Manitou producing record pickerel

(week after week)

by Alicia McCutcheon

LAKE MANITOU-The secret is out. Manitoulin's largest lake has been producing this summer and the fishing has been good.

It does not seem to matter what the species, be it lake trout, bass or walleye, the getting is good-especially for walleye.

"Fishing on Lake Manitou has never been better," said Manitou angler Paul Methner.

When he's not fishing, Mr. Methner works with the Ministry of Natural Resources as manager of the Blue Jay Creek Fish Culture Station and said he hears all the time that people are worried the booming walleye population will disappear.

The species, not natural to Lake Manitou, was introduced some time ago and seems to have hit its stride this year.

"By introducing another top fish like that, you typically run the risk of hindering a good lake trout population," he noted. But so far, so good. The two predatory fish seem to be coexisting well, for the time being.

When 127 adult walleye were moved into Lake Kagawong this year, this caused concern among some anglers of the lake. Spawn is also continuing to be removed without anything being given back to the walleye population, which also worries some, including Ryan Hutchinson.

Mr. Hutchinson is the proprietor of Hutchinson's Cabins in Sandfield and, when he has the time, loves to fish the big lake too.

He admits the fishing has been "really good" and says he has not seen a walleye under seven pounds, with the biggest he's seen at 13 pounds. And he wants it to stay that way.

"It's wonderful having the pickerel but if you take something from the lake, you should give something back," he said.

Mr. Methner noted that the average spawning walleye will produce between 300,000-400,000 eggs as opposed to the lake trout's 5,000 eggs, saying people's fears are unfounded when it comes to the walleye population. In 2000, the MNR 'index netted' the fall walleye population and came back with estimates of 60,000 fish-a number that will have since grown.

"You take 127 fish out, it's like a grain of salt," he said. "Walleye look after themselves," he added. "It's creating more opportunities for the people of Manitoulin to fish for walleye, the number one most sought after fish in Ontario."

"Pickerel is the top game fish in Ontario and it's going to bring people in," Mr. Hutchinsn concurred, noting that he has had no vacancy this summer. "It's good for the lake and good for the whole economy."

Both Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. Methner are a part of an online community of anglers known as BountyFishing, and in fact, Mr. Methner has had his face posted on the website more than once.

Islanders have clued into the North America-wide fishing derby run by the web-based organization that promotes catch and release practices. It was developed in the beginning of this year "to provide the world's largest fishing tournament, giving anglers the opportunity to compete throughout the year against other angler from across the continent," according to the website.

Fisherpeople can join the derby (one each week) online by signing up for either the day or week. Once registered, anglers will receive a bounty code, which must be taken fishing with them. If what is believed to be a prize fish is caught, the angler must take a digital picture of the fish, with the bounty code being held and beside a tape measurer on a flat surface. Winning fish are determined by length.

Out of all of North America, Lake Manitou has produced the largest walleye five weeks in a row. Out of all of the categories (walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, panfish, musky and pike, salmon, trout and catfish/carp) a large number of the first-place winners each week are caught in Ontario waters.

Just last week, Mr. Methner was the top walleye winner, a fact he doesn't like to brag about too much because people tend to follow the successful fisherman everywhere he does on the lake.

"This is the best lake on the whole Island for fishing and this just confirms that," Mr. Hutchinson said of Lake Manitou's top results on the BountyFishing website.

Both of the fishermen do want to remind people that there are laws to follow regarding pickerel. An angler can only keep one of the three fish he or she catches if it is over 18 inches, and on Lake Manitou, it's hard to catch one under that. They urge anglers to keep only their limit and to practise catch and release to keep Lake Manitou thriving with spawnable fish.

"It's hard to catch one under 25 inches, but just take a picture and let it go," Mr. Methner urges. "It's a pretty unique fishery and it would be nice to keep for our grandchildren."

The fisherman said that the entire Island has had an amazing year for fishing and though he doesn't have an explanation as to why (he noted a decrease in the cormorant population), he thinks it's going to be like the boom in the mid-90s. Last week, he caught seven salmon and one lake trout in Michael's Bay. One of the salmon was 18 pounds.

"Things are on the rebound," said Mr. Methner. "But we fall down miserably when it comes to invasive species control."

He said he's worried that Lake Manitou will become flooded with anglers with "bad practices" who will then bring invasive species with them.

Nevertheless, fishing has been, and continues to be, good.

"When I say good, it's with a capital 'G,' Mr. Methner concluded.

Province seeks input for swing bridge upgrade

by Jim Moodie

LITTLE CURRENT-With the swing bridge poised to turn 100 in a half dozen years, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is launching a new round of repairs in order to spruce up the historic structure in time for its centennial, beginning with an overhaul of its ailing base.

"The focus is currently the deck replacement, as well as repairs to all the concrete piers and abutments," communicated Gordan Rennie, regional issues advisor for the MTO's Northeastern Region. "Painting of the upper portion of the bridge will take place under a separate contract after the deck work is completed. The goal is to have all the bridge work completed and the structure refurbished in time for the 100th anniversary of its construction in 2013."

As outlined in a notice published in these pages last week, the ministry has engaged the services of the McCormick Rankin Corporation to undertake a preliminary design study for replacement of the driving surface and rehabilitation of the concrete supports.

That study, which will include input from the public regarding the options for allowing the work to proceed, "is expected to be complete by June, 2008," indicated Mr. Rennie. "Once complete, the detail design phase will begin, which would take approximately one year."

While the deck of the bridge has been deteriorating for a number of years, the wear and tear became particularly noticeable this summer, with deep grooves developing in several areas of the surface and one motorist dislodging a steel plate that became wedged in the undercarriage of their vehicle.

The hope among some bridge users was that these glitches would precipitate a prompt makeover of the rickety span, beginning this winter, but given that the study itself won't be done until spring, travellers will have to put up with a bumpy ride over the famous link a bit longer.

"Assuming the design is complete and necessary approvals are in place, the earliest the work could commence is the fall of 2009," said Mr. Rennie.

The MTO is considering a number of ways to undertake the project without creating major traffic delays. Scenarios include closing the bridge to traffic for several hours each night, or constructing a temporary, modular span alongside the swing bridge to provide a detour.

Mr. Rennie said that "modular bridges are often selected for temporary use because they can be transported to the site in pieces and assembled on shore." Once piers are built, "the sections are pushed across the water and installed," with pre-assembled components being adapted to "local site conditions."

In the case of the swing bridge, a modular alternative would "need to be parallel to the existing bridge," indicated Mr. Rennie, "but outside of the swing area to ensure continued operation of the swing bridge during installation."

The temporary span wouldn't impinge on marine traffic, however, as it would only be put in place following the end of the boating season in early November, "and would be removed in late March prior to the navigation season commencing," said Mr. Rennie.

As for the materials under consideration for new decking, Mr. Rennie said that "the ministry is exploring several options, including wood, pre-cast concrete and steel." Noting that the "biggest challenge is managing traffic during the deck replacement," the MTO official added that "the ministry is also considering innovative deck technology that could be installed rapidly in stages."

Asked whether the surface would have an overlay of asphalt, Mr. Rennie replied, "it is too early in the study to know-it will depend on the type and weight of the deck installed."

Another consideration in the redesign of the deck is whether or not to fix or replace the existing sidewalk, possibly widening it in the process. "The standard width of a sidewalk is 1.5 metres," noted the MTO spokesman, "so the existing sidewalk is narrow." The study being undertaken by the engineering firm will "determine the best option for the sidewalk based on historical and future anticipated use, needs of users, costs, etcetera."

The cost of the project is unknown at this point, as it will depend largely on "the type of deck chosen and the competitive tendering process," pointed out Mr. Rennie. But the expense will be borne entirely by the province, as Ontario is the owner of the bridge and responsible for all maintenance and upgrades.

Regarding the anticipated length of the job, Mr. Rennie said it would involve "a minimum of one year" for the construction work to be carried out. "Concrete repairs and a temporary modular bridge construction, if required, would take place in the summer/fall, and the deck replacement would take place in the winter."

If such work doesn't begin in earnest until the fall of 2009, this means we're looking at 2010 for our first glide over a slick new bridge surface.

In the meantime, residents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns at a public information session in Little Current, although a date has not yet been set for this forum. Mr. Rennie assured that, "once details are confirmed, the public will be notified and encouraged to attend."

Emergency service providers will also be consulted as planning progresses, said Mr. Rennie, to "ensure police, fire and ambulance service is not disrupted" by the project. And once work begins, appropriate measures will be put in place to "ensure debris or harmful material does not enter the water," he added. Noting that this "is a standard requirement for all MTO bridge contracts," the ministry rep said he doesn't anticipate "any unusual challenges for the contractor" in this case.

"Typically, the deck would be cut into pieces and removed in sections," he indicated, while "a temporary platform suspended under the deck would ensure no debris falls into the channel."

Once the preliminary design is filed in June, an environmental study report will be prepared and made available for a 30-day public review period. This report, according to the MTO, "will document the evaluation of alternatives and environmental protection measures to be integrated into the detail design and contract preparation phase," with the period for public review to be announced in this newspaper.

Recreation

by Alicia McCutcheon

MANITOULIN-Walking into the public school cabin at the Assiginack Museum two weekends ago was like walking into a time warp. The cabin was lit with candles and the room was hazy, as if from a fire at the fireplace. First Nations men sat around in mid-1800s garb, talking quietly to one another, while a French priest sat at the head of the table, dressed head to tow in flowing black robes.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity at the door and four policeman marched in the cabin, armed with rifles, and arrested one of the men-not without a struggle.

"And cut!" yelled Drew Lint, reenactment director for the Ontario Visual Heritage Project.

The men immediately began to joke and laugh with one another, teasing the policeman about being too rough.

This was just one of many reenactments of Manitoulin heritage moments being used for a documentary, made by the group of 20-somethings that make up the Ontario Visual Heritage Project.

This particular scene was a meeting of men in Wikwemikong after the community failed to sign the Manitoulin Treaty of 1862, designing their own form of government with the help of Jesuit Priest Father ChonŽ. This was frowned upon by the then ruling British government and so constables from the Toronto police force were sent to deal with the renegade group.

The project is the brainchild of Zach Melnick and began seven years ago while he was still in high school in Cayuga. Mr. Melnick, a fan of multi-media and local history, decided to come up with a way to bring the two together, also realizing a need for youth to understand their local heritage-something not often taught in schools.

By partnering with the local chamber of commerce and receiving a Trillium Foundation grant, Mr. Melnick produced his first documentary on Haldimand County with the help of his local museum. The film, which was a mix of history and tourism, was then distributed to other area museums and schools.

The feedback they received was good, but they were told to just focus on the history of the counties they researched.

Since then, the young producer/director has applied for a Trillium grant each summer and researched and shot films in locations throughout the province: Norfolk, Brant/Six Nations, Elgin, Oxford, Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent and this year, Muskoka, West Parry Sound, Sudbury and Manitoulin. They now have a non-profit organization called the Living History Multimedia Association comprised of "people who like history."

"History is very different in the North," noted Yvonne Drebert, artistic director and high school sweetheart of Mr. Melnick.

With each new project, the group first establishes a local committee made up of museum curators, board members and history buffs. The committee then directs the group as to where to conduct research and whom to interview. Once that has been completed, Mr. Melnick and the others meet with the committee and lay out what it is they think would be the most interesting stories to tell in a documentary. The committee will either agree or disagree or give them different ideas of avenues to explore.

On Manitoulin, the steering committee was comprised of the Manitoulin Museums Association and beginning last fall, over 30 people were interviewed on subjects ranging from lighthouses to First Nations heritage. Ms. Drebert explained that each interview was between one and three hours long.

"There are a few people on Manitoulin who have been very keen," noted Mr. Melnick. "Dave Smith and Linda Kelly-without them we wouldn't have been there (Manitoulin). And Audrey Wemigwans with Debejehmujig? She was a major helper."

He said the group has a database of over 200 stories coded by theme, time and location.

"Our job was to find ways to connect as many as possible while keeping the flow and geographical representation in order," Mr. Melnick said.

While all of the group's documentaries have included reenactments, never before have there been so many in one film. This occured for a couple of reasons.

"Manitoulin is one of the only places where we can shoot right where the event actually occurred," he said. "Its history is bigger than the stories available in a lot of other places because of the cultural diversity. It's larger than life."

In one reenactment scene, Commissioner of Fisheries William Gibbard is rowed ashore to Wikwemikong by his constables, only to find resistance among the people there. After trying to have one man arrested, the mood turns ugly and he and his men are forced to flee. Mr. Melnick chose to do the scene on purpose.

"We recently did a documentary on the people of Caledonia, and it sounded almost exactly the same," he said. "That was astonishing to me and immediately made the story a very important one in my mind."

"We try to tell stories that do connect with today, even though they're long forgotten in mainstream society," the producer added.

Other subjects that will be covered in the documentary will be the story of Nanabush and Treasure Island, early First Nations history, the geology of Manitoulin and the great fire, the Manitowaning Experiment and the Manitoulin Incident, the Manitoulin Treaty of 1862, Jesuits and religion, European settlement, marine history and tourism, and restoring and preserving cultural heritage.

"Those early years were really action packed," Mr. Melnick said.

He explained that the project's "goal is content, but their passion is production." The DVD has been shot by industry standards and in HD quality and, the producer noted, the local actors have been great too. The filmmakers still have a couple of winter scenes to shoot but say the doc will be finished by summer when a local screening will take place, probably in June.

Ice Lake-Kagawong corridor chosen for deer reflectors

Pilot project for 1.6 km along Allan Line aims to keep deer off road

ICE LAKE-Beginning at the Pleasant Valley Road turnoff on Highway 540 and continuing east for 1.6 kilometres, steel posts now line the road on each side.

Considering this stretch of road (midway between Ice Lake and Kagawong) is a hotbed of deer sightings and collisions year-round, passersby might easily think this is the beginning of a deer fence, designed to keep the creatures from venturing onto the road.

The project involves deer, all right, but it's more sophisticated than mere fencing.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has chosen this particular stretch of Highway 540 as a pilot project to try out a system of reflectors that has proven successful in western Canada in mitigating the deer-on-the-highway situation.

Belanger Highway Maintenance, the MTO's Manitoulin road maintenance contractor, is charged with installing the system and on Wednesday, August 29 Belanger employees Hector Vanhorn and Jack McQuarrie spent the day installing the steel posts.

Mr. Vanhorn explained to the Expositor that the posts are placed beside the highway's shoulders precisely 80 metres apart.

The rows of posts on either side of the highway are staggered so that the first post on the south side is set 40 metres east of its counterpart on the north side, and in this way there is a post, on one side of the highway or the other, every 40 metres.

Mr. Vanhorn explained that reflectors about eight inches in height will be installed on each post 30 inches above the road's crown (its highest point).

At night, the reflector system will pick up light from cars' headlights and will create a reflective "net" of beams of light that, Mr. Vanhorn says, "won't be all that visible to us, but is supposed to frighten the deer away from the highway."

The reflectors will not only pick up cars' light in reflection, but are designed to re-reflect this light to other posts on the other side of the highway as well as ahead and behind.

Mr. Vanhorn explained that he understands the system has proven successful in Saskatchewan.

The actual reflectors are on order and are expected to be installed in the next two weeks, just in time for the deer's busy fall schedule.

EDITORIAL

Audit of the recycling company's finances is warranted

To suggest, as did a headline on the front page of last week's paper, that Zhiibaahaasing First Nation can now "move out of the spotlight" is perhaps a bit premature.

The touchy aspect of the removal of an estimated two million tires from that small First Nation community on the Island's West End is complete, at a cost to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs of close to $4 million.

But the equally touchy thing is what happened to the funds collected by the Cockburn Island Tire Recycling Company-the name of the band-owned business that collected and accepted used tires for a potential recycling business-in return for accepting the tires.

Even if the charge had been as little as $1 per tire, that's close to $2 million in income-half of the taxpayers' cost for their removal-and since many of the tires were the truck variety that fetch a higher price in the scrap rubber trade, we can assume that revenue was significantly higher.

When the tires began to pile up, with little or no recycling going on, the explanation from Zhiibaahaasing officials was that the equipment had broken down and there was a $20,000 cost to repair it.

That's when the hue and cry began to seek the removal of the tires, and now that has been accomplished.

There is a fine line here.

The Cockburn Island Tire Recycling Company was (and perhaps remains) a private company that Zhiibaahaasing chief Irene Kells was pleased to point out a year ago had never received a penny's subsidy. (It was, we understand, begun with funds derived from the community’s Casino Rama share in 2000.)

That is commendable. There is no doubt about that. And there is also no doubt that it had been the intention of the tiny First Nation and its private company to accomplish something unique and create employment for local people.

But something went wrong.

The equipment broke down. It wasn't repaired. The tires kept arriving and were stacked...and stacked...and stacked.

And the fact that the tires kept on arriving-and were welcomed on the First Nation-led to the local furor that led in turn to the $4 million tire removal cost.

Does the Cockburn Island Tire Recycling Company have any culpability in this matter, and by extension, does its political master the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation?

Could these funds taken in not have been used to repair the equipment and keep it running and so avoid the need for the costly removal of so many tires?

There is a fairly standard add-on cost of $5 per tire that is charged by garages when old, worn-out or damaged tires are left for them to dispose of. A Manitoulin garage owner recently told this writer, who had left behind a damaged passenger car tire to be disposed of, that the $5 fee "is what it costs us to pass them on."

There is a better-than-average chance that fees of this nature were, over the years, passed on to the Cockburn Island Tire Recycling Company and in fairness to both the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation and to the Canadian people, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs should commence an audit of the recycling company's finances.

This is important, and fair, because there is a local precedent, dating back over 20 years when the Wikwemikong administration was punished and put under third-party management for over a year when an audit revealed that the chief and council of the day had allowed funds to be deviated from their budgeted commitment in order to fund the construction of a new band administration office.

In that case, the audit found the chief, council and their administration at fault and the punitive steps were taken.

It would be patently unfair to other First Nation communities if a similar audit is not undertaken on the community's (now defunct) tire recycling operation. It would also be in Zhiibaahaasing's interest to have such scrutiny occur in the interest of rebuilding its reputation.

Letters to the Editor

Bethune connection to Owen Sound confirmed by reader

There were always, as I grew up, Bethunes in Owen Sound

To the Expositor:

I wish to comment on a letter published in the Expositor on July 19, 2006 in which the writer questions the placement of Norman Bethune in Owen Sound ("Monument builder bristles at 'forgotten' label"). The Billy Bishop Museum in Owen Sound has a picture from a high school magazine showing Percy Leslie, Norman Bethune and my cousin Norman Harkness-always close buddies-and Billy Bishop there also. I know the family had a home up around the Barrie area, but there were always, as I grew up, Bethunes in Owen Sound.

Kay Morrison

Orangeville

EDITOR'S NOTE: Norman Bethune was born in Gravenhurst, as Douglas Campbell rightfully pointed out in his letter of last summer, but spent his high school years in Owen Sound, attending the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute.

Students enjoy tour of Little Current Farmers' Market

Valuable, interactive lessons were learned

To the Expositor:

On Tuesday, August 21, the Grade 6 class from Lakeview School in M'Chigeeng had the pleasure and wonderful experience of participating in a field trip to the Little Current Farmers' Market and to Gary Shean's and Dianne Harris' amazing garden just east of Aundeck Omni Kaning. What a great learning opportunity to celebrate the bountiful harvest of Manitoulin and enjoy a hands-on activity for healthy eating!

Lauren Paradis and the vendors at the market had prepared valuable demonstrations and interactive activities for the students to learn how the various products had been grown, prepared, and artistically created. Students enjoyed lots of taste tests and samples, with explanations of the ingredients and methods involved. The nutritional value of the "goodies" was highlighted, with many nodding heads agreeing this was "good stuff." Students experienced first-hand just how good fresh produce and organic products really are! For many of the students this was a first time event to taste such a variety of foods and try health-care products made with fresh herbs. Each student also received a "market dollar" when they entered. Needless to say, there was a beeline to the baked goodies to purchase cookies and muffins.

After waking up our taste buds and expanding our knowledge, it was off to Mr. Shean's garden. The students were taken on an extensive tour of his garden, peppered with growing tips, discussions of the effect of this summer's drought, the trials and tribulations of coons raiding the corn patch, and the many varieties of squash which can be grown. When Mr. Shean said that his Hungarian squash weren't ready yet, the students' eyes grew very big. Watermelon-sized squash still needed to grow, some of which would reach 100 pounds! Then, we entered the cabbage patch, and the students' mouths dropped open and there were shrieks of amazement as Mr. Shean showed them cabbage after cabbage weighing 20-30 pounds! You had to see it to believe it!

The Grade 6 students ended their field trip loaded down with arm loads of healthy vegetables and bags of goodies. We proceeded to enjoy a corn fest and cooked up tantalizing dishes made with a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs. School never smelled so good! And Mr. Shean, you will be proud to know that the one huge cabbage we struggled to carry on our bus made enough cabbage rolls to feed our entire school. Can you believe it? Including staff and students, and our two amazing cooks, Roseann Debassige and Nancy Armstrong, we generously fed over 140 people from one cabbage! That sure has to be a record! The total cost of ingredients for this was only about $35.

A very hearty miigwech goes to the Little Current Farmers' Market Association, as well as Gary Shean and Dianne Harris for warmly welcoming the Grade 6 class and making the second week of our new balanced school year an exciting time. It's great going to school in the summer and taking advantage of some of Manitoulin's finest treasures!

The Grade 6 class, Lakeview School

M'Chigeeng

I'm your neighbour

Brenda Reid

Wigwam Gift Shop,

South  Baymouth

For the past 11 years, Brenda Reid has been working at the Wigwam Gift Shop in South Baymouth, right across from the ferry docks, and said she's enjoyed every minute of it.

"I love the people I work with and the people I get to meet," she said. "Everyone has a different story."

Working at the Wigwam could mean any number of duties such as taking reservations for the Wigwam Motel, making fudge, attending tradeshows to help pick out the latest in giftware, as well as her favourite, making displays for the store. She added, with a smile, that dusting the multitude of shelves at the Wigwam might be one of the most important jobs she has.

"I have a white glove!" her boss, Nancy Leeson, pipes in.

Ms. Reid also has a busy beef cattle operation with her husband on their Clover Valley farm, to which she lends a hand with when she can. On top of all of this, she also finds time to involve herself in municipal politics and is a councillor with Assiginack council.

When the busy lady finds a spare moment, she said she loves to sew, do Suduko puzzles and crosswords, and cook. In fact, Ms. Reid belongs to a group of women who make dinners of the world every six weeks or so. Each of the women in the group make a number of dishes of the featured country and after the feast, it's games night! The host is in charge of the game, she explained.

The grandmother of three also finds time to travel to Barrie to see her children and grandchildren.

Shopping at local stores like the Wigwam Gift Shop provides lasting employment for people like Brenda Reid.