three more Island lighthouses were up for review.

He recently submitted reviews on Janet Head lighthouse in Gore Bay, the Manitowaning light tower and the Kagawong beacon, and none has yet received heritage status.

There hasn't been any word to the municipalities either, according to Assiginack Reeve Les Fields, whose community's lighthouse was amongst those reviewed.

"Wow," was her response when told of the bill's passing. "That's good news."

Reeve Fields was amongst those who contributed a written defence of the lighthouse when the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office began collecting information last fall. Since then, she hasn't heard any news about the beacon, which has stood on that spot since 1885.

Although the new bill doesn't guarantee the Manitowaning light's preservation, Reeve Fields was pleased that the government had at least recognized the importance of the lighthouses.

"They are obviously going to try to make sure they preserve them and that's the big one," she said.

The new bill will not automatically provide heritage status to all lighthouses; however, it gives communities up to two years to lobby the government on a lighthouse's behalf.

That the bill will require the government to provide maintenance comes as a relief to Northeast Town Councillor Jib Turner, who sits on the North Channel Marine Tourism Council and has expressed concern about the plight of the lighthouses. An alternative to demolition-the downloading of the lighthouses onto municipalities and First Nations-would be too costly for small communities to keep up, he said.

"The part I was worried about is that...we don't have the resources to maintain the facility," he said. "If we had to do it, we would likely have to do it with volunteers, and that's stress on our volunteers that we don't need."

Councillor Turner's father, Barney, was equally passionate about preserving the lights. He and Dr. Jack Bailey began a campaign to save the lighthouses after the Narrow Island beacon was demolished in 1979 without consultation from any local representative.

But the lights are important not only for their intended navigational purposes ("It makes it easier to know where you are," Councillor Turner said.), but the lighthouses have become symbolic of Manitoulin's marine heritage and should be preserved as such.

"In my view, I'd like to see them complete with keepers," he said.

The Act to Protect Heritage Lighthouses was initially introduced in 2000, but successive bills did not make it through to legislation. Bill S-215 will come into effect in two years' time after government, with the assistance of an advisory council, has time to establish criteria for heritage designation.

Of the 256 federally owned lighthouses across Canada, only 120 currently have heritage status.

30 ground-level seniors' units feature in

proposed Mindemoya 'lifestyle' complex

by Alicia McCutcheon

MINDEMOYA-The Central Manitoulin township office was the scene of a full house Saturday when interested members of the community came to learn more about the proposed adult lifestyle community complex, named Manitou Ridge, to be built by former Big Lake resident Chad Pearson.

Mr. Pearson and Dennis Castellan, from the architect firm Castellan James and Partners, were on hand to discuss the plans and answer any questions the community had.

Mr. Pearson explained that it is his vision to create this development for Central Manitoulin and the Island as a whole as he sees a need for this type of project in the community.

The property where the proposed building site is to go is in the southern part of Mindemoya, and encompasses 64 acres located behind the public school-close to all the amenities of downtown Mindemoya.

Mr. Pearson named the project Manitou Ridge-a name, he said, "that captures the essence and spirit of Manitoulin."

"This is a project that will reflect a conscience of sustainable design," he added. "It's our goal to minimize the impact on the property and Manitoulin as a whole."

After one year and 12 properties later, Mr. Pearson said he believes he has found the perfect property for the Manitou Ridge project, which is set to begin with a ground floor apartment complex. He is aiming for 30, two-bedroom, environmentally friendly and efficient units.

While the drawing shows the units as measuring 1,000 square feet with two bedrooms, Mr. Pearson noted that they are conceptual at this phase and was open to hearing suggestions. Some people in the crowd had concerns over two-bedroom apartments and wondered if he and the architect had considered one-bedroom units. Mr. Pearson replied that it would go under consideration but according to numerous studies done on Manitoulin regarding such project for older adults, the general consensus had been a need for two bedrooms.

The complex is set to include a common room with a central fireplace and another room off of the common area that can be booked for larger gatherings and closed off for privacy. A gazebo area is included in the drawings, too, and each unit is set to include a private walkout patio.

"People on Manitoulin are used to having their own space," Mr. Pearson said of the private patio areas.

The units are also designed to be accessible to those in wheelchairs or walkers. The bathroom is even large enough to include a five-foot turning radius if a wheelchair is needed.

He explained that the utilities are to be metered separately, which could allow the units to go up for private sale someday down the road. Wayne Legge of Mindemoya posed the question as to whether the units would be deemed residential, and therefore not metered, or commercial, and metered.

"That's a good point," Councillor Al Tribinevicus said, adding that council would have to look at the subject.

"The town has to be prepared to look at things differently," Mr. Castellan said.

The architect addressed the audience, saying he hoped this project would speak not only to the people of Manitoulin, but beyond.

"People today are looking for a lifestyle-to create a place that people want to live in," he said. "We won't create a density that will be seen in southern Ontario. People will come here for something that says 'Manitoulin Island'-to search for something that's authentic to the Island."

While the project is set to begin with an apartment complex, Mr. Pearson hopes to add more housing in the future-perhaps an assisted living complex and maybe even a long-term care facility. This, he said, will all depend on the need.

He said he would like to see people stay in their community over time, even as their needs change.

The road into the site will run alongside the school with a green barrier between the two. The units will also be adjacent to previous housing so as to create a feeling of flow in the community.

Green space is important to Mr. Pearson and the site map includes a pond and plenty of greenery around the proposed buildings. Walking and skiing trails will also run through the 64-acre property.

Central Manitoulin resident Perry Anglin asked Mr. Pearson if tenants could have a private garden. Mr. Pearson said that they could, and that he hopes to see communal gardens on the property too. When asked about pets, however, Mr. Pearson said a decision had yet to be made.

Petra Wall asked what was surely on the minds of many-price.

"If this is set to be a global place that would surely drive the price up and perhaps not allow for local people to afford the space," she said.

As of yet, there has not been a price set but Mr. Castellan said they are looking at "life cycle costing."

"If you can go into the unit and save some cash because of efficiency, it's going to be more money, but you have to look at what you would normally be spending every year," he said.

"I have a question, Chad," said Wilda Campbell matter-of-factly. "I want to know if you think this is really going to fly when the shovel hits the ground 'cause I'm getting older by the year!"

"Our goal is next spring," Mr. Pearson laughed.

Mr. Anglin wanted to know if the taxpayers should be prepared to pay for anything.

"No, I don't think so, but some sidewalks up Yonge and Thorne Streets might be nice," he said with a grin. "But that would be of benefit to everyone."

Before the crowd broke up, Doug Lanktree, the driving force behind Mindemoya's upcoming senior's complex, addressed Mr. Pearson.

"I see no conflict between the two projects," he said. "I think there's enough room for both and see no competition between the two. I wish you well, Chad."

Mr. Lanktree's own project has been given the go-ahead by the contractor, Build North and are hoping to see construction as soon as July, with 50 percent of the units already leased.

MPP Mike Brown introduces bill changing cormorant's status

by Michael Erskine

TORONTO-Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown has introduced a private member's bill to have the double-breasted cormorant moved into the same category as other nuisance birds like the crow and the common grackle.

"Cormorants continue to be a serious problem, not just in Algoma-Manitoulin, but all along the Great Lakes and particularly in the North Channel," said Mr. Brown, whose bill was added to the roster of private member's bills on April 17, 2008. "These birds are causing serious damage."

Mr. Brown said he was gratified that the federal cormorant cull was going ahead on Middle Island, after a court challenge to the cull was dismissed. "The court case was helpful in that it helped to define the legal issues," he said. "I hope as we go forward, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the First Nation communities on Manitoulin that have expressed concerns about this issue will be able to take some reasonable management steps."

Mr. Brown had pledged to re-introduce Bill 156 which had been introduced by Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Ernie Parsons, but it died on the order table when the election was called. Mr. Parsons had chosen not to run again. "On April 17 I kept the commitment I made and I hope that the members will support our efforts to find a solution to an issue that impacts on communities across the Great Lakes region," he said. "Unfortunately, Mr. Parsons declined to run again, but that does not mean the issue has become any less urgent-if anything it has become more so."

Mr. Brown noted that cormorant numbers have already declined significantly over the past season and with his bill it is hoped that their numbers can be reduced to a more sustainable population.

Memorial rally day in Toronto planned for Byron Debassige

by Alicia McCutcheon

M'CHIGEENG-The house on Riverside Driver in M'Chigeeng was full of family and friends, eager to chip in and help-frying scones, chopping tomatoes or grating cheese-anything they could do to support Jennifene Debassige in her quest to see justice for her son Byron,

Last Friday Ms. Debassige held a taco sale fundraiser to drum up funds for the rally she has planned in Toronto for June 6 in Oriole Park. Byron Debassige was shot and killed in that same park by Toronto Metropolitan police officers on February 16 of this year. The incident occurred after Mr. Debassige left an area corner shop, apparently shoplifting some lemons. Witnesses say the young man appeared to be drunk when he was seen soon after in Oriole Park, singing and asking passersby for change. When police arrived an altercation ensued with police reports alleging Mr. Debassige drew a knife. Shots were fired and Mr. Debassige, a member of the M'Chigeeng First Nation, was pronounced dead on arrival to hospital.

It was later learned that 28-year old Byron Debassige had been dealing with mental illness since his teenage years. The Special Investigations Unit has been conducting a probe but so far, the family has heard nothing, though they hope for a coroner's inquest.

Ms. Debassige has held various fundraising events in the community including making food baskets and holding canteens on bingo nights as well as the taco sale. She explained that the money would go toward paying for the bus that will take those who wish to attend the rally from Manitoulin to Toronto on June 6 as well as supplies for the rally.

"It's a gathering, not a protest," Ms. Debassige said. "I'm doing it in support of my son's memorial."

There have already been a number of people confirmed their seats on the bus and she expects a good turnout. "The community has been so good," Ms. Debassige added.

The price of taking the bus-which is set to leave at 7 am on June 6-is $20 per person and seats can be booked by phoning Ms. Debassige at 377-5197.

"There has to be awareness to find better strategies when dealing with First Nations people," she said of police dealings with Aboriginals. "I don't like the way they perceive those with mental illness. It wasn't right."

EDITORIAL

'Have not' designation an insult to Ontario

We've been hearing more and more lately about Ontario's new status within the federated provinces as a "have-not" jurisdiction.

What nonsense.

Ontario, because of its sheer size, abundant natural resources, extensive Great Lakes shoreline and proximity to the American Midwest has always been ideally suited to be Canada's manufacturing breadbasket.

This also means, of course, that in the way of economic ups and downs that sometimes particular products made in Ontario fall out of fashion or can be made more cheaply elsewhere. Manufacturing businesses disappear, taking with them jobs.

But new products come along, people are re-trained in new skills and the labour force is redirected.

Ontario isn't exactly on welfare.

The "have not" designation that has been bandied about lately (and thoughtlessly) is by the way of a comparison to those East Coast provinces whose ships have lately come in by way of oil revenue. The same with Alberta.

Meanwhile, in the national equalization stakes, Ontario gives the federal government about $20 billion more in revenue, to be redistributed to other provinces, than comes in from federal sources.

The term "have not" isn't appropriate and is insulting to the hard-working Ontarians that have been Canada's primary engine of growth since Canada's inception nearly 141 years ago and any federal politicians, particularly those on the government side of the House of Commons, should carefully consult their history texts before making any such further utterances.

Letters to the Editor

New cage culture guidelines require co-operation with ministry

Visitors still welcome to see operation first-hand

To the Expositor:

It has been my position since 1984-when my wife and I started culturing rainbow trout in net pens in Lake Wolsey-that the wild fish in the lake belong to the public. I have tried to make them available to the public in every way I could without interfering too much with our day-to-day activities on the farm. We offered equal access to the cages to all who asked as long as they were considerate of our safety procedures and didn't hinder our daily work.

I have never had any serious conflicts with visitors or anglers in over 20 years-quite the opposite. I have met hundreds of very nice individuals and families, made some good friends and learned a lot about the lake ecosystem by asking questions and listening to their answers and opinions and looking at their catches.

Recently, MNR biologists have decided that due to the increasing pressures on the perch population it would be beneficial to the long-term sustainability of the perch population to give them protection while they are under and within 25 metres of the net pens. I do not believe they have the legal right to demand this. I have, however, decided to post signs informing the public that I am co-operating with this policy. Mooring buoys will also be put at the proper distance for the convenience of the fishermen. The new district manager in Sudbury, along with the acting area supervisor in Espanola, have convinced me a fresh attitude of co-operation is possible.

More research is promised. The perch numbers under the cages dramatically increase in times of stress. One very obvious example of this is cormorant predation. Many of you have probably seen the pictures of the recent perch kill near my cages from cormorant predation. During spawning periods when they are schooled together in unusually large numbers and very vulnerable, the cormorants attack in large flocks and can decimate whole year classes of spawners in a short time. At times like that they need protection and thanks to the many volunteers they got it here.

Invasive species like zebra mussels and gobies have significantly reduced the forage base for perch (and other species prized by anglers). The net enclosures for my rainbow trout provide shelter and a substrate for algae, plankton, and various bugs like freshwater shrimp to grow on providing an increased and, at times, critical food source.

As the anglers who have fished Lake Wolsey for years know, and contrary to the belief of some misinformed people, every perch in the lake does not live exclusively under the nets. Perch are very opportunistic feeders. They go where the food is. They eat minnows, bugs that live all through the water column, plankton, crayfish, etc. At different times during the year they move out and take advantage of what the lake offers them. For example, during the period of winter where the lake is covered with ice, there are very few perch under the nets. They mostly gather at the north end where there is open water.  Witness the many ice shacks placed there every winter.

Lake Wolsey was an excellent perch fishery before my nets were here. It has continued to be during the 23 years I have grown trout. I would like to work with local groups and the MNR to do what we can to keep it that way. One of the most enjoyable side effects of having a lot of wild fish around the nets has been listening to families and visitors laughing, joking and enjoying themselves catching fish. That's worth protecting. We still welcome fisherman and visitors here as we always have.

Mike Meeker

Evansville

Ethanol production causing world hunger

Using food for fuel is madness

To the Expositor:

The US government pays farmers hefty subsidies to grow corn for ethanol production. The belief, according to TV's John Stossel, is that ethanol "is the elixir that will give us cheap energy, end our dependence on Middle East oil sheiks, and reverse global warming."  Many Canadians concur. Farmers have responded by converting vast amounts of their cropland from grain to feed people to corn for ethanol production to feed automobiles. 

The result: food shortages, food price increases and in many parts of the world, starvation. The situation is steadily getting worse as more and more land is taken away from food production.

Chuck Colson says, "Biofuels are one of the major reasons you and I are paying more for groceries these days. For most of us, it is just an inconvenience. For many around the world, however, it is a catastrophe. Last week, United Nations Special Investigator Jean Ziegler called the use of biofuels, such as ethanol, a "crime against a great part of humanity."

"In the past," says Colson, "Global food crises were sparked by natural disasters and bad harvests. What makes this food crisis a crime against humanity is: We caused it."

In our part of the world, egg prices are up 35 percent; milk up 23 percent; and bread up 16. These increases squeeze our budget.

"But for the "great part of humanity" Ziegler talks about, it is a lot worse. In countries like Ethiopia and Bangladesh, people can spend 70 percent of their income on food; so even modest increases in food prices can impair their ability to feed their families. And price increases for the staples they depend on have not been modest: Wheat prices have doubled and corn prices quadrupled in the last year."

Colson quotes Zeigler as saying he called "transforming hundreds and hundreds of thousands of tons" of foodstuffs into fuel "absolutely catastrophic for the hungry people."

Look at it this way, says Colson: It takes 510 pounds of corn to make 13 gallons of ethanol; that amount could "feed a child in Zambia or Mexico for a year," while it fuels your car only for a week!  Surely anyone with a shred of integrity cannot deny that it is more important to feed a child in Zambia for a year than to feed his/her car for a week.

Rising food prices are also causing social instability. According to the World Food Program, "33 countries in Asia and Africa face political instability as the urban poor struggle to feed their families." Insurrection, violence and more human misery are virtually assured, all thanks to glassy-eyed environmentalists and politicians who surrender to them. 

John Stossel says, "Except for the fact that ethanol comes from corn, nothing you're told about it is true." He says that without subsidies, ethanol would cost much more than gasoline and the notion that using ethanol will save energy is a myth. He says, "Studies show that the amount of energy ethanol produces and the amount needed to make it are roughly the same."  He quotes Taylor, saying, "It takes a lot of fossil fuels to make the fertilizer, to run the tractor, to build the silo, to get that corn to a processing plant, to run the processing plant." He says further, "And because ethanol degrades, it can't be moved in pipelines the way that gasoline is. So many more big, polluting trucks will be needed to haul it."

Many politicians are pandering to environmentalists because they believe in maintaining political power as an end in itself, and many environmentalists see the environment as our chief concern, even at the expense of humans.

Proper environmental stewardship is essential, but this is not stewardship: it is madness. And it is evil.

Jack McMillan

Espanola

Sandhill cranes offer glimpse

of nature up close

Crane festival could attract visitors

To the Expositor:

The Manitoulin Nature Club is very concerned about the proposal to hunt sandhill Cranes.

We have been studying these interesting birds for some years and nature club members lead very popular trips each fall to see the cranes. This spring two of our members have found a crane nest and taken groups of visitors to see the parent birds sitting on the nest. When the eggs hatch the very small chicks leave the nest and can be seen walking with their watchful parents for most of the summer until they are old enough to fly.  Visitors from off the Island look forward to seeing our undisturbed cranes. Manitoulin sandhill cranes could become a focus for ecotourism. A Sandhill Crane Festival in late September or early October, before the ferry finishes for the season, could attract many visitors to the island thus extending the tourist season. A sandhill crane hunt would be incompatible with these ideas.

Chris Bell

Green Bay

Ashley Huck

Espanola and District Credit Union

Little Current

I'm your neighbour

Ashley Huck is a fairly recent addition to the Espanola and District Credit Union family in Little Current, but she's certainly been a welcome one. Her smiling face and pleasant demeanour have her fit right in with the rest of the staff and the homey feel of the credit union.

As she's been attending school in Sudbury for the past two years-earning her bachelor's degree in psychology from Laurentian University-being back home and working in such a busy place is welcome as she said interacting with the public is something she loves to do.

"I love it," Ashley said. "There's a lot to learn, but it's coming right along."

Plus, she added, the things she's learning helps her out with her own banking.

Ashley said she is looking forward to the summer months when she can spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors. Her other loves include hanging out with friends, watching movies, shopping and road trips. She has no road trips planned just yet, but hopes to make a trip to Ottawa this summer, schedule permitting, but wants to work as much as possible to allow for another year of schooling at Laurentian.

Ashley said she hasn't made up her mind as to what she would like to do upon graduation, preferably something with children, but knows one thing for certain-she wants to see the world!

At sixteen, Ashley made a trip to Italy and she's been itching to travel ever since and can't wait to hit the road.

Supporting local financial institutions like the Espanola and District Credit Union provides lasting employment for people like Ashley Huck.