Nine Island people treated against rabies

by Alicia McCutcheon

MANITOULIN-According to the Sudbury and District Health Unit, nine people from Manitoulin have undergone treatment due to exposure to the rabies virus.

All of these cases would seem related to rabies in the bat population, as out of eight bats submitted to the SDHU for testing, three  came from Manitoulin. Of those three bats, two tested positive-one in Espanola, the other in Manitowaning.

Holly Brown, a spokesperson for the SDHU, explained that there have been other cases of rabies from other types of wildlife reported in the Sudbury-Manitoulin area, but none of those were on Manitoulin.

This outbreak is the first documented in Manitoulin since 1963. Ms. Brown said that there had been a horse on the Island with rabies in 1992, but the horse had contracted the disease prior to its purchase from southern Ontario, so the virus had not come from Manitoulin.

"Less than one percent of the bat population has rabies," Ms. Brown said.

She further explained that the rabies virus follows a cyclical pattern with outbreaks typically occurring every five-10 years. The last outbreak in the Sudbury-Manitoulin area was in March 2001, when foxes, raccoons and other wildlife were found to be carrying rabies. The outbreak lasted until January of 2003.

Ms. Brown suggested Manitoulin has been so long in having a case of documented rabies due to the fact of its location as an island and its relative isolation.

Dry conditions, diminished pasture send many cattle to market early

by Alicia McCutcheon

MANITOULIN-Gordon Township farmer Morris Hore has had a pretty rough summer, but listening to his upbeat talk, you wouldn't know it.

By the third week in July, dry conditions had forced Mr. Hore to sell all 79 cows on his farm, none near the weight they should have been.

"This is the worst summer I have ever had," he said. "I lost all of my water. I had watering holes, but they all went. It was really, really bad."

He explained that feeding the cattle was not an issue like it has been for some Island farmers; it was the watering that was the problem. In fact, things have been so dry on the Hore farm that the house well dried up two weeks ago too.

The farmer has no regrets in selling early, though, saying he received a better price at the time-10 cents more than is being offered now. Things basically evened out for Mr. Hore, as the cattle's weight was not what it would have been if he had sold in September.

Mr. Hore is a feeder, running a cow-calf operation, which means normally he would sell some of his herd in the fall and winter the rest. This year, he won't winter any and figures he will wait until April and buy between 80-100 head then.

Thankfully, Mr. Hore is also a licensed mechanic and has a shop right on the farm. For the winter, he can take on work fixing machinery and cars and says he can "keep himself busy. I've got backup for the winter."

"There's not much else I can do about it," he said. "This is by far the worst I've seen."

Although he's not in as bad a position as Mr. Hore, Bruce Jewell said things are "going to be pretty tight" on his Bidwell farm this winter.

Mr. Jewell sold 35 calves two weeks ago, among them all of his heifers, which he would normally keep.

"I have 40 cows to winter and some of them are going to have to go to," he said, noting that he was able to buy some feed but will have to buy more, and has heard there is corn for sale "down south."

Normally, Mr. Jewell would sell 27 or 28 of his calves, but he just can't feed them this year. And even though he is selling more, prices are down. He is getting 15 or 16 cents less than last year.

Steve Orford of Providence Bay has just finished selling one third of his 180 head of cattle-an average number for him.

The dry conditions forced the farmer to feed more hay to his cattle during August-hay that he normally would have sold, but says he has enough for the winter months.

It has been an expensive summer for Mr. Orford. However, as the cost of extra hay and grain to feed his large herd has been adding up. He guesses his second cut of hay might be half of what it should be.

"The grain crop was poor and I expect poor corn too," he lamented.

Thanks to the recent rains, the pastures are beginning to re-green on the Orford farm and the cows have been able to pasture again, although the farmer noted that his water holes are "way down."

The Expositor caught up with farmer and cattle hauler Ken Gibbs as he waited to board the ferry with a load destined for the Keady Livestock Market, just outside of Owen Sound.

"Right now, we're back onto normal," he said. "But there were quite a few that went a month early."

Mr. Gibbs said that because of the dried-up pastures and poor water quality, the cattle are an average of 100 pounds lighter than normal.

"Farmers are disillusioned with forage insurance and as far as expecting compensation, everyone has pretty much given up on the government," he said.

"The quality of food throughout the summer just wasn't there," he noted. "And the young cattle? There was nothing for them to eat. Farmers have to start supplementing their diet now. It's a compounding thing."

"There's a simple way to fix it," Mr. Gibbs continued. "Just send a cheque."

The farmer sold 55 of his own cattle this fall, an average number for him, but noted that his water quality and quantity was poor and he had very little grass for his herd.

"We (beef farmers) don't have any say in the industry, not like dairy farmers do," he continued.

He said that some of the farmers for whom he hauled sold their entire herd-not just because of a lack of food or water, but because "they're tired of it."

Between 10 and 15 loads of cattle went earlier than is usual for the industry but Mr. Gibbs has noticed a trend among all of the loads, a lot of "green" (underweight) cattle.

Garry Kuhl operates the Keady Livestock Market and said yesterday's sale (Tuesday) had over 500 Manitoulin cows being sold.

"I've seen years where maybe the cows don't have the weight but the price is good," he said. "This year, there's neither."

He said the cows he sees sold on Tuesdays and Fridays are down between 50 and 100 pounds.

"There's good cattle up there (Manitoulin), they just haven't had good pasture," said Mr. Kuhl.

Phragmites call Prov beach their new home

(An invasive species)

by Alicia McCutcheon

PROVIDENCE BAY-A type of invasive reed belonging to the group phragmites has found its way to Ontario and now to Manitoulin.

Travellers to Sudbury along the Trans-Canada highway may have noticed on the roadside a towering plant-sometimes measuring over seven feet high-thriving successfully in the wet ditches. This is the alien phragmite, not to be confused with the native version of the common reed.

The plant has its modern origins in the southern Unites States but has found its way north and even to the sand beach of Providence Bay. Originally, early settlers brought the plant to North America from Europe where it was used for thatch and brought here for the same purpose.

According to Geoff Peach, coastal resources manager with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, the invasive species of reed showed up in Lake Huron waters within the past five years. The first noted invasion was near Kincardine and the scourge has moved "primarily northward."

"It tends to be invading most of the wet beaches," he said.

The centre has been conducting a research project over the past year, studying different control methods for the invading phragmite.

"We're not looking at eradication, but control," Mr. Peach said.

Like many other types of invasive plants, the "common reed," as it is known, dominates the land it grows in, pushing out the native plants. It thrives in wet areas such as beaches or ditches. "It becomes a monoculture," said Mr. Peach.

Based out of Blyth, the conservation group has been working with Lake Huron, including Central Manitoulin, as well as cottage associations, teaching them how to distinguish the reed from other, native plants.

Last year, Dr. John Morton, a botanist and Island cottager, happened upon two small batches of the reed on the beach at Providence Bay. The find was then reported to the conservation group.

"I don't think it's a big threat at the moment," said Dr. Morton. "It doesn't seem to be spreading. Once they come in, they can become more adaptive. It isn't doing that now, but that could change."

Currently, the Lake Huron Centre is working on a handbook on how to deal with the pesky vegetation to be handed out to area municipalities, including Central Manitoulin.

Mr. Peach said the group has learned that by cutting the plant at a particular time of year, from mid- to late-July, the population will sometimes diminish over several years of such trimming. He explained that they have also tried to slow its growth by laying a geo-textile mat down over the plants and planting new, native plants on top in the hopes the vegetation underneath will just die off. This was done with "mixed results."

"It was hard to keep the mats fastened to the beach," he noted.

The use of herbicides has also been brought up, but as more of a last resort. Because the reeds grow in wet areas, often on beaches, its use would have to be closely monitored by the Ministry of Environment.

Anyway you look at it, it's a reed that's hard to weed.

"This thing is really aggressive and fairly mobile," said Mr. Peach. "Manitoulin has the potential for some real devastation. If it's seen, the sooner you get at it, the better."

DAY ONE AT A NEW SCHOOL:_Students at the new Shawanosowe School are excited to be back at school as they go to their first class last Wednesday.

photo by Alicia McCutcheon

EDITORIAL

Careful assessment of electoral reform options due

This week begins the one-month-long campaign period leading to the October 10 Ontario provincial election.

Hopefully, most of us know by now that on election day, we'll be given two ballots and asked to cast two separate votes.

One is the usual: in Algoma-Manitoulin, we'll be putting an X beside the name of one of the following: Liberal incumbent Mike Brown; Ron Swain, the Progressive Conservative candidate; Peter Denley, the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate; Ron Yurick, the Green Party candidate; or Ray Scott, the candidate for the Family Coalition Party.

The other ballot is by way of a referendum on the most fundamental aspect of provincial election and governance. It's asking us whether or not Ontarians want to change our electoral system...the way we may in the future select the individuals who will represent us in the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park.

A Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, made up of two members (one male, one female) from each of Ontario's 107 ridings, met intensively over nearly a one-year period, examined options and determined by a majority vote that the October 10 referendum would be between two options: the present and traditional system whereby each of Ontario's 107 ridings elects a member who represents a particular political party, or the proposed mixed member proportional system.

 In the present and traditional system, when the elected members are tallied, and if one party has elected 54 or more (that is to say one party has taken more than half of the 107 seats in the province's legislature), that party is deemed to have won a majority of seats and having done so will be the governing party for the period until the next election call (now set at every four years). Our tradition in Canada is that the leader of the party winning the majority of seats assumes the role of provincial premier (or, in national politics, as prime minister).

If a party doesn't win half or more seats, but has substantially more seats than any opposition parties, then they will form the government, but will govern (as the federal Conservatives presently do) from a minority position.

We all know how this system works. We've grown up (or old, as the case may be) with this system and when we hear the term, "first past the post," this is what is being referred to.

One of the options on the referendum ballot, then, is the status quo: the system we have used in Ontario and in every other province and territory, as well as in federal general elections, since Confederation in 1867.

The other option on the referendum ballot, as chosen by the Citizens' Assembly for Electoral Reform, is called mixed member proportional (MMP) and, should the required 60 percent (or more) of Ontario voters plus 60 percent of the individual ridings choose this option in their referendum vote, then the provincial government will in all likelihood implement it for the next election, the one that will be held four years hence, in 2011.

While we know how the status quo works, it's very important, if we haven't already done so, that we learn as much as possible about MMP so that we can make an informed choice on our referendum ballot on October 10.

This newspaper has explained the MMP system several times over the past several months in the interest of helping to inform voters about this important choice. But here it is again.

MMP would basically work this way: the ballot we would receive on election day in a MMP election would show two separate lists. One would be, as is presently the case, a list of individuals seeking to represent us in our riding, and they would still be, as is presently the case, each associated with a political party (although there is always the possibility of unaffiliated, independent candidates seeking office). We would place an X beside one person's name, as we presently do.

The other list, from which we would also be asked to place an X beside our choice, would be of the political parties whose members are seeking office in that particular election. In our own ridings the local MPP would be chosen, as always, by the majority of people who choose one particular candidate.

But the results of the other vote on the ballot, the one that would ask us to choose a political party (and it need not and may well not be the same one represented by the individual we've chosen to represent our riding) will be tallied provincially and in an expanded legislature, approximately 40 seats would be up for grabs based on the results of the party-only vote. Room for them in the legislature would be created by lowering the number of ridings from 107 to 90 (so Algoma-Manitoulin would in all likelihood grow in size as there is a distinct possibility that the North will lose traditionally-elected MPPs, as many as five).

These 40 MMP seats would be filled by individuals appointed by the parties. In this way, for example, if the Liberal party vote proportionately entitled it to 10 of the 40 MMP seats, then the Liberal leader would name 10 additional members. The Progressive Conservative leader, NDP leader and Green Party leader would each do the same, should their party choices meet the minimum standards required for an additional (or more than one) seat.

That is MMP.

It's clear that in this system, a party headed for a minority government could be boosted to a majority once its share of the "additional" seats was added in.

It's also clear that, in a tight race, a party that had achieved a bare majority in terms of ridings won (which would entitle it to form the government in our present and traditional system) could be overtaken by a close rival, should that rival win a larger number of the "extra" seats that, when added to the riding seats already won, pushed it into majority government territory.

These are some of the things we should consider.

What hasn't been made evident yet, in a MPP world, is what areas, or constituents, these 40 or so MMP seats would represent. Would these members be somehow "members at large?" Would they each represent about two of the re-drawn ridings as "super MPPs"? (That would mean that all of Northern Ontario would qualify for four of these MPP numbers.)

The MMP members would be appointed, not elected. Is this a concern to you?

We have a month to learn as much as we can about the MMP choice we're being asked to consider, and to compare it to the strengths and weaknesses of the "first past the post" system that has served us since 1867.

Who gains? Are there any losses, one way or the other, to any groups or individuals? Does it matter that the North will lose more traditional ridings? Is it a good thing for the North?

Doubtless, as the campaign period wears on, the debate will heat up and we'll start talking about these choices that are an add-on to this particular election.

Above all, we must be cautious not to make "change for the sake of change," but only if the change truly enhances our democracy.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Public has right to access shoreline at Sand Beach

But land beside Tehkummah road allowance is private

To the Expositor:

A beach known as Sand Beach is a public access beach, not a public beach, because no land beside the road allowance is owned by Tehkummah Township and you cannot build a park on the road allowance.

However, there is an unopened road allowance that the township has spent money on in front of the cabin, that is sitting partly on township property known as Sand Beach Road South, named passed by previous council.

So it is your right to go down the road allowance in front of the cottage where it meets the marine allowance, without hindrance.

If any problem arises call the police, that is their job and not up to the township to tell them what to do and how to do it.

Donald McMurray

Tehkummah

Cup and Saucer trail would benefit from removal of downed trees

Famous path shouldn't be an obstacle course

To the Expositor:

I recently enjoyed a glorious long weekend on your beautiful Island. The people were friendly and engaging, the views were staggering, the roads mostly good, and I had a wonderful visit.

Part of the reason I often do a road trip to Manitoulin is to hike the many scenic and challenging trails. But this year, I was disappointed with the very poor condition of the famous Cup and Saucer hiking trail. I walked the entire trail, including the fun and sometimes scary Adventure Trail leg, and had to climb over, or crawl under, at least 50 fallen trees.

I understand that Manitoulin suffered a severe wind storm in July, 2006, but that was over one year ago! I do realize that the trail is maintained by volunteers, but so is the Bridal Veil Falls trail system, where I only spotted one or two fallen trees. The Lewis Twin Peaks trail in Sheguiandah was also in good shape (although there is insufficient signage at Peak #2 and I couldn't see where the trail continued).

The Cup and Saucer trail is very heavily used and should have been put in good order before this year's tourism season.

Manitoulin Island is my favourite part of Ontario, and thanks for sharing your beautiful home with me.

Peter Tihanyi

Ancaster

Visitors thank those who helped them while broken down

There are still those who go above and beyond to help

To the Expositor:

We have discovered that with the hustle of today's society, there are still people out there who will go above and beyond to help a stranger.

Our car quit on Labour Day weekend in a pretty remote area on Barrie Island, where our cell phone did not work. Along came a person that was equipped with "onstar" emergency service in his truck and reported our breakdown and location. We were told it could be two hours. After about a four-hour wait I was able to get to a land line phone, but due to an communication problem, and also that I was not able to provide them with a phone number in case they were not able to find us, it became a six-hour wait before the tow truck arrived.

We wish to thank everyone who helped us in anyway-who came to check on us to see if we were OK, and supplied water, snacks and coffee, as we could not leave the car.

We would also like to thank our hosts Laura and Mark Varey of Timberlane Rustic Lodge for dinner brought to our cabin and the effort made to get us a car to enjoy the balance of our holidays. I am sure we will be back next year.

Arie and Margaret Haak

Shallow Lake

I'm your neighbour

Maysie Orr

Turners of Little Current,

Little Current

Maysie Orr has worked for Little Current's legendary main-street emporium for an incredible 37 years, but maintains that "every day is a new adventure."

Ms. Orr's time with the venerable department store and gallery/gift shop outstretches that of current proprietors Jib and Debbie Turner, as she was hired by the late Barney Turner during his tenure at the helm of the business.

The likable cashier and bookkeeper recalls that she had moved to Sudbury to work for Bell as an operator that long ago summer, but had been there just one month "when Mr. Turner phoned to see if I wanted to work for him."

Having found the approach to supervision at the phone company overbearing, Ms. Orr leaped at the chance to move back to the Island (she hails from Sheguiandah) and work in a more familial setting.

Asked what her role is at the store, Ms. Orr laughs. "I do just about everything!" Apart from keeping books and staffing the till, she also does banking, makes trips to the post office, and orders merchandise.

The job remains enjoyable for a number of reasons. "I like the hours and meeting people," Ms. Orr remarks. "Customers who were kids this high when I started, now have their own children."

As for her life outside of work, Ms. Orr said that she's currently adjusting to a new routine, as "I used to go to the Manor every night at 7 pm to see my mom, as well as my first cousin, but they have passed away now, so I have to find something else." She reckons she'll "take up knitting again" to fill the evening hours, although she also likes to go for strolls.

What about retirement plans? "I figure that as long as I have my health, I'll work as long as I can," she says.

Patronizing local businesses like Turners provides lasting employment for people like Maysie Orr.