MNR_minister's interest in their industry delights fish farm group

by Jim Moodie

TORONTO-Aquaculture representatives are feeling more optimistic about the growth of their industry following a promising session with Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield.

"I've met a lot of different ministers but this was by far the best and most productive meeting I've been part of," said Mike Meeker of Evansville, who travelled to Toronto along with fellow fish farmer Dan Glofcheskie and Karen Tracey of the Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association to bounce concerns off Ms. Cansfield, whose ministry issues aquaculture licences under the Fish and Wildlife Act.

Mr. Meeker said his delegation was granted an hour of the minister's time, and left with big smiles on their faces, sensing that steps may finally be taken to streamline regulation of fish farming and facilitate expansion of the industry in Ontario.

"We've been talking about this policy stuff for 15 years or more," said Mr. Meeker. "What it boils down to is a belief that this lady is capable of making it happen."

The fish farmer had met Ms. Cansfield earlier this summer, when the minister visited his cage site on Lake Wolsey as part of a Manitoulin junket, and was impressed at that time by her "commitment to try to learn first-hand what the problems and issues are" regarding aquaculture.

The recent meeting in Toronto reinforced his sense of the minister's commitment to addressing these concerns. "She gave us a full hour, and basically said, 'What do you guys need, and what can I do, within my mandate, to help out?'"

While previous holders of her portfolio, in Mr. Meeker's estimation, have mostly paid lip service to the issues raised by fish farmers, his feeling is that Ms. Cansfield means business.

"One of the most important things she said is that, as far as the MNR is concerned, cage aquaculture is a legitimate sharer of resources and an important industry in Ontario," he related. "What we got from her is that the MNR fully supports the present industry and the growth of the industry."

A few caveats regarding environmental responsibility were voiced by the minister, but that was to be expected, said Mr. Meeker, and didn't come across as a stalling tactic. "There was no smoke and mirrors," he said. "I may be na.ve, but I think she takes us seriously and has the strength of character to make things happen, despite that big lumbering bureaucracy beneath her."

For some time now, Ontario fish farmers have been pushing for the MNR to "join in a national strategy with the DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) to harmonize guidelines regarding freshwater aquaculture," said Mr. Meeker, adding that "every province except Ontario has bought into this."

Following the meeting with Ms. Cansfield, he is now confident that this step will occur. "She said, unequivocally, that Ontario is now in."

Another issue he's optimistic will be tackled with Ms. Cansfield at the helm is an onerous-and, to his mind, belittling-obligation for cage operators to reapply every five years for another permit. "It's not a renewal-it's a new licence," he said. "You can be in business for 20 years and satisfy all the operational and environmental requirements, and you still have to go through the hoops like you're a beginner again, which is expensive and a waste of time, not to mention insulting."

While he doesn't expect this stipulation to evaporate overnight, as it will require a tweaking of the Fish and Wildlife Act, he was pleased that Ms. Cansfield seemed to share the frustrations of veteran operators. "She said she'd look into this and see what she can do, and I believe she will," said Mr. Meeker.

Equally encouraging is the province's new emphasis on a carbon tax and the promotion of locally harvested food, said Mr. Meeker, as among the "good things" that "grow in Ontario," to quote a catchy TV ad, are a few Omega-3-rich creatures with fins.

"The big point of this is Ontario food for Ontario people," said Mr. Meeker. "And the point she made is that Ontario people should be able to buy Ontario fish, both commercially caught and farm-raised. Why are we importing fish from Chile when we can grow it right here?"

The answer-or part of it, at any rate-is that fish from South American sources can be acquired more cheaply, as countries in this part of the hemisphere subsidize their growers and impose looser environmental regulations, said Mr. Meeker.

But it's also, he said, because Ontario hasn't come anywhere close to its potential as a producer of farm-raised fish. "We grow about 4,000 tons," said Mr. Meeker. "France and Italy grow 400,000 tons-100 times what we grow-and that's with significantly less water resources. We're 22nd in the world, behind Israel, and that's for the whole country. It's embarrassing."

Net-cage operators still face many challenges, including predation from otters and cormorants and an ongoing critique from such quarters as Georgian Bay cottagers and the David Suzuki Foundation, but Mr. Meeker believes consumers-including a lot of cottagers-are generally eager to sample the trout reared in freshwater pens, and he's thrilled that his group seems to have gained the attentive ear of the province's Natural Resources head.

"We're not asking her to be on our side or to be our friend," he noted. "We just want fair treatment."

Based on the recent response the group received from Ms. Cansfield, an equitable approach seems more likely than ever, and that is cause for some (cautious) rejoicing.

"I hope I'm right, but it felt like a really worthwhile trip," said Mr. Meeker. "And when you work hard to do what you're doing, it's reassuring to see a brighter light at the end of the tunnel."

Search + rescue unit readied for response

by Jim Moodie

LITTLE CURRENT-A pair of compass-toting stragglers emerges from a thick grove of trees, a few metres wide of the red flag that represents their orienteering target.

"Guess you zigged when you should have zagged," remarks Mitch Turcott, one of three instructors conducting a two-day course in map reading, contour quests, clue detection, and other skills required to become an accredited search and rescuer.

Most of the 14 students on hand, who collectively form Manitoulin's new unit of the North Shore Search and Rescue team, find their mark with little trouble. Having done so, they take a fresh bearing of 125 degrees-as per the instructions of Sonia Pyykko-and begin pacing off the next and final leg of a three-point traverse.

Pacing has a particular meaning in search jargon, referring to five-foot increments that walkers learn to mark off with each pair of steps that they take through grassy pasture, dense forest, or whatever the terrain may be. And according to Bill Noon, the North Shore team's coordinator and the third member of the teaching group, "it's the only real way of measuring distance in the bush."

Earlier on this day, Mr. Noon and his fellow instructors unspooled a 100-metre tape measure, and students were encouraged to adjust their strides until every second step corresponded with a five-foot pace. "One hundred metres is roughly 65 paces," said Mr. Noon. "And 100 metres is called a tally. Ten tallies is one kilometre."

It might sound like strange, fussy stuff, but in the event of an emergency, when team members may be forced to wade through forests and fields (and possibly water and darkness to boot) in search of a missing person, an accurate record of the ground covered could be crucial.

The North Shore Search and Rescue team, based in Espanola, has been in existence since 1989, and its members have often travelled down to Manitoulin (not to mention as far away as Blind River and Cartier) to participate in rescue efforts. But this is the first time that a group of volunteers from Manitoulin has come together to function as a unit of the team, and with the completion of this basic searcher training, which is a requirement of the OPP, the local crew will be officially activated.

"As soon as this weekend is over, they can get called out," says Mr. Noon, adding that they could well be dispatched to an area far away from Manitoulin should extra troops be required for an off-Island emergency. "Our catchment area covers 12,000 square kilometres, with a full-time population of 283,000 people."

The North Shore team has a range of equipment at its disposal, including a command vehicle (an oversized ambulance that has been refitted for search-and-rescue purposes), an amphibious Argo, two ATVs, a boat and trailer, and a K9 vehicle that carts sniffer dog Kooper and his handler, Ms. Pyykko, to scenes for which a pair of canine nostrils is required.

The Manitoulin unit, coordinated by Aaron Wright of Gore Bay, is hoping to boost that fleet by acquiring an 18-foot vessel that would be based in Little Current and have the capacity to carry an ATV, and will be appealing to service clubs and individuals over the next few months to help fund that addition.

"As a group we're also looking to upgrade the GPS units we have, and some of our fundraising will go to that," notes Mr. Wright.

The North Shore team receives no government funding-although it was able to obtain its eight-wheeled Argo via a Trillium grant-and always welcomes contributions to cover the costs of equipment and travel.

Mr. Noon notes that he would have brought the Argo along for the weekend training session, but was "scared off by the cost of fuelling it up."

The initial group of Manitoulin search and rescuers includes people from all areas of the Island, many of whom arrive with expertise that lends itself to the role. Among the division is a retired conservation officer, a police officer, paramedics, and others with survival and emergency-response skills.

More Islanders are now welcome to join the team as well, notes Mr. Noon, as the only reason the number was capped to begin with was to keep the training session manageable. "Now that we've done this training, we can take another 14 people," he says.

Apart from completing the core training required by the OPP, team members must also be certified in CPR and advanced first aid, and undergo yearly recertification, notes Mr. Noon.

Prior to the orienteering exercise in a bush lot outside Little Current, the trainees spent most of the day poring over topos and honing their map-reading skills in the basement of the Masonic Hall, but were to return to the field for another practical session, this time in the dark.

"It's a 20-hour training course, and it includes a night walk," explains Mr. Noon.

Once these new recruits get their search-and-rescue stripes-or orange coveralls, at any rate-they can be called upon at any time to take part in a search, although Mr. Noon stresses that they are under no obligation to do so.

"Work and family comes first," he says. "What we do ask for, in our constitution, is 40 hours of service a year, which can also be fundraising or training."

Training, it seems, never ends, as even after these 20 hours are up, team members will be invited to participate in a series of ongoing information sessions and mock-emergency scenarios. Mr. Wright has drawn up a list of future workshops that will focus on such subjects as ATV safety, dehydration, hypothermia, K9 training, and boat safety.

Each member will also be required to put together a personal pack to have at the ready should they get called out for a search. It is to include such items as a pocketknife, matches, fire starter, flashlight, signaling devices, a first-aid kit, and snare wire.

Snare wire? "You might get stuck somewhere and be hungry," says Mr. Noon with a shrug.

"We tell people to carry fishing line, too."

For the moment, at least, these search-and-rescue newbies don't need to worry about catching their own snack. Dinner is on the go in the kitchen of the Masonic Hall, and as the grub gets cooked up, they pass around bags of potato chips as appetizers.

Placemats, such as they exist, appear to be a mixture of info-packed handouts and 1:50,000-scale topographical maps.

Anyone interested in joining the Search and Rescue outfit on Manitoulin or contributing to its efforts is encouraged to call Mr. Wright at 282-0564.

Survey shows hiking trails bring tourists

by Lindsay Kelly

ROCKVILLE-The dozens of cars parked daily at the Cup and Saucer lot this summer presaged the findings of a recent survey: the popular hiking trail is the primary tourist destination on Manitoulin during the summer months.

Over the course of four days over the Labour Day weekend, two students commissioned by the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC) conducted an informal survey amongst hikers heading up the trail. They found that 93 percent of visitors came from off the Island, leaving the remaining 7 percent to call Manitoulin home.

Out of a sense of curiosity, and to address suggestions by local landowners that trail hiking is not a desirable or profitable economic development initiative for Manitoulin, EBC president Bob Barnett said the organization thought it would be helpful to record the number of visitors to the trail, while uncovering the patterns, travel habits and interests of hikers.

"Fundamentally, we didn't think people had any concept of it, so we thought it would be useful to do," Mr. Barnett said.

From August 1 to 4, Jeffery Timmins and Ellen Heise talked with 847 people varying in age and background, posing a variety of questions to visitors surrounding their travel plans. Since the students did not begin the survey until late on Saturday-owing to their inability to secure a spot on the Chi-Cheemaun because of the busy weekend-Mr. Timmins estimates this number is low. But his general sense is that the trail is an Island hot spot.

"With the number of people who come to the trail and the support they showed for hiking and conservation, it appears certain that the Cup and Saucer is a major attraction for tourism on the Island," he writes in his report.

Of those surveyed, 40 percent of visitors came to visit the Island for three or four days, which Mr. Timmins suggests indicates that the groups came to Manitoulin for the weekend to enjoy other areas of the Island; 28 percent of the groups came for a week.

"Many of these groups were on a return visit to the trail, so they must have found some reason why they love Cup and Saucer and therefore come to enjoy the surrounding area; and finally, the Island is a very popular location for full vacations, not just a result of being somewhere to go for the long weekend."

Most people interviewed (56 percent) had heard about the trail from friends or family, or through past knowledge of the trail, while others stopped to explore the trail because they saw the Cup and Saucer sign.

While on Manitoulin, 37 percent of people surveyed said they were staying at a cottage or camp, while 29 percent were staying at a campground. Mr. Timmins suggests that these visitors look for "adventure-type" activities, but that the trail system should also be promoted locally to encourage residents to use the trail.

"Not many of the visitors are groups who are staying at their own homes and cottages, which in one way is good, as it attracts more revenue, but in another way, it shows that we are not attracting enough local attention as walking trails for them to enjoy," he reports.

Those hiking the Cup and Saucer are also spending money on food while visiting Manitoulin. Thirty percent were frequenting restaurants, while 32 percent were preparing their meals at their cottage or camp.

Mr. Timmins reports that when asked what other attractions on Manitoulin visitors had seen, the results were disappointing. Bridal Veil Falls in Kagawong, hiking trails in other communities, and Wikwemikong and M'Chigeeng First Nations were cited as attractions individual groups had visited, but no concrete pattern emerged as popular sites for visitors. Most visitors had no knowledge of the other trails on Manitoulin, but were eager to accept an EBC trail map, "which will hopefully attract several groups to try," Mr. Timmins writes.

Visitors represented a good cross-section of people from around the world. The largest percentage (44 percent) had arrived from Toronto, while 41 percent came from Sudbury. Other Canadian centres represented by the visitors included Montreal, Calgary and Yellowknife, while US visitors interviewed were visiting from Florida, Texas, Ohio, Baltimore and Seattle.

"There were surprisingly few visitors from the US and most from Ontario," Mr. Timmins reports. "Only 14 groups (7 percent) came from the Island itself and only eight (4 percent) were from other parts of Canada. We also found a trend where many of the groups were people coming back to the Island and bringing friends to see the trail-a lot of those visitors can be attributed to Haweater Weekend."

The Cup and Saucer also appeals to an international audience, with visitors coming from South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Poland, Holland, Hungary, Finland, France and Switzerland. Mr. Timmins says this indicates a "dramatic" development, "because it shows that the Cup and Saucer is considered a major stop for tourists travelling across Ontario or Canada."

Mr. Barnett said the findings are interesting because they indicate that people had planned to spend time at the Cup and Saucer while visiting Manitoulin. "Most people knew about it before they came, so it's not like they were just driving by," he said.

Suggestions left by visitors include a need for more promotion of the trails in general, in addition to a need for a collective source of information about Island attractions. Visitors appreciated that the trail was not commercialized, but suggested that improved signage would be helpful.

Mr. Barnett believes the survey results and the ensuing report provide a good indication of the patterns of visitors and point to some areas in which trail developers can make improvements.

But most importantly, the results point to a conclusion that trail enthusiasts have suspected all along.

"Mary Nelder reported about 10 years ago that an average of 10,500 people visit the trail every summer," he said. "We had 847 on one weekend, so that really corroborates that."

Cattle prices looking good for fall sales

by Jim Moodie

ONTARIO-While many farmers still miss the Co-op cattle sale that took place each September in Little Current, it will come as some consolation to learn that prices are relatively strong for steers and heifers at off-Island markets this year.

"Prices are definitely up for heavyweight cattle," said Birgit Martin, a cow-calf operator on Western Manitoulin. Based on market reports available through the Ontario Cattlemen's Association (OCA), Ms. Martin estimated that the rate for animals in this heavier range (800-1,000 pounds) is "up about 20 percent."

Calves, on the other hand, "are not selling as strongly," said Ms. Martin, a circumstance she attributes to "uncertainty with feed costs."

The yearlings that require just three months to "finish" at southern Ontario feed lots will draw better prices this year because buyers know what the feed bill is likely to be, whereas the "the 500-pound calf that is still 700 pounds away from its market weight needs seven to eight months to finish, and they might not want to risk keeping them for a long time," theorized the beef producer.

Virtually all of the cattle that leave Island farms require more fattening up at feed lots, in part because there is no local abattoir. "There are no finished cattle on Manitoulin," said Ms. Martin. Cull cows that are suitable for hamburger must be sent to facilities near North Bay for slaughter or auctioned off at markets in the south.

One of the more popular destinations for Island-reared cows is the Keady Livestock Market near Owen Sound. "We've been getting quite a bunch of Island cattle this year, mostly yearlings, and they're bringing us good cattle, too," said Gary Kuhl, manager of the auction barn. "We're running an extra Friday sale this year to accommodate guys from the Island in the fall."

In general, he said that "prices are better than last year," and "a lot of guys are satisfied" with the payments they are receiving.

Some Island farmers make the trip down to the market with their livestock. "A few will come down and watch them be sold," said Mr. Kuhl. "They'll come a day or two ahead. We have good hay and water facilities for them (the cattle) here."

Others utilize "different truckers," said Mr. Kuhl, who ship the cattle south via the Chi-Cheemaun ferry. "They like to get them gone before the ferry quits," he said.

While numbers weren't available for last Friday's sale at the Keady Livestock Market, figures from the Tuesday sale show that steers over 1,000 pounds were fetching between 98.5 cents and $1.04 per pound, while those between 900 and 999 pounds netted a price of $1-$1.12. The range for heifers was comparable, with those between 900 and 999 pounds going for a per-pound price of $1.02 to $1.03.

Pasture has been abundant for cattle this year, given the moist conditions, but Mr. Kuhl said that this doesn't necessarily translate into beefier beef. "It's lush grass but nobody is getting real big gains," he said. "It takes the sun to put protein and food value in the grass."

Still, cattle raisers on Manitoulin should be happier this year than they were in 2007, when drought conditions forced many to sell off their herds earlier than they wanted to.

"The grass might not be sticking to their ribs, but there's lots of it, so pasture has not been a worry," said Ms. Martin.

And the modest boost in prices comes as a welcome shift from the lows of recent years. Prices had been on an upward trend prior to the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) scare, noted Ms. Martin, but with the US border being closed off to live cattle in 2003, "we had our peak taken away and hit an artificial trough," she said.

While it remains quite challenging for cattle farmers to make a decent living, Ms. Martin said the current situation is encouraging. "The yearling market, which is most of the Manitoulin market, looks to have stabilized, so that bodes well."

EDITORIAL
Debate outcry bespeaks proportional rep leanings

A year ago, in a referendum that was part of the Ontario provincial general election of 2007, citizens of this province were asked to consider an alternate system of selecting those who would represent us in the Ontario legislature.

The option we were offered was called mixed member proportional (MMP) and, had it passed (which it resoundingly did not), would have given Ontarians a system whereby a certain number of the members of the provincial legislature would have been selected according to the percentage of votes their political parties received.

One had a sense that the Ontario government resisted a change from the status quo for there was neither substantial nor sustained efforts by Queen's Park to explain this complicated proposed system to the voters.

Most electors, not having a clear understanding of what they would be getting had they voted for the MMP option, instead opted for the status quo, the first-past-the-post system that serves two-party democracies (like the US and Great Britain) so well, and which also serves Canadians in every province, territory and at the federal level.

But one does wonder whether there is, in fact, a subliminal hankering after a change of the MMP variety. Perhaps it is not clearly understood by Canadians, but there are indicators that people sense a need for change.

The example that must be a considered here is the enormous support of Canadians for the inclusion of Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, in the national televised leaders' debate scheduled for October 1-2.

It's not difficult to determine why at least some of the national party leaders-Stephen Harper of the Conservatives and the NDP's Jack Layton-argued against Ms. May's inclusion in that debate; why (especially important for the NDP) split Canadians' voting patterns any more than they already are? (The Liberal leader, Mr. Dion, was initially ambivalent to and finally supportive of Ms. May's participation.)

The fact is, it was public opinion that convinced both the other national party leaders and the national televised networks that Ms. May should this year be included in the national leaders' debate and thanks to the ministrations of ordinary voters, we'll be able to see Ms. May standing toe-to-toe and debating the issues of this election with Mr. Harper, Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton and Mr. Duceppe.

Clearly, lots of us want to hear Ms. May's opinion-from her.

And in doing so, are we also giving a signal, perhaps unformed in our national consciousness, that votes for what the Green Party stands for should also count for something?

This is precisely what the mixed member proportional electoral system, rejected by Ontarians last year, sought to address.

A major change in our voting process will not be taken up for national debate any time soon.

But the response of Canadians to Ms. May's call for support was surprising and, by extension, indicates that Canadians are open to other possibilities which, by further extension, can certainly include the exploration of the MMP system at the national level. More simply put, Canadians clearly feel that Ms. May has something to tell them and it's not too much of a stretch to think that votes for her party's candidates-other fringe parties as well-should also be taken seriously and factored in to the making of parliament.

These observations are by no means an endorsement of taking the MMP route but, approaching the quarter-way marker of this federal general election campaign, are an interpretation of the will of the people who, in their support of Ms. May in this way are giving clear notice that they are unhappy with the political status quo and that sooner or later changes to politics-as-usual will be demanded.

Letters to the Editor

Voters should be aware of facts when voting

Conservatives, Liberals show consistent budget deficits

To the Expositor:

Your editorial of September 10 ("Framing of major issues will determine election result") makes an assumption which is open to challenge. You say that if voters choose "the economy" as the major issue facing Canadians, then we will be likely to vote Conservative.

Why do people assume that Conservative governments are more fiscally responsible or more competent on economic issues? Didn't Mr. Harper's government just take a $12-billion surplus and spend it all?

The Fiscal Reference Tables of September 2005 show that Conservative governments post budget deficits 75 percent of the time. Liberals have the worst fiscal track record, posting budget deficits 79 percent of the time. 

The same federal government report showed that New Democratic Party governments have the best fiscal track record among all parties. This report looked at federal, provincial and territorial accounts over the past 22 years.

In 2005, the Manitoba NDP had been producing surpluses every year in office. As well, Saskatchewan's NDP had produced 11 consecutive balanced budgets.

It is important for voters to have the facts when deciding how to vote.

Paula Mallea

Gore Bay

Festival organizers to be commended for country music extravaganza

Efforts brought thousands to Manitoulin

To the Expositor:

While the CFRM "The Island" radio station didn't win the radio station of the year award, they certainly deserve recognition for organizing the music country festival this past August 8 and 9.

Hats off to K.T. and Craig Timmermans for their excellent work. The Country Fest attracted a few thousand people-people who spend time and money in all our community businesses.

I had the pleasure of attending the festival this year and I'm hooked! The music was outstanding. The grounds were well organized to easily service thousands of people.

This event had a huge impact on merchants, residents and tourists. Hats off to council for obviously supporting this festival and special thanks to K.T. and Craig for making it happen. Can't wait for next August.

Lucie Medwig

Sheguiandah