Sacred sites, human safety jeopardized by increase in

traffic at Fisher Harbour, say First Nation members

by Lindsay Kelly

WHITEFISH RIVER-Emotions ran high on Wednesday as representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Alexander Centre Industries Ltd. (ACIL) met with members of the Whitefish River First Nation during the final consultation meeting surrounding the company's water-lot lease renewal application, which could potentially triple the breadth of materials handled at its Fisher Harbour operation on Little LaCloche Island.

As part of the renewal process, the company is seeking to expand the list of materials handled from seven to 18, including salt and silica sand-the only two commodities currently handled at the facility-which weren't approved on the original 1975 water-lot lease granted by the MNR.

ACIL released its environmental screening report in June, and since then, the company and the MNR have heard input on two previous occasions at public meetings held in Little Current and Birch Island. But this most recent gathering was an opportunity for the Whitefish River First Nation, whose territory and cultural practices have been most acutely affected by the operation, to address company representatives directly and air concerns that have risen over the 35 years.

Chiefs of neighbouring First Nations joined Whitefish River Chief Shining Turtle (Franklin Paibomsai) and band members in relaying their concerns about the effects that industry has on their territory and cultural practices.

Angus Toulouse, regional chief of Ontario for the Assembly of First Nations, spoke of the importance of the land to First Nations people and the difficulty in getting governments to understand the First Nations' concerns surrounding land issues.

"First Nations in Ontario continuously face a variety of environmental issues, such as what Whitefish River First Nation is facing," he said. "These issues and concerns often fall on deaf ears due to the lack of meaningful consultation and accommodation by governments. These concerns are often not addressed by governments, which means issues go unresolved and relations are diminished."

Referring to a 1972 statement issued the Ministry of the Environment, Mr. Toulouse noted that there were concerns surrounding the possibility of a spill at Fisher Harbour, but added that the current processes for consultation with First Nations is ineffective. Both the provincial and federal governments must work together with the First Nations, and honour the original treaties, for sustainable economic development, he argued.

"Since 2004, Whitefish River First Nation has been trying to resolve with ACIL and the MNR its concerns about salt and sand that's being shipped through Fisher Harbour," the regional chief said, noting that government has a legal obligation to consult and accommodate First Nations. "However, the First Nation's Aboriginal and treaty rights and claims and concerns have not been dealt with, either through the environmental assessment process or outside that process."

Adding to his comments were M'Chigeeng Chief Isadora Bebamash and Aundeck Omni Kaning Chief Craig Abotossaway, who presented letters of support on behalf of their communities.

Chief Bebamash suggested that the possibility of a spill during transportation and storage of salt, sand, and metal-bearing concentrates so near the water system is "simply too great a risk to take."

"Metal concentrates are toxic to fish and biota, and silica sand, if spilled in large quantities, could impact fish habitat and aquatic organisms, according to ACIL," she read, adding that the shipping is also interfering with the rights and interests of the people of the Whitefish River First Nation. "We are not saying that ACIL cannot operate a harbour at all, but it should not be allowed to ship the commodities when the shipping and transporting of those commodities is interfering with the rights of the Anishinabek."

A complaint expressed by the people of Whitefish River is that the traffic and noise generated by trucks travelling through the heart of the community interrupts its ability to practise traditional customs at sacred sites in the area, including the Bell Rocks, the burial grounds, and Dreamer's Rock.

The issues are shared not only by Whitefish River, but all Anishinabek and the future generations to come, Chief Abotossaway said.

"This really is a simple issue," he said. "It's really about the age-old battle of Western society's most valued commodity-money-and the Anishinabek people's most value commodity, and that's Mother Earth."

Elders like Violet McGregor are concerned about changes in the environment, as well as the disrespect to sacred sites, and are trying to follow through on the words of the Elders that came before them.

"The Elders kept reminding us that we're not going to be here forever, but make sure that the land is ours to look after," she said. "Look after our children teach them what it is to respect the land and not to abuse the land, and to respect the waters."

She questions why ACIL chose a spot so close to the sacred sites to set up their operation, and suggested they are disrespecting the area, especially the burial ground located near the Bell Rocks site. "The trucks go back and forth there, " she said. "They are disrupting the burial ground and this is the concern we have today. If they go ahead and do what they are supposed to, I don't know what's going to happen to our children."

Following the presentations by chiefs and Elders, community members addressed the panel. Representatives heard story after story about changes in fish populations, a diminished water quality, the interruption of funerals as trucks rolled by, the threat to sacred sites, the effects on deer, the interruption of the growth in medicines, and worries about safety due to the speed of trucks that travel through the community.

Community member Marty Shawanda lost a loved one during a March 1998 accident involving a truck transporting material for ACIL. The company did not reach out to her following the head-on collision that killed her partner, a fact that she believes shows the insensitivity of ACIL.

"The only phone call I got was your insurance agency asking if I was going to sue them," said a visibly shaken Ms. Shawanda. "That was in the midst of my grief."

Her experience has left her dismayed at the actions of the company and worried for the safety of other community members. The speeds at which the trucks travel endanger other drivers on the road, and the truck drivers "don't care" about what happens on the road, she said.

"I would never want another person from this community or another community on Mother Earth to have to face what I faced that afternoon, so I am asking that the MNR please consider what has happened to my family, the impacts, and how it affected my children," she pleaded.

Whitefish River Chief Paibomsai reserved his comments for the end of the meeting. The band council and community members are "deeply, deeply concerned" about the situation with ACIL, and he believes there is a distinct lack of respect for the First Nation's concerns.

He related an incident when he visited the harbour to investigate a concern of a community member and was told by the harbourmaster that there was "nothing to see here, chief."

"I'm the chief of the band," Chief Paibomsai said. "What's an average band member going to face down there?"

Respect and dignity are needed in order for the consultations to continue, he said, and the chief should be able to go where he's needed for ceremonies without calling the company for permission.

"We have solutions," he said. "Are you really willing to listen to any of those solutions?"

Jamie Wallace, president of Fisher Wavy and chair of ACIL, expressed regret at the threat to safety of any community members, and suggested that the company was interested in working together on a solution to the problems presented.

"We take this seriously," he said. "We're passionate about the community."

The CEO noted that a system is currently in place to consult with the chief to ensure trucks slow down during any ceremonies, and that the company offers an "open invitation" to the band council to speak with company representatives to continue consultations about sacred sites. "We will do whatever's necessary on the sacred grounds because we respect your community and we respect your loved ones," Mr. Wallace said.

He added that the First Nation members must also be respectful of Fisher Harbour as it's an industrial operation and the company does not want to see anyone get hurt.

"We look forward to working together and hopefully we can resolve this situation," he said.

Following the meeting, Fisher Harbour chair Jeff Wallace said ACIL reps were grateful to hear about the issues concerning community members, because they would now be able to begin working on resolutions.

In fact, the company has had subsequent conversations with Chief Paibomsai and the band council to "start to resolve some of the issues we talked about," he added.

For example, on the issue of speeding trucks, he suggested the company could pay for speed signs to remind truck drivers to slow down in that area. He maintained that ACIL trucks represent only 2 percent of the traffic that goes through the community, but said that the company was open to discussing solutions that could ameliorate their role in the situation.

While the meeting was the first time the company had heard complaints about the trucks operating during funerals, Mr. Wallace said ACIL wants to ensure that the trucks "aren't taking away from the sacred ceremonies," and that there is a better way to grant access to sacred sites while still ensuring the community members' safety.

He also suggested that the company would continue to meet with the McGregor Bay Association and work to address their concerns.

"I really think we have a common goal, and it might not be quite the way the cottagers would like to see it, but given that there is a harbour there, we want to run it as environmentally safely as possible," he said.

"We want to be a good corporate citizen, we want to be a good community citizen and we want to be a good family," he added.

Brian Riche of the MNR said the meeting had given him a lot to think about, but that the ministry had not yet made a decision on the water-lot lease renewal. He also assured attendees that the suggested timeline for the renewal process-which included a December 1 implementation date-would not go ahead as planned.

"We won't make the time frames," he said. "The time frames are sort of a goal to make, in a perfect world, but there's a lot of information we still have to go through."

After reviewing the information, Mr. Riche suggested the ministry would likely again consult the company, Whitefish River and the cottagers' association before making a decision.

Northeast Town sides with cottagers

in demanding only water-friendly cargo for Fisher Harbour

by Lindsay Kelly

NORTHEAST TOWN-Northeast Town council has pronounced its support for the McGregor Bay Association (MBA) in lobbying against harmful materials from being added to the commodities list at Fisher Harbour.

A plea from members of the MBA at a recent council meeting resulted in a unanimous decision to add the Northeast Town's name to a list of opponents urging the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to rethink a water-lot lease renewal that would allow triple the number of commodities to be handled at the harbour.

The issue for cottagers is that the materials proposed to be added to the list are too vague and could potentially cause harm to the waterways should there ever be a spill, MBA president Gillian Woodrooffe explained.

"Our primary position is that we would rather not have a harbour there in the first place; however, we don't believe that the Ministry of Natural Resources is likely to shut that harbour down and not reissue a lease to Alexander Centre Industries Ltd. (ACIL)," she said. "On the assumption that there is a harbour, we have a fairly simple statement to make: we would like nothing harmful to the water to be handled through that harbour."

Ms. Woodrooffe appealed to the Northeast Town through their economic sensibilities, noting that tourism is a primary industry in the McGregor Bay region and that cottagers there contribute one third of Ward 1's common levy.

Additionally, the cottage community contributes 60 jobs for people, in contrast to the five jobs provided by ACIL, and that McGregor Bay vacationers shop in Little Current, pumping money into the Northeast Town economy.

"I want to emphasize how much this economic activity depends on the quality of the water; that's what draws us to the area, that's what draws all the tourists to the area, that's what brings in the boaters and the campers," she argued. "We're responsible for bringing in people from around the world."

Of the materials on the proposed list, the MBA is particularly concerned with metal concentrates, which have been identified in ACIL's environmental screening report to be toxic to fish and biota, as well as storage containers that could contain unknown substances that could provide an environmental hazard. The association is also urging the MNR to ensure that a clause detailing inspection, enforcement and control provisions is included in the water-lot lease renewal.

Metal concentrates have been identified as being highly acidic, according to an environmental lawyer hired by the MBA, which "kills any living form that it comes in contact with," Ms. Woodrooffe said. "It will likely destroy the entire environment in the immediate facility right away...and eventually that poison would end up in our bay, and that's where we would start running into problems."

Drawing a comparison to the Lafarge harbour, which is located just up the shoreline from Fisher Harbour, the MBA president said the organization has not become involved with the Lafarge operation because the operation is privately owned, but that the group would provide input if given the opportunity in the future.

Since the MNR is soliciting input from the public on the Fisher Harbour operation, "this is our opportunity to ensure that the environment is protected," she said.

The Northeast Town's objection will take the form of a letter to the MNR indicating that the town is "opposed to the commodity list at Fisher Harbour being expanded to include any substances that could be harmful to the environment if spilled or mishandled. We would also request that the lease include inspection, control and enforcement provisions to ensure the safe handling of all commodities."

Rainbow board plans regional

First Nations' parents' council

by Lindsay Kelly

MANITOULIN-In an effort to get Aboriginal family members more involved in the decision-making process in their schools, the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) is searching out parents and guardians who are interested in sitting on a First Nation, MŽtis and Inuit Parent and Family Group.

The council is still in its early stages, but Kathy Dokis-Ranney, principal for the board's First Nations, MŽtis and Inuit Education Office, is aiming to bring together parents who might be hesitant to become involved in the school councils.

"We wanted to create an Aboriginal family council and get together when we do different initiatives, so we can hear their thoughts and ideas on it, and bring their voice back to different things we're working on," she says.

The initiative was initially targeted at urban families who are hesitant to become involved in the school's parent councils, perhaps because they aren't as connected to a reserve while living in the city and aren't as comfortable becoming involved. The idea germinated from a similar venture currently being played out in Alberta.

Ms. Dokis-Ranney has received some initial interest from a few parents, but she is eager to spread the word to as many parents as would like to participate. The council, she believes, can grow beyond the urban areas and include parents from areas such as Manitoulin.

"We could possibly do some videolinking in, or we could hold a meeting on Manitoulin and videolink in to Sudbury," she suggests, adding, "It's a nice way to bring Aboriginal parents together and an opportunity for them to hear more of what we're doing."

She foresees the council as a way to heighten the comfort level for First Nations, MŽtis and Inuit parents in dealing with their children's school, and build their confidence to allow them to eventually join the school councils already in place. It's an "entry point," she says, to allow them to have input into their children's education.

School councils typically act as advisory groups that provide input to administration on school initiatives, and the First Nations, MŽtis and Inuit council would act in a similar way.

The group might provide input on youth initiatives, such as the leadership skills camp provided to Aboriginal students; this year, Ms. Dokis-Ranney is looking at organizing a cultural canoe trip through Great Lakes Cultural Camps, which are guided by Elders and focus on spending time outdoors, as a way to start off the new school year on a positive note.

Parents could also offer insight into the board's oral language specialist program. The board has hired oral language specialists to work with children in junior and senior kindergarten and Grade 1, along with the teachers, to foster language development. It's helpful to hear from parents how the school can provide support to parents at home, Ms. Dokis-Ranney says.

"We've sent surveys home, but it's hard to get feedback," she adds. "But what we've heard is that we need to support workers in the schools, so we've hired three and we're going to be hiring a fourth."

Though the council will likely start out small, the principal believes it can mature slowly, and may even one day offer a website to provide additional access for parents.

For more information about the First Nations, MŽtis and Inuit Parent and Family Group, contact Ms. Dokis-Ranney at (705) 671-5940, or ranneyk@rainbowschools.ca.

Sandhill census

Waterfowl biologists_plan major Island crane count

by Jim Moodie

MANITOULIN-A new study of sandhill cranes will be undertaken this fall on Manitoulin to assess how many of the long-legged avians gather here prior to their seasonal flight south, and to determine whether the Island serves as a secondary staging area for birds from the North Shore.

"The driver behind this was a 2007 study we did in south Algoma," said Kate England, a research technician and crew leader for the project, which is being carried out by Long Point Waterfowl, a non-profit research organization administered by Bird Studies Canada. "This year we want to extend that and cover the whole North Shore of Huron, inclusive of Manitoulin, to get a total count of cranes in the region."

The geographical scope of the study will now go from Echo Bay in the west to Sudbury in the east, with both St. Joseph Island and Manitoulin encompassed to the south.

Ms. England was involved in the earlier research in the Thessalon/St. Joe area, which formed the basis of her undergraduate thesis at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), and which she hopes to adapt for publication in a scientific journal next year. Everett Hanna, a fellow UWO biologist, will be applying data collected this year to his master's thesis.

The crane science conducted in 2007 through Long Point Waterfowl-then called the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund-was largely underwritten by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), which contributed $26,000. This time around, the Canadian Wildlife Service-which has denied all requests to date for an Ontario hunt of the species, based on a lack of scientific data-is picking up the tab for the field work.

It won't be the first time the stork-like birds have been studied on Manitoulin, as the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) sent up its own team of crane counters last fall, largely in response to complaints that had been made regarding crop damage and local calls to have the population culled through an official gun hunt.

Farmers can apply for a permit to shoot and harass birds on their own land, but the species remains protected under the Migratory Bird Act and no sport season, as occurs in Western Canada, has yet been approved in this province.

Ms. England said the MNR study "is independent of ours, although we do have some collaboration happening and have two MNR people working with us on this project." The Long Point biologists will also be counting on help from a crew of volunteer crane spotters, and are eager to recruit people on the Island who may be prepared to spend a few evenings in the countryside, binoculars and clipboards in hand.

"We're putting out the call and looking for people interested in gaining experience in field biology," said Ms. England. "We'll be doing evening counts as the cranes move into their roost areas. First we'll have to identify the major wetlands where they roost, and then have people staking out certain locations on certain days." Ideally, she said, spotters will be positioned within 200 metres of the birds' flight paths.

Volunteer counters will be required to spend about two hours in the field, beginning an hour-and-a-half before sunset. "Ideally we'll have one person counting and another recording the numbers," said the researcher, adding that some equipment, such as binoculars and GPS units, can be provided. The research team will also have a high-magnification scope at its disposal, she noted.

The focus of the work this fall "is very specific," said Ms. England. "We're interested in numbers and getting a minimum population estimate of the birds."

A related objective is to come up with an age-ratio estimate by enumerating the "hatch-year (born this year) birds in fields," she added, noting that the juveniles are discernable from adults due to a lack of red coloration on their faces and a rufous (reddish-brown) wash on their bodies. (Adults can apparently look reddish-brown, too, from mud being rubbed onto them, but the plummage itself is grey, whereas the feathers of the yearlings have an actual rusty tint.)

Next year, presuming more funding can be accessed to continue the research, "we'll be looking at productivity of the breeding population," she said, which may involve the banding of fledgling cranes, known as colts.

As well, "there's a desire to look at the physiology of the birds and perhaps do some DNA analysis, as there's some question as to where the migrant population comes from-the suspicion is they come from James Bay, as part of the eastern sandhill population, but there's also a mid-continent population of cranes, which is much larger, and it's unknown how much overlap there is between the two."

Before that mystery is cleared up, however, the researchers are eager to establish just how many of these birds congregate annually in Rainbow and Algoma country, and whether the cranes that stage each year on the North Shore make a short hop over to Manitoulin for another chance to fuel up before their long flight south.

Since the peak migration periods on the North Shore and Manitoulin seem to be staggered-the North Shore version, based on research to date, occurs from mid-September to early October, while on Manitoulin it tends to be a bit later, typically early to mid-October-scientists can't say for sure whether the populations function separately, or if Manitoulin's crane numbers balloon briefly due to an influx of their mainland neighbours.

Ms. England suspects the two don't mix that much, as several Algoma birds were banded during the 2007 study, and tracking of these cranes, via satellite transmitters, has shown that they headed straight for Michigan and Indiana after leaving the North Shore.

Ultimately, they travel much farther south to spend the winter, typically around the Gulf Coast of the US. Of the four cranes that were radio collared in 2007, one appears to have died in Florida, said Ms. England. The remaining three have returned each of the past two years to the same Algoma area where they were originally banded.

Those curious about the migratory patterns of these big flappers can visit the Bird Studies Canada website and click on a "Crane Tracker" feature, which calls up a continental map showing the collared birds' current whereabouts. As of press time, all three were between Sault Ste. Marie and Elliot Lake, but miles apart from one another, with one near Desbarats, another north of Iron Bridge near Rocky Island Lake, and the third way up near Chapleau.

Presumably the trio will come within closer range of one another as the days grow shorter and the need to fatten up and form flocks ("sedges" would be the official term) for their big southerly flight becomes more pressing.

The question for the Long Point researchers will be just how many of these birds assemble in our area, and how much intermingling occurs between those in the north and south of the study zone. The plan, said Ms. England, is "to count concurrently on the mainland and Manitoulin, because that would answer the question for the number of birds in total."

While the researcher is aware that sandhill cranes are a politically charged issue in these parts, and the data collected will help to inform a decision on whether or not a hunt of the species is justified, she said her own interest, and that of her scientific colleagues, is not biased one way or the other in this regard.

"We're biologists," she said. "We're not hunting advocates, nor are we hunting haters. We are very eager to work with the community."

She and her co-researchers feel the work is exciting and overdue, simply from a scientific perspective, since the last comprehensive look at the sandhill crane population in Ontario occurred 20 years ago, in 1989, and a lot has changed since.

"The concern, as far as we go, is that there is no management plan or conservation plan in place for cranes, because we don't know enough about them, or how many there are," she said. "It's important to quantify the population."

Beyond getting a solid idea of how many birds visit this area in aggregate, the research team will also be eager to establish how many young are typically produced each year, and where exactly they opt to breed and winter.

"Our mandate is purely to answer these biological questions about these fascinating birds," said Ms. England.

Anyone interested in taking part in the project as a volunteer spotter or by providing information on where the cranes are likely to amass is encouraged to contact Ms. England by email at sandhillcraneproject2009@gmail.com or by phone at (226) 206-0000.

EDITORIAL

'Pebble tossing' of NDP member hint of election to come

Can there be an election far off?

This week, the federal Liberal caucus met in Sudbury for its annual policy convention. Part of the event was a $550-per-plate fundraising dinner, the sort of thing that most political parties do from time to time.

Glenn Thibeault, the new NDP member for the Sudbury riding, decided that this was a good opportunity to make some political hay so he threw a $5.50-per-plate dinner event in his backyard the same night as the Liberal do, ostensibly to raise funds for families of striking Vale Inco workers who may be facing hardship just now.

Mind you, he clearly wasn't going to raise much money for miners' families at the $5.50 rate so it's clear that Mr. Thibeault's effort was meant to focus publicity on himself and his upcoming campaign. He was somewhat successful in this endeavour as the CBC interviewed him earlier in the week and he was able to criticize (several times) the Liberals for somehow taking money out of Northern Ontario (at the $550-per-plate rate) during a time of strike and other financial hardships.

There is no logic whatsoever in his criticism, of course, and the fact remains that such a meeting is a good thing for whichever community hosts it as several hundred delegates from across the country will leave a lot of money behind in terms of meals eaten, hotel rooms rented, gasoline purchased and all of the other purchases that go with a big convention.

The NDP had a very successful run in last year's election, all at the Liberals' expense. Our own riding, Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, was lost by the Liberals to the NDP, as were both Sudbury ridings and one of the Thunder Bay ridings. That was a gain of four seats by the NDP, and a corresponding loss by the Liberals.

Mr. Thibeault manufactured his criticism of the Liberals' fundraising event out of whole cloth simply because it was being held in his own backyard. He could have spent a little more time on the logic of his critical remarks so that they actually made sense.

It's also clear why the Liberals chose Sudbury as the host city for their large annual summer event: they wanted a substantial presence, with all of the attendent national publicity, in the centre of a region in which they had until very recently been the dominant political force.

Both the Liberals' strategic decision to have this late August-early September presence in the North, together with Mr. Thibeault's decision to ridicule its accompanying fundraising dinner, are a small indication of what we will very likely be seeing within the next few months as the Conservative government fails-perhaps falling on its own sword to force an election call if it feels this is a propitious time.

In all of these Northern ridings, the big races will be between the NDP incumbents and the Liberal candidates. The exception is the North Bay riding where the incumbent Liberal held his seat last year.

Mr. Thibeault's little bit of pebble tossing is just a hint of what we can expect in the Northern Ontario political wars.

Letters to the Editor

Wind farms will bring positive change to Manitoulin

Real threat to beauty of area is climate change

To the Expositor:

As a former resident of Manitoulin, a landowner in NEMI and someone who plans on retiring on Manitoulin I have been reading about the proposed wind farm on McLean's Mountain with great interest. I have decided to become a supporter of the project. I am aware of the many objections to the proposed wind farm, but have not been able to substantiate many of the negative claims made.

The issue of aesthetics is one of opinion and everyone has a right to their own opinion in terms of the aesthetic affects of the proposed wind farm. As they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." As a result, I see little point in debating this issue.

I think we can all agree that we need to find alternative means of producing the energy we require to sustain our society. Therefore, we have a responsibility to consider wind farms as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Are wind farms the perfect solution? Of course not. All forms of energy production have both positive and negative side effects. The key is to find a proper balance between the positive side effects and the negative side effects.

Many claim that wind farms are detrimental to bird populations. The fact is that windmills will kill birds. However, if you compare the number of birds killed by wind farms to the number of birds killed by the side effects of fossil fuels you will find that wind farms are a much better choice. It is also important to note that all buildings, towers and man-made structures, including your home, kill birds. There is a wind farm in Altamont Pass, California that has over 7,000 turbines on it. The death rate of birds related to this wind farm is 0.2 birds/turbine/year. This amounts to 1,400 birds per year. Meanwhile, the skyscrapers in Toronto kill an estimated 10,000 birds per year. We need to understand that the real risk to our bird populations is climate change caused by the pollution created by the burning of fossil fuels, not from wind farms.

Many are claiming that there are health risks relating to wind farms. Perhaps there are, but compare these health risks to that of coal burning plants and nuclear energy used to produce electricity. The health risks related to wind farms, if they exist, are nowhere near the health risks related to the production of energy using coal or nuclear energy. Before passing the Green Energy Act, the province of Ontario did consider the potential health risks of wind farms and found no basis for not developing wind farms on the basis of health risks. The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit also conducted a thorough study of the research available and found that the opposition to wind farms on the basis of health consequences was not justified.

The economic impact of wind farms has the potential to be very substantial. Not only to Manitoulin, but to Ontario as a whole. In a recent article in the Sudbury Star, Mayor Jim Stringer is quoted as saying that the project would pump approximately $100,000 in extra tax revenue per year into the tax base of NEMI. This represents approximately 2 percent to 3 percent of the total annual revenue of NEMI; I would suggest that this is significant. Germany has embraced wind farming. As many of you know, Germany has one of the largest economies in the world. It is interesting to note that the number one creator of jobs in Germany over the past few years has been the production and manufacturing of wind turbines. If we follow suit, this new industry could go a long way toward replacing our failing automotive sector. This has benefits to all of Ontario and to Manitoulin. We need to remember that Manitoulin relies heavily on tourism. If our manufacturing sector continues to suffer, tourism will in turn suffer.

The auto industry is moving very quickly toward replacing the combustion engine, which accounts for a large percentage of the pollution we produce, with battery-operated or electric engines. If they are successful in doing so, we will reduce our consumption of fossil fuels substantially. We will, however, increase our need for electricity. If we rely on electricity produced by coal burning plants and nuclear plants to provide this electricity how much will we really help the environment? We therefore need to find alternative means of producing electricity.

The auto industry is also looking at hydrogen as a source of energy. Hydrogen may be a valid alternative, but we know that this is many years away. Corn-based ethanol has also received a lot of attention lately as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. Corn is, however, unlikely to become a significant source of energy. If you consider the fact that a large percentage of the world's population lives below the poverty line and is suffering from starvation, it hardly makes sense to use a staple of our food supply to produce energy for our automobiles. It is interesting to note that if we used all of the tillable land in North America to grow corn for ethanol we would only produce approximately 20 percent of the United States' need for fuel. It is also interesting to note that it takes two units of energy to produce one unit of ethanol. Therefore, it is unlikely that corn-based or any food-based form of ethanol is a long-term viable solution to the burning of fossil fuels.

In the end, we all need to make a responsible decision as it relates to this issue. Interestingly, I did a web search on the negative effects of wind farms. After reading all of the material available I was very concerned about wind farms. I then did a web search on the positive effects of wind farms. After reading that information I was convinced that wind farms are a good thing. It did, however, occur to me that I was not considering the source of the information I was reading, which I think we would all agree is very important. I then decided to read what David Suzuki had to say on wind farms. We are all familiar with David Suzuki as he is considered one of the world's leading experts on green energy and global climate change. It is interesting to note that he is an avid supporter of wind farms. If you wish to read what David Suzuki has to say about wind farms visit his website at www.davidsuzuki.org. I would suggest reading an article he wrote titled "The Beauty of Wind Farms."

Change comes with uncertainty. It is normal and prudent to approach change with caution. In this case, however, Manitoulin has a chance to become a leader in an area that is far more beneficial than detrimental. Let's not stop change because we are uncertain; we need to embrace this opportunity and move forward in a manner that is likely to be viewed positively by many people both on and off the Island. The real threat to our health, our economy, our wildlife and the very beauty of Manitoulin is global climate change, not wind farms.

Lyle Van Every

Sharon, Ont.

Gordon's praised for dark sky

Prov needs similar designation

To the Expositor:

I would really like to commend Gordon's Park for its well-deserved recognition as a dark sky preserve. We here in Providence Bay, however, have had no luck in that regard. The municipality will not acknowledge that many local folk and visitors also enjoy sitting on the beach to enjoy stargazing with a non-light-polluted dark sky here as well. We have pleaded and politely asked to have some alternative to the blinding, overwhelming security spotlight at the marina that lights up the entire bay at night. It is obviously an engineering mistake that really needs to be reevaluated and corrected. Kudos to the marina manager who has lowered it as much as he can while still maintaining enough light for the security camera, but it obviously needs a different approach.

Noise pollution, light pollution, and overcrowding are what most people come here to escape. I hope council will give this issue some consideration.

Jean McGauley

Providence Bay

Ferry in need of upgraded operational initiatives

Complacency has resulted in customer dissatisfaction

To the Expositor:

As a cottage owner and with family from the Island, this is my 56th year of using the ferry to commute between my home in Collingwood and cottage at South Baymouth. I read with amusement comments made by Susan Schrempf, general manager of the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC), in your August 5 story "Weather, economy cited for low ferry traffic."

No-one can dispute the fact that we have had an unseasonably cool summer or that current economic conditions have affected consumer behaviour. In your article, Ms. Schrempf confesses to ferry traffic being down 7.2 percent from last year. The fact remains, however, that people still take summer vacations with their families and arguably many stay closer to home, thus creating opportunity for tourism operators savvy enough to market to it.

I would estimate that I have ridden the Chi-Cheemaun 400 times since its inception in 1974, during which period I have endured the idiosyncrasies of a service that in many aspects is anything but efficient. Cost-cutting, whether it be to offset increased fuel or other expenses, may improve the bottom line of the OSTC, but that does not translate into a positive experience for the passengers.

Since its retrofit, I have yet to see the ship running on its four engines, regardless of the traffic level. During the civic holiday weekend, there was more activity in Tobermory than I can ever remember, and as a walk-on passenger I was forced to park my vehicle about a quarter-mile from the terminal. Having made no reservation, my brother waited from 9 am until the 8 pm sailing to gain passage. I crossed with him and, using GPS, clocked the ship at just over 12 knots, well below its top-rated speed of 16 to 17 knots, indicating that contrary to what Ms. Schrempf claims regarding busy times, only two engines were in use, not four.

For any business to respond to declining revenues with a price increase, as was hinted at in your article, is foolhardy without first analyzing and perhaps changing your product line or service(s). This is something that has been sadly lacking with the OSTC for years. Other than the $10-million retrofit, annual changes to the service over the past 35 years have amounted to little more than a new brochure with higher fares.

Here are a few of my suggestions:

¥ When you have a printed schedule, stick to it. According to Ms. Schrempf, travellers haven't minded the 10-minute-longer trip, which has saved the company a lot of money. Fine, change the schedule to reflect that. More often than not, the ferry is 15 to 30 minutes behind the published sailing times by the end of each day, which inconveniences users who are trying to adhere to the requirement to be there an hour in advance of the sailing.

¥ Over the years I have heard countless stories of people waiting four-eight hours in Tobermory, after which these passengers are reluctant to ever use the service again. Reservations should be accepted on all sailings without a surcharge! It's not much of a "priority sailing" when you have to pay an additional $20 fee on a trip that is costly enough already.

¥ Ticketing is an extremely laborious and time-consuming process. When you arrive one hour in advance to hold your reservation, most of the time it is spent idling in a lineup. Meanwhile the OSTC attempts to think "green" by offering a discount to drivers with fuel-efficient cars. Most people appear to be paying by credit or debit cards, which is partly to blame for the slowness in ticketing. Speedier options exist for payment, such as the hand-held devices used in parking lots, which the OSTC should investigate.

¥ The only line longer than ticketing is in the onboard cafeteria, which is a factor of poor cafeteria design and insufficient staffing. When crossing at 7 am on Saturday, August 15, only one staff person was taking food orders from passengers (which is standard) and only one of two cashiers were open. By the time we got through the line and paid, our food was cold and had to be reheated in the microwave. The cafeteria should be contracted to an outside foodservice company to manage, one that knows what they are doing and can make the necessary layout and equipment changes to ensure that the onboard food is of good quality, value and can be obtained in a timely fashion.

¥ In your article much was made about the 10-percent discount for fuel-efficient cars. A vehicle's fuel efficiency is completely irrelevant to the service provided by the OSTC. Smaller cars mean less space, which in turn increases the ship's capacity and revenue for OSTC. A person driving a diesel VW Beetle gets the discount; the driver of a gas-powered Beetle doesn't. Does selectively offering this discount increase ridership? Absolutely not and it makes no sense whatsoever to offer a discounted fare based solely on a car's engine type.

¥ The BC Ferries offer what they call "coast-saver" fares on Tuesdays through Thursdays. These are reduced rates to encourage passengers to use the ferries during the off-peak travel times. OSTC should be doing the same. Offering a discount for off-peak times is a lot more sensible than a 10-percent discount for a limited number of fuel-efficient cars.

¥ The company has endeavoured to create a more user-friendly website which allows for an online reservation, but many opportunities still exist for a better site, such as better (and more current) photos and a section detailing the engine refit.

I don't ride the ferry because I want to, nor do a lot of others. Let's face it: the service is primarily a link in Highway 6, filling in the gap between Tobermory and South Baymouth. As a resident in Collingwood it makes sense for me to take the boat, yet the cost and aggravation often cause me to drive around. That results in lost revenue for the OSTC. If fuel is now "considerably lower," and Ms. Schrempf claims, and they are running "more efficiently," then how about giving some of last year's mid-season price increase back?

Improved operational initiatives would result in greater efficiency and enjoyment for the OSTC's customers. This, along with some proactive marketing, would surely drive revenues higher, and that's where the financial wellbeing of every business starts. Taking a "let's just survive" position is not a management attitude any company can afford.

Thirty-five years of essentially doing the same thing is no longer working, and one only needs to look at the plight of the North American auto industry to realize the high cost of complacency.

Rick Crouch

Collingwood