Cormorants won't be culled on Manitoulin

by Michael Erskine
TORONTO-Announcements on the Environmental Bill of Rights website
that the Ministry of Natural Resources will be continuing to study
cormorants in the North Channel and Manitoulin region instead of
announcing a cull of the fish-eating avians met with less than an
enthusiastic response from local politicians and fish and game clubs.
"If they are going to do another study, my feeling is that it is
useless," said Fish and Game Club President Rick Gjos, who admitted
he had not had time to review the EBR posting as of Monday night.
"To me it's just stalling. The fish are gone, so we have to do
something. The only reasonable thing is a cull of adult cormorants,
so we can bring the fish stocks back up. The five-year study told us
that they're eating all the fish, so I don't see the point in
another study."
Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown also expressed disappointment in
the lack of a cull announcement.
"I have come to understand a lot about the issue over the last few
years and this is not the answer I would have hoped for," he said.
Mr. Brown noted that he understands that further study is necessary
in order to move the cormorant over to the same category of nuisance
birds such as crows, blackbirds and the American cowbird without the
MNR being required to conduct a full-scale environmental assessment
study by the Ministry of the Environment.
"It is a step in the right direction," said Mr. Brown. "In the
personal opinion of a constituency politician, I think it is in the
interests of all to recognize that it is time to make the necessary
amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act which already
explicitly excludes six birds."
A second EBR posting announced that a cormorant cull would proceed
to kill 3,000 cormorants in the High Bluff Island area of Presqu'ile
Park.
News of the cull quickly drew the ire of Cormorant Defenders
International and their lawyer Clayton Ruby.
The cormorant defenders issued a press release calling the cull a
"government-run slaughter" and characterizing the MNR's 1.5
kilometer exclusion zone around the cull area as a violation of the
'observers' civil liberties.
"This is a clear violation of our constitutional right to freedom of
expression," said Cormorant Defender International spokesperson
Julie Woodyer. "They know the slaughter is cruel, unnecessary and
can't solve the problems they say they are trying to solve, but
instead of addressing that, they'd rather squash our rights, keep us
away, and get on with it."
The release also suggested that the exclusion zone may put observers
at risk by forcing them out further into more turbulent waters.
The cormorant advocates said that wildlife groups are looking at
various ways of challenging the MNR's "autocratic and regressive
actions."

Strike ends in NE Town

by Lindsay Kelly

NORTHEAST MANITOULIN-The 32-week-old labour dispute in the Northeast Town has come to an end, following two days of intense, mediated negotiations, after which it was recommended-by the bargaining committees on either side of the dispute-that both sides vote unanimously in favour of accepting the latest contract agreement.

On May 9 and 10, negotiating committees for the town and the union convened at the Days Inn in Sudbury for a two-day negotiating session, mediated by Tim Armstrong, a labour mediator and former deputy minister of labour. By Wednesday afternoon, the two sides had come to a tentative agreement.

Council met for a special in-camera meeting that night, during which council voted in favour of accepting the newest contract. On Saturday morning, the union met and also voted to accept the contract.

The three-year agreement, which expires in May, 2009, addresses several issues, including a three percent per year wage increase, job guarantees for full-time employees, the contracting out of services, what bargaining unit work can be done by whom, and changes to scheduling.

The contract comes not without its casualties, however. Two part-time people and one full-time employee will not return to the workforce. Wayne Orr decided not to return to work, while Mary-Alice Lewis and George Dobbs have been let go. Warren McGauley will be laid off upon the return of Mike Bailey. Over the course of the three-year contract, two of the eight employees whose jobs were guaranteed will retire and will not be replaced.

Those employees who will be laid off will receive severance packages.

According to the contract, people who are laid off will be recalled according to seniority as long as the employee "has the reasonable skill, ability and qualifications, in the judgment of the town, to perform the core functions of the job." The town will provide "a reasonable amount" of training, if required.

Fred Bond, representative with the CEP union, said the workers were satisfied with the changes that were made, noting that "there was give and take from both sides" in order to come to the agreement.

In particular, the workers were pleased with the 3 percent per year wage increase, he noted, as well as the restrictions on when management can perform bargaining unit work. Under the new contract, only certain "discrete circumstances"-such as in an emergency, for training or evaluation, for technical or mechanical competency, for flexibility and efficiency, or when bargaining unit employees are busy-will allow for managers to fill in.

There are also changes in the language pertaining to scheduling that benefit the workers, he added. But Mr. Bond still believes it took too long for a deal to be agreed upon.

"It's unfortunate that it took the town this long to bring a fair offer to the workers," he said. "It could have been over in March with binding arbitration, and the result would have been a similar situation to this."

The union rep believes there are no real winners in this situation, since it took eight months to get a settlement. In the long run, he believes everyone has been hurt.

"What the town should have done eight months ago was sit down and negotiate a fair settlement," he said. "The council has lost a lot of respect and credibility in the community and with the workforce. The community has been torn apart by the labour dispute. It should not have happened."

"All the workers asked for was status quo and to get a fair contract, but that's not what council had in store for them," he continued.

He also believes that the town must now be held accountable for the financial liberties it has taken in hiring additional managers. The town started out with four managers, and now has eight, according to Mr. Bond. That, he said, is too many.

Now that the strike has been resolved, Mr. Bond believes it is time for the community to move forward, but adds that "it's going to take a considerable amount of time for the relationship to improve."

Mayor Joe Chapman said the town was pleased with the settlement, noting, "it will allow us to better match our needs with our workforce and it corrects the many problems that were created by the former council and the union."

More precise language will reduce the number of grievances, he added.

In particular, the town was pleased that it gains the right to contract out work, as well the ability to have managers doing bargaining unit work without time restrictions.

The mayor said the town was also pleased with the elimination of the three floating holidays, as well as gaining the ability to set the work schedule, noting "under the old contract, it prohibited the town from requiring workers to start their day before 7 am."

Mayor Chapman said it is unfortunate that the union felt it necessary to walk out, and believes the unionized workers have not gained anything from the dispute.

"What is really unfortunate for everyone is that the union went back for far less than what we offered before they went on strike," he said. "The union gained absolutely nothing with this strike."

The mayor said he believes the town acted in a financially responsible manner, and also expressed his desire to see the community move on from the dispute.

"This is a good deal for both sides," he said. "We have kept our commitment to ensure that we can manage the town in a financially responsible manner, while ensuring that we took care of our existing workforce."

"We can now focus on reintegrating the work group and moving our community forward," he added.

Replacement workers that were hired during the strike will be terminated. Regular employees will return to work on May 23.

Reparations set to flow to residential school alumni

by Michael Erskine

OTTAWA-The cheque is in the mail for former residential school residents-or it will be, we think, very soon, possibly-with the approval of the final Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the immediate launch of an Advance Payment Program.

"The government is committed to bring (sic) a fair and lasting resolution to this chapter of our history and move forward. The discussions led by the Honourable Frank Iacobucci have resulted in a Settlement Agreement to foster reconciliation and healing among all Canadians," said Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and Minister Responsible for Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada.

The final agreement was announced on May 10, and is largely the agreement accepted by the former Liberal government-including a common experience payment for all those who attended the residential school system, and leaving an alternative claim process in place for those who suffered physical or sexual abuse. Also moving forward is the Advance Payment Program, which will fast-track payments for those 65 or older when negotiations began on May 30, 2005.

"We hope that today's announcement will bring closure to former students and their descendants," said Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and non-Status Indians. "The settlement is just and honourable, as will be our ongoing partnership with Aboriginal people."

The settlement concludes a settlement agreement with legal representatives of former students of residential schools, legal representatives of the churches involved in running the schools, the Assembly of First Nations and other Aboriginal organizations.

The agreement must now be presented for court approval in nine Canadian jurisdictions covered by the class-action suits launched on behalf of residential school residents over the coming months.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who were involved in the negotiations for their hard work toward this historic settlement agreement," said Minister Prentice. "In particular I want to thank the Honourable Frank Iacobucci, who has very capably fulfilled his mandate throughout these intense and complex negotiations."

"This is one piece of the Harper government's business in which we are not very critical," said Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Brent St. Denis. "I and many of my caucus associates are very pleased that the residential school agreement did not go the way of the Kelowna accords. At first we were very concerned that the government would simply scrap the residential agreements as well. It is very important that the advance payment program is going forward because, let's face it, a lot of the people who qualify are quickly dying off. This will give them and their families at least some small sense of vindication for what they went through."

Eligible former students may apply for the advance payment of $8,000 by completing the application form available on the Indian Residential School Resolution Canada website at www.irsr-rqpi.gc.ca.

Manitoulin man will coach Junior A Islanders

GM job still not filled

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-After considering various options, the Islanders organization has decided to hire both internally and locally to fill its head coaching vacancy.

Barry Parsons, a Little Current resident who served as assistant coach in the latter half of the 2005/'06 season, will act as principal bench boss this year, Islanders president Wendell Buie announced late last week.

"The board felt Barry could do a good job," he said. "He's local, and he seemed to make a difference when he came on as assistant coach after Christmas."

As for a general manager, that role had still not been assigned as of Monday. Parsons made it clear to the board that he would not have time to do both jobs, so the team has been looking for a separate person to handle the GM duties. Buie said the board was close to making a decision, but a few details remained to be hammered out.

While Buie didn't specify whom the Islanders have in mind for the role, sources indicate that the team has had discussions with both Jason Stos, a former coach of the Espanola Eagles and Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, and Mike Flanagan, a coach and general manager from Grand Rapids, Michigan, with eight years of experience in a junior B program.

It is also unclear who will be behind the bench to assist Parsons at this point, but the new coach said his plan is to "use a three-man system." He, along with the Islanders board, would like to see Lawrence Enosse back as one of the two assistant coaches (Enosse served in this capacity last year, as well as part of the 2004/'05 season), but the Wikwemikong resident had not accepted the invite as of press time.

"I'm interested," said Enosse, "but my feeling is that you can't force coaches onto a new GM. It's up to a GM to pick his staff." Enosse also noted that he works full-time and is a single parent, and that those responsibilities have to come first.

A possibility for one of the assistant coaching jobs is Earl Debassige, who has toiled as trainer over the past couple of seasons. Parsons noted that "Earl is taking some coaching certification training this summer, so hopefully he can be used in a dual role as trainer and assistant coach."

However the rest of the staffing picture plays out, the new coach said he is looking forward to next season, and is already working on some training programs for the returning players. "We're going to have a day on May 27 where we have a certified running coach, a dietitian and a physiotherapist (all from the Manitoulin Health Centre, where Parsons works as director of environmental services) come together to give them a summer conditioning program," he said, adding, "a lot of young players think all they have to do is bulk up, and forget about flexibility and lower body strength."

The coach expects a solid group of last year's squad to be donning the blue and orange again this season. "I've been in touch with all of the boys from last year, and it looks like all of the eligible ones will be back in camp," he indicated.

Apart from the graduating players like Mike Moote and Brent Henley, the team will also likely be without Corey Metatawabin (who is poised to attend school in Thunder Bay) and Jesse Peltier (who is likely bound for the Ottawa area to pursue his education). But the remaining members of the squad from last season have indicated they're coming back, Parsons said, among them such players as Carlo Metatawabin, Ryan Piche, local boy Phil Corbiere, Kenny May, Scott Smith and Tyler Corston-Moore.

"We've got a good nucleus coming back, and hopefully we'll have a good year," said Parsons.

While helming the Islanders will represent Parsons' first stint as a head coach in the NOJHL, the amiable hockey strategist is far from a newcomer to coaching. "I took a look at it the other day, and I've been coaching for 30 years at various levels," he said.

On Manitoulin, Parsons has coached "everything from the little guys through to the bantams, as well as the Ice Angels," he noted, and has also spent "several years in Sault Ste. Marie coaching travelling teams up to triple-A midget." As well, he served as the assistant coach of a junior B club in British Columbia for several years.

Despite his three decades of involvement in the sport, he hasn't tired of hockey yet, and insists he "never will-much to my wife's chagrin."

Parsons also hopes to build on last year's training camp format, which provided an opportunity for local talent to shine in a local prospects exhibition game. "It's all about developing kids from the Island," he stressed.

EDITORIAL

Summer brings hope for healing and reconciliation

The collective sigh of relief which greeted news that a deal had finally been reached to end the strike at the Northeast Town can perhaps serve as a starting point in the healing of a dispute which has divided the community and brought little to anyone except hard feelings and pain.

It was nearly impossible for anyone commenting on the strike-no matter how hard they tried to stay aloof from the fray or to avoid taking sides-to remain unscathed, but many did try to offer non-partisan encouragement.

Island clergy prayed with their congregations for a just conclusion to the strike, taking great pains to not side with either the council or the union, and yet at least one person characterized that ecumenical service as having been "instigated by a union rabble rouser." It was surely the most inaccurate description imaginable of George Gardiner, a retired Lafarge manager and a sincerely devout gentleman, and a grossly unfair commentary which was clearly well-rooted in simple ignorance.

Such is the danger of emotionally-charged events such as strikes. Too often strong emotions and one's own perceptual screen colour the truth or distort reality. For those whose job it is to report the story, accusations of bias flow freely, however unfairly-and often that approbation comes from both sides of the dispute.

Such is the lot of the messenger, a ready target for all, but such approbation must be gracefully accepted as part of the price of the freedoms we cherish.

This strike has been a terrible and unnecessary plague upon all of our houses-both sides agree to that statement at least, although each blames the other as the cause of the plague. It is time to let it go, put this terrible time behind us and move forward together to rebuild the spirit of community we have come so close to losing.

It may have been the power of prayer and the intercession of the Holy Spirit that finally helped to bring the strike to its conclusion, but there is now an even bigger challenge toward which prayers should be directed-that of reconciliation and healing. There is already far too much strife and heartache in our world-here, at least, we can reach out our hand to our neighbour and say: peace.

Letters to the Editor

Coverage of N.E. Town labour dispute criticized

Reader dismayed by 'misleading statements'

To the Expositor:

After seven-and-a-half months of being a close observer of the strike involving the unionized employees of NEMI, I am dismayed and offended by the number and frequency of inaccuracies and misleading statements reported in articles in your paper regarding this subject.

Whether this is intentional or accidental, I don't know. It does make me question all articles I read in the Expositor. Up until September, 2005, I naively believed what I read to be the truth.

The most recent example of such seemingly biased reporting was in the May 10 issue: "N.E. Manitoulin mediated bargaining begins under cloud following scaled-up picket action at dump."

The reported presence of "30 or 40 strike supporters from out of town," along with Pam Wood's assertion that she "politely said I'd like him to move," and Mayor Joe Chapman's comment that "they were actually cursing at a number of women," are just three examples of things that I did not see or hear. Maybe I'm blind and/or deaf. I was on the picket line continuously from 9:10 am to 3 pm that day and witnessed both of Ms. Wood's visits as well as other picket action. What I observed was quite different from what was reported.

Perhaps an investigation into all of the facts before the story is printed would be a good idea. This way readers would be given a complete picture of the events and therefore be able to make better-informed opinions.

The motto of your newspaper is "who dares not offend cannot be honest." My view is that "who dares not be honest is sure to offend."

Eleanor Jewell

Little Current

EDITOR'S RESPONSE: The Expositor stands by its stories on this topic over the past eight months.

Financing of Wiky wind farm project questioned

Band membership must have say in development

To the Expositor:

An open letter to Wikwemikong band members, chief and band council:

Let me begin by saying thank you to all that attended the meeting of May 10. I am in support of having our own renewable energy resource that will provide the community with revenue and zero hydro costs, but not without the support of all the band membership by a referendum vote on this wind farm  project. We want to enter into an economic development venture on a long-term bases that will commit the land, commit financial resources and commit the future generations. 

The first phase of the wind project is to develop a 30-megawatt wind power and the ultimate goal being 1,000 megawatts of power as a production target. For example, 10 megawatts will cost 18.8 million dollars. As a quick calculation, for the 30 megawatts it would cost approximately 56.4 million dollars (18.8 million times three) and the 1,000 megawatts will cost approximately $1,880,000,000-this means every year for the next 10 years, a financial debt of $188 million per year is to be managed by Wikwemikong.  Currently 4.5 megawatts of power is used for the community.

At the band public meeting of May 10, a request was put forward that a referendum vote be held on this wind farm project. Chief Corbiere says that this wind farm project is crucial. That we have to make a decision here right away, and that by the time we do a referendum, the doors will be shut on us-that the land is not going to be leased and that we will have good paying positions. The 100 or so band members in attendance were asked to show who was in support and who was not in support. This was done by a show of hands. As a result, a band council resolution was signed. Wikwemikong has over 5,100 eligible voters on/off reserve over 18-years-of-age. There are 5,000 more band members that need to be asked for their approval and endorsement.

We must extend the opportunity to the band membership to voice their opinion and give their approval on the wind farm project. If we do not allow the entire band membership the opportunity to vote and obtain their consent, this project may be at risk. Wikwemikong has made its history pattern on how crucial issues are handled-for example, the quarry development; the South Bay West Band land claim agreement; and the custom election code-all of this within the last 15-20 years.

Solutions to our community issues must be  directed by the people, for the people.

Gladys Wakegijig, Raymond Jackson

band councillors

Wikwemikong First Nation

Workers will have to vote for labour candidates

Workers run the town, not magistrates

To the Expositor:

Informed workers must be councillor candidates and the workers that constitute Little Current will have to vote for these worker councillor candidates so as to replace an existing anti-labour, undemocratic council, headed by a worker who has a law degree.

Like Toronto and a thousand other similar-headed towns, Little Current's head's job is to elevate every Little Current worker to a history appreciative law, medical, motor mechanic level.

Not only is it evident this has not been done, one undemocratic councillor said, "Union workers are not going to run Little Current."

Again like Toronto this councillor raised the question, "Who runs Little Current?" Apart from the god, money, the workers in theory run it.

In R. v Morgantaler 12 jury men and women ran Canada. They exonerated Morgantaler. Like Northeast Manitoulin council, Ontario and Quebec judges broke the law in overruling the jurors. After further battles, Canada's jury system of law prevailed.

Democracy has always been vetoed by councillors and the attacks have been upheld by government judges. Chretien-Martin misused millions of workers' dollars and were exonerated by their appointed judges, e.g. Gomery, etc.

The latest attack on not only Northeast Manitoulin's workers, but Canada's, was a government-appointed judge who said she had a right to enforce the highest Court of Canada, i.e. parliament, but also to make laws by interpretation. If an unclear law has to be interpreted that is the constitutional duty of parliament, not one person. If only one person makes laws, clearly that is the definition of dictatorship.

Prior to Conservative MP Vellacott's assertion, judges have placed themselves above their employing governments and parliament; Sol. Harry to Kopyto repeated Lewis Caroll's 1860 assertion that workers are jailed by government lawyers, judges, police, while millionaire thieves have their government judges exonerate them e.g. Judge Gomery's Report, etc.

The Chief Magistrate, i.e. the Mayor of any town, must be subject to the workers of that town, not their boss.

Workers of Northeast Manitoulin will have to vote for labour candidates come November, 2006 if they want democracy.

Captain Douglas K. Campbell

Little Current