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Brown wins!
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by Cheryl Waugh
ALGOMA-MANITOULIN---Most of Ontario chose change in the recent
provincial election, but voters in Algoma-Manitoulin did not.
For the fifth consecutive election, Algoma-Manitoulin voters are
sending Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament-elect Mike Brown to
Queen's Park as its representative.
The difference this time is that Mr. Brown will be crossing the
legislature floor to be part of a Liberal governing party rather than
sitting in opposition. That's something he hasn't experienced since
1990, when he was a Liberal backbencher during the David Peterson era.
"I'm quite excited to be part of a new McGuinty government," said Mr.
Brown, who welcomed volunteers and other well-wishers at the Espanola
Curling Club Thursday night to watch and enjoy the election results.
For the Liberals, and especially for Mr. Brown, there was a lot to
enjoy. The Liberal party walked away with a landslide victory on
October 2, garnering 72 seats in the 103 seat Ontario legislature.
The Progressive Conservatives fell to 24 seats, while the New
Democratic Party (NDP) dropped to seven seats.
The voter turnout for the election is estimated at around 55 percent,
which is not as bad as some feared, but is still less than the
previous two provincial elections. Algoma-Manitoulin came in slightly
over the provincial average with 56.38 percent of the eligible voters
casting a ballot.
A total of 30,054 people voted in Algoma-Manitoulin, with Mr. Brown
getting 14,520 votes (47.8 percent). As for the other candidates,
Peter Denley, of the New Democratic Party, drew 9,459 votes (31.5
percent), Central Manitoulin resident and Progressive Conservative
candidate Terry McCutcheon received 5,168 votes (17.1 percent), while
Green Party candidate Ron Yurick collected 680 votes (2.3 percent).
After having a member of provincial parliament who was only in
opposition over the last 13 years, Algoma-Manitoulin finally has
representation with the government of the day.
"I'm not one who believes government is the be all and end all of
politics," said Mr. Brown. "You can get things done in opposition."
He said Premier-elect Dalton McGuinty is quite familiar with the
north, and Manitoulin, and that alone will help the Northern Caucus.
"He's been in our schools and our hospitals. The McGuinty family
canoed up here last year. He knows this part of the world. That will
be a great addition to the Northern Caucus, and the Northern Caucus
will be an integral part of the government of Ontario," said Mr.
Brown.
It's what his opponents in the Algoma-Manitoulin riding are hoping
for.
"I wish him well," said Mr. McCutcheon, of Mr. Brown's re-election.
"He probably has a heavier burden to carry now that he's in
government than he did in opposition. He's made a lot of promises,
and I look forward to seeing some progress in Algoma-Manitoulin. I
expect big things from him."
Ron Yurick, of the Green Party, never expected to win the riding, his
goal was more aimed at educating the public about the Green Party,
and drawing people in to help the 'Greens' in later elections, such
as the expected federal election next spring, and the provincial
election four or five years from now.
"We wanted to run the flag up the pole, and let people know we're
here and what we're about," he said. He added considering the money
the Green Party spent in this riding, the Greens probably got as many
votes per dollar as the Tories did. "We only had four members in our
constituency when we began. We had to build a campaign," he said.
He said he thinks the people of Algoma-Manitoulin are expecting some
results in the north from the Liberal party.
"There is real despair in the riding," said Mr. Yurick. "Things are
not going well. People keep sending off our resources on a back of a
truck, including our children, and sending them south, where the jobs
are. The Liberals now have a whole lot of seats in Northern Ontario,
and Mike's got a lot of support everywhere."
He explained that the centralization of services has hurt smaller
communities in the riding, and has taken decisions away from those
communities,
as well as jobs. "Let's put some decision making back into the hands
of local people. There's economic devastation of our communities up
here," he said.
Mr. Brown said he expects the new Liberal government to be aggressive
and good for the province of Ontario. "I think the voters realized
that this a government of opportunity, an opportunity for more jobs,
and an opportunity for better education and better healthcare," he
said.
He said he believed the Liberal message of 'Choose Change' got out
because of good old fashion foot work. "We campaigned at the doors
because that's where the folks are. We didn't get to everyone, but we
got to a lot of them. We work hard and people know it."
Getting the message out was something that the Tories couldn't seem
to do, said Mr. McCutcheon. "I was surprised by the election result
from the point of view that we couldn't seem to get our message
through," he said. "I believe very much that this was a party-aligned
vote."
Despite the Tory loss, he added the Progressive Conservatives have
nothing to be ashamed about from their years in government. "As much
as we heard that everything was destroyed in our services, I ask
people to look carefully at our healthcare, education and other
social services, look at it very carefully, there has been a lot of
progress since 1995."
Mr. McCutcheon said the Tory government also economically
strengthened Ontario, and that the political loss has given the
Progressive Conservative party an opportunity to reflect on its
accomplishments in office, but even more so to indulge in some
self-reflection. "It's an opportunity to reflect on what we did, on
what we did right or did wrong. It's an opportunity to rebuild the
party. I look forward to being an actual part of that process," said
Mr. McCutcheon.
As for Mr. Denley, he finished a respectable second in the riding,
which is where the NDP finished in the last election. They did
improve their voter percentage this time around, as the NDP took 31.5
percent of the vote. It had only 27.33 percent of the vote in 1999.
At the Fireside Inn in Elliot Lake, Mr. Denley told a crowd of
gathered supporters that the NDP was closing the gap between it and
the Liberals. "We didn't lose any ground in this riding; in fact, we
gained ground," he said.
Mr. Denley also warned the Liberals that everyone will be watching to
ensure that they carry out their election promises.
Because of Mr. Brown's years of service, 16 years, there has been
some suggestion he might be awarded a Cabinet post, or become Speaker
of the House. He acted as Deputy Speaker in his last term of office.
But that's something that Mr. Brown himself was not ready to reflect
on.
"We're a team of 72, with a lot of talented incumbents and new
comers. I'm most willing to take on any role that Mr. McGuinty wants
for me," said Mr. Brown. "I feel I have a lot of experience in the
legislature, and I look forward to whatever role I can play."
He called the 31 days leading up to the election a good campaign, and
thanked the three gentleman who 'campaigned for the same job' as him
- Mr. Brown didn't want to call them opponents.
"They all had strong campaigns," he said. "You know, people do this
for the right reasons. I know some people are cynical about that, but
it is about making the world a better place."
Algoma-Manitoulin federal Member of Parliament Brent St. Denis was
obviously hoping that the new Liberal government in Ontario would
make relations between the federation of Canada and this province
better. He was at the Espanola Curling Club to congratulate Mr. Brown
and his wife personally.
"Thank-you Mike for getting re-elected, it makes my life easier,"
said Mr. St. Denis. "There have been so many changes in the province,
we're going to have a government at Queen's Park now to rebuild
bridges that were broken by Messrs. Harris and Eves. Partnerships
that have been destroyed will be re-established," he said.
But, Mr. Brown assured him it won't be all a bed of roses for the
federal Liberals. "We'll probably be on your butt too," he said, with
humour.
"That's okay," said Mr. St. Denis. "It's one thing to have
constructive criticism, it's another to have destructive criticism -
and that's what we've had at Queen's Park. There will be a new
partnership between Queen's Park and the Federation of Canada because
of this election."
As the evening closed out, Mr. Brown acknowledged the many people who
have helped him in his campaign. "In a riding like this one, there is
literally hundreds of people to thank," he said. "From Manitouwadge
to Killarney, from Silver Water and Meldrum Bay to Chapleau, we have
people on the ground every where, and I am most grateful to them all."
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A look at who won where on Manitoulin
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by Neil Zacharjewicz
MANITOULIN - Liberal candidate Mike Brown is returning to
represent
Algoma - Manitoulin at Queen's Park for a fifth term, with the
sweeping support of nearly every community on Manitoulin.
Of the communities on Manitoulin, Mr. Brown garnered the most
votes
in all but four communities on the Island, bolstering the 14,520
votes he received to once again win re-election.
Mr. Brown received 462 votes in Little Current, ahead of
second-place
finisher Terry McCutcheon, the candidate for the Progressive
Conservative party, with 269 votes. Peter Denley, of the NDP,
received 168 votes, while Green Party candidate Ron Yurick
received
28 votes.
The Whitefish River First Nation also threw their support behind
Mr.
Brown, with 53 voters putting their 'X' beside his name. Mr.
Denley
was second, with 38 votes, Mr. McCutcheon third, with five
votes, and
Mr. Yurick fourth, with four votes.
It was a close race in Rockville, where Mr. Brown surpassed Mr.
McCutcheon by a slim margin of two votes. Mr. Brown received 59
votes, while Mr. McCutcheon received 57 votes. Mr. Denley was a
distant third with 13 votes, finishing ahead of Mr. Yurick with
three
votes.
Manitowaning demonstrated its support for Mr. Brown, who
received 182
votes from electors in that community. Mr. McCutcheon garnered
94
votes in Manitowaning, while Mr. Denley received 61 votes. Mr.
Yurick
received 12 votes.
The community of Wikwemikong stood strong behind Mr. Brown,
delivering 226 votes of support. Mr. Denley was a distant second
with
92 votes. Wikwemikong was not kind to Mr. McCutcheon, who
received
only 12 votes, eight more than Mr. Yurick with four.
Kaboni also supported Mr. Brown, delivering 30 votes. Mr. Denley
received 19, ahead of Mr. McCutcheon with one. Mr. Yurick
received no
votes in Kaboni.
Mr. Brown and Mr. Denley actually tied in M'Chigeeng, each
receiving
73 votes. Mr. McCutcheon received 30 votes, and Mr. Yurick
garnered
three.
While Mr. McCutcheon received strong support in most of the
Central
Manitoulin communities, Providence Bay threw its support behind
Mr.
Brown, delivering 89 votes. Mr. McCutcheon received 76 votes in
Providence Bay, while Mr. Denley received 28 votes, and Mr.
Yurick
received nine votes.
The residents of Tehkummah demonstrated their support for the
incumbent Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), offering 100
votes
of support for Mr. Brown. Mr. McCutcheon received a total of 66
votes
from Tehkummah. Mr. Denley finished with 41 votes in the
community,
and Mr. Yurick received 10.
The vast majority of Western Manitoulin was firmly behind Mr.
Brown.
In Kagawong, the community he calls home, Mr. Brown received 122
votes. Mr. McCutcheon was second, with 56 votes, and Mr. Denley
received a total of 32 votes. Mr. Yurick garnered 16 votes in
Kagawong.
The majority of residents in Gore Bay support Mr. Brown, where
235
people cast a ballot in favour of the Liberal candidate. Mr.
McCutcheon received 128 votes. Mr. Denley was a distant third,
with
34 votes. Mr. Yurick was fourth, with six votes.
In Gordon Township, Mr. Brown received 99 votes, as compared to
75
for Mr. McCutcheon, 37 for Mr. Denley, and eight votes for Mr.
Yurick.
Evansville was supportive of Mr. Brown, offering 76 votes in his
favour. Mr. Denley garnered the second-most votes, with 39. Mr.
McCutcheon received 34 votes, and Mr. Yurick received seven
votes.
The majority of Silver Water was firm in its support for Mr.
Brown,
offering 46 votes of support. Mr. McCutcheon was second with 18
votes, Mr. Denley received 15 votes, and Mr. Yurick received a
single
vote in Silver Water.
Mr. Brown more than tripled his closest competitor in
Sheshegwaning,
where he received 31 votes. Mr. Denley received nine votes,
ahead of
Mr. McCutcheon with five votes. There was no support for Mr.
Yurick
in Sheshegwaning.
The western-most tip of Manitoulin also favoured Mr. Brown, as
he
received 19 votes in Meldrum Bay. Mr. McCutcheon received eight
votes
in that community, while Mr. Denley received six. Mr. Yurick
garnered
one vote.
In Whitefish Falls, Mr. Brown received 69 votes, eclipsing his
closest competitor, Mr. Denley, with 23 votes. Mr. McCutcheon
received a total of 16 votes, while Mr. Yurick received four.
In few communities were the electors as adamant in their support
of a
candidate as they were in Killarney, where Mr. Brown received
127
votes, 100 more than any other candidate. Mr. Denley, the
second-leading vote getter, received 14 votes. Mr. McCutcheon
received 11 votes, while Mr. Yurick garnered seven.
The advanced polls also favoured Mr. Brown, as he received 54
advance
votes in Gore Bay, and 105 in Little Current. Mr. McCutcheon
received
28 advanced votes in Gore Bay, and 55 in Little Current. Mr.
Denley
garnered 17 advanced votes in Gore Bay, and 29 in Little
Current. Mr.
Yurick received three advanced votes in Gore Bay, and four in
Little
Current.
But while Mr. Brown did dominate the voting in most communities
on
the Island, he was not the frontrunner in every Manitoulin town
and
reserve. Mr. McCutcheon, a hometown candidate, managed to steal
the
support of a few Island communities from Mr. Brown. For
instance, in
Sucker Creek, Mr. McCutcheon edged past the incumbent with 32
votes.
Mr. Brown received 28 votes. Mr. Denley received six votes in
the
community, while Mr. Yurick received two votes.
With the exception of Providence Bay, the remainder of the
Central
Manitoulin communities, where Mr. McCutcheon resides, threw
their
support behind him. Spring Bay delivered 94 votes for Mr.
McCutcheon.
Mr. Brown garnered 76 votes in Spring Bay, ahead of Mr. Denley
with
35 and Mr. Yurick with six.
Mindemoya and the Carnarvon area also supported their hometown
candidate. Mr. McCutcheon received 288 votes, as compared to 210
votes for Mr. Brown. Sixty-six votes went to Mr. Denley, while
Mr.
Yurick received 11 votes.
Mr. McCutcheon also proved to be the frontrunner in
Zhiibaahaasing,
where he led with six votes, one more than the runner-up, Mr.
Denley.
Mr. Brown received two votes in Zhiibaahaasing, while Mr. Yurick
received no votes.
In Algoma-Manitoulin, a total of 125 ballots were rejected, 26
were
found to be unmarked, and 76 ballots were declined by voters. A
total
of 30,054 electors chose to exercise their right to vote, of the
53,301 people eligible to vote, putting the voter turnout at
56.38
percent.
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Traditional Round Dance gives thanks and
honour to tireless volunteers |
by Michael Erskine
M'CHIGEENG---In every community there are a handful of
individuals
upon whom most of the work always seems to devolve, yet too
often the
contribution those exceptional people make to the well-being of
everyone is either unrecognized or taken for granted, said Dawn
Madahbee, as she detailed the reasons for a celebratory
Thanksgiving
Round Dance that is planned for October 9.
"We want to take the opportunity, during the fall season, a
traditional time of celebration, to thank the Creator for these
gifts," said Ms. Madahbee.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to partner with the Ojibwe
Cultural
Foundation," said Marriette McGregor-Sutherland, executive
director
of Noojmowin Teg Health Services. Noojmowin Teg and the OCF are
jointly sponsoring the event.
Ms. Madahbee, who was taking time from her busy schedule as
executive
director of Waubetek Business Services in Birch Island, Kate Roy
and
Sophie Corbiere, of the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, were meeting
to
plan the details of the event when the Expositor dropped in.
A lot of hands make lighter work for everyone, said Ms. Roy.
"This
would be a lot of work for one person to put together."
The Round Dance is a traditional way to celebrate Thanksgiving
and to
honour people in the community who lead the way on the paths of
community spirit, but it is important not to get too caught up
in
deep spirituality and solemnity, because it is also a very open
time
of fun and sharing.
"It is a time of social dancing," said Ms. Madahbee, who noted
the
basic dance step of the round dance is simple and easy for
anyone to
master. "This is open to everyone, Native, non-native, it is an
inclusive time for everyone to get together and to have a good
time.
We would really like to see people from all the communities
coming
out to the Round Dance."
The symbology of the round dance is essentially one of
accentuating
inclusion, bringing everyone together.
Dance in a circle facing away from the centre, and you see no
one,
you are alone, but dance facing inward, and you can see
everyone, you
are empowered by the presence of others and you empower others
in
your presence within the circle.
Also associated with the Round Dance is a feast, and it is here
that
people can truly make their presence, and their contribution,
known,
as people are encouraged to bring different dishes to the
potluck
style feast.
"We will have food here as well, of course," said Ms. Madahbee.
"But
if people would bring dishes as well, that adds so well to the
spirit
of the event. People are always looking for some little way they
can
help out, and food is a very simple and universal way for that."
There will be 10 very special people from both the Native and
non-native communities on Manitoulin honoured at the Round
Dance, and
three drum groups have already agreed to come to the event.
The honouring of these special people will be a central part of
the
day's events and a very special time that anyone interested in
Native
culture and traditions will not want to miss.
"We always say, 'What would we do without them?'" said Ms.
Corbiere,
of those special people in the community who are always there to
help. "Then we turn around one day and they have gone on to the
Spirit World without our having taken the time to properly thank
them."
The Round Dance will be a time of such thanksgiving and
honouring
people while they are still on their 'Earth Walk,' said Ms.
Madahbee.
The organizers of the Round Dance were very careful to note that
all
of the seasons are equal in importance.
"All of the seasons are important," said Ms. Madahbee. "Even
when the
plants go underground, to sleep and to rest, is a time of its
own
beauty. At this time of year, the birds are going south, the
leaves
are showing their beauty, it is a good time to offer thanks."
It is very rare in First Nation culture to ask the Creator for
anything, added Ms. Madahbee. Rather, the theme of thanksgiving
to
the Creator for all of the gifts bestowed upon mankind plays a
very
central role in Anishinaabek ceremony and culture.
At this time of the year, a time of near-universal thanksgiving
in
all cultures of the Northern Hemisphere, the Round Dance will be
a
time of communities coming together, a time of celebrating all
that
we have to be thankful for living on Turtle Island, in relative
peace
and security, and especially a time of thanking and honouring
those
very special people who commit their lives to the betterment of
the
community.
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Construction underway on $6 million water
treatment facility for
Aundeck Omni Kaning |
by Neil Zacharjewicz
AUNDECK OMNI KANING - By next summer, the members of the Aundeck
Omni
Kaning First Nation (formerly known as Sucker Creek) will be
enjoying
water from a brand-new slow sand filtration system.
On Friday, October 3, Brent St. Denis, Member of Parliament (MP)
for
Algoma-Manitoulin, announced $6 million for a new water
treatment
plant, raw-water intake, areservoir addition and trunk water
main to
Aundeck Omni Kaning. Mr. St. Denis made the announcement on
behalf of
Robert Nault, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development.
"The Government recognizes the value this project brings to the
Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation in realizing the shared goal of
improving the quality of life of the community," stated Mr. St.
Denis. "We are pleased to fund this project because we know how
important it is in providing continued, adequate and sustainable
water access to the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation."
"This project will ensure that there is a clean and safe water
supply
for our growing community," explained Pat Madahbee, chief of
Aundeck
Omni Kaning. "This project will have a lasting impact by
improving
the quality of life for the Aundeck Omni Kaning people."
Despite the fact that the funding was only announced last
Friday,
construction began approximately a month ago. The construction
is
actually broken into two separate projects; the water treatment
plant
and raw water intake is one project the community is
undertaking, and
the second project is the reservoir addition and the trunk water
main.
Chief Madahbee explained that the band had considered several
different models for water treatment, such as a microfiltration
system similar to the one in Northeastern Manitoulin and the
Islands,
but the decision was made to go with a system that was more user
friendly.
"Our old water system is a slow sand filtration system," Chief
Madahbee explained, noting the old system served the community
well
since it was first put into operation in 1980. The old system
only
required a little chlorine to clean the pipes once in a while.
Otherwise, he said, there have been no other chemicals used.
Chief Madahbee pointed out Dave Corbiere, who operates the
present
water treatment system, is already trained in the operation of a
slow
sand filtration system, and it has been his ingenuity that has
kept
the old system running for as long as it has.
"We not only had to build because the old plant was outdated,
but
also because the community has grown so much," stated Chief
Madahbee.
He pointed out the community also has a new subdivision which
will be
connected to the system. The new water system, which is expected
to
be completed in May or June of 2004, will feature an 18 inch
intake
which will stretch 1,500 feet into Lake Huron.
Chief Madahbee pointed out Cecchetto and Sons Ltd. has been
contracted for the water treatment plant project, and there is a
local content provision in the contract which calls for local
labour
and equipment to be used as much as possible. He noted that in
addition to workers from Aundeck Omni Kaning, several have been
hired
from M'Chigeeng and Wikwemikong as well.
The second project, the reservoir addition and the trunk water
main,
is being handled by Belanger Construction Ltd. of Sudbury. A new
reservoir cell is under construction, and once complete, it will
be
connected to the old reservoir cell. Chief Madahbee indicated
this
will result in a doubling of the capacity of the reservoir.
He explained the project also will see a eight to 10 inch trunk
water
main, larger than the present main, being run along the outside
perimeter of the community. The new main will improve water
service
for the band members, as well as improve fire safety efforts. In
addition, the design will allow for the addition of a booster
pump in
the future, which would enable the main to service the western
portion of the reserve.
Chief Madahbee said the community is slowly eliminating the use
of
holding tanks, which have been a constant problem for the
community.
He explained the tanks constantly need to be monitored.
The water treatment and reservoir projects are major initiatives
which benefit the local economy, Chief Madahbee explained,
pointing
out that the spin-off has resulted in the local fish and chip
stand
providing catering service to construction workers. The projects
are
also just two of many projects that either are or have taken
place in
the community in recent months. He noted the band office and
community centre were recently renovated, the Elders centre
received
a retrofit, and beautification work has been ongoing in the
community. The community is also planning on celebrating the
grand
opening of its new subdivision on October 31. |
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