Feature Article - February 8, 2007

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Feature Article - February 8, 2007

Provincial Conservative nomination to be hotly contestedby Jeff Green

Ontario voters will be going to the polls to elect a provincial government on October 4th, thanks to the establishment of fixed election dates. The ridings have changed for the upcoming provincial election, mirroring the federal riding redistribution that took place a couple of years ago.

But unlike the first federal election that took place in the Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington (LFL&A) riding, which saw incumbent MPs Scott Reid and Larry McCormick square off, the first provincial election in LFL&A will see no incumbents contesting the seat.

Leona Dombrowsky, Liberal incumbent in the soon to be eliminated riding of Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington will be running in the new Prince Edward- Hastings riding, and Conservative incumbent Norm Sterling from the Lanark-Carleton riding will be running in the new Mississippi Mills-Carleton riding.

Three candidates: Brent Cameron, Randy Hillier and Jay Brennan have already announced their intention to seek the Conservative Party nomination in LFL&A, even though the candidate selection date is likely months away. It promises to be a lively contest, with the winner becoming the odds on favourite to become the first MPP from LFL&A, if federal results from the riding are any indication.

Brent Cameron has long been associated with Conservative Party politics, serving as an assistant to Peterborough Hastings MPP Harry Danforth in the early ’90s. He is currently the Vice President of the Federal Conservative riding association for LFL&A. He is also an advocate for Commonwealth Free Trade, a non-partisan issue that he promoted in a recent book.

Easily the most controversial of the three candidates is Randy Hillier, who recently resigned as the President of the Ontario Landowners in order to seek the nomination. Hillier has been highly critical of the current government, and as the primary spokesman for the Landowners, he has organised raucous farm protests in both Ottawa and Toronto, and defiant protests against the imposition of various federal and provincial regulations, whether they be hunting regulations, which the Landowners see as preventing farmers from culling deer, or rules about the size of eggs sold at farmers’ markets, the Nutrient Management Act, regulations about the disposal of sawdust, and many more.

The Ontario Landowners Association (OLA), an offshoot of the Lanark Landowners, identify an urban bias in the provincial and federal governments.

“Rural Ontario is now home to darkness and our voice is silent and muted within the bureaucratic halls of power in Queen's Park and Parliament Hill,” according to the preamble to the OLA’s founding declaration.

Seeking political office is among the initiatives that the OLA proposes, although following any specific party line is not a priority for them.

Their founding declaration also says, “The County Associations of the OLA, will field and/or support candidates for election to provincial/federal office. Once elected, these landowner-supported members will pose a united front against unjust legislation and unaccountable bureaucratic intrusions and will advocate for the protection of property rights and judicial reform. Should the need arise the OLA will create a political party.”

Jay Brennnan, who announced he is running at the beginning of this week, has worked in current Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling’s office for eight years, and worked for former MP and MPP Bill Vankoughnet in the early ’90s.

He cites some of the projects that Norm Sterling has been instrumental in bringing forward in the past, including the expansion of Highway 7 and the new high school in Smiths Falls as the kinds of initiatives he has worked on, and would promote in LFL&A. Brennan expressed his support for Conservative Leader John Tory in his campaign announcement, saying, in part, “John Tory has a strong understanding of and respect for rural Ontario and I would be a proud member of his team.”

This local nomination battle has already attracted attention on a provincial level, thanks to Randy Hillier’s inclusion.

George Smitherman, the outspoken Liberal Minister of Health gave a radio interview in which he described Randy Hillier as someone who is opposed to culture in all forms, who opposes gay rights, and once named a dead deer after current LFL&A MPP Leona Dombrowsky while she was the Minister of the Environment.

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Feature Article - March 29, 2007

Addington Highlands, Frontenac County win the latest provincial grant sweepstakesby Jeff Green

It was with a sense of frustration that Addington Highlands Council applied to the most recent provincial infrastructure granting program, the Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative (RIII), seeking support for a construction project on the Skootamatta Lake/Hughes Landing Road. After all, the township had applied for funding for the road project to the COMRIF (Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund) program on three separate occasions with no luck.

The RIII was announced in January; the application period was very short, and the province wanted construction-ready projects. Back in January, Addington Highlands Council was torn as to whether to submit the Skootamatta Lake Road application for the fourth time, or to apply for necessary repairs to the Hartsmere Road bridge. It was expected that the province would be more likely to be concerned about crumbling bridges than dangerous roads. “Roads don’t fail in the same way that bridges do,” Addington Highlands Public Works Manager Royce Rosenblath said at the time.

In the end, the road project was chosen, and that decision looks pretty good now, since the project will be funded to the tune of $900,000 by the province.

When contacted, a happy Reeve Henry Hogg said that the township would be attempting to use as much local labour as possible in completing the project.

“I don’t know if it made any difference,” he added, “but I was able to meet with some senior politicians during the Good Roads Conference in Toronto, and I impressed on them how much we need help with our infrastructure, especially with the amount of Crown Land we have that generates no revenue for us. This is a big project for us; $900,000 represents about a third of our entire budget. It would take us years to do a project like this from our own revenue.”

Frontenac County gets $289,000 for K&P Trail

The long dormant K&P trail initiative has received another shot in the arm with an RII grant of $289,000 to the County of Frontenac. The grant will go towards the acquisition of and upgrades to the former K&P rail line that runs through South and Central Frontenac for the purposes of establishing a trail linking the Trans Canada and Cataraqui Trail systems.

The initiative was spearheaded by South Frontenac Township, which has budgeted $110,000 towards the purchase of the potion of the line that runs between the City of Kingston to the south, and Central Frontenac to the North.

“The idea was brought to a county-wide Chief Administrative Officer Meeting,” recalls Frontenac County Manager for Economic Development Dianna Bratina, “and it was thought that it was something that could be applied for as a county, since it involves more than one township and the county often cannot apply for infrastructure money because we don’t have landfill sites or roads and bridges as county assets. We put this through under economic development and recreation, and have received the grant.”

The next step, according to Gord Burns, will be to approach Central Frontenac Council to see if they want to join in and work towards a purchase of the line running from Piccadilly to Sharbot Lake.

There are still significant complications to the K&P trail initiative. Two bridges in the South Frontenac portion of the trail need replacing, and a few pieces of the track bed in the Central Frontenac portion are in private hands. The trail may have to be diverted in those instances.

A recent change to the provincial Line Fences Act has rejuvenated trail initiatives however, limiting potential fencing costs to townships that purchase abandoned rail lines.

Gord Burns said that South Frontenac’s long-term plan is to turn the management of their portion of the trail over to the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority.

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Feature Article - March 15, 2007

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Feature Article - March 15, 2007

Bill MacDonald to seek provincial Liberal nominationby Jeff Green

Former Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald is attempting a political comeback four months after being defeated in a municipal election. MacDonald served 18 years on municipal council, the last nine as mayor, and has served as Warden of Frontenac County on two occasions, the most recent being 2005.

Throughout his municipal career, Bill MacDonald avoided any over-affiliation with provincial or federal political parties. “As a municipal politician, I had to deal with whichever party was in power, so I stayed away from party politics, but I have always been a Liberal supporter,” he said in an interview earlier this week.

“I have met people from throughout the riding over the years, and I feel I have an understanding of the issues that matter to people in the rural areas. I’d like to bring that perspective to Toronto.”

MacDonald also said that Central Frontenac has done well under the provincial Liberals.

Bill MacDonald owns his own logging and educational sales businesses.

Ian Wilson, of Amherstview, who announced his intention to seek the party nomination in February, has also served on municipal council, in Ernestown. A career educator at St. Lawrence College, where he rose to the position of Dean of the School of Business, Wilson has been active in various Kingston-based volunteer bodies over the years, including the Chamber of Commerce, Kingston Area Recycles (KARC), and others. Most recently, he has served as the inaugural chair of the Southeast Ontario Local Health Integration Network.

A date has not yet been set for a nomination meeting, although one is expected by mid-May

The date of the next provincial election is known, however. In a break with tradition, the election date has been set in advance. It will be held on October 10th.

The date of the next federal election, on the other hand is extremely uncertain.

In order to be prepared, the federal Liberals will be naming their candidate this Saturday at the Piccadilly Hall. With the nomination deadline approaching, only one candidate has come forward so far, former parliamentary assistant and one-time Mayor of Napanee, Dave Remington.

The Conservative and Green Parties have already named their federal candidates for Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington. They are three-time incumbent MP Scott Reid, and newcomer Chris Walker, respectively.

A date for a federal NDP candidate selection meeting is expected shortly.

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Feature Article - March 8, 2007

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Feature Article - March 8, 2007

Provincial Conservatives are betting on short memoriesbyJeff Green

With a provincial election coming up this fall, the Conservative Party of Ontario is ramping up their election campaign strategy. In their attempt to return from the electoral wilderness back to power at Queen’s Park, the conservatives are hoping to start by winning back some of the rural ridings that they lost in the last election, when they won only 24 seats to the Liberals’ 72.

To that end, a white paper called ‘Strong Rural Communities: Building Ontario’s New Foundations’ was released about a week ago.

In the introduction to the 25 page report, it is described as a “kind of mid-term report on our work to develop a plan for rural communities.”

Indeed, the report is more a discussion of the problems faced by rural Ontario , and the failings of the current government, than of solutions, which are still under development and will no doubt form part of the party’s election platform.

The report devotes a considerable amount of space to the farm income crisis but it also talks about the fiscal relationship between the provincial and municipal levels of government in a rural context.

The problem for the Conservatives is that the Liberals have only been in power for four years, and in the eight previous years a Conservative government was responsible for a wholesale re-organisation of municipal and provincial jurisdiction and funding arrangements, changes which are still having a tremendous impact.

While the Liberals have tinkered with some of these arrangements, it was the conservatives who put these arrangements in place. The section of the report entitled “Unfair fiscal relationship Who does what” starts with a statement; “Making municipalities pay an excessive share for funding of provincially mandated requirements hurts all communities, but the impact on smaller rural municipalities is even more pronounced because fewer property tax payers are available to shoulder the burden.”

Wait one minute.

Is this not a description of provincial downloading, whereby the province transferred the responsibility, but not all the funding support, for everything from ambulance service to road maintenance? And wasn’t it the Harris Conservative government that did all the downloading back in the mid-nineties, transferring the tax burden from provincial income taxes to municipal property taxes?

The Conservatives could convincingly argue that the Liberals have not reversed any of the downloading that the Conservatives put in place, but that would require admitting the downloading was an expensive mistake that should be reversed, which is not something they are likely to do.

They will have a difficult job convincing people that they can solve the problems in rural Ontario without investing provincial money, and they will have an even more difficult job explaining where they are going to get the money that is needed. Conservatives have spent four years railing against tax increases, so that does not seem to me among their options.

The McGuinty Liberals produced a “Rural Plan” two years ago, and it has not led to any improvements in the rural economy. The Conservatives are right when they say rural Ontario is suffering economically under the Liberals, but they still bear a lot of responsibility for current situation.

The Conservative party is wooing rural voters that are still paying the costs for policies the Conservatives themselves put in place.

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Feature Article - March 1, 2007

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Feature Article - March 1, 2007

Who's afraid of Randy Hillier?

Editorial by Jeff Green

When a candidate comes forward to run for the candidacy of a political party in a rural riding, it might attract minor attention in some of the local papers, but it is usually a less than riveting story. Most of us are content to let the local riding association sweat out their choice for a candidate, and only a couple of weeks before the election do we begin to pay attention to who the candidate is and what they stand for.

So, it’s more than a bit unusual when a candidacy se-lection race in what in provincial terms is an obscure rural riding, Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington, engenders not only comments from senior ministers of the governing party but editorial comment in daily newspapers in Toronto and Ottawa .

But then, Randy Hillier is no ordinary candidate.

As the founding president of the Lanark and Ontario Landowners Associations, Hillier has received media at-tention by organising large scale tractor convoys to Parliament Hill and Queen’s Park. The slogan “Back off government, get off my land” has exemplied the self styled “rural revolution” that the Landowners advocate in rela-tion to a host of government regulations that they see as contrary to the interests of rural Ontario . The Lanark Landowners Association (now the Ontario Landowners Association) has borrowed tactics from such unlikely sources as the peace, the anti-nuclear and the civil rights movements. They have been modern advocates of non-violent direct action, physically blocking government ofcials who they argue are persecuting law abiding landowners.

The difference between the Landowners and ‘60s peace protesters, is that the Landowners tend to stand in the way of Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) or Minis-try of the Environment (MoE) bureaucrats, as opposed to the police or the army. They also carry themselves with considerable bravado. Randy Hillier does not wear owers in his hair.

But he makes for a good interview, and the media likes that about him. During an interview with the News last week, Hillier said “Trudeau said that government does not belong in the bedrooms of the nation, and I say that should be extended to the kitchens and the garages of the nation.

”Early in January, Randy Hillier resigned as president of the Ontario Landowners Association, and in early February he declared his intention to seek the Conservative nomination for next fall’s provincial election.

But how can an ardent critic of government intervention become a member of government? Even though Randy Hillier has been associated with federal Conservative MP Scott Reid, and some blue provincial Tories such as Frank Klees, he holds several Ontario ministries, most notably the MNR and the MoE, in utter contempt.Quite apart from which party is in power, these minis-tries are arms of government. The Nutrient Management Act, which has been ridiculed by the Landowners Association, was an initiative of the former Ontario Conservatives, and the water regulations that Hillier has also mocked were also initiated by the former Ontario Conservative government. Yet, Randy Hillier now seeks to represent that very party, not only in this riding, but throughout rural Ontario . In his newly minted website, Hillier says “though [I seek] to represent the people of LFL&A, it is abundantly clear that [my] constituency is broad based and encompasses all of rural Ontario .

”This is an important issue for the Conservative Party. On one hand they would love to have the support of the Ontario Landowners in some of the rural ridings they need to win in order to close the electoral gap with the Liberals. On the other hand, Hillier is a wild card. He could cost the Conservatives more votes than he gains for them, even in Rural Ontario.

He comes into politics with a clearly stated set of convictions, all centred around rural people’s rights to the enjoyment and use of their property. This is all well and good, until such time as his convictions come into conict with party policy.

When asked what would happen if he came into conict with the agenda of party leader John Tory, Hillier said “that really is a theoretical question,” saying that he “thinks John Tory is a good leader and I will follow him”.

The probability exists, however, that Hillier’s property rights convictions and his opposition to environmental policies that are popular in urban Ontario will put him into conict with the party.

Whatever feelings people might have about Randy Hillier, his issues are current in rural Ontario , much more so than in the city. The Toronto media, led by the CBC, for whom Randy Hillier has expressed particular disdain, don’t like him in the least, and the Liberal Party is sure to try and paint the Conservative party as a redneck party if he is a candidate under their banner.

But the Toronto media doesn’t understand Randy Hillier’s appeal in rural Ontario . This appeal is based on the fact that under Hillier, the Ontario Landowners Association has made it their business to stand up for a variety of people, from organic egg farmers and raw milk producers, to sawmill operators and cattle farmers, to land-owners whose properties have been staked by mining interests, when no one else has done so. He also represents rural Ontarians who are convinced that politicians in Ontario have quietly come to the conclusion that rural Ontario is expendable, that sooner or later we will all fade away or come to our senses and move to the city.

The more hated Hillier is by the urban media and politicians, the more popular he may become in rural Ontario . People like the fact that he refuses to be subservient to urban politicians, even to urban conservative politicians.

So, who’s afraid of Randy Hillier? Maybe it’s the Ontario Conservative Party. JG

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Feature Article - April 12, 2007

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Feature Article - April 12, 2007

NorthFrontenac mining group plannedby Jeff Green

It was a full house at the Snow Road Snowmobile clubhouse on Good Friday morning as a group of local residents and municipal politicians from Lanark and Frontenac Counties gathered to hear from Maureen Towaij of the Citizen’s Mining Action Group (CMAG) of Tay Valley, and Marilyn Crawford from the Bedford Mining Alert (BMA).

The two women recounted their experiences dealing with the Ministry of Mines and Northern Development (MMND) over mining claims on properties in their own regions.

They recommended that people whose properties have been staked by the uranium exploration company Frontenac Venture Corporation, and others in recent months, should form their own citizens’ group. This group could pool information and plan a co-ordinated response to the staking that has taken place, and the exploration that is planned for the coming years.

Maureen Towaij, from CMAG, talked about the attempts her group has made to influence provincial politicians on the matter of surface and subsurface property rights. In Tay Valley, as in Bedford and North Frontenac townships, prospectors have only been able to proceed with unimpeded claims staking because many of the landowners do not own the subsurface, or mining rights, to their own properties. Those rights are held by the Crown.

“Our high order solution, and this is one we have been promoting at all levels of the provincial government, even as far as the premier’s office, is to give landowners the right to buy back the subsurface rights to their properties,” said Maureen Towaij.

Towaij also talked about the hazards of abandoned mines in Tay Valley, saying that the government has been unwilling or unable to persuade mining companies to remediate the land after mining has been completed.

Marilyn Crawford talked more directly about strategies that people in North Frontenac might take in disputing some of the mining claims that have been made in recent months.

“Keep records of all the information you have, of all conversations you’ve had, everything,” she said, “but don’t forget that the mechanisms in the mining act are really about protecting claims from other prospectors, not protecting landowners from claims.”

Participants at the meeting were full of questions for the two speakers, and for Mark Burnham, the Chair of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, who also took questions.

Reeve Keith Kerr from Tay Valley, and Mayors Bob Fletcher and Ron Maguire from Lanark Highlands and North Frontenac respectively, were present. Several township councillors were also present, along with Randy Hillier, who is seeking the Conservative party nomination in this October’s upcoming election.

Municipalities have no jurisdiction when it comes to the Mining Act, which supersedes the municipal act in many cases.

On the provincial level, Mark Burnham said that when the political parties are out of power, they tend to listen to the landowners, but that changes when they get in government.

John Kittle and Robert Quigley, the North Frontenac residents who organized the meeting, encouraged everyone to sign a contact list, and are planning to form a concerned citizens’ group.

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Feature Article - March 8, 2007

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Feature Article - June 14, 2007

Wilson wins Provincial Liberal nominationby Jeff Green

Ian Wilson of Amherstview will carry the Liberal banner into this fall’s provincial election in the riding of Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (LFL&A). His main rival will be Perth’s Randy Hillier, the candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party.

Wilson won a narrow victory at last Sunday’s nomination meeting at the Verona Lions Hall over Bill MacDonald of Sharbot Lake, in a 382-362 vote.

The two men conducted vigorous campaigns, each singing up over 500 members in the run up to the meeting.

Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington (LFL&A) is a new provincial riding, encompassing part of the Hastings Frontenac Lennox and Addington riding that is currently held by Liberal cabinet minister Leona Dombrowsky, and part of Lanark-Carleton, currently held by former Conservative cabinet minister Norm Sterling. With Dombrowski running in the new riding of Prince Edward Hastings, and Sterling in Carleton-Mississippi Mills, the riding of LFL&A is wide open.

“The nomination process was quite interesting,” Ian Wilson told the News when contacted on Monday morning after the selection meeting. “There were a lot of kitchen table conversations, a chance to connect or re-connect with a lot of people. I was very pleased with the outcome. It could have gone either way.”

Bill MacDonald, who is well known to Frontenac News’ readers as a councilor and deputy reeve in the former Oso township and as the mayor of Central Frontenac from 1998 until last December, said that while he had hoped for a different result, he was happy with the support that he did receive.

“Coming into this from a dead standstill position, with no experience at this level of promotion, and not having any infrastructure in place, I thought we did pretty darned well,” he said.

The association as a whole seems to have benefited from the contested race. At the outset, there were 49 members in the new Liberal riding association, and now there are 1079. According to riding association President Marlene Patton, the 744 people who took the trouble to truck out to Verona from as far away as Carleton Place represents the highest percentage turnout for any liberal association in the province thus far.

“These people will be a great resource in the coming election campaign,” said MacDonald.

Ian Wilson was a fixture at St. Lawrence College, where he was employed for 36 years, rising to the position of Dean of the School of Business. He was also involved in municipal government for many years, eventually serving as deputy reeve and reeve in Ernestown Tonwship (now part of Loyalist Township), and he served as warden of Lennox and Addington County before dropping out of municipal politics in 1994.

He has taken on major volunteer roles in the Kingston area over the years, including serving as Chair of the Board of Kingston General Hospital (KGH), founding Board Chair of the Kingston Area Recycling Corporation (KARC) and President of the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation.

His involvement as a civic leader in Kingston will be useful in the campaign, he believes, because of the role played by the institutions he has been involved with throughout the riding and because many of the larger communities in the riding are oriented to Kingston.

He cites KGH as an example. “KGH is the tertiary care facility for the Smiths Falls and Perth hospitals, and I became familiar with them through my involvement with KGH.” He also said that his work and volunteer experience has given him insight into the education and medical systems, as well as environmental issues. “These are three of the major provincial areas of responsibility, and I am comfortable addressing them.

Looking forward to the campaign, Wilson acknowledges that his main opponent, Randy Hillier, “has made himself a provincial presence through his work with the Lanark and then the Ontario Landowne’’s Association.” He also recognises that Hillier has drawn the attention of some senior Liberals, such as Health Minister George Smitherman, who seems intent on using Hillier as a wedge to draw urban votes away from the Conservative party. which could hurt the liberals in rural ridings.

Wilson does not think this will hurt his own chances in LFL&A. “There are a lot of people who have carried conservative cards that are not comfortable with Mr. Hillier’s positions. He has angered many farmers with his views on supply management for example. I can talk to those people and convince them that he is not the best thing for this riding.

“But I haven’t looked at any of the details of his positions. At this point I’ve only been reading the media coverage. I’m sure he has some positive things to say, and I look forward to hearing them.”

Before the election campaign begins in earnest in September, Wilson is looking forward to travelling the riding this summer. “It is important to hear what people are concerned about. I want to work for the people in this riding, and if there are some policies that don’t fit I need to know about them.”

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Feature Article - March 8, 2007

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Feature Article - July 12, 2007

Rally and march demonstrate support for Algonquin occupation

byJeff Green

After being contacted through electronic means such as e-mail and Facebook, and an old-fashioned telephone tree, more than 300 people made their way to the corner of Hwys. 509 and 7 on the afternoon of July 8 for a march along Highway 7.

The diverse crowd, which included politicians, landowners, members of the local non-status Algonquin communities, supporters from other First Nations, and other anti-mining activists, gathered together to send an anti-uranium exploration message to the collected representatives of regional and province-wide media outlets.

A relaxed parade down Highway 7 was led by two aboriginal warriors carrying the unity flag, and two mothers strolling and carrying their babies. They were followed by members of the Ardoch and Shabot Obaadjiwaan Algonquins holding up an Ardoch Algonquin banner. Behind them marched Honorary Chief Harold Perry of Ardoch, arm in arm with Co-Chief Paula Sherman and Shabot Obaadjiwaan Chief Doreen Davis.

A sea of aboriginal and non-aboriginal supporters followed. It was a show of solidarity between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities such as has not been seen locally in many years - in fact, since the now-legendary wild rice wars.

Harold Perry spoke for the Algonquin peoples at the end of the march, saying that the occupation of the Robertsville mine by Algonquins, which was then ten days old, “will not end until a moratorium on uranium exploration on our traditional territory is declared by the federal and provincial governments.”

The OPP operated a roadblock to divert traffic around the short stretch of road. Eastbound traffic was re-routed at Mountain Grove, to Parham via the Long Lake Road, then north on Road 38 to Sharbot Lake. Westbound traffic followed the route in reverse.

The rally took place after a week of Algonquin occupation of the Robertsville mine, where Frontenac Ventures Corporation has leased space for a “base camp” for uranium exploration on 30,000 contiguous acres that they have staked over the past 2 years. Frontenac Ventures have staked claims in North and Central Frontenac, from Bolton Lake in Central Frontenac (north of Bell Line Road) to just south of Antoine Lake in North Frontenac (north of Hwy. 509 – east of Snow Road)

Although there has been talk of opposition to the political action being taken to stop uranium exploration, none of it surfaced on this day. Politicians in the crowd included Mayor Gutowski and Councilor Guntensperger from Central Frontenac, as well as provincial NDP candidate Ross Sutherland and several members of the Green Party riding association executive. There were no members of North Frontenac Council in attendance.

After last Sunday’s march, a rally was held at the Robertsville mine site, which has become a settled camp over the past ten days, complete with kitchen and sleeping facilities.

Speakers at the rally included Lorraine Rekmans of the Serpent River First Nation that is located near the Elliot Lake uranium mines. She talked about the impacts of the mine on her community, which have been devastating.

On Friday, July 6, two days before the march in Sharbot Lake, representatives from Frontenac Ventures, accompanied by an OPP liaison officer, arrived at the gate to the mine and asked the Algonquins to vacate the premises. They were informed by the Algonquins that the mine site is located on un-ceded Algonquin Territory, and they will not be leaving.

Peter Jorgensen, the part owner and manager of the Robertsville mine, made a similar request one week earlier, with the same result.

Frontenac Ventures Corporation has not been available for comment this week, but Peter Jorgensen told the News that he has been informally told not to approach his property by members of the Ontario Provincial Police, although that request has never been given to him in writing.

He said he would be consulting his lawyer before deciding what to do next. The possibility of either Peter Jorgensen or Frontenac Ventures seeking a court injunction over the matter has been widely anticipated, although how such an injunction would be enforced remains an open question.

The march in Sharbot Lake marks an organizational turning point for the political action that has sprung up in opposition to uranium exploration in North and Central Frontenac. In the ten days following the arrival of Sharbot Lake and Ardoch Algonquins at Robertsville, non-aboriginal supporters, neighbours and activists have been organising to provide physical support to the people on site over the long term, in the form of food and other supplies.

As well, a co-ordinated political stance, in concert with the joint position being taken by the leadership of Ardoch and Sharbot Lake, is being developed.

As the occupation enters its third week, the Algonquin leadership’s attention is being turned from the increasingly unlikely prospect of a confrontation at the Robertsville mine gate, to the possibility of an attempt by Frontenac Ventures to access their claim territory through an alternate route, and to other industrial activities that have been undertaken in the vicinity over the past 25 years.

A second march and rally is planned for tomorrow night, Friday, June 13, at the junction of Hwys. 509 and 7, at 7 pm, and it will likely have the same impact on traffic as last Sunday’s march. The march will be preceded by a rally at the Robertsville mine, starting at 5 pm.

A benefit concert, to raise funds to provide supplies for the Shabot Obaadjiwaan and Ardoch Algonquins is planned for July 25 in Sharbot Lake. Details will be worked out over the next few days.

As well, the Bedford Mining Alert will be holding an early “all candidates meeting” for the upcoming Provincial election on mining issues on July 21 at the Bedford Hall at 10:00 am.

(Editor’s note: We are attempting to gather together information about the risks and benefits that accompany uranium mining in the current era for a future edition of the News. Events at Robertsville are constantly developing, and as information becomes available, we will be posting it at Newsweb.ca)

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Feature Article - August 2, 2007

Bon Echo Art Exhibition and Sale

by MeghanBalogh

The Bon Echo Art Exhibition and Sale made for a busy corner of Bon Echo Provincial Park over the weekend. The grassy clearing, a short walk from Mazinaw Lake and with a full-view of beautiful Mazinaw Rock, housed several rows of well-stocked exhibitor tents.

Forty seven artists from Ontario, Quebec, and Connecticut met to display their masterpieces to the general public. Painting, stained glass, carving, photography, sculpting, pottery, and drawing were all represented, and all were obvious results of great care and skill.

This is the exhibition’s 12th year. It was founded in 1995 by Carla Miedema and Joan Lindy, both board members of Friends of Bon Echo Park. That first year saw 23 exhibitors, and as the art event grew the number has been limited to spaces for 50 artists.

This year has seen a rise in revenue and attendance for the artists. “Art sales went up from last year by 30 percent,” says Derek Maggs, executive director for the Friends of Bon Echo Park. “And according to the provincial park, day pass sales were up by 25 percent.” Ten percent of the revenue brought in by the artists goes to the Friends of Bon Echo Park, who organize, sponsor, and host the show.

Food, music, and children’s activities were on the schedule of events over the weekend. There were performances by three different music groups from Friday through Sunday. Ceramic crafts were set up for kids to try their hand at creating their own artwork, and on Saturday and Sunday “Sciensational Sssnakes” did educational programs with their collection of snakes, turtles, frogs and lizards.

For more information the Friends of Bon Echo Park, visit their website at www.mazinaw.on.ca/fobecho.

Feature Article - September 20, 2007 Feature Article - September 20, 2007

New Directions for Friends of Bon Echoby Derek Maggs

Photo Ken Hook

The natural and cultural heritage of Bon Echo Provincial Park was highlighted at the Friends of Bon Echo Park’s annual general meeting on September 8. A celebrative review of this productive year was climaxed by a delightful sampling of the summer children’s programming and a thought-provoking presentation by Dr. Stan McMullin on “The Mazinaw Rock and the Local Culture”.

In 2007 the Friends introduced many changes to their activities in the park. The restoration of the century-old classic Greystones cottage involved quality work by Harlowe contractor Carson Clancy and his team. Under the direction of Operations Manager Helen Yanch, the shop featured unique clothing, books of nature and environmental significance, original art, and gifts and jewellry for both adults and children.

The 12th annual Art Exhibition and Sale featured many new artists on the theme Original Art of Canadian Nature, Wildlife and Countryside. The park took on a festive mood on the last weekend in July with visitors enjoying the painting, pottery and carvings, children’s activities, Sciensational Sssnakes!!, live musical entertainment, a great barbecue and baked goods. Under the direction of Denbigh resident Harold Kaufmann, a large team of volunteers collaborated to provide another outstanding event. Appreciation is expressed to the over 50 local businesses who contributed to increased newspaper promotion leading to a record number of visitors to the area. Samples of the artists’ work can be found at www.mazinaw.on.ca/art.

The Bon Echo fleet informed visitors about the history and ecosystem of Mazinaw Rock by providing interpretive tours and ferry service on Mazinaw Lake. Whether on the 45 minute “up close and personal” Wanderer Too’r tour of the Rock or on the Mugwump shuttle to the base of the Cliff Top Trail, Natural Heritage Education (NHE) staff were on board to provide engaging information concerning the history and unique features of Bon Echo and the rock. New federal regulations require certification of captains. This led the Board of Directors to replace volunteer captains with several certified employees, all from the local area. The valuable contribution the many former volunteers have made is greatly appreciated.

Betty Pearce of Cloyne introduced South Beach Saturday barbecues at the park five years ago. This year Sunday barbecues were added. A rotation schedule of over 30 volunteers served hamburgers, hot dogs and Oktoberfest sausages every weekend of the summer.

Bon Echo trails are an important asset of the park. Arden resident Bill Van Vugt is spearheading a new program, Trails Ambassadors, which will improve trail signage and conditions and promote their usage through guided walks and publications.

The Mission of the Friends of Bon Echo Park is to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Bon Echo Provincial Park. This beautiful part of the creation is rich in unique environmental and historic treasures. Attracting over 200,000 visitors annually it contributes both to their year-round recreational enjoyment and to the surrounding businesses and communities they pass through. The largest investment of the Friends is in the Natural Heritage Education (NHE) program. Annually funding over six of the twelve NHE staff enables the NHE team to reach over 40,000 visitors each summer with their programs. Children’s, evening and campfire programs, guided hikes and walks, interpretation on the tour boats and the cultural and environmental heritage displays in the Visitor Centre are just some of the ways the NHE impacts Bon Echo visitors. The Friends round out their effectiveness through their publications, their programs and their positive presence in many activities around the park.

At their annual meeting three people were elected as directors: Jean “Red” Emond and Ken Hook of Cloyne were elected to the board for the first time and Betty deVarennes was elected to serve a second term as director. Appreciation was expressed to retiring directors Harold Kaufmann and President Glenn McFadden. During their tenure of 6-7 years the Friends have made strides forward in their programs and activities. The draw for the 2007 Raffle was held. The fully equipped Paluski Spirit Expedition Kayak, donated by Kingston Outfitters, was won by Garnet Wilkes of Griffith. Over 10 other prizes, donated by Ontario Parks Partners, were also awarded.

Retired Carleton University professor Dr. Stan McMullin has a long history with the Friends of Bon Echo Park. Serving as a board member in the ’90s, Dr. McMullin was a contributing author and editor of two Friends publications: Massanoga: The Art of Bon Echo (1998) and The Rock: Bon Echo Provincial Park’s Silent Sentinel (2006). Dr. McMullin’s presentation examined the historical and cultural relationship between Bon Echo and the surrounding communities. He emphasized that the paper is a work in progress. An engaging discussion followed with the promise of further examination being given to this significant topic. A potluck supper rounded out the evening.

The Friends of Bon Echo Park are beginning their 20th year as an organization. A strong volunteer force has enabled them to move forward as a team and achieve more for the park. Appreciation is expressed to all volunteers who contribute their time and skills, those who donate their resources and those Friends who stand at the side and cheer them on. The Friends are looking for new members who enjoy being part of a great team to participate in this important venture. The Friends website is www.mazinaw.on.ca/fobecho.Photo: Ken Hook