Feature article,May 5, 2005

Feature article May 5, 2005

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Luminarias and Festival of Trees cant be combined

I am writing this item in response to an article which appeared in the "Business over Breakfast" brochure of March 21,2005, and which I might add was written without prior discussion with me. The article read:

Congratulations to the Villages Beautiful Committee on a very successful Festival of Trees event in Sharbot Lake in December 2004. Organizers Rosemarie Bowick and her husband Bill continue to inspire the many volunteers with their tireless dedication.

The festival attracted more visitors than ever before, including lots of guests from out of town. Rosemarie reports that the event raised enough money to once again to plant beautiful flowers in many of our Central Frontenac communities. However, volunteers are still needed to provide TLC to the flower beds. Are you available? Your uncle? Your brother?

An idea: Would it be possible to combine the Festival of Trees with the Christmas Eve luminarias spearheaded by Dave and Katie Saban, owners of Sharbot Lake Country Inn? Together, the two events could become part of a wonderful Christmas-themed promotional package to entice even more visitors to

our area in December.

I certainly agree that congratulations are due to Rosemarie Bowick, Bill and the many volunteers who make the Festival of Trees an outstanding event.

I do not agree, however, that this event could be combined with the Christmas Eve Luminarias "to entice even more visitors to our area in December". Firstly, Dave and I started this annual event 5 years ago and it is our special way of saying "thank you to our clients who patronize us throughout the year; and secondly the dates would not coincide since we choose to have our lumimarias Christmas Eve, along with our complimentary wine and cheese. This evening has become a tradition and it will always be

just a thank you from Dave and I. We appreciate all of you as clients.

Thank you Dave and Cathy Saban

Re: Mazinaw Musings

When I first considered a response to Rowsome's article, "My Future" (April 7, 2005), I considered a number of possible reactions. I reacted to the blatant sexism of assigning women to the primary responsibility of childcare in the home, despite a growing shift in these trends in modern families.

I reacted to his assertion that women that choose to work outside of the home are somehow desperate to "get out" of their responsibilities, so to speak, or that having a family and a career is selfish.

I find odd the notion of "communal sandboxes", where, according to Rowsome, parents would gladly deposit their children at some sort of baby care factory while at work.

I find it difficult to understand how families should meet Rowsome's high standards given financial realities -- a mother should, according to Rowsome, stay at home to raise a family, yet parents should have enough money saved to support a child through their post-secondary education.

Rowsome even suggests that taxes are used to pay for those who "cannot or will not" support themselves. Certainly, taxpayer monies are used to support social programs -- those that "cannot" support themselves include children, the sick, and the elderly. I understand that Rowsome is a retired educator -- certainly he must recognize that the education system that he no doubt loved is entirely supported by the tax system it sounds as though he resents?

Though I am not a parent, I am a woman, a university graduate, and a daughter. My parents both worked outside of the home, and both of them tirelessly pursued their own personal agenda - to provide for my sister and I. My parents wanted us to have choices and opportunities. They made sacrifices to send my sister and I to university, and to support us as we began (or in my case, continue to begin) our independent lives.

I do remember going to a babysitter, and we were fortunate to have parents and great-grandparents who were very involved in our lives. I also remember my mom taking us to the beach after work. I don't remember feeling as though my parents "wanted" to be anywhere other than home. No child should feel as though they are nothing but an obligation, nor anything less than the very first priority of their parents.

Rowsome no doubt taught many women throughout his career, and may have daughters of his own. It should be the responsibility of parents and community leaders to empower men and women alike to make good choices, both professionally and personally. I have goals and aspirations, and I am certain that I will continue to have them even if I one day have a family. There is no right or wrong answer to the question of whether women should work outside of the home, and I don't mean to suggest that I have an absolute answer. It isn't my place to climb up on a soapbox to preach my version of right and wrong, nor is it Rowsome's. He has been provided a platform, as a contributor to this publication, from which he can assert his worldview. While valid, I would urge Rowsome to recognize that there are other options, and to refrain from sweeping generalizations that paint women who work outside of the home as uncaring or uncommitted parents.

Being a good parent is about unconditional love and support through childhood, and through the ridiculous trials of adulthood. Love isn't necessarily absent because a mother is during the day, nor is it more necessarily present because she is. Regardless of who a child finds at the end of their school day, a good parent is one who can be found when they are needed. That is the role that every good parent strives to fill for his or her child, and no career could ever get in the way of that.

Melanie Rosenblath

Why believe Liberal promises?

Paul Martin and the Liberals broke their promise to cancel the GST. They broke their Red Book promise about National Day Care (first promised in 1993). They broke their promise on a reasonably priced Gun Registry, which they said would make the country safer; the streets are no safer and the Gun Registry has cost the taxpayers $2-billion.

A year ago Paul Martin and the Liberals broke their promise to get to the bottom of the Sponsorship Scandal before calling an election. They shut down the Public Accounts Committee before key witnesses were heard, and before the Gomery Inquiry even got underway. Then Paul Martin called a snap election.

Now Paul Martin wants to avoid a timely election about the voters verdict on the Sponsorship Scandal, so hes promising an election 30 days after the final Gomery Report, due November 15. That takes us to next Christmas and an election in the Canadian winter (and eight months of electioneering and Liberal spin-doctoring).

Why would anyone believe this latest Paul Martin promise either?

- Val Crandall

Re Ardoch Algonquins

I want to commend the Frontenac News for your continuing coverage of the Algonquin Land Claim. Your coverage is fair and comprehensive.

I would like to explain more fully several issues that were referred to in your article of last week. The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) is the original. AAFNA retains the original logo (osprey with shield and feathers), original bank accounts, original membership registry, the original newsletter Point of Contact and the original governance structure. We have an active membership of over 500 Algonquins. With that being said, I will let the readers judge for themselves who is the original Ardoch Algonquin First Nation.

The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation does not just represent the village of Ardoch. We chose that name because of its history of successful resistance to government excesses and abuse. Ardoch is where the government of Ontario was defeated in 1980 in their attempt to exploit Algonquin resources, and represents an awakening of Algonquin self-respect. AAFNA is inclusive of families who find their historical and ancestral roots in the Mississippi, Rideau, Madawaska and Tay watersheds.

I also believe your readers would like to know that last spring we discussed representation of AAFNA in the current Land Claim with Mr. Robert Potts. Our Family Heads Council suggested that we would seek a competent negotiator from among our membership. Further to this we would hold a membership referendum to confirm by consensus the appointment of this negotiator. We even suggested that if the choice did not receive 100% approval in a mail out ballot, we would seek an alternative nomination that would have this level of support. This is the way that consensual government works. We have found in the past that elections divide people. No matter which way you look at it, elections become popularity contests and political in-fights. Small communities need every one of their leaders to work together, sharing ideas and resources. We felt we had suggested a fair alternative in determining who our negotiations representative would be. Mr. Potts reviewed our proposal with the Pikwakanagan Band Council and the Algonquin Nation Tribal Council. The answer was no.

It is my hope that your readers will continue to find interest in the Algonquin Community.

- Robert Lovelace, AAFNA member

Looking for uncle

I am trying to contact my uncle, Bill MacDonald, who recently moved to Bob's Lake from Scotland where he bought a cabin and whom I have lost touch with. I have tried to reach him to tell him his sister in law has died and I have information on a new relation of his deceased wife. I do not have his Canadian address and he may have died, because he was not in best of health, but I believe he is still alive and kicking. If anyone has any information, please email me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mike Twaddle, Scotland

Re: Crisis in Agriculture (April 21, 2005)

I have followed the Canadian and international agricultural landscape for a number of years. Just about every developed nation has advocacy groups claiming that its agricultural section is in crisis.

On a global scenario, we are in an over-capacity mode. The vast majority of western nations produce more food that they can consume. Technology and economies of scale have led to less area producing higher yields. To realize this, take a look around this area and notice all the land that used to hold crops and grazing animals, and is now (1) residential, (2) recreational or (3) gone back to forest/bush; this despite the fact that Canada has more than quadrupled its population since this land was originally cleared. Obviously, we do not need as much farmland or as many farmers as we had a hundred years ago.

There are a couple of areas where our excellence in over-capacity has worked to our advantage. In both beef and pork, we Canadians produce far more than we consume. Of course, we export this surplus - primarily to the US - to profit from it. The downside is that now our internal prices are tied with our export prices, and our producers are directly linked to overall sales. In these areas, Canada has reached consolidation that many other industries have attained over the last century. And like other industries, can suffer/benefit from exchange rates, global/regional calamities and market changes.

There are other areas where the industry has not advanced.

Canada, like most western nations, has introduced policies and measures to keep the agricultural enterprise vibrant. In most cases, this has prevented the consolidation and optimization of the major components of the industry; it promoted the small farm operation. In Canada, sectors such as dairy and poultry, the sustenance of small operations has been promoted mostly through supply-managed regulations.

For example, in the dairy industry, we actively promote small dairy farms through dairy quotas. The last time that I checked, a milk quota was about $25,000. This makes farm expansion a bit prohibitive. The milk quota also ensures that farmers receive more for their milk in a global market, and consequently Canadians pay more for their dairy products.

In countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where most supply management policies and farm subsidies have been reduced or eliminated, the agricultural industry is flourishing. What is not present in these countries are small farms. A dairy farm with 100 head in these countries would be deemed a hobby farm.

Their agriculture system has advanced along with all the other key manufacturing and service sectors. Over the last 100 plus years, all our major production based industries have consolidated- lumber, auto production, and electronics, to name but a few. Most of the farming and (not surprisingly) fishing communities did not. This has cost us Canadians dearly both in our pocket books and for those people who are still stuck in an inefficient industry.

- Frank Molnar

Feature Article - April 13, 2006

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Feature Article - April 13, 2006

Letters to theEditor

Re:Algonquin Land Claims

It was disheartening to read Jeff Green's latest article on the Algonquin Land Claim. On the face of it there seemed to be good news: Algonquins are happy, Ontario is happy, and Canada is happy. But that is not the whole story. The truth is that the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) with 600 plus members remains outside of the Claim negotiations along with several other historic communities.

The real story might have been entitled "Algonquins Treated Like Third World Colony" because the truth lies somewhere in that comparison. Fourteen years ago the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) met with the Algonquins of Golden Lake to discuss joining in a Land Claim which had been initiated under the Federal Government's Comprehensive Land Claims policy. AAFNA insisted on several criteria for its participation. They asked thatcommunity autonomy be respected, that all Algonquin communities share equally in funding for community development and education in regard to the claim, that each community have equal representation and that consensus be used for developing unity among communities. Early on it became evident that none of these conditions would be respected by the Band Council at Golden Lake . In fact every effort was taken to undermine the Algonquin communitieswhich were not recognised by the Department of Indian Affairs. In the end, Negotiations broke down. This is what happens in colonial countries where some of the colonised are recognised as the "the leaders" and the others are expected to fall into line. The Golden Lake Reserve acquires its legitimacy as "the leaders " because they are a Federal corporation under the Canadian Indian Act and because they arefully dependent on transfer payments from Canada . As such, they are in a naturally compromised position and therefore make the very best representative in negotiating a modern Land Claim.

Over the years other regions and some communities have been identified as having a possible interest as Algonquins in the Land Claim. This is important to ensure that the Treaty which emerges from negotiations will be the last one between Canada , Ontario and the Algonquins. Even though Ontario and Canada deny that Algonquins have ever existed as a people in the Ottawa Valley they are willing to negotiatethis Treaty as long as it extinguishes any future claim that Algonquins might have. To give these other communities legitimacy, a sham election was held last year to give the impression that representatives were being elected in a democratic fashion. While many Algonquins were excluded from electoral lists, others who were dead appeared. Algonquins who asked to be removed from fraudulent community lists were told that they could not be while others were shifted to a non-aligned list that had no voting privileges. An election is the best way to convince people that the selection of competent representatives has taken place, even when it falls short of the mark.

The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) has chosen not to be party to the present Land Claims negotiations for a variety of reasons. Having fought for Algonquin rights and responsibilities on the ground, in municipal and environmental tribunals, and all the way to the Supreme Court we know what it takes and we are willing to fight again if necessary for the honour of Algonquin people. The Algonquin homeland is a sacred place that can be shared with many diverse peoples, but it is not for sale. If Canada and Ontario are interested in working with AAFNA, then AAFNA is interested in working with them.AAFNA will no longer accept the extinguishment of Algonquin rights and responsibilities either through colonial ignorance or by way of a Treaty.

- Randy Cota, RobertLovelace

Recycling - How are we doing?An open letter to SouthFrontenacTownship

Now that we’re six months into our roadside pick-up “Recycling Program”, I’m wondering when we can expect some feedback with regards to how it’s going. On the whole, as a participating community, how are we doing? Is participation good? Are we remembering our scheduled weeks and days for pick-up? Are we complying with the appropriate items that we’re placing in our blue boxes? We take great strides in sorting and organizing our recyclables each week, but I’m wondering if that is even necessary as there does not seem to be any differentiation of items when dumped into the recycling truck. Is this necessary? And, where exactly does our recycling go, once picked up? Are there holding depots for each district of our township or does it all go to one centre, and where is that centre?

Our family of six have been completely active in the recycling program since its commencement nearly two decades ago when we lived in Kingston . We have always been very environmentally conscious, and we have never had more than one bag of garbage per week, so we were happy to have this new expanded program begin, and now we’re wondering: How are we doing?

- Jeri Walker, Hartington

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Feature Article - June 15, 2006

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Feature Article - June 15, 2006

Ardoch Algonquins eyeCrown Land for band office

Co-Chiefs Randy Cota and Bob Lovelace and honourary Chief Harold Perry of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFN) paid a visit to North Frontenac Council last week (June 8), and informed council of their imminent plans to build a band office and community centre on Crown land somewhere within the township.

Co-chief Randy Cota told council that, “There are in excess of 700 members of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, and a good number of them are in North Frontenac. We are at a crossroads. We are in the process of building a band office/community centre, and we are choosing between three different spots on Algonquin Land to build on. We would like North Frontenac to be involved in picking a spot.”

Co-Chief Cota added that the Ardoch Algonquins are expecting to start working on site preparation within the next two months.

Mayor Ron Maguire said that “if any of the sites are located on municipally owned land, it would be fairly straightforward to negotiate a purchase of the land from the township.”

“Whether we are looking at municipal or crown land, we don’t want to buy our own horse,” said Randy Cota, “but all of the land we are looking at is what you call crown land.”

“In that case, it is a matter for the MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources], not a matter for the township.”

“Will you follow the building code and other regulations?” asked Councillor Fred Perry.

“We’re not going to pay for a building permit, if that’s what you’re asking” said Randy Cota.

“That’s not what I’m asking,” replied Fred Perry, “I want to know if you will build according to the code.”

“Sure,” said Bob Lovelace, “it’s a good code, it makes sense to follow it.”

The decision by the Ardoch Algonquins to proceed with plans to build a band office/community centre on Crown land comes about as Algonquin land claim talks, which the Ardoch Algonquins are not participating in, are gaining a momentum after years of dormancy.

Co-Chief Lovelace talked briefly to council about the position the band has taken relative to the ongoing Algonquin land claim process.

“We got involved in negotiations 15 years ago.” Lovelace said, “They realised that the land claim needed to include ‘non-status’ Algonquin people, and we negotiated an understanding with them. We had certain conditions and these conditions have not been met and we have therefore not participated in the process.”

As a consequence of their non-participation, Lovelace said that the Ardoch Algonquins have had no success in their own attempts to negotiate with government officials.

“Frequently, Ardoch Algonquins have been hassled in the field by government officials. No one has been charged, but they have been hassled. We have made several attempts to discuss hunting and fishing issues with Ministry of Natural Resources over hunting and fishing, but they have not responded to our requests.”

Mayor Ron Maguire replied, “I am aware from the provincial government, that you need to be part of the land claim in order to assert your inherent or aboriginal rights.”

Ron Maguire represents the County of Frontenac to the municipal advisory committee to the Algonquin Land Claim, and he recently attended a meeting updating the committee on the state of negotiations. Bob Lovelace and Randy Cota asked that the township designate an individual they could keep apprised of developments on an ongoing basis to foster communication between the township and the band, and Maguire volunteered to fill that role.

At the previous council meeting on May 25, Maguire told council that at the recent municipal advisory committee meeting, he had been informed that the Algonquin negotiation team was preparing a framework for negotiations to present to the federal and provincial governments in the near future in anticipation of completing an agreement in principle within two years.

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Feature Article - June 22, 2006

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Feature Article - June 22, 2006

LandClaim proceeding apace by JeffGreen

Robert Potts, the chief negotiator for the Algonquin Land Claim, has the “aggressive objective” that an agreement in principle can be reached within the next two years.

Since being hired by the Algonquins a couple of years ago, Robert Potts has spent a considerable amount of time putting together what he calls a “negotiation table”. Elections were held last year to establish negotiation representatives for so-called non-status Algonquins that have been organized around nine identified communities, including Sharbot Lake and Ardoch.

These nine representatives and the entire seven-member Council of the Pikwakanagan First Nation (the only Algonquin reserve in Ontario ) form the Algonquin negotiation table that Potts was seeking.

Early this spring, the Algonquins resumed meeting with federal and provincial government representatives, breathing life into the land claim process that had been dormant for several years.

The Algonquins are currently preparing a framework for negotiations. Issues that will be on the table include hunting and fishing on publicly held land within the land claim territory (which stretches from Bancroft to the Quebec border, including Algonquin Park and the City of Ottawa), as well as the development of an economic plan.

“We are looking to develop economic plans with each of the regions, as well as an overarching plan,” Potts said in an interview with the News last week, “We are proceeding with a paced process that will lead to a package, which we hopefully will be honoured to accept. But if the people don’t accept it, it won’t work.”

As the land claim process gets underway again, municipal officials and representatives from interested groups, such as the Conservationists of Frontenac Addington, (COFA) met last month to receive an update.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire attended the meeting as representative of the County of Frontenac . He reported back to the county that, “There was a positive atmosphere around talks as far as I can tell, but many substantive issues will have to be addressed.”

Crown land covers 70% of North Frontenac, and all development on Crown land has been frozen within the land claim territory, so the township has a real interest in seeing the land claim resolved so that economic development on Crown land can be initiated.

Ed Giffin, who represented COFA at the municipal meeting, had a similar impression of the meeting.

Giffin told the News he found that “there was no friction or animosity at the meeting, and a good atmosphere of cooperation as well. I note that Brain Crane, the chief negotiator for Ontario , seemed to think that Mr. Potts’ goal of having an agreement in place within two years might be overly optimistic.”

Ed Giffin also talked with Chief Doreen Davis, the representative of the Sharbot Lake Algonquins. “She was very open, easy to talk to, and that’s exactly what we need,” Giffin said.

There are several major roadblocks to an agreement, however. The question of eligibility is outstanding. Algonquins from Pikwakanagan, who are status Indians under the Indian Act (which requires a minimum percentage of Algonquin blood or blood quantum) do not share the view taken by non-status Algonquins that anyone who is the direct descendant of an Algonquin should be a beneficiary to the claim.

For the purposes of electing negotiation representatives, the looser criteria of direct descent has been accepted, but eligibility to vote does not imply eligibility to receive benefits.

“There was no point worrying about who is eligible to receive benefits when we don’t know what the benefits are,” said Robert Potts, “but we are working on the eligibility issue.

There are Algonquins who are not satisfied with the land claim process at all and with the way representatives to the process were chosen.

One such person is Randy Cota, a co-chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, who has been a harsh critic of the way the land claim process has proceeded.

Randy Cota says, “Hunting and fishing are inherent rights; they should not be part of the land claim process. The land claim should also focus on royalties for natural resources on Algonquin lands, such as minerals and logging, and negotiations should be conducted on a nation-to-nation basis between the Algonquin Nation and the Government of Canada.”

He also challenges the way the Algonquin negotiation representatives were chosen. Cota and his Ardoch Algonquins rejected the election process, arguing that representatives should be chosen according to Algonquin tradition, by a council of family heads."

“The election process for representatives was a fair one,” counters Robert Potts, “and the federal and provincial governments have formally indicated they have found that we have a legitimate table to negotiate.”

(Randy Cota and Bob Lovelace are co-chiefs and Harold Perry is the Honorary Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. There is another band called the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, under Chief Randy Malcolm, and there is a simmering dispute between the two bands. Randy Malcolm was elected Algonquin negotiation representative for the community of Ardoch. For background on the twists and turns of local Algonquin politics, there are a number of articles posted at http://www.newsweb.ca/2005/Algonquin_index.html)

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Feature Article - July 27, 2006

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Feature Article - July 27, 2006

Letters to the Editor

Beautifying VeronaRe:PineLakeSubmission to Central Frontenac Council Re Permitting ATVs on Township RoadsRe: Negotiator weighs in on AAFNA actionsIncredible Jenna LambertRequest for CF Township Support for Road MaintenanceBathurst Burgess Sherbrooke Township had history and prideRe: “Development after… and beforeRe:Permitting ATVs on CentralFrontenac Townshiproads

Beautifying Verona

Here’s a big thank you to all the people who sweated in the dirt to make Verona a more beautiful place.

Susie Ralph organized the planting of flower barrels (bought by the VCA and tended by local businesses) that line the Main Street . Jen Bennett, Al Parkin and Doug McIntyre lent their backs and their green thumbs to that project. Louise Day once again planted the lovely display at the cenotaph in McMullen Park , and rumour has it that someone in her household waters them. The floral display at the post office is particularly beautiful this year. Kornerstone Kastle’s Steve Johnson won the Canada Post tender to create that. Thanks also to whoever keeps a rein on the huge planting in front of Prince Charles P.S. It’s an enormous task to hold back the weeds and keep the sides mown. Dave & Angie Gard have created a gem of a meditation park behind their place which is used by passersby.

I’ve noticed that it only takes a few places with flower displays to start a snowball of others in the village, and what a difference it makes to our sense of who we are!

Inie Platenius[ back to top ]Re: Pine Lake

While my heart truly grieves for the cutting down of mature trees on a quiet lake, I suspect there is a lot more going on at Pine Lake than what meets the eye.

While we may feel deeply offended that white man’s protocol may not have been followed, we must also admit that the legal system itself is not free of guilt.

The North American Aboriginals do not deserve to be kept in a defensive position where they must continually be required to fight for the honor and dignity which is already rightfully theirs as forefathers of this country.

- Peter Thomas Rivera[ back to top ]Submission to Central Frontenac Council Re Permitting ATVs on Township Roads

The June 29th issue of the Frontenac News reported on the discussion at the previous council meeting about a possible bylaw permitting the use of ATVs on Township roads. This discussion was initiated by the Frontenac ATV Club. I am concerned that because the club is an organized group, it, and its members, will be the main source of opinion before council.

Summary of my views: ATVs do not belong on public roads.

ATVs on public roads are in competition for the right-of-way with much larger vehicles.

ATVs do not have the many safety features built into, and required in, passenger and commercial vehicles. ATV riders are therefore much more vulnerable to injury than passengers in other types of vehicles.

Then add in the behaviour of some ATV riders that I have observed over the years: no helmets, with children as passengers without helmets, travelling faster than the vehicle/road features support, driving (e.g., in the middle) as if the road was a private driveway.

Then add in the nature of some of the roads in Central Frontenac: gravel roads that are much less than two lanes wide (and certainly, no shoulders), with blind hills and corners reducing visibility of oncoming traffic, soft dirt surfaces that are torn up by ATVs.

Finally, there’s the legal/enforcement element: the OPP are not able to deal now with ATV activity which is clearly illegal, so why would enforcement be better when a bylaw allows ATV use of public roads and it’s a less clear issue of legal vs. illegal? It doesn’t make sense.

ATV use of public roads is a public safety matter and any decision should be based on a wide consultation of taxpayers, not on the biased view of an interest group. Council should allow sufficient time for public input before it is prepared to make an informed decision.

Response to the ATV Club’s views as reported in the Frontenac News

1. Statement: Patricia Dawson, the ATV Club’s secretary, pointed out that other townships permit certain kinds of ATVs driven by people with G2 or M2 licences.

Response: Because one municipality does something, does not mean we should. We should consider our own unique circumstances, as well as the health and safety of all our residents and visitors.

2. Statement about the successful implementation of a bylaw in South Frontenac - the ATV Club representative said that the bylaw improved the situation because “Instead of ATVs riding illegally on township roads, they are riding according to safety regulations that can be enforced,”

Response: “can be enforced” does not automatically mean “will be enforced”.

3. Statement about the issue of driving ATVs on gravel roads, Pat Dawson says that ATVs are expected to ride on the far right - on the shoulder if there is one, or on the road where necessary.’

Response: Similar to point #2, “are expected to ride on the far right” does not mean “will” do so.

4. Patricia Dawson cautioned council that they consider the will of the majority when they think about whether to pass an ATV bylaw. “Most of the people who live in your township year round and shop in the stores and volunteer in the fire departments are in favour of this,” she said, “you might want to consider their interests over those of a minority who might oppose it.”

Response: First, where is the proof that the majority are in favour? Second, just because a majority approve of something that might be harmful to people does not mean that responsible elected officials should embed it in the law.

- Gail Burgess [ back to top ]Negotiator weighs in on AAFNA actions

Several weeks ago Mr. Robert Potts, Chief Negotiator and Legal Counsel for the Algonquins of Golden Lake Land Claim issued a media statement in response to the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation’s initiative of building a Cultural Centre and Pow Wow grounds on Algonquin land near Ardoch , Ontario . While Mr. Potts concedes that Algonquins have the unilateral right to develop land in their homeland he suggests that the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation has chosen the wrong time to do so. He also attempts to portray the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation as “some persons who have chosen not to participate” in the ongoing Algonquin land claim. While Mr. Potts’ statement is half true (Algonquin people and their communities have an unquestionable legal right to develop land as they choose) he once again undermines the legitimacy of the Algonquin claim by supporting a process that is flawed and inequitable.

Mr. Potts has cobbled together a coalition of individuals and the Band Council of Pikwan in an effort save a failed process. At best the representation of so called “non-status” ANRs is questionable in that they have no other political responsibilities to their communities than going to negotiation meetings and collecting their per diem. The so called representative of “Ardoch” was never elected and his constituency consists of a mailing list stolen from the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and names borrowed from other ANRs. This representative and Mr. Potts have been challenged publicly on numerous occasions to resolve this issue with the legitimate Ardoch Algonquin First Nation but they both have refused.

“Wrong time”? One begins to wonder when the right time will be to find the truth. The present Algonquin negotiation team consists of six Band councillors from the Pikwan community and one representative from some of the other historical Algonquin communities. Some Algonquin communities have been ignored altogether. Why does this inequality exist? In reality Band Council is a federal incorporation under the Indian Act; in reality one branch of the federal government is negotiating with another branch for Algonquin land. The Indian Act does not support the rights and title of Aboriginal people in Canada . In fact, it has undermined and hobbled the self-determination of Indian people for the last 130 years.

“Wrong time”? Let’s get rid of the Indian Act first in law and in our own minds before we negotiate with a government that still wields the instrument of oppression.

The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation was one of the first historical Algonquin communities engaged by Pikwan 16 years ago at the beginning of their land claim. Band Council was told by Canada that they needed full participation (total extinguishment) before a final deal could be reached. After careful study and through experience the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation has determined that it is not in the best interest of their 700 plus members to take part in this claim. We do need a Cultural Centre and a gathering place for ceremony and Pow Wow?

This is the right time for our community to move forward.

- Robert LovelaceCommunications Team LeaderArdoch Algonquin First Nation[ back to top ]

Incredible Jenna Lambert

Jenna Lambert certainly is an incredible young woman.Proper acknowledgement should also be given to Jenna's coach, Vicki Keith.The raw passion of this amazing young lady was honed by Vicki.She counseled Jenna regarding this challenge, the required endurance, and the intense media engagement that would follow Jenna's unquestionable landing at Ontario Park . Jenna's effort surpasses all published descriptions.This young woman gives us hope, and she is a formidable athlete in her own deserved right. She demonstrates not only incredible physical strength, but she possesses something she will never lose in the water, in life, or on land: an absolute beautiful zest for life.In today's world, this is something most able-bodied adults either never attained, or somehow lost along the way.Jenna Lambert is already a much more beautiful and confident person than most of us ever hope to be. You will notice I have never mentioned disability, neither did Jenna.. "quitting was never an option." - Ian Fanning[ back to top ]

Request for CF Township Support for Road Maintenance

The Blue Heron Ridge Road Association welcomes this opportunity to clarify and supplement the information in the article "Private road residents open up dialogue with CF township", The Frontenac News, July 27, 2006.

John DuChene, Guenter Nitsche and Michael Wise approached Central Frontenac Council, at its July 25, 2006 meeting, on behalf of our members, the owners of the 76 properties accessed using Blue Heron Ridge and Thrush Trail, to request that council enter into discussions regarding the township contributing to the maintenance of those roads.

Both Blue Heron Ridge and Thrush Trail are public roads, as shown in Judge's Plan 1608 and Plan of Subdivision 1751, they are not private roads. They differ from most public roads in Central Frontenac in that they are maintained by the local property owners rather than the township. They are similar in that they are owned by the township, the township has jurisdiction over them, they are freely available for public use and the local property owners can neither limit nor control their use. Private roads, on the other hand, are owned by individuals or corporations, are not subject to the same government controls and are not freely available for public use. Given the differences between public and private roads, we do not believe it to be appropriate to include the latter in our request.

We knew when we purchased our properties that the township is under no obligation to maintain Blue Heron Ridge and Thrush Trail. However, economic conditions have changed and expectations have evolved. Equity and fairness are the bases of our request for township support. We are not the only persons to benefit from the development that has taken place along these roads. Our fellow township residents enjoy, with us, the improvements in services funded by the resulting increases in tax revenues and our township businesses benefit from an expanded customer base. We are, however, the only persons paying to maintain them. This is in addition to our contributing, along with all other property owners, to township operations through municipal taxes. We are, in effect, being levied a "surtax".

We are not asking that the township cover the full cost of maintaining Blue Heron Ridge and Thrush Trail. Nor are we asking that the township roads department assume the additional burden of undertaking this work. We ask only that other Central Frontenac tax payers now share with us in the cost of maintaining these two public roads that are benefiting us all.

Wemade our request to council as property owners living on public roads. We know that several matters pertaining to private roads are currently under consideration by council; however, we see these as being distinct from our request. To make progress on all matters, the distinction should be maintained.

We cannot take credit for preparing the Report on Private Lanes. It was prepared by township staff and presented to council by Heather Fox as part of her Report to Council.

We appreciate the reception given us by council and their undertaking to consider entering into a dialog on this matter. There are, understandably, a number of issues council wishes to look into before discussions can proceed, and we need time to obtain the information requested by the mayor. We will follow up with council in a few weeks. - The Blue Heron Ridge Road Association.[ back to top ]

Re: Development after… and before

I have just read your article, “Private road residents open up dialogue with CF township” in this week’s “News” and would like to point out an error that occurred in a similar article, “Development after …and before” which appeared in the June 29th issue of The Frontenac News.

There is a significant difference between the Blue Heron Ridge road in Central Frontenac, a private road and Sunday Lake Drive in North Frontenac. Sunday Lake Drive is NOT a private road as was stated in your article but, rather, it is a North Frontenac Township road that is not maintained by the township. Councilor Dave Smith was either misquoted in the article or didn’t realize what he said when referring to, “….. our concerns about developments on private roads.”

The Sunday Lake Property Owners’ Association president was only asking for financial assistance to maintain a township road that has seen a large increase in traffic after the township put in the new boat launch. This increased traffic has resulted in higher maintenance costs for the residents and the association has felt it necessary to purchase insurance for the road.

Jim Beam, Sunday Lake [ back to top ]

Bathurst Burgess Sherbrooke Township had history and pride

Drummond/North Elmsley Township has some prominent new township entrance signs. Five stars to Drummond North Elmsley for showing pride in heritage and keeping the old township names.

One sign is just outside Perth on Highway 511. On the opposite side of the road is .

Bathurst Township , now part of the amalgamated township currently called Tay Valley Township , (TVT) or Bathurst Burgess Sherbrooke (BBS) before name change.

Bathurst and Drummond were founded by soldiers and settlers arriving at Perth in the early 1800's. The concession roads run the same direction. Balderson is located at the junction of the 8th line Bathurst , the 8th line Drummond and the Lanark Road . Farmers from both townships participated in making the Mammoth Cheese of 1893.

Driving to Balderson from Perth the traveller is greeted by another sign.- "Welcome to the

Mississippi Valley ". Balderson is in the Mississippi Valley . So too are Harper, Fallbrook, and Playfairville. By Highway #7 from the west, travellers enter TVT along the shore of Silver Lake . They can stop at a provincial park or at Maberly on the Fall River . Both are in the Mississippi watershed. In the south in Burgess is Murphy’s Point Provincial Park on Big Rideau Lake .

TVT has new township/tourism signage (grant money) with name, logo, and words "Support

Local Business". To me the message is mixed. I believe in supporting local business, but I do not support the current township name and this branding. There is a lot more to a community name than promoting tourism. The old townships have almost 200 years of community and family history and pride. BBS was a compromise to respect the old townships when amalgamation swept Ontario . BBS is a big name for a big, beautiful and diverse area. There is no pride in the high-handed manner in which the TVT name was adopted by the previous council. Branding does not make the name issue go away.

Yes, "Welcome to Bathurst " - "Welcome to Bathurst Burgess Sherbrooke".

Catherine McCann[ back to top ]

Re:Permitting ATVs on CentralFrontenac Townshiproads I would like to provide my comments in respect of the Central Frontenac proposal to allow ATVs on township roads and to rebut the opinions about ATVs and ATVers offered by Gail Burgess.

Foremost, I think permitting ATVs to use township roads would be a benefit to tourism. Presently, townships north,south and west of Central Frontenac allow such use and I would suggest tourism in these areas has benefited substantially.One only has to look at the number of ATVs on trailers traveling north on Hwy 41 to confirm this suggestion.I believe the Town of Madoc also promotes itself on the ATV Ontario website as a tourist destination for ATVs.If council permits theuse of Central Frontenac roads but restricts ATVs from accessing Hwy 38 and the Village of Sharbot Lake, then effectively council cuts the Eastern Ontario Trail in two (as it passes through town) and the ATVers I saw staying at the hotel in town would be in violation of the law as they have to pass through town and travel a short distance on Hwy 38 to access the hotel(I recently saw 8-10 ATVs parked in front of thehotel for what I can only presume was an overnight stay).

I would suggest that Gail Burgess allow some credit to the responsibility of ATV riders and their respect for the law.I certainly agree that ATVs will compete with vehicles for the right-of-way with larger vehicles.Thishappens today when two vehicles meet; however,I fail to see how the ATV will be any different.I also agree that ATVs don't have many built in safety features.Neither do motorcycles, yet they are not restricted from any road access. Not wearing helmets is a responsibility issue similar to thewearing of seat belts.I believe enforcement statisticsindicate that in many provinces/areas, 10% or moreof the drivers of cars and trucks still refuse towear seatbelts or fail todo so all the time.Using Gail Burgess' argument against ATVs because some riders don't wear helmets is synonymous withprohibiting private vehicles from using thesesame roads because some drivers don't wearseatbelts or drive too fast. Again, using her same argument for enforcement, this prohibition against vehicles should be put in place immediately because we cannot expect police to be always available to do trafficenforcement, nor should we.

Owner responsibility should not be confusedwith safety.The majority of ATV riders, like car drivers, areresponsible- they wear helmets and visible clothing (traffic vests) and they respect the law.There are also those that break the law (fail to wear helmets / drive too fast) similar to manycar drivers. However, unlike car drivers,such irresponsiblebehavior usually results ininjury or death to the rider - not toinnocent pedestrians orpassengers,as isusually the case withirresponsible car or truck drivers.

Finally, in terms of noise, the majority of ATVs are stock and contain mufflers designed to eliminate high decibel noise.The majority of ATV riders don't modify their muffler systems. Most motorcyclists or car/truck owners don't modify their exhaust systems either.Noise from any vehicle is annoyingand that is part of traffic enforcement - not general prohibition against the vehicle itself.

It is time that municipalities gave respect to ATVs, their owners (many whom are your neighbours and friends) and the fact that the Government of Ontario has seen fit to pass laws allowing use of ATVs on provincial highways and roads in general. Municipalities should also consider thetourismbenefits that legalizing ATV use would provide. Brian Hilton[ back to top ]

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Feature Article - July 20, 2006

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Feature Article - July 20, 2006

Negotiator weighs in on AAFNA actions

by Jeff Green

Robert Potts, the chief negotiator for the Algonquin side in the current land claims process, has called the recent activities of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) “counter productive and inconsistent with the interests of the Algonquins of Ontario in our collective efforts to find a comprehensive solution to our long standing grievances.”

As reported in last week’s Frontenac News, AAFNA has been engaged clearing a piece of land near Pine Lake on the Ardoch Road in North Frontenac Township . They are planning to build a community centre and Pow Wow grounds on the land.

The land, which is administered as Crown land by the federal and provincial governments, is currently available to the public as a boat launch, and will remain so, AAFNA assures.

While Potts called AAFNA’s actions into question, he stopped short of saying those actions are inconsistent with Algonquin rights.

“The position advanced by the Algonquins of Ontario since negotiations began in 1991 is that all of the land in Ontario within the watersheds of the Ottawa and Mattawa Rivers are unceded Algonquin Territory , subject to Aboriginal rights and title. This includes the so-called “ Crown Land ” in question near Ardoch” Potts said in media statement dated July 17th.

AAFNA has chosen not to participate in the land claims process currently being undertaken by the Algonquin Negotiation Team that is led by Potts, a lawyer from Toronto who specialises in land claims negotiations. The Negotiation Team is comprised of nine Algonquin Negotiation Representatives (including one representing Ardoch and one representing Sharbot Lake ) and the chief and band council from the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation of Golden Lake.

According to Robert Potts “AAFNA is comprised of some persons who have chosen not to participate in the ongoing Algonquin treaty negotiation although we are told that most of its members are of Algonquin ancestry and were eligible to participate in Algonquin Negotiation Representative elections.”

Potts statement concludes in a more conciliatory manner,

“While the Algonquin Negotiation Team therefore expresses its support for the use of Algonquin Land for Algonquin cultural purposes, at the same time, it urges AAFNA to continue to take a respectful and co-operative approach to the assertion and recognition of all Algonquin rights.”

For its part, AAFNA have little good to say about the land claim process as it has been carried out by Potts and the Algonquin Negotiation Team. On July 4, AAFNA communications officer and co-chief Robert Lovelace wrote, “The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation is not a participant in the Algonquins of Golden Lake Land Claim and dismisses it as corrupt and ill-conceived.”

Last week, MNR officials went to the Pine Lake site. They observed the clearing that had been done on the site, and subsequently a phone call took place between an MNR official and an AAFNA representative.

Barry Radford, a communications officer with the MNR said that the MNR official “had a cordial discussion with them, and both sides understand each other’s position. Our position is that this is Crown land, and we encouraged AAFNA to seek a land use permit, which is our requirement under the public lands act.”

Robert Lovelace reiterated to the News that AAFNA does not intend to seek a land use permit from the MNR.

Lovelace did say that AAFNA is “encouraged by the cordiality of our relations with the MNR thus far, and we are hoping that we can set up a face-to-face meeting in the near future”.

When asked what the MNR might do if AAFNA goes ahead with their building plans without seeking a permit, Barry Radford said he “does not want to speculate on what will or will not happen.”

Radford did offer that “it would preferable if they would return to the negotiation table for the Algonquin land Claim. That is where issues of land are being handled.”

In the meantime, AAFNA members spent a second weekend on the site, pulling stumps and removing more trees. They are hoping to finish clearing the site and start bringing in gravel to level it out in the coming weeks.

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

Ardoch Algonquins level ground at Pine Lake for community centre and PowWow grounds

by JeffGreen

Last Friday, the early morning quiet at Pine Lake was disturbed when a transport trailer backed carefully off of the Ardoch Road onto a single-lane dirt road leading to a Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) boat launch. The transport trailer dropped off a yellow bulldozer, and for the rest of the morning chainsaws buzzed through small and larger trees, clearing sites on both sides of the road as the bulldozer pushed fallen logs away.

The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) had begun site preparation for a community centre and Pow Wow grounds. The land they are using is what they call “ Algonquin Land ”. The Ontario ministry of Natural Resources calls the land “ Crown Land ” and is responsible for the administration of such lands.

Members of AAFNA met with MNR officials at the site two weeks earlier, on June 27th.

According to an AAFNA press statement by Robert Lovelace, co-chief and communication team leader for AAFNA, the “MNR requested that we apply for permission to construct the Algonquin Cultural Centre on Crown Land . Band council members explained that the land for the proposed building was Algonquin Land , protected for them by the Royal Proclamation of 1763. Band council members suggested that if Ontario or Canada had a ‘bill of sale’ or a treaty that conveyed the land to the Crown then they would follow the suggested requirements.”

The news attempted to contact the MNR officials who were present at the June 27th meeting, but our enquiry was referred to Barry Radford, an MNR communications officer from Toronto .

Radford said that the MNR has been informed that work has begun at the site, but would only say, “I can’t speculate on what the MNR’s next steps will be. The situation is fairly sensitive and rather complicated.”

Radford said he was aware of the June meeting but did not know what was said by either side.

He did say, “ Ontario considers that the land at issue is Crown Land , and we are the agency that administers Crown Land . We have a set process, requiring a land use permit before land can be developed in any way. We review several matters, including public safety before a Land Use Permit is issued.”

As to when the MNR might act on the matter, Radford said, “Again, I wouldn’t speculate on that.”

North Frontenac Township was informed on June 8th that AAFNA was panning to begin site preparation on “Algonquin” or “Crown” Land. At a council meeting on June 22nd, Mayor Maguire was appointed as the liaison between the township and AAFNA. At the same meeting, council passed a four-point motion outlining, in general terms, their position as regards the issue.

The resolution states that: 1. Land ownership is unclear; 2. There are members of the community with apparently unresolved land claims; 3. Council encourages the resolution of the issue (and offers to facilitate); and 4. Council is sympathetic with the situation.

Maguire, along with Deputy Mayor Gleva Lemke and Councillor Bud Clayton, attended an AAFNA meeting in Ardoch on June 24th. After the meeting they were brought to the Pine Lake site.

“They showed us the entire point of land,” Maguire recalls, “and they told us that they were always going to make the cottagers feel welcome and would maintain public access to the boat launch.”

Now that site preparation has been undertaken, Maguire says that he “does not condone what they are doing. At the same time I know what it means to them.”

AAFNA sent out a letter to all residents on Pine Lake on the day they began clearing the site, enlisting their support for their project. The letter reads, in part, “It is our hope that our neighbours on Pine Lake will welcome the development of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation Cultural Centre.”

(For more on this story, see If a Tree Falls.

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

Press ReleaseJuly 4, 2006Ardoch Algonquin First Nation Cultural CentreDevelopment

On July 6th, 2006 the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) will begin the initial stages of building an Algonquin Cultural Centre on traditional Algonquin land near Ardoch , Ontario . Men and women from this small non-status Algonquin community will begin clearing land and preparing the site for construction. The Ardoch Community has been raising money for this project for over five years.

A month ago, Ardoch Algonquin First Nation representatives met with the Township of North Frontenac to advise them of the project. Band Council members and Township Council agreed the project would be beneficial to both native and non-native residents of the area. Both parties understood that the new construction would be on Algonquin land and the jurisdiction of building permits and regulation would rest with the First Nation. The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation Band Council confirmed that construction and site preparation would meet or exceed the provisions of the Municipal Building Code and Official Plan. Municipal and Band Council members met on the proposed site several weeks ago to confirm the location and agreed to be mutually supportive in this endeavour.

On June 27th representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) met with Band Council members on the proposed site. The MNR requested that the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation apply for permission to construct the Algonquin Cultural Centre on Crown Land . Band Council members explained that the land for the proposed building was Algonquin Land , protected for them by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and reaffirmed in the Constitution Act of Canada 1982. Band Council members suggested that if Ontario or Canada had a “bill of sale” or a treaty that conveyed the land to the Crown then they would follow the suggested requirements. Band Council members reminded the MNR

Representatives that the Premier had, a week earlier, requested all parties adhere to the “rule of law” and that is exactly what the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) is doing. Elders explained to the MNR representatives that “times have changed” and that Indian people no longer were going to “knuckle under” to the Province when it denied history and the “rule of law”. The Elders reminded the MNR representatives that Algonquin men from this community had fought in past Wars for the Crown and Algonquins had been allies of the Crown. The Elders asked the MNR to work with them on this project and not demand that they bow to Ontario for the right to build on their own land.

Chief Randy Cota asked the MNR representatives directly to give him assurance that the Province would not act violently against the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation when they began the land clearing operation. The MNR representatives refused to say whether the Province would order action against the Band once they began site preparation.

The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation is an Anishncommunity with a membership of just over 700. The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation receives no support from Canada and is not controlled by the Indian Act. Algonquin communities have not signed treaties and therefore retain all of their Aboriginal rights and title. The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation is not a participant in the Algonquins of Golden Lake Land Claim and dismisses it as corrupt and ill-conceived.

Twenty-five years ago the small Algonquin Community at Ardoch was the scene of one of the most dramatic struggles for Aboriginal rights in Canada . In August and September of 1981 the people of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and their allies from Alderville, Tyendenaga, Curve Lake and Hiawatha fought a 27-day stand-off against Ontario to protect their jurisdiction and responsibility for the manomin (wild rice) which grows in the Mississippi River near Ardoch. The wild rice at Ardoch has been shared for over a hundred and thirty years with pickers from Alderville and Curve Lake . It is the manomin that was preserved from Rice Lake when the construction of the Trent Canal destroyed its habitat there. In 1982, Alan Pope the Minister of Natural Resources at the time, admitted that there was an unsettled question of Aboriginal jurisdiction and that Ontario had no right to impose its authority over the manomin. No subsequent Provincial government has threatened to lay claim to the rice.

For further information please contact:

Robert LovelaceCommunications Team This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

If a tree falls...

by JeffGreen

With the sound of a chainsaw felling the first tree at an obscure boat launch at Pine Lake near Ardoch last Friday, a new chapter in the ongoing saga of the local Algonquin politics began.

For Harold Perry, it was almost 30 years ago when he heard another sound, the sound of a powerful rice harvesting boat tearing through the wild rice on Mud Lake , rice that his own mother had brought to Ardoch from Rice Lake many years before.

In fighting to stop the commercial rice harvest, Harold Perry received support from the entire community, including Bob Lovelace, then a worker with North Frontenac Community Services, and later an adopted member and co-chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA).

Last Friday Bob Lovelace stood with Harold Perry and watched the chainsaws and bulldozer clear land for an Algonquin Community Centre and Pow Wow grounds at Pine Lake , but the entire community is not necessarily as supportive as they were back in the late 1970s.

A lot has happened in the interim. Political and cultural organisations have come and gone. Eventually AAFNA was formed and took a role in the development of a non-status negotiating stance in the Ontario Algonquin Land Claims process that was initiated in 1992.

Harold Perry and Bob Lovelace have always taken a relatively hard line in relation to the land claim, and eventually they, as well as co-chief Randy Cota, came to the conclusion that the land claim process is flawed and should be ceased. The family heads council of AAFNA has agreed and AAFNA has removed itself formally from the process.

In the meantime two other Algonquin entities have developed in the local vicinity. The Sharbot Mishigama Algonquin First Nation formed in the late 1990s. It includes former AAFNA members as well as others. A couple of years ago matters became more complicated when the Ardoch Algonquins basically split into two factions, both with the same name. Randy Malcolm heads one Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, and he has been a representative to the land claims process.

An election was held last year to try and remove the land claims process from this kind of internal politics, but AAFNA, under co-chiefs Bob Lovelace and Randy Cota, boycotted that process.

Randy Malcolm was elected the negotiating representative to the land claim for Ardoch, and Doreen Davis for Sharbot Lake .

The land claims process has moved forward without AAFNA. The Algonquins who are involved are developing a framework agreement and an interim hunting agreement, agreements that AAFNA thinks will hinder rather than help the Algonquins of the Ottawa Valley .

This is the context under which AAFNA decided to make their latest move, and take physical control of a little piece of what they call “ Algonquin Land ” - and what the Canadian and Ontario Governments call “ Crown Land ”. Inevitably, AAFNA is putting itself into conflict with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) which administers Crown lands in Ontario . While there have been several high profile confrontations over land in Ontario in recent years, this one is different because it is being carried out by a group of non-status Natives.

While the MNR is taking its time reacting, it will eventually have to do something. The MNR will not be able to stand by as Crown Land is altered in this way without a land use permit from them. Under Canadian law they have legal jurisdiction over the land.

The other major political target here is the land claims process itself. The process is seeking to determine financial compensation, and which lands should be set aside for Algonquin use in exchange for a treaty which will finally give Canada the title to the Ottawa Valley watershed territory, including the City of Ottawa and Parliament Hill.

If AAFNA establishes a community centre on this little patch of land, they hope to shake up the land claims process by demonstrating that the Algonquins have the right to do what they want on “Crown” land. They seek to demonstrate that non-status Algonquins already have authority over land; they don’t need to rush into a land claim which AAFNA feels will inevitably be their downfall.

The fact that they intend to build a meeting place is significant to this. According to Bob Lovelace, Algonquins need to meet and tell each other stories about their culture, they need to find out who they are and how they relate to their surroundings before beginning to negotiate with Canada .

But time may not be on AAFNA’s side. When that first tree was cut down it put them into confrontation with the government of Ontario ; it put them into conflict with their neighbours on Pine Lake ; and it pitted them in a more public way against those local Algonquins who are committed to the land clam process.

Several years ago Harold Perry shot a duck out of season near his home in Ardoch. This led to a court case which eventually established that he had the right, as a non-status Algonquin, as the descendant of the historic occupiers of the land, to shoot that duck.

The right to cut down a tree might turn out to be a more complicated matter. It certainly has more far-reaching political implications.

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Feature Article - August 10, 2006

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Feature Article - August 10, 2006

PineLake residents meet with AAFNA

byJeffGreen

The August long weekend is the prime of the summer cottage season, but on Saturday August 5 about 35 residents of Pine Lake , near Ardoch in North Frontenac Township , put their summer fun on hold, starting their weekend with a dose of Aboriginal politics

In a meeting with the leadership of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFNA) at the Ompah Hall, Pine Lake dwellers had their first public opportunity to air their opinions about AAFNA’s building project at a public boat launch on Pine Lake .

At the start of the meeting, Pine Lake resident David Rose gave the floor to AAFNA’s communications team leader and co-chief Robert Lovelace, who made a short presentation outlining the history that led up to the construction project, and said AAFNA would like to work with the residents of Pine Lake in a neighbourly way as they move forward.

“You didn’t start off that way when you didn’t tell us what you were doing until after you started. We got a notice from you after the chainsaws and bulldozer had done their work,” said one resident. “That didn’t exactly put us in the position to co-operate with you. It would have been in your best interest and our best interest to meet before the bulldozer went to work.”

“We put you in that position, and I apologise for that,” Lovelace responded. “We really didn’t know what the MNR was going to do when we started. We thought they might intervene as soon as we started. They didn’t, as it turned out, but we didn’t know that, and that’s why we gave less notice to Pine Lake residents than we would have liked.”

Lovelace then reported that meetings have been taking place between AAFNA and the MNR about the Pine Lake project. “We are still in negotiations with the MNR. They are not going very well. We had hoped for a mutual recognition agreement,” he said.

As reported in recent editions of the News, AAFNA began clearing land for a community centre and Pow Wow grounds at Pine Lake on July 7th. AAFNA had met with North Frontenac Council reps in late June to inform them of their plans, and with officials from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on June 27th.

The MNR oversees the land where the building site is located in their role as administrators of “Crown land”, and told AAFNA that they would need a land use permit to build there.

The status of “Crown land” in all of the territory within the Ottawa and Mattawa river basins has been the subject of the Algonquin/Canada land claim process that has been underway for almost 15 years, and there never has been a treaty between the Algonquins and Canadians ceding that land to Canada.

Calling the land “Algonquin land”, AAFNA sees no reason to seek MNR permission to build on it. “We will nonetheless meet or exceed building code and environmental standards with this project, and we welcome the MNR to work with us,” said Bob Lovelace, “ Why Pine Lake ?” asked David Rose, expressing the views of many of the people at the meeting. “It is a beautiful lake, but it’s a small lake.”

“It is a beautiful lake,” concurred Lovelace, “and we’ve been looking at Pine Lake and other locations for six years. The choice of Pine Lake was made this spring. We know the decision was made without consulting you, but remember this is a reality we have been living with for many, many years.”

An artist’s conception of the community centre had been prepared and was available for viewing at the end of the meeting, and Robert Lovelace said that architect’s drawings are being prepared.

“Don’t you think all of these things, and a site plan and septic plans, should have all been done before you began clearing the land?” David Rose said. “Why not halt the project right now, and do a proper environmental assessment to make sure this won’t harm the lake.”

AAFNA did not agree to his request, but it was proposed that a committee of residents be set up to meet with AAFNA on an ongoing basis, and Lovelace said AAFNA would be pleased to work with the committee.

“The township has appointed the mayor, Ron Maguire, who is here today,” Lovelace said pointing to the back of the hall, “and he has come to one of our meetings, which are open to all. We want to work with the township and the residents of the lake, and the surrounding area.”

Some of the surrounding residents didn’t seem very open to working with AAFNA at Pine Lake . Glen Manion, a contractor who lives at the corner of Ardoch Road and Hwy. 506 not far from Pine Lake, said that on July 7th AAFNA supporters were parked right on Ardoch Road and had been harassing him as he drove his large work track past the site several times, in the course of transferring materials during his work day.

“That’s a public road I was using. It’s a major road. They weren’t only parked there, they were leaving their doors open to the road. And then they started taking pictures of the sign on my truck, and I ended up with the OPP at my door. I supported you in the past, but not this time,” he said.

Many of the Pine Lake residents expressed concerns over the future. “You say you are going to build this hall and Pow Wow grounds in a safe way, and I appreciate what you have said here today, but in 10 years you many not be here and someone might say - now we want to use more land for another purpose - and we will again be wondering what is going to happen to our lake,” said one of the residents.

“It’s a very small, very quiet lake,” said another, and I don’t think a building that can hold 100 people built so close to the lake is a good idea. I don’t want this on Pine Lake . I just don’t.”

Although nothing was resolved at the meeting, it provided an opportunity for people to speak directly about their concerns. It is unclear what the next steps will be, but there was talk of a further meeting among Pine Lake residents.

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