Belanger staff takes strike vote

Negotiations continue, but alternative road maintenance

measures are in place

by Jim Moodie

SUDBURY-About 100 Belanger workers fulfilling Ministry of Transportation (MT0) contracts in the region are poised to hit the picket lines soon if a deal isn't reached between union reps and the Sudbury-based employer.

"We're in the process of hammering out a collective agreement with Belanger," said Mike Ryan of the Laborers' International Union Local 493, noting that another round of talks was scheduled for today (Wednesday) with a Ministry of Labour mediator present. "We're close, but still have some issues regarding language and wages."

If the two sides can't reach an acceptable compromise, Mr. Ryan said the workers have committed to a work stoppage, with 98 percent voting in favour of strike action. "There's no firm date set, but if talks do break down the strike vote is in place," he said.

A representative of Belanger said the company "is doing its best to negotiate a fair settlement with the union," which he hoped would be reached during today's negotiating session.

If not, the company remains "bound by an agreement with the MTO to keep the roads clear," so will take whatever steps necessary to maintain the service should its workers go on strike.

Mr. Ryan maintained that "it's not our purpose to put public safety in jeopardy," and allowed that Belanger "would need to have a contingency plan in place" for the plowing or roads.

But "these people (the workers) have waited quite a long time since we first filed an application with the Labour board (for union certification)," he said. "We've been bargaining for quite a few months, and have been making progress, but the membership is getting impatient."

The process of organizing the Belanger workforce was initiated in November of 2005, said Mr. Ryan, with certification granted last year. While Belanger workers had not previously been represented by a union, "a lot came from the MTO and were unionized prior to 1999, when road maintenance was privatized," said Mr. Ryan.

While the workers are looking for a wage increase, the union rep said "it's not a significant increase in our determination." He added that "it's not out of the realm of what workers were told they would get when the company signed a contract (with the MTO) three years ago-they were promised they'd be making a certain wage, but that never came about."

The region covered by Belanger road crews stretches from Britt up to Hagar, takes in all of Manitoulin, and reaches as far west and north as Elliot Lake. Belanger also has the contract for operation and maintenance of the swing bridge.

Proposed attraction status for

Sheguiandah archaeological site gains guarded council approval

by Lindsay Kelly

NORTHEAST TOWN-Private land ownership was again the focus of debate in the Northeast Town last week, only this time recreational trails weren't to blame.

A proposal by the town's Community Development Corporation (CDC) to begin a discussion between the town, the Aundeck Omni Kaning and Sheguiandah First Nations, and private landowners regarding the possible development of the Sheguiandah archaeological site was met with reticence by the majority of council, and resulted in heated debate amongst those present.

The proposal was put forward by the CDC's Cultural Attractions Committee, comprised of Dr. Pat Julig, Ned Martin and Michael Shain, who suggested that an untapped resource lies at the heart of the archaeological site.

In a written proposal presented to the town's Administration and Finance Committee, the CDC suggests that it would like to look into the possibility of the development of the site for preservation and tourism purposes (a recommendation made in the Lord Report, which was commissioned by the town and the two First Nations in the mid-'90s), the results of which could be numerous and beneficial to the affected parties.

"Landowners, First Nation communities and the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands could collectively find a mechanism to find some resolution to issues facing landowners, to explore the establishment of a cultural heritage and interpretive centre, and to generate some economic stimulus and employment in our communities," the CDC proposal reads. "Furthermore, such a centre would serve as an attraction for tourists, act as a repository for the repatriation of removed artifacts, provide a framework for the preservation of scientific rigour in further study, and facilitate the solicitation of supportive funding from governments and educational agencies."

In exploring these options, the CDC wants to form an independent, non-profit corporation to start discussions about developing the site, Mr. Shain explained. Membership would be equally split in thirds between the private landowners, the two First Nations and the town, so that each party had equal representation at the table.

The CDC felt it needed support from council before it could go ahead with preliminary discussions with the affected parties; however, much of council was resistant to the motion put forward.

"With the residents, aren't we putting the cart before the horse here?" Councillor Bill Koehler queried. "Shouldn't we have the consent first from the people involved and the First Nations?"

Mr. Shain pointed out that a "fair amount of negotiation" would be involved before anything got to the development stage, and that what the CDC was seeking was preliminary support so the group could start the dialogue.

"We can't go into the community without the town's initial support," he said. "Once the plan is fully laid out on the table, I think we'll get a lot of support for it. If I were a landowner, I would be more concerned if there was something coming down the pipe with no input from me."

For Councillor Jib Turner, the second part of the motion-which requires the town to "be willing to consider transfer title of the (designated) lands to the proposed corporation as part of a program of land consolidation"-proved more irksome.

"We just don't operate that way as a rule," he said. "We're not going to turn over our property to a corporation before investigating anything."

Councillor Al MacNevin looked at it from another perspective, however. He suggested that the CDC would not want to put the time and effort into determining the feasibility of the project if the town was not even on board with the proposed project in its preliminary stages. Discussions with the other parties would come soon enough, he added. "If they can't make it work with the First Nations and the landowners, they're not going to do it," he said.

The entire discussion proved to be frustrating for Ted and Maria Willis, who own land in the designated archaeological site and attended Thursday's meeting. Mr. Willis challenged Dr. Julig's association with the project, asking, "And what do you have to do with it?" The Laurentian professor's explanation that he had written a book about the site and has been involved in its study for some years proved futile, with Mr. Willis retorting angrily, "And telling me what to do with my land?"

Mr. Willis's request to speak to the committee about the issue was denied-to allow it would have been a break in protocol-which only garnered further anger from the Sheg resident. "You're not going to let me speak," he said angrily to Mayor Jim Stringer. "And you're not representing me!"

The original motion put forward by the CDC did not get enough support to be put on the table, so an amended version was drawn up instead. It reads, in part, that the town "supports the commencement of discussions towards the development of the Sheguiandah archaeological site in a manner that respects the rights of the affected landowners and First Nation partners."

In a recorded vote, Councillors Al MacNevin, Dawn Orr, and Melissa Peters, along with Mayor Jim Stringer, voted for the motion, while Councillors Marcel Gauthier, Bill Koehler, Paul Skippen, Jib Turner and Bruce Wood voted against the motion, defeating it.

Council did pass an alternative motion, which says that the town "supports the commencement of discussions towards the development of the Sheguiandah archaeological site."

Northeast Town considers share of wind tower

by Lindsay Kelly

NORTHEAST TOWN-The Northeast Town's Administration and Finance Committee passed several recommendations last week that, if passed by council, would not only make the way easier for Northland Power to continue with its McLean's Mountain wind farm, but could also see the town get in on the action.

On Thursday, the committee of the whole listened as Rick Martin, Northland's manager of business development, requested that the committee pass three recommendations which would make it easier for the project to carry on as it nears fruition.

In an effort to "make the project more palatable" to council, Northland investigated the possibility of developing the wind farm away from the edge of the bluff, Mr. Martin noted, as some councillors had previously expressed concern that a farm situated too close to the edge of the bluff would affect its visual aesthetic.

However, after looking into the possibility, Northland determined "that the turbines are best suited to optimize the wind energy at the edge of the bluff where the highest elevation allows for the clearest view of the west-northwest prevailing winds."

Because of this, Mr. Martin asked that the town agree, in the form of a motion, that the turbines can be placed "anywhere on the land that is within the setbacks agreed to earlier."

In a second appeal, Northland requested the use of the road allowance along Morphet Sideroad to access the land on which the wind farm is to be situated. With this access, Hydro One would be able to formulate an engineering layout to determine "how best a new line could be run from our east side of our project to the M26 3 phase distribution line that parallels Highway 6," Mr. Martin noted in his request.

Mr. Martin added that Northland would be willing to offer the town compensation for its use of the road allowance.

"We'll have to come to an agreement on the value of this, based on similar situations in other communities," he said. "But we're happy to cover what is standard on that item."

In the final request, Northland was seeking a written agreement that grandfathers Northland's previously agreed upon arrangements with the town in terms of municipal bylaws that regulate things like woodcutting and changing setback distances. By guaranteeing that bylaws remain static for five years, the town is providing "assurance that bylaws will not be generated that could change the standards by which we go into the construction phase that would negatively impact our project," Mr. Martin noted in his request.

The committee passed all three recommendations, as well as a fourth that was put forward by Councillor Jib Turner. It will see the council investigate whether it is feasible to become involved in the project.

According to Councillor Turner, Northland offered Aundeck Omni Kaning the opportunity to establish its own wind tower in connection with the Northland wind farm; however, the First Nation turned it down. The Northeast Town, Councillor Turner argued, should have the same opportunity, and suggested that the town "assess the possibility of establishing a wind tower."

While there are still several details to work out-including whether the farm will have 11 turbines generating 18 megawatts of power or 22 turbines generating 36 megawatts of power-Mr. Martin said Northland would take their interest into consideration.

"If the municipality wants to send a letter to Northland Power which suggested they were interested in participating, we'd be happy to consider it," he said.

The recommendation was passed with unanimous approval by the committee, and with its likely passing at council, staff will be authorized to look into the feasibility of erecting a wind tower in conjunction with Northland.

Councillor Turner also suggested that the development of this concept could fall to the town's Community Development Corporation, although all final decisions about its development would require the blessings of council.

M'Chigeeng veterans share their stories at Lakeview School

by Lindsay Kelly

M'CHIGEENG-Some saw the front lines of battle, while others served their country during times of peace, but the message from the veterans of the M'Chigeeng First Nation was the same last Friday: we must continue to honour our soldiers.

Veterans, students, teachers and community members gathered in the school gymnasium on Friday morning to observe their annual Remembrance Day ceremony. Veterans shared with the students their experiences in an effort to remind them why it is so important to mark Remembrance Day each year.

Joe Endanawas spent six years in the US Army during the 1960s-a turbulent time that saw scores of young Americans recruited to fight in Vietnam. While Mr. Endanawas spent most of his time in the Army fighting in Japan, he also served in Vietnam, a decision about which he says, "I didn't really have a choice."

"It's a time I don't really wish to remember," he mused, adding, "it was awful sometimes, but there were good times too."

The focus, he believes, should be on honouring all veterans of any conflict in which Canadians were involved, regardless of what their role was.

"Many are not here with us today, and that's why we remember them," he said. "But we have to remember the ones who are still alive and honour them, too."

This includes soldiers serving today in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. "People are dying in Afghanistan as we speak," he said. "Are they not worthy of being called veterans?"

"When a soldier signs up, his life is on the line from that time on," he added. "If it wasn't for them, there are a lot of freedoms we wouldn't have."

Victor Migwans chose to reflect on the good times during his three years in the Canadian Armed Forces, saying, "I had lots of fun in the army."

He approached his time in the service and every task he was assigned with enthusiasm, even while posted overseas in Germany. It was there that he got to travel and see much of the country, in addition to meeting people with whom he formed close bonds of friendship.

Mr. Migwans recalled that, on a recent trip to the West Coast, he stopped in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to visit an old army buddy whom he hadn't seen in 42 years.

"When you see an old army buddy, you don't recognize him at first," he said. "But as soon as he starts talking, you recognize him and start laughing again."

It's that enthusiasm that Mr. Migwans encouraged the students to adopt throughout their lives in everything they do, especially in their education. "You should have fun at school," he advised.

As a member of the militia in Toronto for two years, Bill Antoine didn't see battle-he was told he was two years too old when he tried to join the forces heading to Vietnam-but he played an important security role as a guard for dignitaries visiting Canada.

"I'm proud of the people of ours who went to war and came back, but some didn't," he said. "Some were killed in war and that's why we're here today; it's how we can honour them, especially those that died for our freedom."

He believes that anyone who serves their community should be acknowledged for their effort.

"What is a veteran?" he asked. "Anybody who serves the people, like teachers-they're veterans. Or chiefs-they're veterans, to me."

The final veteran to speak was Justin Debassige, who was a member of the Canadian forces for 31 years. He was grateful, he said, to be able to participate in a ceremony honouring veterans who served in times of war and peace.

Mr. Debassige began his time in the service in Petawawa, but lived in communities across Canada as he was transferred for his work. He called Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick home before finally retiring in Ottawa.

His first assignment was as a NATO peacekeeper, a capacity in which he served from 1966 to 1970 in various countries, and later he served in a British military hospital. "I spent four years in that hospital on the surgical floor," he recalled.

Later, while stationed in the Middle East, he was assigned to the intensive care unit of a field hospital set up by the Canadians, where his main goals were to preserve life and provide the care needed to soldiers, which included removing shrapnel from injured colleagues.

Though he didn't see combat himself, Mr. Debassige said there was evidence of previous wars around him, like tanks and other wreckage strewn about the desert.

"Compared to the soldiers who saw combat duty, I see my years in the service as a walk in the park," he said.

In return for the veterans' words of wisdom, the students sang songs, recited poetry and read essays presenting their views on Remembrance Day. Many spoke of the sacrifice soldiers had made to secure our freedom, while others told of wearing a poppy to show their support for veterans, and at least one Grade 2 student rolled up her gratitude in two simple words: "thank you."

EDITORIAL

Heightened focus on Remembrance Day helps new Canadians

It is impressive that November 11, Remembrance Day, continues to be a civic event that, if anything, is gaining in national and regional importance.

But even before that commitment was made, there seemed to be a revived interest in honouring the aging veterans together with those people who most of us could never have known except for the fact that their names are inscribed on cenotaphs here and there--the immediate victims of war from a given community.

Manitoulin Island communities have always honoured Remembrance Day, so in a way it is as though the rest of the country is catching up with us on this important point.

The national press is, if anything, spending more time and effort than ever before in telling heroic stories and setting the context for the remembrance of things past in the times of the First and Second World Wars and the Korean conflict. And now, in Afghanistan as well.

This is likely driven, at least in part, by the fact that the number of living veterans drops each year. There are simply fewer living men and women to honour. It is no doubt also partly driven by the fact that Canadians are seeing active service in Afghanistan just now.

But whatever the reason for the reinvigoration of Remembrance Day in Canada's national consciousness, it comes at an important time when we see increasing numbers of immigrants moving to this country, primarily to our large urban areas.

Young people from South Asian, Caribbean or Chinese cultures, for example, will have quite different family histories of events pertaining to the First and Second World Wars than will Canadians of European or Aboriginal origins.

But the mere fact that, during the past decade or so, Remembrance Day has been treated with far more importance nationally than it had been for the previous quarter-century has proven an invaluable tool as the children of recent immigrants (and their parents too) come to learn about the underpinnings of their adopted land.

Canada played an important role in the major world conflicts of the 20th century, punching well above her weight in the frays in which she became involved.

We made this happen, and it in turn influenced us.

It's encouraging to sense that these lessons are being passed on to young generations of people from countries that, even 60 years ago, our forebears would not have imagined populating Canada.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

What kind of world are we leaving for our children?

As natural beings, we must respect living things

To the Expositor:

Every week I read with great interest the letters to the editor and this week was no exception. The one that caught my attention the most was "We are living in a world that is destructive to our lives," November 7.

There has always been madness in the world. We just didn't hear about it the way we do now through the media. The history books are full of accounts and examples through the centuries of the destruction of civilizations. We are living in a world where our insatiable need for money and the things that money can buy have overtaken our way of thinking and living. One the other side of this we have homelessness, poor housing for low income families, food banks, lack of medical care, dirty water and unsanitary conditions-and this is in North America. People like David Suzuki, Native and spiritual leaders have been telling us for years that Mother Earth is in trouble. Do we think the earth has an unlimited supply of natural gas, oil, coal and all the other commodities that we keep taking? We just don't seem to get it!

We are natural beings living in a natural world. Until we embrace who we are and learn to honour and respect all living beings and things, we will continue in this downward spiral. Let us ask ourselves, what kind of a world are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? We have a responsibility to teach them and encourage them to recognize the need for all of us to keep our earth clean and to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us. Let the madness stop.

Bev Lynch

Tehkummah

Teachers backed by a socialist government desperately needed

History of capitalist assault on humanity suppressed

To the Expositor:

In their letters to the Editor, Sarah Wheale and Larry Killens raised the question, 'What are schools for?' For job training or a knowledge of this planet and how to stop its destruction by the disease of capitalism and its victims. The cure of the disease being public ownership. Which is what the CCF in 1933 said.

The Expositor editorial October 31 referred to two "exemplary leaders"-more correctly to a Tory capitalist, John Tory, campaigned to turn the clock backwards through several wars to separate church from state by supporting religious schools; the other, Greg Sorbora, former Ontario Treasurer and member of the family involved in the York University land scandals.

May I say as an old school principal, job training starts at age one, such that Canada's few teachers are but remedial people trying to tie down giants like Bethune, Morgantaler, Kopyto. Then there is the essential work of telling the young about our judicial system by way of Alice in Wonderland.

Man's most important subject, history, the record of capitalist wars against humanity, is suppressed. Ontario's backward misgovernment of the 1950s changed history to social studies.

As a 1952 Toronto Normal School (teacher's college) student teacher, I noted a slightly older man, a degreed man who stood amongst his fellow 600 student teachers and said the UN is a peace grouping whereas NATO is a war machine. He was expelled. I was only threatened with expulsion for supporting freedom of speech and an honest man.

I also remember a class moron who in later years was made a superintendent of schools.

Truth was particularly oppressed in the McCarthy years of the '40s and '50s when capitalists were intent on carrying on the war against public ownership.

Socrates some 2000 years ago was given a choice of poison or exile, while Shakespeare said truth is whipped out like a dog.

In 1960 there were 16,000 robots attending the University of Toronto in hopes of fitting into the system. There were 11 students carrying a Ban-the-Bomb sign. We can say our tax dollars were 100 percent wasted. One of the robots was a dictionary-swallowing youth named Stephen Lewis, leader of the Ontario NDP.

Many years later, as a Toronto mayorality candidate, I asked students of every secondary/college/university school if their teachers had mentioned such giants as Darwin, Bethune, Morgantaler, or the various mayorality candidates. Only one student of one school had been told about Darwin-evidence of a complete waste of tax dollars.

In 1988 I sat beside a would-be trustee, Stephenie Paine, who said: "If I hear Jane and Finch again I'll scream." I said, "Go ahead and scream." Jane and Finch is one of many Toronto crime areas. In the case of the 2006 CW Jefferys School murder, Stephanie, now a trustee, was still suppressing the truth. She said the administration (trustees and staff) were not responsible; meanwhile, two Jeffery principals were suspended for allowing sexual misconduct.

When I asked several students on the lawn after the murder if they'd been told of the above giants, two staff members came out of the school to ask what I was doing. I introduced myself as an old school principal. The senior of the two teachers said, "It's okay, he's a principal," and the two returned to the school.

In the course of transporting Manitoulin Secondary School students hitchhiking from Little Current to West Bay I usually ask what is a tamarack and whether their teachers have told them about such giants as the above and of the 540 Highway heroes' monument, only to receive a blank stare.

Grade One students can draw a Hallowe'en skeleton and label the tibia, skull and circulatory systems and by 19 be an educated trained doctor or better a public genetic scientist but then what would put the capitalist drug companies and their pill-peddling doctors out of business.

You could hear a pin drop when I told 500 little people at an all-candidates meeting that a five-year-old will not reach my age unless we put capitalism and its mayorality candidates in the garbage can before capitalism puts us all in the garbage can.

We desperately need a few teachers in Canada backed by a public ownership government to help save our planet.

And to those nine UK teachers that visited Little Current, may I say as an old University of London student and Aldermaston marcher that it is we in Canada who must visit Europe to learn of teaching, as Europe knows of both capitalism and public ownership.

Douglas K. Campbell

Highway 540

Janice Abbott

Keller's Garage

Mindemoya

I'm your neighbour

For close to a year now, Janice Abbott's workday has consisted of everything from answering phones and ordering automotive parts to pumping gas and selling cars. Life is interesting at Keller's Garage in Mindemoya-especially since she's the sole woman in a garage full of men-but the personable Jill-of-all-trades takes it in stride.

"I'm trying to manage five boys," she laughs, "and I'm a mother to all of them."

Though not originally from Manitoulin, Ms. Abbott and her family have adopted the Island as their home since they moved here two years ago. She began working at Keller's when she made the decision to return to work full-time, and the job has provided her with an intriguing learning environment.

Whereas she "knew nothing about the automotive business before," her experience in helping people buy a car has kept her better informed in her own life, and she takes comfort in knowing things like "what to do when you break down."

The business is a hectic one, and because her job is so multi-faceted, she can be booking an oil change for a customer one moment, and out filling up the tank of a regular the next.

"It's very, very busy," Ms. Abbott says. "It's very fast-paced, and trying to keep up with Perry (Keller) is like trying to keep up with five Energizer bunnies."

When she's not working, Ms. Abbott enjoys spending time with her family and helping out with local curling and skating organizations, in addition to fundraising for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

With such a vast network of customers coming in-from regulars to summer visitors- Ms. Abbott gets to meet people from around the Island, and from all walks of life, an aspect of the job she likes.

This time of year has proved especially busy for the towing side of the business, which, on a recent week, had 10 cars come in needing repairs from deer collisions.

And, as the white stuff has already made an appearance on the Island, Ms. Abbott puts her accumulated knowledge to use, offering this sage piece of advice: "Get your snow tires on!"

Patronizing local businesses like Keller's Garage ensures lasting employment for people like Janice Abbott.