by Michael Erskine
HONORA BAY---A tanker truckload of liquid asphalt which spilled into 
a creek on Highway 540 has led to the demise of a number of small 
fish, swarms of insects and plants, and at least one couple's 
confidence in the government ministries responsible for the $200,000 
cleanup.
Despite repeated assurances from Ministry of Environment personnel 
and Wardrop Engineering Inc., the contractor hired to clean up the 
asphalt spill on Highway 540 two weeks ago, some residents are less 
than confident they are getting the straight goods.
John Usher, a resident who lives next door to the spill, said that he 
was told by cleanup officials that all of the solid tar from the 
asphalt spill had to be cleaned up prior to the application of the 
biological cleanup agent being applied.
Treatment of the spill site with oil-eating bacteria is planned, 
before final restoration work on the creek begins.
"I get a different story from everyone I talk to," said Mr. Usher, 
who said he has been documenting the work on the site and his 
conversations with officials through notes, pictures and over three 
hours of video. "I am getting pretty fed-up with what is going on 
here."
Both he and Alice Bond, on whose property the spill occurred, said 
they are very skeptical about the process being utilized to cleanup 
the mess.
"I suppose there is some skepticism if you are unfamiliar with the 
technology," said Darryl Boyd of Wardrop Engineering Inc. "But a lot 
of consultants use these biological hydro-carbon control microbes and 
the case studies show that it is effective and it will work on all 
types of hydrocarbons."
Further, asserts Mr. Boyd, the microbes are non-pathogenic, meaning 
they won't hurt human beings, and they dissipate after their work is 
done.
"The microbes will work on solid hydrocarbons like tar, they just 
take longer," he said. "We have removed and will be continuing to 
remove pockets of thick material from the area by hand. I dug up a 
number of pailfulls of the solid material and I have another half 
dozen pails to collect yet."
Plans to begin spraying late last week were delayed when the microbes 
were delayed at the border.
"The material comes from Florida," said Mr. Boyd. "They appear to 
have been hung up at the border. I guess they want to make sure they 
aren't anthrax or something."
Gagnon Renewable Resources planned to start spraying September 3.
The speed at which the remedial work is proceeding also has Mr. Usher fuming.
"If this was Toronto, you can bet it would have been cleaned up in a 
matter of a couple of days," he said. "Here it is 11, 12 days later 
and they still haven't really contained the spill.
They keep talking about a beaver dam that supposedly contained the 
spill. There is no beaver dam. I know, I work in that creek all the 
time. When the fish come up to spawn, I am out there making sure they 
can get past the gravel banks. If this was Toronto they would have 
been out there day and night under the lights cleaning it up."
Another resident, Max Swackhammer, who ironically is at his Honora 
Bay camp writing a proposal for an environmental exhibit at his 
museum, noted he often has had to deal with beavers in the area.
Mr. Usher is also concerned about his well, even though tests have 
come back clean.
"Did they tell you how long we have to test it for?" he asked. 
"Eight, nine, 10 years? How long? That is what they are not telling 
us."
"I took a water sample from Mrs. Bond's well," said Mr. Boyd. "We did 
not find any contamination, and we don't expect to find any in the 
future either."
The insurance company paying the bill for the cleanup dropped cases 
of water off at the homes on adjacent properties after the spill as a 
precautionary measure.
"The material is not listed as a dangerous or toxic material," said 
Mr. Boyd. "They use it for roads everywhere."
There are three government ministries monitoring the situation in 
Honora Bay. The Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Natural 
Resources and the Federal Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, eachhas 
its own regulations and concerns, and each has said they will 
continue to monitor the spill site.
"We can understand that this was an accident," said Mr. Usher. 
"Accidents happen. But somebody has to take responsibility to clean 
it up. Right now it seems to me that nobody cares. They cleaned the 
part up by the road nice and neat, but it has been 11 days and they 
haven't even come near our place."
Marnie Moore, the official from the Ministry of the Environment 
looking after the spill is adamant, however.
"The law is actually very simple. If you make a mess, you clean it 
up. You make it the same as it was before," she said. "We will ensure 
that it is done and done right."

by Michael Erskine and Diana Smith
WIKWEMIKONG---The wheels of Canadian justice are slowly turning in 
the unusual case of Juan and Edgar Uyunkar and their interpreter 
Maria Ventura, as a trial date has been set for March 31, 2003.
The trial is expected to be a two-month long affair, and may have 
far-reaching ramifications for the practice of indigenous and 
traditional medicine in this country.
The two Ecuadorian shaman and their translator were charged with 
criminal negligence causing death, administering a noxious substance 
and trafficking in a controlled substance following the death of Jean 
(Jane) Maiangowi, 71, of Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve.
Ms. Maiangowi collapsed at a healing ceremony held in South Bay last 
October, after she allegedly imbibed an Ayahuasca potion supplied by 
the trio in an holistic traditional Shuar healing ceremony.
Ms. Maiangowi's relatives asserted that she and her husband had been 
brow-beaten into attending the ceremony by people in the community, 
although they were unable to say who those people were, and that Ms. 
Maiangowi, a diabetic, had suffered severely from the effects of an 
earlier ceremony they had attended.
The Ayahuasca potion, made from traditional South American vines, is 
alleged to have contained the controlled substance 'harmine,' and it 
is from that substance that the charges of possession and trafficking 
in a controlled substance stem. Although substances may be exempted 
by the Minister of Justice from the list of controlled substances, 
for use in indigenous traditional ceremonies, harmine has apparently 
not been exempted.
An autopsy report showed Ms. Maiangowi died as a result of tobacco poisoning.
The setting of a trial date last Tuesday, followed months of 
closed-door hearings in which the crown and defense attorneys were 
unable to come to a mutual resolution.
After consulting on availability and dates with Toronto lawyers 
William Trudell and John DiLucca, and Crown Attorney Lorraine Autley, 
Justice William G. Mahaffey set aside five weeks for the trial 
beginning March 31, 2003, with a one-week break, and then another 
three weeks beginning April 14 to May 9.
Justice Mahaffey cautioned the defence lawyers and the Crown that he 
wanted each day's proceedings to start on time, and although some 
allowance was made for the unpredictability of Manitoulin weather, he 
would brook no delay to accommodate the schedule of expert witnesses. 
He said he expected six-month's notice to be more than sufficient to 
insure the presence of expert witnesses and the trio's defense team 
at each day's session.
Justice Mahaffey assured the defence that provisions will be made to 
provide a translator proficient in their dialect during the trial. 
During their first court appearances, the Ecuadorian men's 
interpreter acted as an unofficial translator for the proceedings.
The Uyankars have been held in Canada since being charged last 
October, and they will have to remain in the country at least until 
the end of the trial process.

by Neil Zacharjewicz
MANITOULIN - The Manitoulin municipalities appear to be mixed on the 
proposal for the creation of a regional tourism marketing 
organization.
As of press time, three Island municipalities have considered the 
proposal, with Central Manitoulin and Gore Bay voting in favor of it, 
and Billings voting against it.
"Basically, the proposal is for the three organizations, LAMBAC 
marketing division, Manitoulin Tourism Association (MTA), and the 
Chamber of Commerce to work together on tourism marketing," explained 
Mary Nelder, representative for the LaCloche - Manitoulin Business 
Assistance Corporation (LAMBAC), at a meeting of Central Manitoulin 
council. "The MTA and Chamber have been struggling along on their 
membership fees, and some additional government funding sources."
She explained LAMBAC has been informed that FedNor will provide 
funding for this new agency for a three year term. Under the 
proposal, a stand alone agency would market for both Manitoulin and 
LaCloche together as a region.
"This would be a separate body, with a board of directors that would 
oversee the running of the organization, and there would be some 
staffing," said Ms. Nelder.
The Chamber of Commerce, the Manitoulin Tourism Association (MTA) and 
LAMBAC Marketing have been discussing such a proposal over the past 
year, and a study was done earlier this year by an outside agency 
that showed there has been a growth in tourism in the area, and 
everyone within the market is competing
"It was indicated in the study that the only way to deal with this 
would be in an unified effort," she explained.
FedNor has indicated it will consider a three year funding commitment 
of $200,000 for this new initiative. While the Northern Ontario 
Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) has not put any funding towards it, 
Ms. Nelder indicated, they will look at it if the three organizations 
worked together on marketing the region.
"This would not just be marketing for tourist businesses, but for 
municipalities," she said.
Concern was raised by Central Manitoulin Councillor Sarah Bowerman 
that the formation of such an organization would mean the end of the 
MTA, but she was assured the various groups would still exist, but 
they would each continue to work on areas of strength under the new 
organization.
But while Gore Bay and Central Manitoulin councils were convinced 
enough to pass a motion in favor of the proposal, Billings council 
was not.
Billings Councillor Rick Rusk stated while he appreciated the fact 
there is the possibility that there could be more exposure through 
increased marketing, which is needed, governments have a bad track 
record in showing their commitment in providing funds on a continuing 
basis.
"There have been many cases where there has been a need for continual 
funding and they have fallen short," Mr. Rusk pointed out. "The MTA 
has been around 48 years and has a great volunteer support 
organization and people who are involved in the tourism industry. 
Unless the government funding is binding for the next 25-48 years in 
a contract to support the agency, I can't support the tourism 
marketing proposal."
Fellow Councillor Pat McColman echoed his sentiment.
"If this money is going to be used like it was for MEDA (Manitoulin 
Economic Development Association), it lasted seven years and then 
went to crap," Mr. McColman stated. "Our municipalities wouldn't be 
providing support to the MTA if we weren't getting a good bang for 
the buck. I'm satisfied with what the MTA is doing. We haven't seen 
any concrete plans for this marketing proposal, and until we get 
something solid that we can take and read, and it shows this would be 
a benefit, I'm not in favour of the resolution."
Assiginack Reeve Hugh Moggy indicated his council would be examining 
the issue at its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, September 4. He said 
Paul Marcon, marketing manager for LAMBAC Marketing, is expected to 
make a presentation to council on the topic.
"I support it in principal, but I have some concerns," Mr. Moggy stated. 
"It has some merit."
Mr. Moggy said he does not want the MTA to be slighted by the 
formation of such an organization. He noted, over the years, the MTA 
has been very involved promoting Manitoulin. Furthermore, he also was 
concerned about the possibility of funding for such an organization 
drying up in two or three years. He said a new organization should be 
self-sufficient.
"(However,) I think we would get a bigger bang for our buck if we put 
all our money in one basket," Mr. Moggy noted. He said the dollars 
which the municipalities would be asked for from such an organization 
are dollars already being spent on advertising, and they could be 
diverted to the new organization.
Tehkummah Reeve Gary Brown said his council will likely be 
considering the proposal at its meeting on September 11. He indicated 
he has yet to see the proposal, and would not comment until he has 
had the opportunity to look it over.
As of press time, representatives for the Townships of Gordon and 
Burpee-Mills could not be reached.
Council for the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands 
(NEMI) are scheduled to consider the proposal at their meeting on 
Wednesday, September 4.
The Expositor has learned that the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers 
has apparently turned down the proposal, but as of press time was not 
able to reach representatives of the municipality to confirm or deny 
this information.