St. Denis charges $1 million in public funds spent to mail 20-plus pamphlets to A-M-K_voters New Democrats' response: Liberals, Tories do same thing in ridings they target by Jim Moodie LITTLE CURRENT-Incumbent Liberal MP Brent St. Denis is crying foul over the NDP's blitz of publicly funded mail-outs to residents of Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing over the past two years, while social democratic candidate Carol Hughes maintains her party is simply taking advantage of an approved strategy to spread useful information. In conjunction with an open house held in Little Current last Friday evening, Mr. St. Denis blasted the NDP for its use of House of Commons resources to send out over 750,000 pieces of promotional literature to individuals on the AMK voters list since 2006. "The public should know about the abuse of public funds by Jack Layton and the NDP in their attempt to unfairly bias their political activities in our riding," he announced during a coffee klatch held upstairs in the Anchor Inn. Ms. Hughes, who was a few blocks away at the time watching pucks ricochet off the glass of the Little Current rink (the Beavers were in town to take on the Islanders, unsuccessfully so, as it turned out), was unfazed by the incumbent's attack. "It's interesting he's bringing this up now, because people have been getting these mail-outs since the last election," said Ms. Hughes. "I think he feels threatened right now and will pick at anything he can." The NDP candidate was confident that her party had adhered to the rules regarding mailings, and challenged Mr. St. Denis to contest that in a more formal way if he thinks a law has been violated. "If he feels there has been abuse and has concerns with the paperwork, he can file for an investigation." Mr. St. Denis conceded, in a conversation with the Expositor, that the practice "is not illegal." But the MP argues that it goes "against the spirit and intent" of the policy that exists for parties to disseminate information via taxpayer-funded mailings. "The House of Commons does support MP-sponsored mailings into unheld ridings for the general purpose of explaining party policies," he explained in a press release. But the understanding among most MPs is that "a few mailings per year would suffice" for this purpose, he said, as opposed to "the volumes sent by the NDP to AMK and a few other targeted ridings." Ms. Hughes didn't authorize the letter campaign herself, nor does her name appear on the missives-the letters are attributed to NDP leader Jack Layton and spell out the party's stance on a variety of issues-but Mr. St. Denis feels his NDP rival in Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing has gained an unfair boost as a result. "Everyone in the AMK riding will recognize what mailings we mean," he communicated in his release. "It was those near-monthly letters from Jack Layton with the very partisan NDP flyer inside including a House of Commons-paid return-addressed response slip." The latest mass mailing was particularly suspect, in his view, given that it arrived in riding mailboxes "a full week after the campaign started." "The NDP did not pay for this," Mr. St. Denis stressed. "The public did, at an estimated cost of over $45,000 for this mailing alone." He said he'd personally received 20 letters from the NDP since the last federal election, and estimated that the total cost to taxpayers would have been about $1 million, given that there are 38,000 households in the riding and each letter would have cost approximately $1.25 to put together and deliver to residents. That, said Mr. St. Denis, is "a shocking waste of public money." And he accused the NDP of seeking "a free ride in their campaign in an effort to fool AMK voters." For Ms. Hughes, the bigger act of deception belongs to the Liberal party in presenting itself as an alternative to the Harper regime. She said that Mr. St. Denis and his fellow Grit members have merely propped up the Conservative government "by not showing up to vote in parliament, even when it would have been in the best interest of the people." She maintains that the mailings have been legit, and that "it's the right of voters" to hear a perspective from the NDP. "We're informing people about what's going on in the House," she said. "If (Mr. St. Denis) is complaining, it's because we're telling the truth about how his party actually supported the Conservatives." Charlie Angus, MP for Timmins-James Bay and the NDP's spokesperson on northern Ontario issues, described Mr. St. Denis's allegations as "bordering on ridiculous," and said his numbers regarding the cost of the mail-outs "are way out of line." Referring to research undertaken by the Liberals' own Garth Turner, and published in a Hill Times story earlier this year, Mr. Angus noted that the House spends about $7.8 million per year on printing services for MPs. Each MP can send out four householders per year as well as an unlimited amount of "Ten Percenters," flyers that can be sent to up to 10 percent of their voters. In Mr. Turner's estimate, the Conservatives spent $3.4 million on printing Ten Percenters, while the Liberals spent $1.9 million and the NDP just $1.4 million. "The Liberals spent more than us in mail-outs," said Mr. Angus. "And we spent $1.4 million for the whole country, so what Brent is saying about $1 million in your riding doesn't add up." Mr. Angus further suggested that Mr. St. Denis's stance on this issue is hypocritical, as "I've seen some of his mail-outs that were attack ads on the NDP, paid for by the House of Commons. He shouldn't throw rocks when he's living in a glass house." On Monday the campaign office for Ms. Hughes fired back with its own press release, saying Mr. St. Denis's estimate of the cost of the mailings was "pulled out of thin air," and the real cost is substantially lower, as the House of Commons "provides a bulk reimbursement to Canada Post for mail sent by MPs." The Dion Liberals "have been sending the exact same mailings into ridings they don't hold and they've been arriving in ridings as late as the second week of the campaign," the release adds. The Hughes camp additionally slammed Mr. St. Denis for using his parliamentary email account-one paid for by the public-to distribute his "smear attack" on the NDP at a time when re-election of a member is "not considered to be a parliamentary function." The latter complaint is "bogus," said Mr. St. Denis on Monday. "Just because there's a campaign on now, I'm still doing my work as an MP, and the House of Commons supports this communications system." The sitting member insists that his party has been the most honourable in its use of public money for communicating with the electorate. While the NDP argues that all parties have used mail-out services to reach ridings in which they feel their candidate stands a chance, Mr. St. Denis said this is not the case. "Only the NDP and Conservatives have had their intense and abusive use of House printing and mailing services put under scrutiny." He expects that the speaker of the house will "call for changes" to the policy of how such resources are utilized in the near future, as there have been too many instances, in his view, of the privilege being misused when it comes to ridings deemed more winnable than others. In the meantime, he's confident his campaign will succeed without dipping deeply into taxpayers' pockets. "The locally funded Liberal campaign, involving a great team of local volunteers, will outrun any team operated from NDP corporate headquarters in Ottawa," he said. Culinary tourism symposium stresses telling the story of locally grown food by Chris Kivinen-Newman MINDEMOYA-Area farmers, restaurateurs, and others involved in Manitoulin's tourism industry met this past weekend to discuss and learn about the potential of culinary tourism as a new way to attract tourists and enhance the tourist experience. Hosted by the LaCloche-Manitoulin Business Assistance Corporation (LAMBAC) and the Manitoulin Community Food Network, the event was highlighted by guest speakers from across the province, who leant their insight into the bourgeoning field of culinary tourism. The symposium took place at the Mindemoya Community Centre, and culminated in the annual Harvest Bounty Dinner and Dance in Little Current. Keynote speaker Anita Stewart, an author, agrologist, and self-described "culinary activist," defined culinary tourism as something that occurs "when the appreciation of regionally produced foods and beverages is a significant motivator or activity during a tourism trip." In this broad sense, it means culinary tourism could take place in a restaurant, a farmers' market, in a grocery store, or even in someone's home. The symposium itself included four experts who gave lectures and ran workshops for those in attendance: Iain Murray, a professor in Guelph University's Hospitality and Tourism Mangement program; David Cohlmeyer, a Toronto-based market gardener, whose business Cookstown Greens nets nearly $1 million per year; Viki Lass, the proprietor of Church Hill Farm, a mixed farming operation specializing in heritage and rare breeds; and Caryn Coleman, owner of Smoothwater of Temagami, a culinary tourism venture. Dr. Murray presented a lecture on his experience in Iceland, where he helped the country to establish its own culinary tourism market. He said that he felt Manitoulin Island was not yet in a position to be a culinary tourism destination, but those in the tourism industry were in a good position to increase regional economic activity by featuring "local things culinary." By adding to people's tourism experience with unique and high-quality local foods, the goal of those in this new field should be to have tourists return to their homes and say, "the vacation was great, and boy was the food great." He said that the culinary tourism industry should look back 100 years for local foods and recipes that would be appealing to people for their unique qualities. One example he gave from his time in Iceland was their culinary favorite hangikjot, which is lamb smoked over sheep dung. Dr. Murray said that even though tourists wouldn't want to eat something like that on a regular basis, they do spend money even on such a food. He also advised that in order for a culinary tourism market to be successful, all stakeholders in the community would have to work together-even those who don't think they are involved in tourism. One particular experience he had earlier in the day, which underlined his point, was his trip to a local coffee shop, where he was disappointed to not be able to try hawberry jelly or local honey. According to him, he was told that the shop didn't carry the products because the locals "don't appreciate it because it is common to them." But his point was that most tourists would want to purchase those things and would probably even pay extra for them. Statistics back this way of thinking, with recent studies suggesting that 75 percent of tourists were interested in local cuisine, while over half were inclined to look for locally made food products in grocery stores, and 85 percent want local foods in restaurants. Dr. Murray advised restaurateurs to provide more information on menu items that are local, and for people who sell take-away items like preserves or beverages to spend time thinking about how they label and brand their product, to promote the local context. Ms. Lass, during her morning presentation, spoke about how her experiences on her farm could help local farmers grow their own farm business. She said that it's important for local farmers to define their product, their target market and market trends. Her farm, Church Hill Farm, in southwestern Ontario, specializes in rare and heritage breeds of beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, raised organically, with an emphasis on animal welfare and land stewardship. Her experience is that consumers will pay more for a well-raised product, and by not rushing her animals and ensuring the highest quality, she has been able to be very successful, even though she does not worry about selling certain types of meats when they are in high demand. One example that really hit home with her audience was that she has been able to sell turkey at $7 a pound after Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the price of turkey would typically be 99 cents a pound. Another factor that allows small farmers to be successful, according to Ms. Lass, is the farmer's ability to build relationships with their purchasers and others in the farming community. The reasoning behind this is at the core of culinary tourism. The idea is that tourists are not necessarily willing to pay extra for food, but they will pay extra for the story that goes along with their food. Tourists will pay for the passion that local farmers have for their food, and the story of how the product is raised. Ms. Lass says that farmers also sell attributes of their product like food safety. "Optometrists don't just sell better vision," she said. "They sell fashion." The idea that culinary tourism was as much about selling the story of local food as the food itself was reiterated by Ms. Stewart during her keynote speech at the Harvest Bounty Dinner and Dance later that night. Ms. Stewart told the packed room at the Little Current-Howland Recreation Centre that the "most important ingredient of culinary tourism is its authenticity." What she meant was that the food has to be of high quality, it has to be safe, and it has to have a story attached to it. Ms. Stewart said that culinary tourism is "part and parcel of every vacation on earth" and added that the nation itself is "defined politically, economically and culturally on its food system." The culinary tourism symposium ended with stakeholders having a great deal to think about, but also a great deal to look forward to. The general message from the five experts who visited Manitoulin Island over the weekend was that with some hard work and determination, culinary tourism could be an important part of the Island's economy. Manitoulin deer hunt survey to gauge socio-economic impact by Chris Kivinen-Newman MANITOULIN-The Manitoulin Area Stewardship Council (MASC) is asking participants in the Manitoulin deer hunt to complete a voluntary survey that will help them get a better idea of how the hunt impacts the socio-economic status of the Island. Brian Rammako, a member of the stewardship council, says that the information will be used for two important reasons: the first is to collect scientific data to be used by the single biologist in charge of studying the deer population, while the second is to gain knowledge as to the economic imprint the hunt leaves in the community. Cutbacks in the Ministry of Natural Resources has meant that only one biologist is responsible for looking over various aspects of Manitoulin resources, including fisheries, forestry, and the wildlife control. Mr. Rammako says that the MASC feels this is not enough of a commitment to such an important issue. "By getting economic information we can properly value the deer hunt on Manitoulin Island to lobby the government for more funding," said Mr. Rammako. "In today's environment you can't just go and ask for more money. You have to be able to know how much the hunt is worth." Questions range from how much money is spent on accommodations and food while hunting, to how much land is owned or rented for deer hunting, to personal information, such as household income and education levels. The MASC has promised that all information will remain confidential. The MASC have urged everyone to participate in the survey in order to ensure that the results are accurate, and as an added incentive will give away a Tikka T3 bolt action, 270-calibre rifle to one lucky participant. But Mr. Rammako says that the potential to win a prize is not the only reason to fill out the survey. "People should fill it out because it's going to help hunters or others interested in the deer population get more funding to study it," he said. The surveys will be available at local businesses and at the game check station that will be set up in Little Current during the hunt. For more enquiries on the survey or where to pick one up, contact Bob Florean at (705) 869-5326. 'Cultural teaching is key!' Educators told at Wiky education conference by Chris Kivinen-Newman WIKWEMIKONG-Wasse-Abin High School played host last week to the Wikwemikong Board of Education's (WBE's) annual education conference, an opportunity for teachers in First Nations communities to network and improve Aboriginal education. Held over two days, the highly attended conference focussed heavily on the idea of self-determination as a primary means to enhance the classroom experience of Native students. "For us in education, self-determination means having control of education that's being delivered in the classroom, and again ensuring that students see themselves in the curriculum," said WBE director Dominic Beaudry. "That way the education becomes meaningful. The education mirrors them and they feel like they're part of Canadian society." Mr. Beaudry said that the conference's theme, "striving for education excellence in First Nations communities," reflected the community's commitment to assuring that its teachers, and teachers from the surrounding area, received professional development. As such, they brought in educators from southern Ontario and as far away as Colorado to share their experience through speeches and workshops. Workshop topics included anti-bullying strategies, Smart Board training, Native language teaching strategies, sweat lodge teaching, and recreation programming and outdoor education. The first keynote speaker of the conference didn't come from so far away, but his words carried the weight of a great deal of knowledge and academic discipline. Laurentian University Native Studies professor Dr. Darrel Manitowabi returned to Wikwemikong to deliver an address entitled the Role of Culture in Self-Determination and Education. Dr. Manitowabi said that "culture must be the foundation of all components of self-determination, such as education," and that self-determination to him meant a "degree of autonomy enabling individuals or collectivities to shape their own economic, social, cultural and political destiny." He said that the Indian Act was the absolute antithesis of self-determination because it attempted to control the identity of Canada's indigenous people, making them Indians instead of Anishinabe. He argued that being Anishinabe is just as much about being a part of their culture as it is being of Native descent. He said that in his research he encountered instances where Aboriginals who acted in a selfish manner or did not contribute to community harmony were treated as outcasts, and in one particular case, he overheard two elders say that someone who was acting selfishly was not Anishinabe. His point was that it was the Anishinabe people's culture that made them unique, and therefore Aboriginal education has to be grounded in culture. "I have suggested that someone possessing a government-issued status card or identifying as an indigenous person does not automatically provide you with a gateway to the unique worldview and values of the Anishinabe," said Dr. Manitowabi. "A status card entitles you to be an Indian in Canada, but as I have argued it does not necessarily entitle you to be an Anishinabe." He continued by saying that "being Anishinabe is an open behaviour with a commitment to the past, present and future of the Anishinabe community. It is culturally inherited rather than a political given." So, in Dr. Manitowabi's opinion, it was not enough for Native communities to have their own schools and their own teachers, if the curriculum and the governance of the school was not based in Anishinabe cultural traditions. As evidence that WBE is taking this message to heart, Mr. Beaudry pointed to the wall of the school's auditorium, which was covered with posters used in the school's Anishinabe language curriculum materials. "The challenges are to make curriculum that's appropriate for First Nations students. So we need to adapt some of the curriculum that exists, and those are some of the things that we're doing," Mr. Beaudry said. Dr. Ron Common, dean of education at Nipissing University, opened the second day of the conference, speaking about his experiences with the education systems of various indigenous cultures around the world. Having once lived in Wikwemikong and studied the community's education history, Dr. Common gave a unique and insightful view of how their education experiences contrasted with those in similar situations around the world. He said his research shows that education in Wikwemikong has come a long way and had gone through various ups and downs. The earliest mention of education in the community that he could find was from the 1840s, when a government document mentioned what he called "one of the most impressive successes in education." The document revealed that the school in Wikwemikong had an Aboriginal woman in a teaching role, adding that it proved that the community had a long history of creating teachers. But the arrival of colonial education systems, starting with the arrival of Christian schools in the 1860s, led to a sharp decline in the education of Anishinabe children, leading to residential schools. By 1926, said Dr. Common, Wikwemikong had gone from having a successful system with Native teachers to a very "sorry state" where students were removed from their home, mistreated, and robbed of their culture. Still, he said that it was a testament to the resilience and strength of the Anishinabe culture that children in Wikwemikong were now able to go through the entire school system in their own community, and he got rapturous applause for his assertion that the next step must be the formation of Aboriginal-controlled post-secondary institutions. He advised the teachers that in order to effectively teach Aboriginal students in their own cultural traditions, it means integrating everyone in the community into the educational experience and letting go of some of the preconceived notions of education inherited by the colonial system. Some components of the education system that he said may need looking into are the separation of students based strictly on age rather than on ability, the lack of a year-round school year, and the only entry point to education being in September, to name a few. "The idea that everyone starts in September is not good enough," he said, as it is not flexible enough to meet the realities of Aboriginal communities. Dr. Common was quick to say that he didn't have all the answers, but that he hoped the teachers and administrators got out of his speech the idea that Aboriginal schools should reflect on the way they run their schools, ask themselves why they do what they do, take examples from around the world and see what would be best for their students. The conference was well received by those in attendance. Wasse-Abin teacher Alex Maloney praised the informative nature of the event and the great keynote speakers who were brought in by the board. Mr. Maloney felt that the key message of the conference was about the importance of culture in Aboriginal education. "Hold on to your culture, hold on to your language," he said. "Learn that way and by knowing who you are as an individual and your background and your culture, you can progress further and it will be better for you in the long run." He also noted that it was important for non-Aboriginal teachers like him to understand his students' language, culture, and background in order to better teach them. EDITORIAL Campaign mistruths serve to erode voter confidence The nature of political campaigns in this country, certainly at the federal level, is taking a decidedly more aggressive-and more negative-turn. A current television commercial, for example, directed by the Conservative party squarely at Liberal leader StZphane Dion, states bluntly that, "He will impose a carbon tax on everything." The Conservatives are taking advantage of one of the Liberals' key platform planks, the carbon tax aspect of its Green Shift policy. Knowing that Canadians have not grasped the niceties of the carbon tax, the Tories are hammering on the single word: "tax." Never mind that the Liberals' platform pledges that the program will be tax-neutral to ordinary citizens-the TV ads hammer "tax," "tax," "tax." Similarly, at last Wednesday's all-candidates night at Manitoulin Secondary School, the NDP candidate, Carol Hughes, told the large crowd that the Liberals' carbon tax program will mean additional tax on gasoline at the neighbourhood garage's pumps. It won't, but the NDP, like the Tories, is ignoring Mr. Dion's facts in an attempt to mislead ordinary voters into thinking that a vote for the Liberals' carbon tax is a takeaway from their standard of living. These tactics, based on half-truths and downright mistruths, are insidious not merely because they seek to take advantage of a trusting public but, more importantly, because of the cynicism these tactics will inevitable fall heir to. This commentary isn't intended to be particularly pro-Liberal, and readers should be clear on that important point. The attacks on Liberal policies are used only to illustrate the point at issue. For seeking election at any price is simply too costly to the political process which, after all, eventually determines the view ordinary citizens will take about participating themselves. Like voting. And Canadians are showing, at every level, less and less interest in visiting their local poll on election day. Does this consistent trend relate to the aggressively negative campaigns and downright dissembling that some political parties employ? It would be naive to think that it did not. But the fact is that Canadians, as a part of our communal identity, do not as individuals employ these same tactics, by and large, in our interpersonal and business relations. We are an honest and straightforward people and for any major political party to wage a political battle on any other terms simply demeans the process for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Letters to the Editor Derogatory comments are not reflective of tourism group MTA will work to ensure instances are not repeated EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter was sent to Waubetek general manager Dawn Madahbee and is reprinted here at the author's request. Dear Ms. Madahbee: On behalf of the Manitoulin Tourism Association (MTA), I extend my apologies for the derogatory and racist comments that were made this summer at the information centre in Little Current. As I have mentioned previously, the MTA does not condone any sort of racist or derogatory remarks, especially ones directed towards First Nations. Any comments that may have been made reflect only the individual from whom it came and not our entire organization. This incident and additional comments in your letter have highlighted the need for clearer policies and additional training in order to ensure that our travel counsellors are not only well trained and cognizant of the cultural treasures of Manitoulin Island, but also aware that stereotyping conduct is not acceptable. Partnerships with the Great Spirit Circle Trail (GSCT), as well as other First Nations on Manitoulin Island, are crucial to our business as we promote tourism as a whole, for the entire area. Comments and attitudes such as those experienced by this visitor only set back these relationships that we work so hard to build and are not conducive to future business on the Island. Since receiving the note from the tourist describing her experience this past summer, the MTA has been in communication with the Great Spirit Circle Trail to rectify the situation and to offer suggestions on how we can ensure that such instances do not happen again. We will continue to work closely with the GSCT to ensure that the proposed action will be put into practice immediately for all staff and volunteers related to MTA functions. Al Douglas president Manitoulin Tourism Association Morrisseau's adopted son responds to artist's critique Blake Debassige should heed lessons of painting icon To the Expositor: I recently became aware of comments made by Blake Debassige published in your paper on September 12, 2007 ("The artist as social critic"). I am asking that my full comments be published as I was not contacted by the reporter and given the opportunity to respond to these outrageous and, quite frankly, slanderous statements made by Blake Debassige. First, I would like to address that which Mr. Debassige and I can agree upon: Norval's art is being plagiarized and there are a significant amount of paintings which have been, and continue to be, sold as original Norval Morrisseau paintings. The fact that these paintings flooded the secondary art market in tandem with the deterioration of Norval's health hurt him greatly as it became apparent this was not being done by persons "in need" but rather persons in greed. For legal reasons, I cannot at this time comment more than this. In regards to the rest of Blake's comments, I can only say that his racial comments are a reflection of an angry, bitter and intolerant man. While Blake compared our relationship to some 70-year-old Indian adopting a white guy, Norval adopted me when he was in his 50s. That comment shows disrespect for Norval. I love Norval. My family loves Norval. It hurts us very much when people who did not know the man disrespect his choices and our relationship. Blake claims to honour and respect an "icon," yet he shows himself to be directly at odds with the teachings espoused by my father. Norval was clear from the beginning of his artistic career: His art was to bring pride to his people, to keep alive cultural knowledge and to act as a bridge between white society and Indian society. Like his incredible paintings, Norval believed all colours could find harmony upon the canvas of life. We are all one in spirit. Blake Debassige's angry and distasteful comments reflect, in my opinion, a clear ignorance of Norval's most basic teachings regarding spirituality and tolerance. As for his accusation that I threatened him? I deny it. I did have a disagreement with Mr. Debassige in 1999 but, quite frankly, it was I who felt threatened. Judging by the undertone of his public comments, it is easy to imagine why. Imagine what he says in private. As for his other wild allegation that I am responsible for the fake Morriseaus in circulation, it is nothing less than ridiculous. In actual fact, it appears that both white and Indian persons play a part in their distribution. If the Ojibwe people truly wish to honour and respect Norval, I invite them to help me put a stop to those in their midst who participate in the distribution of these paintings with greedy white people who hide in the shadows. Norval was very hurt by these fake paintings. He did not want his legacy tainted by greed. Pointing the finger at me is simply another attempt to vilify me within the native community. Something easy to do when one fosters anger and bitterness between the different races. While I know it is hard for some people to accept, Norval chose to live in the manner he did and he didn't believe it was anyone's business to judge his choices. In closing, Blake is a well-respected artist within the art world. Instead of being blinded by the colour of my skin, Blake would be better served to remember the lessons his "icon" left behind for us all to learn from. Any student of Norval's life should understand that we are all One. We are all interdependent. I ask Mr. Debassige to retract these statements publicly through the very same newspaper he slandered me in. Should he do so, I will accept his apology. Gabor Vadas Nanaimo, BC Tourism representatives should join forces to avoid future instances of racism Working together will benefit tourism on Manitoulin To the Expositor: Regarding the front-page story "Great Spirit Circle Trail client claims racist remarks at info centre" (September 24). It is indeed a situation that is very serious to all parties concerned and needs, and appears, to be addressed by all concerned. May I suggest that the Manitoulin Tourism Association (MTA) and the Waubetek Business Development Corporation now move forward by not only being members of each other's organizations, but also by having members or active directors on each other's boards. They should share information, staffing and the spring tours of all attractions on the Manitoulin so visitors to the booths get to meet a cross-section of Island people all with the same information. In reality both organizations are working towards the same goal of serving our visiting tourists who, when arriving, want to see all of Manitoulin and its people; there really is no competition between the two because they all have something different to offer the tourist. Expositor publisher, and long-time MTA member, Rick McCutcheon and Dawn Madahbee of the Waubetek Business Development Corporation are both able and competent supporters of Manitoulin-they might do well to sit down and try to bring about a joint venture of the two organizations and avoid the above situation as well as benefit all concerned. Having sat with both of these individuals on the fundraising committee for the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation in M'Chigeeng, I have seen first-hand what can be achieved when we work together for the betterment of Manitoulin and its residents. Moe Keller Mindemoya