Archive for category: Editorial

Apart from the current divide in the House of Commons regarding the “Robocall Scandal,” the Conservative government must look over its shoulder at how its crime omnibus bill and the closely related Bill C-30 will play with Canadians. Putting things in perspective, if the police on Manitoulin were spared dealing [...]

The day after this newspaper is published, the long-time analgesic OxyContin will be replaced in drug store dispensaries by OxyNEO. The product’s manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, has been prevailed upon by governments to create a new product that, while still effective for pain relief, has been reformulated to be less attractive [...]

Mike Brown was retired last fall by the Algoma-Manitoulin electorate from his position as member of the Ontario legislature for the Algoma-Manitoulin riding. Even though he had represented Manitoulin Island and the rest of this riding for more than 24 years, people very quickly forget about the accomplishments of “former [...]

The day this commentary is published, February 15, Don Drummond will present his report to the Ontario government offering his recommendations on what measures this province should take to overcome a $16 billion deficit without raising citizens’ tax burden. Depending on one’s point of view, this may or may not [...]

It has been nearly 30 years since an Ottawa government has threatened to tamper with Old Age Security (OAS or, more commonly, “The Pension”). Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was leading a Progressive Conservative government and the grassroots response to the lead politician was swift and unequivocal. Even on Manitoulin Island, [...]

Last week’s much-heralded meeting between First Nations leaders from across Canada and senior parliamentarians (including the prime minister and several ranking members of cabinet) together with Governor General David Johnston (who is, incidentally, also an expert in Canadian constitutional law) pointedly highlighted several key areas of discussion into priority status. [...]

It’s Monday afternoon, January 23 and the selection process is underway just now to determine which First Nations leaders presently convening in Ottawa will be delegated to meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Harper, Governor General Johnston and nearly a dozen senior cabinet ministers. It will be Wednesday, this newspaper’s publication [...]

The deadline for Manitoulin citizens, together with seasonal residents and other friends of this special region, to register a comment on the proposed McLean’s Mountain wind turbine farm has been extended to Friday, January 27. The project has been a controversial one. There is no doubt about that and the [...]

This weekend, Liberals from across Canada will gather in Ottawa for the party’s mandated bi-annual policy conference. It marks the first national gathering of Liberal party members, of both mover and shaker and rank-and-file classes, since the Liberals slipped to “other party” status, vastly diminished in its claim to be [...]

A new 2012 calendar on the wall and already lots of upcoming meetings and events are penciled in. Thus it goes. The attempts for the seven Manitoulin First Nations communities and the province of Ontario to finalize the 1990 land claim agreement drags on with, most recently, the Manitoulin Municipal [...]