2005-10-02 by The Independent

VOL. 3 ISSUE 40

—

ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2-8, 2005

—

WWW.THEINDEPENDENT.CA —

$1.00 HOME DELIVERY (HST included); $1.50 RETAIL (HST included)

IN CAMERA 20-21

SPORTS 36

Picture editor Paul Daly captures Big Land’s big hopes — Voisey’s Bay

Léonel Saintil leads the Sea-Hawks in quest for conference supremacy

Too late

Questionable results

BACK TO BASICS

Survivor of downed vessel says fishermen died because of slow search and rescue response; Cormorant helicopter followed policy, officials say

Breast cancer treatments in St. John’s impacted by inaccurate lab tests CLARE-MARIE GOSSE

STEPHANIE PORTER

hillip McDonald, a survivor of the Sept. 12 sinking of the Melina and Keith II, says more fishermen may have pulled through had the rescue helicopter arrived sooner. He says it’s a “major concern” the Gander-based Cormorant didn’t arrive on the scene of the tragedy in Bonavista Bay until nearly four hours after the fishing vessel capsized. He says he’s haunted by the certainty a faster response — even by 20 minutes — would have saved at least one of the four men who died. McDonald — the fisheries observer aboard the boat, an employee of Seawatch — points the finger of blame squarely at federal maritime search and rescue policy. According to that policy, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., the Department of National Defence’s maritime search and rescue helicopter must be airborne within 30 minutes of receiving orders. After 4 p.m., the crew is on a two-hour standby. A satellite located the capsized Melina and Keith II at 4:15 p.m. — and a rescue helicopter left Gander nearly two hours later. Had the boat been located 20 minutes earlier the chopper would have been in the air a lot sooner. Like the seven fishermen with him, McDonald was thrown into the sea with barely a minute’s warning when the boat flipped. He kicked off his oilskins and boots, and spent the next two hours on the bottom of the capsized vessel with the others, “with water washing over top” of them. The boat eventually sank, and the men were left scrambling to hold on to an overturned aluminum boat and other debris. McDonald clung to a piece of Styrofoam for survival. He found a piece of driftwood to tuck under his other arm and help keep him afloat. A fishing vessel, the Lady Charlotte Star, was the first to arrive on the scene. Her crew rescued the four survivors. The other four were lost. McDonald says he can remember at least one more of the Melina’s fisherman being alive when the Charlotte was first spotted. By the time she arrived, he says, that man was nowhere to be seen. He’s convinced more lives would have been saved had the helicopter arrived sooner. Ivan Dyke, Justin Ralph, Anthony Molloy and Joshua Williams were lost. See “This should be,” page 2

Members of Great Big Sea (from top: Alan Doyle, Bob Hallett and Séan McCann) are set to release their eighth album, The Hard and The Easy, Oct. 11. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, the musicians talk about getting back to their roots — and bringing them to the world. See pages 8-9. Paul Daly/The Independent

he Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s is retesting tissue samples taken from breast cancer patients from as far back as 1997 to address possible inaccuracies in the results, The Independent has learned. The outcome of the tests, which examine hormone receptors in breast cancer cells for estrogen and progesterone, help physicians determine what course of treatment a patient should undergo. The test samples are being reassessed at the Health Sciences Centre, as well as at Mount Sinai Hospital in Ontario. The results are only now returning since the retesting began in May this year. Kara Laing, director of medical oncology with the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s, says patients have been contacted recently on an individual basis as test results become available. The corporation has refrained from making a public statement to avoid raising concern. “The reason why we haven’t gone public with this is we don’t have all the answers,” Laing tells The Independent. “The last thing that you want to do or we want to do is to make people afraid … is to cause some sort of mass hysteria.” Susan Bonnell, spokeswoman for the health care corp., says a new, more accurate piece of equipment was installed in the laboratory last year, providing clearer results and current hormone receptor tests are also being double checked as part of the quality review. She adds the retesting is not impacting patients waiting for other laboratory results. “In reviewing past tests we’ve discovered that some people who tested negative are now converting to a positive result, which would change the course of their treatment,” she says. “So they’re still being treated for breast cancer, it’s just the way they’re being treated. It may be impacted, but it may not as well.” Many women and men with breast cancer have what are called ER and PR receptor tests. These show whether the tumour needs hormones, such as estrogen or progesterone, to grow. A positive result shows it does, which means the cancer may respond to hormone therapy such as the drug Tamoxifen. “We’re talking about the care of individual patients,” says Laing, “so I can’t really give you sort of a global statement other than to tell you, one: estrogen and progesterone receptors are a very important piece of information, but they go with other things; and No. 2 is that this is very individualized.” She says new information surrounding the hormone See “Patients will be notified,” page 2

‘Greatest Newfoundlander since John Cabot’ Independent judges have ruled: William Coaker takes top Navigator by a hair By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

illiam Coaker and Robert Bond would have been dumbfounded with surprise had they witnessed the judging panel’s recent debate over the winner of Our Navigators, the top 10 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians ever. Although Coaker, the “champion of the fishermen,” managed to take The Independent’s top spot by a hair, former prime minister Bond was about as close

as second place gets. It’s ironic the two Liberal-minded politicians — whose own personalities and careers clashed just as Coaker’s was beginning and Bond’s ending — were the two names realistically vying for The Navigators top spot. Other possible contenders were

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “There isn’t much time during the day when I am not thinking about preparing, or eating food.” — Nicholas Gardner, The Independent’s new food columnist. See page 19.

Armine Gosling, who helped Newfoundland women land the right to vote, Bishop Michael Fleming, who shaped the religious, political and physical landscape of the province and, of course, the “father of Confederation” himself, Joseph R. Smallwood. The public voting polls, tallied from The Independent’s website, revealed some unusual results. Bishop Fleming won out with 47 per cent, followed by Bond with 33 per cent. Smallwood took only 4.9 per cent and Coaker 1.96 per cent. At the end of the day, the final deci-

OPINION 11

John Crosbie sticks up for Mulroney

OPINION 22

sion rested with the Navigator judges — John Crosbie, Ray Guy, Noreen Golfman, John FitzGerald, Ivan Morgan and Ryan Cleary. Coaker, who changed the face of the Newfoundland fishery by fighting for the rights of workers and forming multiple trade unions, including the 20,000strong Fishermen’s Protective Union, won the judges’ votes because of his realization of the innate needs of the working classes. See “Coaker’s influence,” page 4

Noreen Golfman says there’s a better way to plan St. John’s

Life Story . . . . . . . . 10 Paper Trail . . . . . . . . 10 Voice from away . . . 13 Livyer . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Gallery . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Professionals . . 30

2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

‘Patients will be notified on an individual basis’ From page 1 receptor tests led to the decision to conduct the review. “There were one or two patients that had had retesting done for another reason, where we noticed sort of a difference … we noticed some discrepancies and there was a thought that maybe there was something going on.” Laing says any patients or past patients found to have inaccurate readings will be able to immediately discuss with their physician any neces-

sarily change to their treatment procedures. She adds there is no way to judge at this point in time whether any incorrect tests would have impacted recovery. “Patients will be notified on an individual basis to discuss with their physician as to whether of not this does have an impact on their current treatment, or may have had an impact on their previous treatment because it’s just too complicated. “I mean I can’t make a general statement that it would affect everybody or that it wouldn’t affect every-

‘This should be a major concern’ From page 1 “I was just being pulled aboard the Lady Charlotte Star when the helicopter arrived, nearly four hours after the boat capsized,” McDonald says. “This should be a major concern.” Physically, McDonald has come through the time at sea unharmed. But he’s furious — and is demanding answers. He obtained the official rescue timeline from DND’s Marine Rescue Sub-Centre in Newfoundland: At 3:36 p.m., Sept. 12, the sound of the emergency beacon was picked up (the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon automatically sends a mayday signal — but not an exact location — to coast guard when submerged in water). Forty minutes later, at approximately 4:15, officials had the position of the boat, relayed by the international satellite system. At 6:10 p.m., the Cormorant helicopter took off from Gander. At 7:23, the helicopter arrived

body.” Because results are still incoming, Laing says it’s impossible to predict how many patients may be affected, although she suggests the number will be relatively small. “Of the ones that have been coming back … I looked at maybe, I don’t know, 40 or 50 the other day and there were five or six people that were there, that it may have had an impact, so it’s not a huge thing.” Bonnell was unable to provide a number for the amount of samples that have been retested, but she says

results should be available within a month. Although Bonnell says no patients have brought legal action against the health care corp., she says there are always legal issues to consider when conducting any quality review. “We’re dealing with this as quickly as we possibly can,” she says. “I mean you’re dealing with people who are already in a stressful situation, who are going through cancer treatment or who have recovered from cancer treatment.” Laing stresses there is no need for

breast cancer patients or any other cancer patients to “get frightened,” because the results are a matter of patient care as opposed to cure. “We’re not trying to cover up anything here; we’re trying to take care of patients and we’re doing that and continue to do that. I don’t think a statement that this is something that has negatively impacted on breast cancer patients as a whole group can be said at all … I think that’s false.” Sunday, Oct. 2 marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Canada.

Coast guard vessels tied up in St. John’s harbour.

on scene. An hour later, a Hercules aircraft dispatched from Greenwood, N.S., arrived on site. At 2 a.m. the first coast guard vessel arrived. McDonald contends, had the boat been located those 15 minutes earlier, the helicopter would have been in the air within half an hour, and on the scene by 5:30 p.m. “Why is there only one shift?” asks McDonald. “There should be people there at all times, there should be three eight-hour shifts.” Major John Van Oosten, officer in charge of the joint rescue co-ordination centre of Maritime Search and Rescue, confirms the two standby times are national policy. “(Two hours) is certainly longer than 30 minutes, but what we have found … is the extra time it takes, the maximum time, does not make a difference in the majority of search and rescue cases.” When presented with McDonald’s

opinion — that had the helicopter been there even minutes sooner, lives would have been saved — Van Oosten declines comment, saying he wasn’t “given that information.” Van Oosten says establishing around-the-clock, 30-minute response time is currently not a priority for the department. “Is it worth it? Anytime that we can save a life it’s worth it so that’s never the issue,” he says. “The issue … is a question of resources … in order to have a search and rescue response that’s markedly different than what we have is going to require extra personnel and perhaps extra aircraft. “If we had aircraft every 20 miles along the coast of Canada’s area of responsibility and they were all on 30minute search and rescue standby than certainly we could get to incidents faster. “Would it make a difference? Certainly, but that’s not practical either.” As he sees it, McDonald — who has taken a leave of absence from work — says the slow response “has got to be a budget thing. “It’s not very often accidents like this happen. But if it’s once a year or once a week, it doesn’t matter … something’s got to change.” After his experience last month, McDonald has another complaint he’d like to air publicly: this time his target is the media. The night the Melina sank, he says, his parents were in their car, and happened to catch the 10 p.m. news on a local radio station. They heard the name of the boat they knew their son was on — and that only half of the men on board were still alive. “They spent the next couple of hours, thinking there was just a 50-50 chance their son was alive,” says

Paul Daly/The Independent

McDonald. “Can you imagine that pain? That’s the same way my girlfriend found out about the accident.” It was after midnight when McDonald made contact with his distraught parents. “I mean, get serious. The name of the vessel should not be released by

the media until family members at least are notified. That can’t be right.” The Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the sinking of the Melina and Keith II to determine what caused the vessel to roll over in relatively calm seas. — Files from Alisha Morrissey

Coast guard response By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

n any given day at least one Canadian Coast Guard vessel dedicated to search and rescue patrols the waters off the east coast of the island. On Sept. 12, the day the Melina and Keith II sank, there were two. The Leonard J. Cowley was the dedicated search and rescue vessel the day the 18-meter fishing vessel capsized, killing four men. The distress call was received at 3:30 p.m. and alerts were issued 45 minutes later. The Cowley, which was 133 miles away, arrived at the scene at 2:20 a.m. the next morning — although it wasn’t the closest vessel. The Shamook, a smaller science vessel, was closer, about 99 miles away, and responded immediately to the assistance call, but didn’t arrive at the scene until about 2:45 a.m. Brian Stone, superintendent of marine search and rescue with the coast guard in St. John’s, says people may question why a smaller vessel didn’t get there faster. He says the situation is not comparable to a speedboat racing a ferry. “It (the Shamook) is a small inshore-class vessel — it’s like comparing a fishing trawler that’s 130-metres long to a fishing trawler that’s say 15-meters long — they can do roughly the same speed 15 knots … it just depends on the size and horsepower of the vessels. The Cowley can do 16 knots at her maximum speed. The Shamook is pretty good if she can get 11 or 12 knots. She’s not normally a search and rescue vessel.” The second vessel on search and rescue patrol Sept. 12 was the Cygnus, which was relieving the Cowley after completing a patrol on the Grand Banks outside the 200-mile limit. The waters off the east coast of the island (from Cape Race on the southeast tip of the Avalon Peninsula to Cape Freels at the head of Bonavista Bay and out 200 miles in all directions) are patrolled at all times by a primary search and rescue vessel. “So on the east coast, in this area, we’re only required under the search and rescue needs analysis, one primary search and rescue vessel to mitigate the known risks in the area. In this case we were changing over vessels from primary SAR (search and rescue) and we had two,” Stone says.

May cause an adrenaline rush. Heart may skip beats. Sudden gasping for air is also common. Effects may reduce slightly over time, but will persist.

Tag Heuer watches start at $850. Main Floor, Terrace on the Square, Churchill Square Store Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00am to 5:30pm Phone: 754-9497 diamonddesign.com

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3

Off course

Strong winds, bright city lights cause storm petrels to turn up on lawns throughout region DARCY MACRAE

esidents of northeast Avalon communities have had some unusual visitors in recent weeks. Stranded little seabirds — Leach’s storm petrels — have been touching down on people’s lawns and in field in communities such as St. John’s, Bay Bulls and Bonavista. The birds are 18-21 centimetres in length with a 43-48 cm wingspan, and give off a faint oily smell. The storm petrels are oceangoing animals, but are being forced inland by strong winds. “This is hurricane season. It’s been the stormiest, wildest year in a while,” says Dave Snow, owner of Wild Things Nature Shop in St. John’s and tour guide with Wild Land Tours. “A lot of animals are built to cope with this, but all they (the storm petrels) need is to get blown inland and

they are in trouble.” When it comes to sea birds, the storm petrel (also known to Newfoundlanders as Carey Chicks) is the province’s most common sea bird. In fact, they are one of the ocean’s most numerous sea birds, and the biggest colonies on the planet are found on islands off Newfoundland and Labrador. They only fly at night, so most people don’t recognize the storm petrel when they see one. After laying their eggs onshore, the storm petrels leave their burrows in the morning and go out to sea all day in search of small fish. They return to the islands at night where they enter tiny turf burrows and raise their chicks. Early every fall, the storm petrel chicks leave their burrows and head out to sea for the first time. But many have been blown ashore during what should be their maiden flight. Once that happens, they get confused by the lights of civilization and eventually end up sitting helplessly on a lawn or in a field.

Snow has received many calls at his store from people who have found the tiny, grey birds. “We’re getting calls, with people saying ‘I have this bird on my lawn and there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it but it doesn’t move,’” says Snow. The storm petrel gets confused when away from the ocean, says Snow. As a result, they just sit motionless — and defenceless — when they find themselves inland. “This is an animal of the ocean and you’ll see them 30 miles out to sea either fluttering over the water picking up little fish or sometimes sitting on the water. They were built for life on the ocean,” says Snow. “If you take them into the city where they can’t see the ocean … they’re just not wired for that and they sit there. They don’t know what to do.” Once trapped on a lawn or in a field, the storm petrel is open for attack from a number of animals. Even if they are not both-

ered, they will eventually die of starvation. “They can last three to five days without food or water, so when you find them it is important (to help them),” says Snow. “They are young and more fragile than adults, so it’s a good idea to get them out to sea as soon as you can.” Snow says anyone wishing to help the storm petrels can simply walk up to the birds and pick them up. He adds there are virtually no worries about being injured by the tiny creatures. “Not unless you’re one of these people who are incredibly allergic to birds,” Snow says. “They’re pretty well as harmless as anything can get.” Snow recommends placing the birds in a shoe box and waiting until evening to release it to its natural habitat. “Put them in a dark box — and you don’t want kids shaking the box so just put it in a safe place. When it gets dark, go to some See “You would think,” page 5

Mortal sin and the CBC A

ny Catholic raised when those inane catechisms formed a staple of our daily, brain-washed R.C. diet will remember the definition of mortal sin. Never fond of qualifiers or subtlety, the Catholic brass of centuries ago declared mortal sin to be a “grievous offence” against the law of God. If God was in a lenient frame of mind, you may have gotten away with a venial sin, a “less grievous” offence against His law. Then there was the sentencing: without benefit of the confessional sin bin, mortal sin got you indefinite time with Lucifer (you may as well have been a dangerous offender); venial sin, on the other hand, usually resulted in a slice of probation, a spell in purgatory, some Martha Stewart time. The comedian George Carlin really put all that foolishness into perspective years ago with his brilliant theory that once you even contemplated mortal sin, the

BOB WAKEHAM

Guest column sin had already been committed, so it was just as well to go ahead and have some fun. Since it was a mortal sin to even think about feeling up Mary Jane, you’d be cracked, after embracing the sinful thought, not to try and perform the dirty deed (if, of course, Mary Jane was willing). Anyway, I dredge up all this religious dogma as a long-winded way of pointing out just what a disservice I would do, what a mortal sin, in fact, I would commit if I did not use this space in The Independent to have a word or two about my former CBC colleagues, those talented men and women being grievously sinned against, their journalistic and technical talents rotting on television and

radio picket lines throughout this province. I don’t claim to have a grasp on all the nuances of the disagreement between CBC management and its union. Hell, I’m nowhere near the nuances. Even the big picture on contracting out, the apparent main stumbling block in this dispute, is about as clear to me in its implications as a mud-splattered windshield. What I do know is that of the two disputing sides in this racket, one has a track record in this province in recent years that is shameful and deplorable, and whatever that side (management, in case you’re still wondering) has to say, therefore, is immediately suspect, at least to my ears. I was there, right in the trenches, as an executive producer with the corporation when management started to “downsize” (what a God-awful euphemism) in the 1990s, perpetrating its slashing and burning on the backs of the regional program-

good at our jobs down here and (b) we were giving the viewers and listeners what they wanted and (c) we were delivering quintessential public broadcasting, reflecting ourselves to ourselves and to the rest of the country and (d) they could learn some lessons in Toronto from Newfoundland. But, no sir. The regions were the bush leagues. And if CBC had to start cutting, it was there. People like me who were given a place at the table because of our journalistic position were just ignored, patronized on occasion, or just pissed on behind our backs; principled and knowledgeable management people who early on recognized the monstrous mistake the CBC was making in slashing regional programming were cut adrift, sent packing from their CBC offices for refusing to swallow the Kool-Aid. See “Begging for coppers,” page 5

2006 Ridgeline * from $ ,

Kenmount Road 579.1999 / 800.667.9900 www.cityhonda.com

35 200 Quadruple 5-Star Safety

Reportin

g for Wo

All Honda vehicles are delivered with a full tank.

mers and their faithful listeners and viewers. Here in this province, it was particularly painful because we had a special bond with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians — we seemed to be doing something right, and had everybody and their dog watching and listening, whether it was our news and current affairs programs or our variety shows (even our token handshake with the Lord on Sunday mornings — Dialogue — had viewers, for God’s sake, so to speak). I’m still hoping that having my name on the credits of Dialogue every week will work in my favour if I have to appear before the purgatory appeal board. But CBC management was blind to that incredible success, dismissing places like Newfoundland as the unsophisticated colonies where you could put a test pattern on the screen and people would watch. Management was too arrogant to accept the notion that (a) we were very

rk!

†

Ready forION! 4WD ACT www.honda.ca

*MSRP based on new 2006 Ridgeline LX Automatic (model YK1646E). Freight and PDI, license, insurance, taxes and registration are extra. †: Quadruple 5-star safety rating based on crash tests by NHTSA on 2006 Ridgeline for driver, front passenger and rear seat passengers in both front-impact and side-impact crash tests, www.nhtsa.com. See dealer for full details.

4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

Don’t wait for crisis to call hotline: gambling counsellor

on’t wait until you’ve put your last dollar into a video lottery terminal (VLT) before calling the help line crawling across the machine’s screen. Renee Ryan, an addictions consultant with the provincial Health Department, says the phone number running across screens on video lottery terminals (VLTs) around the province is being used — but mostly by those in a crisis situation. She says it’s best for people to call when they feel they may have a problem. “People who feel they need help and they need it now, mostly it’s a person who’s lost their last dollar and they don’t know where else to turn. They’re feeling panicked and desperate and they just need to reach out somewhere,” Ryan tells The Independent. Statistics aren’t available on the number of problem gamblers using the hotline. At the same time, Statistics Canada reports that in 2002 in Newfoundland and Labrador 330,000 people over the age of 15 spent money on gambling. Of that number, 20,800 are at risk or are

already addicted to gambling. VLT gamblers made up most of Ryan’s gambling-addicted clients. She says while more people might play bingo or buy lottery tickets the highest rate of problem gamblers are VLT players. A gambling prevalence study commissioned by the province is expected to be complete by late fall. The report should provide statistics on gambling and will help create a plan to prevent and treat the problem. Ryan says she expects similar results to studies completed in other areas of Canada. The studies generally show one to two per cent of gamblers are addicted and another two to three percent are problem gamblers. “What research will show when you look at VLT revenues the biggest portion (of money) comes from a small population of gamblers.” Ryan says the smoking ban, which has been blamed for a reduction in VLT revenues, shows that a fair sized group of smokers probably aren’t addicted to gambling. — Alisha Morrissey

FROM GEORGE TO BOURBON

From George Street to Bourbon Street, a fundraiser for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, will be held Oct. 9 in St. John’s and involve dozens of local acts, including The Novaks, The Fables, The 8 Track Favourites and Jackie Sullivan. Above: Craig Flynn, event chair and Brenda O’Reilly. Paul Daly/The Independent

Coaker’s influence ‘more than politics’ From page 1 The beginning of the 20th century was a socially and politically critical time for Newfoundland and Labrador and despite the differing styles of Coaker and Bond, they both tirelessly and generously fought for the greater good of their nation. Bond — who is remembered for his strong Newfoundland nationalism and for selflessly giving $100,000 in financial backing to help pull the nation out of imminent bankruptcy — fully retreated from public life after retiring as leader of the Liberal opposition in 1914. A few years later he observed: “I have had a surfeit of Newfoundland politics lately and I turn from the dirty business with contempt and loathing.” Around that time, Coaker and his union men were growing in popularity and with their help a new Liberal party took power under the leadership of Richard Squires. “The thing with Coaker is his influence was more than politics, it was cultural,” says Ivan Morgan, a human rights worker, columnist and member of the Navigators panel. “Coaker did more to put bread on people’s tables and improve their lives, simply put, for whatever reason, just to make life better for the average Newfoundlander.”

He adds Coaker began the process of eradicating the existing “feudal,” peasant-like system between the fishermen and the merchants, traders and government. Historian John FitzGerald, professor and columnist, Noreen Golfman, both favour Coaker for his wide reaching effects on Newfoundland’s social landscape and his concern with improving the lives of ordinary people. “It was Coaker who was running around in the 1920s over at Beaumont Hamel, trying to get a monument there and it was Coaker who was looking out for the price of fish, not for himself, but for the people who were in his union,” says FitzGerald, adding Coaker’s politically savvy newspaper, The Fishermen’s Advocate, gave the once silent people a voice. Morgan who went into the final judgment meeting with sleeves rolled up, ready to spar with Smallwood advocates, admits to being “delighted” the father of Confederation didn’t make an appearance at the top of the rankings. Writer Ray Guy says it was people like Bond, Coaker and Gosling who made it possible for Smallwood to take up his political path, which began with the joining of Newfoundland to Canada. “Smallwood is kind of a knee-jerk reaction because he’s fresher, his influence is still being felt, love him or hate him,” says Golfman, adding Coaker “essen-

tially organized the entire social economy of the province.” Panel member John Crosbie favoured Smallwood for the No. 1 spot. He says despite disagreeing and opposing the long-time premier’s politics and opinions, “I approach this with the point of view of: which one had the most impact, or most significantly affected the destiny of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador? “It’s not whether you’re a good person or a bad person, you can be a dictator or a monster, practically — it’s what was your significance on the world.” To give Smallwood his due, he himself recognized the greatness in Coaker and wrote an account of the man in 1927 titled, Coaker of Newfoundland: the Man who led the Deep-Sea Fishermen to Power. As a young man, Smallwood was inspired by Coaker, who came as if from nowhere, with a vision of integrity, a voice begging to be heard and a charisma that stretched to toiling on foot from one community to the next to show the fishermen their worth. Coaker himself said he was seeking “the answer for the toiler’s life and its hardship, while so many live lives of ease and luxury.” Coaker was born in 1871 in St. John’s, to a lowermiddle class family. He left school at a young age and spent time working at the harbourfront as well as in retail and farming. He spent many years in relative solitude on an island farm in Dildo Run, where he studied books and current affairs voraciously, before emerging with a unifying vision for a localized labour movement. In 1908 he established the Fishermen’s Protective Union and started The Fishermen’s Advocate in 1910. In 1911 he formed the Union Trading Company and went on to create the Union Export Company, the Union Shipbuilding Company and

Top 10 Navigators • William Ford Coaker • Mose Morgan • Vera Perlin • Robert Abram Bartlett • Sir Robert Bond

• Bishop Michael Fleming • William J. Herder • Armine Gosling • Joseph Smallwood • Judge D.W. Prowse

Union Light and Power. He ran his own political party, the Union party, in the 1913 election, enjoying solid support. In 1919, uninterested in heading the nation himself, he helped shape a reformed Liberal party towards victory, with Richard Squires at the helm. Coaker assumed a position as Fisheries minister and managed to have a number of monumental fisheries regulations implemented. Many of Coaker’s regulations were later repealed, however, and he officially retired from politics in 1932. He was knighted in 1923 for his work as a leader, businessman and founder of Port Union. He was a man for the poorly educated trade people of the day, who, as Guy says, “had promise, great promise long before … Mr. Smallwood came along.” Smallwood may not have won Our Navigators top position, but he can have the last word on the Newfoundlander who did. In his 1927 account of Coaker, Smallwood wrote: “Coaker will go down in history as the first and greatest champion of the fishermen. “He will long be remembered as the father of the first attempt to place the fishery … upon a modern and scientific basis. I believe myself that he will be regarded by all as the greatest Newfoundlander since John Cabot.”

Work Safely!

Understanding Safe Work Practices and Procedures PREVENTION WORKSHOP SERIES Safe Work Practices and Procedures This practical workshop will provide OH&S professionals and other stakeholders with an overview of the development and implementation of safe work practices and procedures as it relates to the management of an OH&S program. Participants will gain knowledge of: ] The legislative requirements for developing and implementing safe work practices and procedures; ] The role of safe work practices and procedures in building an effective OH&S program; ] How to develop and implement effective safe work practices and procedures; ] Methods for implementing safe work practices and procedures into the workplace; ] How to evaluate your safe work practices and procedures; ] Requirements for PRIME regarding safe work practices and procedures; and ] Practical exercises involving safe work practices and procedures. plus much more...

Locations St. John’s.............................Oct. 17...............Holiday Inn .............8:30 am - 4:00 pm St. John’s.............................Oct. 18 ............Holiday Inn ...........8:30 am - 4:00 pm Corner Brook ......................Oct. 25...............Holiday Inn .............8:30 am - 4:00 pm Labrador City......................Oct. 27...............Carol Inn.................8:30 am - 4:00 pm Grand Falls-Windsor ..........Nov. 1 ..............Mt. Peyton ............8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Registration is free To register please call Michelle MacDonald at (709)778-2926, toll-free 1-800-563-9000 or e-mail mmacdonald@whscc.nf.ca.

PRIME

www.whscc.nf.ca GENERAL MANAGER John Moores john.moores@theindependent.ca

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

P.O. Box 5891, Stn.C, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, A1C 5X4 Ph: 709-726-4639 • Fax: 709-726-8499 Website: www.theindependent.ca

OPERATIONS CONSULTANT Wilson Hiscock wilson.hiscock@theindependent.ca

CIRCULATION MANAGER Derek Frampton derek.frampton@theindependent.ca

PRODUCTION MANAGER John Andrews john.andrews@theindependent.ca

sales@theindependent.ca • production@theindependent.ca • circulation@theindependent.ca

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5

Ups and downs

Elevator strike impacts new — and old — hotels By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

six-month strike by elevator installers in the province has tourism infrastructure stuck on the ground floor, industry representatives say. Dennis O’Keefe, deputy mayor of St. John’s and a member of the city’s tourism committee, says a strike by employees of Otis Elevators and KONE Elevators has left at least one hotel unable to open, another without elevators and a third with half the elevators it needs. Meantime, countless other public buildings around St. John’s and Corner Brook are awaiting repairs and the installation of new elevators. “It certainly can have a negative effect on tourism, in terms of the ability of people being able to enjoy their stay in a hotel or in some cases even delay the opening of a hotel,” O’Keefe tells The Independent. The strike, ongoing since February, involves 18 workers from the three elevator companies in the province — KONE, Otis and ThyssenKrupp. The workers are represented by the International Union of Elevator Constructors. While ThyssenKrupp and its 10 employees have signed a collective

agreement, they won’t return to work until all employees from all three companies ratify a deal. “They (the companies) do have management doing some of the work, but obviously that makes it very, very slow because management can’t keep up with the demand,” O’Keefe says. Meantime, the Super 8 hotel on Higgins Line in the east end of St. John’s has opened its doors for business without elevator service. The Delta St. John’s on New Gower Street added 128 new rooms this year, but two new elevators aren’t installed. Another new hotel, the Marriott Courtyard on Duckworth Street, expected to open within the next six to eight weeks, is on hold since the franchise has a policy that elevators must be operational in order to receive guests. Jean Pierre Andrieux, owner of the Marriott Courtyard, says at least three other public buildings — the Bank of Nova Scotia, a building at Memorial University and the new Dominion Store on Blackmarsh Road — are also waiting on new elevators. “How can it not hurt business? I cannot open a hotel six or eight weeks from now. I might be able to open one floor if I get permission,” Andrieux says.

Bernadette Cantwell, a front desk worker at the Super 8 hotel in St. John’s, stands near where elevators should be installed on the ground floor. A strike of the province’s elevator installers has left several hotels and public buildings without elevators. Paul Daly/The Independent

Glen Jones, representative for the International Union of Elevator Constructors, says negotiations stalled months ago and aren’t likely to resume any time soon as Otis and KONE are not willing to bargain. Contentious items include company-paid pensions and wages. “Since February there hasn’t been one elevator installed in the province and it is really backing up there’s a lot of elevators … I know of one company that has 12 sold and waiting in warehouses and to be installed,” Jones says. “They are quite adamant that the package that is offered will be the only

package that will be offered.” Glenda MacLean, general manager of Super 8 in St. John’s, says the strike has hurt business. “It’s a challenge,” she says. MacLean says ground-floor rooms are available for people unable to climb stairs, but they cannot access the featured pool and water sports area on the second floor. “Ourselves and our guests have been very understanding knowing that it’s something that as an operator we have no control over, but obviously it requires more time and labour than what needs to be done.”

O’Keefe says guests with health concerns and disabilities may be unable to enjoy their stay in the city as no one wants to haul luggage over several flights of stairs. “With tourism if people have an unpleasant experience then they’re not coming back a second time and elevators are an absolute necessity in any building these days,” O’Keefe says. “What I want to see, and what the city wants to see, is that whatever differences the employer and the employees have, that they get it resolved and get back to the business of giving people a lift.”

‘Drive accordingly’ RCMP officer say ruts in Trans-Canada are a problem, but not sole cause of crashes By Darcy MacRae The Independent

uts in the surface of the TransCanada Highway may be causing problems for drivers in the province, but they’re not the major cause of accidents, an RCMP officer says. “We’re not seeing it in our collision reports,” Corporal Randy Pack tells The Independent. “We’re not seeing that ruts are the sole cause of collisions.” While Pack acknowledges the ruts can make driving conditions difficult,

Begging for coppers From page 3 Now much of that same crowd, or their philosophical disciples and successors, are trying to convince the Newfoundland and Canadian public that they’ve come up with the real answers this time around; they may have made a few mistakes in the past, but give us another chance. We’ll show you what good managers we really are. Sorry. Too late. This is one old warhorse who doesn’t trust you. I can remember trying to fight for a few paltry bucks to keep the documentary program Soundings on the air back in the mid-’90s, a cheap show by national CBC standards, a program that had won a slew of awards, had unbelievable ratings, and had raised the bar on documentary-making (in my humble estimation). One of my pleas came during a speech in Toronto while accepting still another award for Soundings. As I pointed out at the time to the CBC management types in attendance, it was ironic that Soundings was getting an award because it was also being given the axe due to insufficient funding. So I unabashedly begged for the few measly coppers to keep the show going, not for my sake or the sake of the handful of people who worked on the show, but for the sake of the Newfoundland viewers who expected the kind of excellence from its public broadcaster that Soundings delivered. After the speech, one of the chief CBC executives made a point of singling me out, and — in what can only be described as a grotesque example of paternalism — moaned insincerely: “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, you haven’t changed a bit, but sorry, I don’t have the money.” Then, before I even realized it was happening, the son of a bitch kissed me on the head and walked away. The Godfather had spoken. Now that was a mortal sin. Bob Wakeham retired from CBC Television in May of this year.

especially when rain and snow are factored in, he says several other issues must also be taken into consideration when crashes and collisions are discussed. “What people have to realize is that the speed limit is posted for dry roads, on a clear day at 20 degrees Celsius. That’s when you get your best traction on the highway,” Pack says. “Any time the environment changes whatsoever — the temperature drops, precipitation, snow or sleet — then you’re going to have to reduce your speed and drive accordingly.” Pack recommends avoiding the ruts

when possible, and also cautions drivers not to be overconfident behind the wheel. He says while many vehicles sport the newest advancements in brakes, suspension and steering, these qualities do not make a car, truck or van indestructible. “With our technology today — good tires, good vehicles — driving has become fairly easy and people don’t pay as much attention as they should driving,” says Pack. “Cars allow you to get overconfident.” Pack says the most important piece of equipment on a car may be the tires,

especially when dealing with rainy nights on roads with ruts running for miles. He says proper air pressure and tread depth are vital. “If you allow your tires to get down to the ware bars, even though that’s still legal, it’s not going to help you in the rain. The water has to go somewhere, and if you don’t allow for a place for the water to go, you’re going to float on top of it,” says Pack. “So if you’re tires are worn, you’re going to have to adjust your speed.” As tough as weather conditions, improper tires and ruts in the road can make driving in the province, they are

in fact nowhere near the No. 1 cause of fatalities, says Pack. “In our province, the No. 1 factor (of fatalities) is people not wearing their seatbelts,” says Pack. “Fourteen of the last 25 fatalities were people not wearing their seatbelts. It’s a far bigger problem than the driving conditions of our roads.” Pack says if drivers wear their seat belts, they can survive almost any crash or collision. “I’ve been to several crashes where it’s phenomenal how much damage there is and people walk away from it with no injuries.”

‘You would think you had some sort of supernatural experience’ From page 3 place like Logy Bay or another place there’s not a lot of lights,” he says. From there, it is just a matter of removing the bird from the box and releasing it to the wild. “The bird will just sit there in your hand. Just flip it over a cliff gently, and it’ll fly off to sea,” says Snow. If a storm petrel appears injured, Snow says it is probably still best to take it directly to the ocean. “If his wing was broken, then he would fall into the ocean and die. But with a bird this small, the best vets in the world can’t save it,” Snow says. “Either way, you’ve solved its prob-

lem as humanely as you can.” Once the bird returns to sea, Snow says it will easily retake to its natural way of life. He has seen many storm petrels at sea and onshore, and says that when millions converge on an island, they produce a very relaxing and calming sound. “It sounds like a cat purring with an amplifier,” Snow says. “There are millions of these birds purring, and every purr is slightly different so they pick up their mate.” The storm petrel actually has quite a history in Newfoundland and Labrador, since most fisherman and sailors have stories of seeing the bird on the water, even the Vikings — who

often associated supernatural happenings with the birds. According to Snow, the storm petrels often left the Vikings spooked and confused after one flew too close to the fire. “Imagine the Vikings 1,000 years ago. You’re on your boat, you’re very superstitious and you’re trying to figure out the world. You have this little

fire on your boat to keep everybody warm and all of a sudden one of these things lands on your boat, catches itself on fire and goes shrieking around your boat before it explodes with its oil gland popping,” says Snow. “You would think you had some sort of supernatural experience.” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

Selling ourselves as Newfoundlanders S

t John’s is a city of adventure, ancient and modern. For me, it’s inextricably linked to a new risky beginning, a once-in-a-lifetime venture. It began with a voyage down the St Lawrence Seaway from Lake Ontario as part of a neophyte crew all set to sail the Atlantic to Britain. We arrived in St. John’s one sunny July evening 35 years ago and had we any inkling of what lay ahead, the city’s attractions might have detained us longer than they did. None of us had experience as oceangoing sailors. Even the St Lawrence had been pretty testing and we had suffered a lot of seasickness. But flying by St Pierre-Miquelon we had not a care in the world. We had the spinnaker up and the Undina (she was named after a German sea goddess) just flew across the surface of the water while we had next to no control of her. Little did we know that was a metaphor for the voyage that lay ahead of us. Taking a trimaran (a sailboat with three hulls arranged side by side) across the Atlantic, even in summer, is a bit like racing a Formula One car down a back-country road. She’s built for speed and stability but without a

DAVID WATTS

Guest column keel you had better hope for very light winds: there’s no question of rolling through 180 degrees and coming up smiling in a storm. A conventional yacht is happy to accommodate you but an upside-down trimaran is essentially a sea-going pancake. All of this had become clear to me as we tied up in the harbour and the local RCMP officers winced at yet another half-baked scheme which would likely end up as another bill for the local taxpayers or worse. As we got provisioned I knew that this was it. There could be no turning back. With a crew of only three on a 36-foot boat second thoughts were a luxury but I had plenty of them. Anyone dropping out would doom the project and the German-born skipper’s dream of sailing a vessel he had built back to Europe. But, by the grace of God, we made it across to Oban in Scotland despite a Force 8 gale for three days, losing the

skipper overboard temporarily, and almost being dismasted. Newfoundland is a bit like me on the St John’s dockside all that time ago: the challenge seems overwhelming. It is much easier to check your baggage on to a flight and watch the Atlantic swell from above while telling yourself that it was a ridiculous idea in the first place. But if I had been content with the ordinary I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. It has brought me neither wealth nor fame but it has given me proof that I can achieve most things I put my mind to. It has given me, too, something that will remain a benchmark whatever life throws at me. Returning to Atlantic Canada after so long I am both heartened and appalled. Heartened to see the same sterling qualities of commitment and the extraordinary broad range of talents in ordinary people overlaid with a practical ability to work around problems. But I am appalled to find that Terra Nova is affected by the same kind of malaise that once affected “old Europe”; the feeling that there is no silver lining, that the way forward will always be blocked by lack of opportunity and the dead hand of a bureaucrat-

ic government, fogged by a lack of imagination that has no business stifling the talents of ordinary people. Certainly, government must be standing by to help the weakest but the failure of socialistic ways is written throughout the recent history of the world. There is no shame in clearing the way for wealth creation, creating new tax revenues for the purpose of enlarging that wealth while helping those who truly need it.

Returning to Atlantic Canada after so long I am both heartened and appalled. Taking refuge in the old ways is not a recipe for the future when there is such a wealth of talent waiting to be unleashed through entrepreneurial imagination. Workers on strike in defense of the indefensible; young people leaving the province in droves, a criminal waste of talent feeding the

success of others as the future disappears over horizon instead of coming towards you. It does not have to be that way if more and more people learn to sell themselves as Newfoundlanders. The great success stories of the modern industrial world, Japan, South Korea and now China have demonstrated that a country’s most important resource is its people. None have had great natural resources on which to draw and all have managed to pull themselves up through their own determination, a quality the people of eastern Canada have in abundance. But the shoots of an economic spring can be seen here and there: local councillors being ejected for non-performance; the federal government being put on notice that short-changing Newfoundland is no longer an option; and the promise of high tech and resources. It’s all confidence and a good place to start would be a decision on a new flag: it’s only symbolic but symbols are important talismans. David Watts is an editor with The Times of London visiting Newfoundland on assignment.

YOUR VOICE ‘Inadequacy’ of response Dear editor, The tragedy of the Melina and Keith II is yet another example of how unprepared and inadequate our public agencies are in response to the needs of our most important industry. Your published timeline on the sinking of the Melina and Keith II (Sept. 25-Oct.1 edition) highlights well the inadequacy of search and rescue response capability in our region. As stated, it took over two hours after receiving the alarm from the vessel for a helicopter to take off from Gander and two and one-quarter hours after for an aircraft to lift off from Greenwood, N.S. Just imagine calling the fire department and waiting for over two hours for the firemen to climb down the pole in their station and start a fire truck or wait for over two hours for the ambulance to leave a hospital when called on a medical emergency. That is not to speak of the response time to arrive on scene. In the case of the Melina and Keith II it was another two hours after take off (four hours in total) before the helicopter arrived from Gander. Thankfully a nearby fishing vessel arrived three hours after the alarm and was able to rescue four people. Instances such as this appear to be typical responses in the case of marine emergencies. Inadequate response time was a key

factor in the loss of the Ryan’s Commander just one year before. Given the significant risks of operating in the marine environment this type of untimely response should be totally unacceptable. This raises another point of public policy — that of restricting the overall length of fishing vessels in the inshore fleet to an arbitrary 65 feet. Transport Canada and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans have long been aware of the dangers posed by the current regulations. Such regulations were developed and imposed on the inshore fleet decades ago when the fleet was operating within close proximity to shore. Today enterprises are forced through the conditions of their licence to harvest quotas up to and beyond 200 miles using heavy trawls and much different fishing gear. Despite these changes in fishing patterns and technology the public agencies have refused to allow fishing enterprises to adapt the vessels to suit the conditions upon which they are forced to operate. It appears that the only possible resolution to the apparent indifference of public agencies is to have the due process of a public inquiry into these types of tragedies. Gabe Gregory, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s

No place like home Dear editor, Whether we are on The Rock, on the water, or on the Prairies, Newfoundlanders are first-rate entertainers — and people. Witness the opening night of Culture Shock, a Newfoundland comedy written by Lorne Elliot, when the audience rose to feet in ovation for the acting and comedic talent they witnessed! No you didn’t miss this one — it didn’t happen in Newfoundland. This opening night was in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Grande Prairie Live Theatre’s season opener, Culture Shock, was directed and produced by a team of Newfoundlanders. Rhonda Seward (Clarenville), Todd Bailey (Port Aux Basques) and Joni Heffernan (yours truly, from St. John’s) turned an amazing script into one of the most successful opening weekends ever! Successful, not only for the first-rate acting on stage, but also for the

amount of support the production received from friends back home. Friends like Debbie Evans of the Newfoundland Museum and Ryan Cleary of The Independent. It’s a special moment when you walk into a room 5,000 kms away from home and see posters from the Newfoundland museum hanging in the hallway. Not just any posters, but posters that a friend from Newfoundland took the time to send. And then you notice the copies of The Independent that are laid out on the tables in the room. These are just two examples of the added details, straight from home, that contributed to the success of our opening weekend. But they were not only details for a local play. For us, they were acts of friendship that reminded us that no matter where we go in this world we can always call home when we need a friend. Joni Heffernan, Grande Prairie, Alberta

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

P.O. Box 5891, Stn.C, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, A1C 5X4 Ph: 709-726-4639 • Fax: 709-726-8499 www.theindependent.ca • editorial@theindependent.ca The Independent is published by The Sunday Independent, Inc. in St. John’s. It is an independent newspaper covering the news, issues and current affairs that affect the people of Newfoundland & Labrador.

PUBLISHER Brian Dobbin MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Cleary SENIOR EDITOR Stephanie Porter PICTURE EDITOR Paul Daly

All material in The Independent is copyrighted and the property of The Independent or the writers and photographers who produced the material. Any use or reproduction of this material without permission is prohibited under the Canadian Copyright Act. • © 2005 The Independent • Canada Post Agreement # 40871083

The Independent welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be 300 words in length or less and include full name, mailing address and daytime contact numbers. Letters may be edited for length, content and legal considerations. Send your letters in care of The Independent, P.O. Box 5891, Station C, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5X4 or e-mail us at editorial@theindependent.ca

Hungry for heroes H

ere’s truth if you’re prepared to read it: there haven’t been that many great Newfoundlanders. There have certainly been a few — The Independent managed to put together a list of 10 (Navigators, we call them) — but some were a little light on heroics, to the point it felt like the barrel’s bottom was being scraped (we’re talking true greatness here). There’s nobody on the list from Labrador, in case it wasn’t obvious, and only two women made it to the final cut — one of whom, Armine Gosling, was born in Quebec (not that that mattered, although it is an interesting side note). Each of the top 10 are dead and, with the exception of Michael Fleming, the Catholic bishop (born in Ireland) who built the church next to The Rooms (Brian Tobin’s glass pyramid), all were born after 1834 — rather late in life for a 508-year-old nation. The Independent was swamped with nominations when they were called for. Most were reasonable — Robert Bond, the career politician who put up a personal guarantee of $100,000 so Newfoundland could get a loan to stave off bankruptcy; Captain Bob Bartlett, the greatest sea captain of them all; Vera Perlin, whose name lives on today in the society for people with special needs; and Joey Smallwood, Father of Consternation. Some nominations were unexpected — Ken Regular, NTV’s west coast correspondent, hasn’t exactly made his mark up to this point (his bust has yet to be chiseled into the side of Marble Mountain). Ed Sailor White may have been the greatest wrestler Newfoundland has ever produced — one of the “400 greatest in the history of the world” — but greatest Newfoundlander? Sorry, but he doesn’t exactly fit the bill, although the argument had merit: “I think he is the greatest Newfoundlander and Labradorian ever in that while wrestling throughout the world he still called Newfoundland and Labrador home. He told everyone that there is a lot of good, talented people

RYAN CLEARY

Fighting Newfoundlander living here in Canada’s smallest province and he is an example of these people.” No question, Sailor White was a great Newfoundlander, but then, aren’t we all? Who’s the greatest of us all? Group nominations didn’t qualify. “The people of Gander and surrounding area should be nominated for their compassion following 9/11,” suggested another reader. But then if Ganderites slipped in, the floodgates would have opened for every Newfoundlander since Cabot fished with a bucket.

Confederation stole our heroes. Bonuses for babies and stamps for winter were just the ticket for filling the fridge but ultimately pacified the passion. All great revolutions began in the pits of stomachs. Every single generation could have been nominated for their gracious and giving ways — it’s what we’re known for (that, and fish and oilskins). The place practically went bankrupt in the early ’30s, partly from our $40-million contribution to winning the First World War. Half the mistakes we’re accused of making weren’t so much the result of stupidity as being taken advantage of for our naivete and niceness. Newfoundland bought into the argu-

ment that forcing a power corridor through Quebec to transmit lower Churchill power would threaten national unity. Our trusting nature has cost us dearly (it’s a shame we’ve had to harden). As for the greatest of the great … Let’s face it, we’ve had more important things to worry about over the centuries than destiny and determination — feeding and clothing ourselves and the kids being the chief concern. For me, there has been no greater man than Major Peter Cashin, who defended the Newfoundland sheep from the Canadian wolf. As a judge, I would have chosen him as the greatest of the great — only he ultimately failed, the only mark against him. Smallwood won the fight, and Confederation, to his credit, hasn’t been all bad. But it’s been bad enough — for proof, turn to the desert that is the sea. Confederation stole our heroes. Bonuses for babies and stamps for winter were just the ticket for filling the fridge but ultimately pacified the passion. All great revolutions began in the pits of stomachs. Employment insurance and programs like it have artificially fed us for far too long. And there’s always been a savior around to take the pressure off outport Joes and Townie Janes from standing up and being counted. Men like Joey and the two Brians were always on hand to fight the good fight, to champion our cause so that we didn’t have to. The thing I take away from the project that was Our Navigators — besides the story of William Coaker (his greatness inspired greatness) — is the hope that today’s top 10 will someday soon be replaced by 10 more. And that those 10 will be replaced by another 10 and those 10 … The greatest Newfoundlander cannot be chosen until we’ve all been born. Ryan Cleary is managing editor of The Independent. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7

Like nothing ever happened Ivan Morgan takes issue with Alphonsus Penney, the priest accused of covering up Mount Cashel, giving mass in St. John’s

can’t speak for anyone else, but I was floored when I was told former Archbishop Alphonsus Penney was asked to say mass to celebrate a new term at St. Bonaventure’s, a private Catholic school in St. John’s. Absolutely appalled. In fact, I didn’t believe it. I checked. He did. I have questions. They are questions I would love to have answered. That I am asking these questions does not make me anti-Catholic. Far from it. In fact, I think that by asking these questions I am helping Catholics throughout this province. Why would a school allow an Archbishop who ignored the most notorious sex scandal involving young people in Canadian (if not world) history, to have a leadership role in their community? Is allowing this particular man to say mass at a school full of young people sending out an appropriate message to these young people? Is this an appropriate message to send out to the commu-

IVAN MORGAN

Rant & reason nity at large? What does this say to the many victims of the initial abuse and subsequent cover-up? What does this say to anyone who might be victimized in the future? Who made this decision? Is this considered a responsible decision? Is this arrogance? Is this stupidity? It would be easy to make a case for both. In my day job I have the privilege of visiting many of our schools, including St. Bon’s. I can report that the young people of St. Bon’s are terrific — as indeed they are in all our schools. I can report that the staff seemed friendly and competent — as indeed they are in all our schools. But St. Bon’s is different from our provincial schools in a few fundamental

St. Bon’s has one of the oldest and proudest traditions of any school in Canada, let alone Newfoundland. Many of our prominent citizens are St. Bon’s graduates. The school hopes to continue this proud tradition. Is placing this man back in a leadership role for young people going to achieve this? Or is this an autocratic attempt to return things to the bad, shameful days of Newfoundland’s past? Is the idea here to just pretend nothing ever happened and stare down anyone who dares to speak up? That’s been tried before. Am I to be accused of picking on an old man? He is a man who apparently has the full weight of the church behind him, unlike the small, utterly helpless young boys who were brutally abused during his tenure, who, because of his inaction, had the full weight of the church on top of them. What about the parents who are coughing up the big dollars to send their kids there? Are they proud of this? I have a question for the wonderful

young students of St. Bonaventures: what if one of you had gotten up and left the service, objecting to Penney serving mass? By God, I assure you I would have. Would you feel you had the right to do so? Would it have been you who was punished? Do you know your history? Have you learned what happens when people are too afraid to speak up? Because the rest of us have. The Mount Cashel tragedy taught us all here in Newfoundland some very painful lessons: lessons about accountability; lessons about influence and its long reach; lessons about the pain caused by denial and cover-up; lessons about the arrogance and brutality that is bred by unquestioned, undemocratic authority. These are lessons that must be learned to protect our young people from the sins of the past. Are they learning them at St. Bon’s? Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com

STATE OF EMERGENCY

YOUR VOICE Sunday morning coffee and The Independent Dear editor, You know when the kid up the road came knocking at my door asking me if I would like to receive your paper I thought to myself noooo, but I liked this kid so I said yes … little did I know how I have come to look forward to Sunday morning coffee and reading your paper. It is in my opinion the best paper we have in this city; the reporters you have tell their stories in such a way that I can actually picture myself there, especially today’s edition (A survivor’s story, Sept. 25-Oct.1) by Stephanie Porter.

ways. One of which is that they charge a fee. Parents pay this fee in the hopes, I suppose, of getting a little bit extra for their children. Is Alphonsus Penney serving mass an example of this “little bit extra?” I have a long-standing and deep respect for the Catholic faith. Many of my dearest and oldest friends are Catholic. I suffered along with them through the moral nightmare that was Mount Cashel. I suffered with them as they saw their religious leaders refuse to acknowledge the sex crimes committed by priests. I stood by them as their church refused to take responsibility for the actions of their priests, and while they dragged out for unconscionable periods of time the court cases that involved compensation for their victims. I have spoken to many of them about this. The majority response? “What are you going to do?” They seem resigned to their lack of influence with their own religious leaders.

The story was so well written that I cried though most of it. She is a wonderful reporter with a way of touching people through her words. And the photography is so crisp and clear; Paul Daly always captures his settings in such a way that it’s hard to take your eyes off them. Any way, I just wanted to say thank you for having a paper out there that brings the news to me in a way that I look forward to it every week Violet Ryan, St. John’s

Kudos for Harris Dear editor, I commend columnist Michael Harris for writing such a relevant topic in these times and on a situation that affect all classes of people (Open for business … fraud, Sept. 24–Oct. 1 edition of The Independent). Some people’s lives have been destroyed by the criminal activities of these corporations. It’s even worse when the members of our own federal government lack the morals/ethics in their spending citizen’s hard-earned tax dollars so frivo-

lously and with so little accountability (Gomery inquiry). I could understand the sentence Paul Coffin (the Montreal adman who stole $1.5 million worth of taxpayers’ money in the federal sponsorship scandal) received for fraud if it was a one-time act, but over five years? My two main wishes: this article reaches a national readership; and people won’t be gullible enough to re-elect the Liberals … show their frustration! Eleanor Nolan, St. John’s

Fueling the conspiracy fire Dear editor, Here’s an addendum to the 1933 conspiracy theory (Conspiracy of the week by Ryan Cleary, Sept. 18-24 edition of The Independent). The British did not allow Newfoundland to default on its debt in 1933 because they wanted to facilitate the hand over of Newfoundland and Labrador to Canada. The Canadians had been trying for decades to get control of

Newfoundland and Labrador and the British, being bankrupt, were more than willing to oblige — for a price. This would have been an extremely complicated thing to do with a more or less independent Newfoundland, so in 1933 they saw their chance and jumped at it and we all know what happened 15 years later. Joe Butt, Toronto

Stephenville declared a state of emergency this week after 140 mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period. An estimated 200 of the town’s 8,000 residents were evacuated from their homes. Allison Furlong/For The Independent

‘Mr. Wells is a character’ Dear editor, I listened with interest to some of your comments on what a character St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells is (Rogers Television, Channel 9, Sept. 27) and why so many people dislike him so much. While I agree Mr. Wells is a character, I have to vote for him

because no other creditable person has run against him since Jack Harris. Mr. (Ray) O’Neill, Mr. (Vince) Withers and Mr. (Paul) Sears would only set this city back years — I think Mrs. (Marie) White would be a great mayor. There was also a lot made of the fact that it looks like Mr. Wells would get the C-

NLOPB job, but he at least made it clear he would take the job if offered and was upfront about it. I don’t know anybody who would give up a job without being sure they actuality had another one to go to. Kevin Blundon, St. John’s

are the minister of Natural Resources, should herald unprecedented importance of our voice when it comes to issues such as oil and gas, pulp and paper, alternative power production, mineral exploration, hydro electric power, etc. Despite this, the man who should be making waves is stuck in the mud. While I have disagreed with you many, many times on many, many issues, I’ll put my past disagreements with your politics aside for a moment. I’ll deal with now. Now is a good time to resign. You are unable, with your current

health, to continue in your role. You are not adequately representing your department or your province in the role for which you were elected. It’s unfortunate. It’s quite likely unavoidable. And that is my point. If we can’t count on you to be where you should be, when you should be there, then you should have the grace to step aside and allow somebody else to take over. At this point, I’d almost — almost — support a replacement from outside our province. At least there would be a minister present when one was necessary. We all know that by now, you must have enough pension income guaran-

teed to do you until the next coming of Christ. So, can you please think of us? You know… the people whom you are supposed to be representing? We deserve … no, we need a federal minister who can be present at each and every opportunity to speak up for us, to negotiate on our behalf, to represent us in the House of Commons during every question period. Now, more than ever, you need to prove to us you have character and that you really do have our best interests at heart. Time to call it day, John. Deborah Burton, Mount Pearl

An open letter to John Efford Dear Mr. Efford, It is not a crime to have diabetes. I think that virtually 100 per cent of the population would agree with that. Equally true is that a person’s employment simply cannot be jeopardized because they have diabetes. Now that that’s cleared up, let’s get on to the issue at hand. You, sir, are not employed. You are an elected official who has been charged with representing Canada’s (especially Newfoundland and Labrador’s) populace on the issues of natural resources. After all, you are the minister in charge of that portfolio, are you not?

The fact that you have diabetes is very unfortunate and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. That, however, does not change the fact that it is interfering with your ability to carry out the duties and responsibilities of your prestigious position. You have missed vital votes in the House of Commons. You have missed vital meetings, the most recent of which was regarding the spike in oil and gas prices and how it affects Canadians. Your particular department is more important right now than it has been in years, possibly decades. The fact that you are this province’s representative, coupled with the fact that you

OCTOBER 2, 2005

‘Puppet dictatorship’ A review of the Newfoundland National Convention (1946-1948) By Ryan Cleary The Independent

ewfoundland’s per capita debt hasn’t always been through the roof. There was a time — two years after the Second World War, for example — when the national debt was pegged at $40 million (far less than today’s $11.5 billion-plus figure) and the per capita debt amounted to $150 for every man, woman and child. The figure today is well over $20,000 per capita — and rising. But this was 1947 when life was a lot simpler, and cheaper. The war was over, but the prosperity associated with it continued. Newfoundland was in good shape compared to Canada, which had a per capita debt of $1,380, the United States ($1,800 a head) and the United Kingdom ($1,900 per capita). From all indications, Newfoundland was on sound financial footing — which is why the need for a national convention was somewhat puzzling. The purpose of the convention was to review Newfoundland’s economic and financial position and to recommend to the British government alternative forms of future government to be placed before the electorate in a referendum. Plagued with money problems, Newfoundland had given up its democracy in the form of responsible government in 1934 in favour of an appointed commission overseen by Great Britain. The convention was held to bring about a return to democracy — in whatever form. The 45 elected delegates from around Newfoundland who took part in the convention spent most of the first few months reviewing different sectors of the economy — from the fishery and mining to agriculture and forestry, all of which seemed healthy. But the delegates weren’t satisfied with the financial and economic information handed to them from the commission government, which was generally mistrusted. They wanted to send a delegation directly to England to discuss a number of hot-button topics: interest-free loans Newfoundland had given to other countries; the military bases built on Newfoundland soil that had been given away during the reign of the commission government (it was felt Great Britain should cancel some of the national debt for “giving away”

Road to CONFEDERATION AN ONGOING SERIES the bases); and the Gander airport, which had been taken over by the commission government at a $1-million a year loss — a loss that was hard to fathom when the airport was one of the busiest in the world (turns out the fees charged to the world’s major airlines did not cover costs). Charles Bailey, delegate for Trinity South, argued a delegation should have been sent to Great Britain every single year since 1934. “I fail to see how any country can govern another country without some connection between (them),” he told the national convention on Feb. 28, 1947, the day a resolution was introduced to send a delegation to England. The resolution passed without too much debate. Not so with the resolution to send a delegation to Canada — introduced by none other than Joey Smallwood. In fairness, some delegates were in favour of it. They weren’t exactly confederates, but they believed Newfoundlanders needed all the information they could gather to make an informed decision about their future government. Others, including Peter Cashin, an outspoken anti-confederate, argued Newfoundland could only consider union with Canada when it had returned to its status as a free and independent nation. “It (Confederation) could never happen while we are controlled by a puppet dictatorship which dances when the strings are pulled in London,” said Michael Harrington, delegate for St. John’s West and longtime journalist, during a debate over the Ottawa resolution. “Mr. Smallwood’s suggestion that the people of this country be asked to make a decision to go into Confederation on terms handed to a delegation of this convention without bargaining or negotiation is fantastic.” The resolution to send a delegation to Ottawa eventually passed. The background for this column is taken from The Newfoundland National Convention, 1946-1948, by James Hiller and the late Michael Harrington, available through the Newfoundland Historical Society and various retail outlets.

Great Big Sea has remained true to their Newfoundland roots. Never has that been more audible than on their upcoming release The Hard and The Easy. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Alan Doyle, Bob Hallett and Séan McCann talk about their pride in the province, life on the road, and “flying in the face of current music marketing strategies.”

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9

Health Canada contacts province about health implications of electromagnetic fields By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

Alan Doyle, Bob Hallett and Sean McCann

Paul Daly/The Independent

‘A cool portrait of Newfoundland’ A By Stephanie Porter The Independent

lthough they shy away from labelling themselves “ambassadors,” the members of Great Big Sea are well aware that, on tour and on record, they provide the first introduction to Newfoundland to many of their audience members. “For better or worse, we are some people’s first glimpse into Newfoundland,” says Alan Doyle. He, along with band mates Bob Hallett and Séan McCann, have played together as Great Big Sea for nearly 14 years, touring much of the globe along the way. “So that puts you in the position to be of tremendous benefit or otherwise to the province and I don’t want to be otherwise.” Right from the first time they stepped on stage with their popinfluenced Newfoundland traditional music — or trad-influenced pop — the band members say they’ve always been careful to promote this province, its culture, music and people, in a broad and respectful way. “Even if people haven’t heard of Newfoundland, when they hear the music, they get it,” says McCann. “We’ve been careful not to go out and belittle that gift we have of the songs by the use of the term newfie, the newfie jokes, or the same old in jokes. “I’m really glad we took that line early in our careers because it served us well … that has been the demise of many Newfoundland artists in the past, getting into that newfie ghetto mentality. It’s something we’ve railed against.” Being all about Newfoundland — but being accessible to the national and international audience — is a balance they’ve achieved by creating music many can relate to, giving strong, energetic stage performances, and showing genuine and contagious joy in what they do. All of Great Big Sea’s seven releases thus far have gone gold; many are multi-platinum. Their eighth album, The Hard and The Easy, is set for release in Canada and the U.S. on Oct. 11. Over the years, the band’s sound has evolved in a modern pop direction. As Hallett says, the last two discs in particular were “very much pop albums, all about big sounds and everybody playing really hard and really loud and really fast.”

The Hard and the Easy takes a completely different tactic, featuring 12 traditional Newfoundland folk songs, performed acoustically. The sound is more storytelling than party, more kitchen gathering than concert-stage hype. “Yes, this flies in the face of current musical marketing strategies,” says McCann. “It’s not pop, it’s not hip-hop, it’s not what’s on the radio. “It’s a pretty retro move for us … we often did folk songs which are kind of popified or Great Big Sea-sounding. But these are the songs we tend to sing late at night, after shows, at more informal events.” They were moved to release this kind of album now in part because of fan demand and in part, Doyle says, “because we can. “We have these gems in our own backyard and growing up, I just assumed everyone did, but they don’t. All this talk we’ve done about Newfoundland being a special place and a useful place, that’s true. And the more travel I’ve done, the more true it becomes.” There was some concern Warner Brothers — Great Big Sea’s record label — might not react well to a folk CD. “This was a challenge for them, I mean, they can drop us if we don’t have radio singles,” says McCann. “This record … there is no radio singles. But instead of reacting in a negative way and dropping us, they listened to the record and … they understood it. “To them, it sounded like the right thing to do. They don’t know why, but it did.” The musicians want to make something else clear: The Hard and the Easy may be a celebration of Newfoundland — but it’s got to reach beyond Newfoundland and Labrador and Fort McMurray. “It’s not true that we don’t make records for Newfoundlanders,” says Hallett. “We have to make a record that we’re proud to walk the streets with here, we also have to make a record that’s going to fly in Portland and Copenhagen and places like that who don’t have the cultural reference points. “Newfoundland doesn’t mean anything to them. Maybe the only thing they’re ever going to hear about Newfoundland is within our own body of work so we want to provide as broad a picture as we can but one that’s still fun, still interesting.” There were no set rules in selecting songs for the CD, they say

— many are from Gerald S. Doyle’s songbooks (he published five collections of Newfoundland songs in the first half of the 20th century), others were simply gathered over the years, at gettogethers or chance meetings in pubs. The musicians were looking for good stories, true to themselves and the Newfoundland they grew up with — and at the same time, worldly. “One of the things we’re glad about in retrospect is we’ve kind of got a cool portrait of a variety of walks of life in Newfoundland,” Doyle says. “They’re not all about sailing, or fishing boats … there’s a lot more to Newfoundland than fishermen, a lot more to Newfoundland than big ships. We wanted more than anything to paint a broad picture of the place we’re from.” Lest the album-speak get too heavy, Hallett chimes in. “One thing you have to be careful about with folk music, too, is not to make it educational. “We don’t want to sell this like it’s porridge, like it’s really good for you but boring … People have to see listening to this as being more fun than not listening to it.” “Playing traditional music is not some cross that we bear or some crutch that we use,” adds Doyle. “We do it because we like it. “Every song on (the new CD), this song from the backyard of wherever in Newfoundland is significant and just as important as a rock song from New York or a pop song from Toronto.” After 14 years together — much of them spent in close quarters on the road — the bandmates are obviously close friends and business associates, having learned to compromise, take time off once in a while, and poke fun at some of their early work (“What’re you at?” says Doyle with more than a hint of sarcasm, eyebrow raised). They skirt any questions of the band’s future, with Doyle saying “the best business decision we can make is to keep the band together.” Great Big Sea is known for relentless touring, sometimes playing up to 200 shows a year. The travel and other detail parts of being in a band can be trying, says Doyle, but “the one thing that’s always a laugh is playing gigs.” “It’s very easy to get lost in the process,” says Hallett. “And the process is such a pain in the ass. Us, we’re running a big business now, we have all these people and all these projects … But in the end, we get to stand up in front of all these people and play.

“That’s an enormous privilege.” “Now, if we could just eliminate the 12 hours before that …” McCann laughs. Doyle agrees, saying the biggest surprise has always been how boring touring actually can be — every day is just a long wait for a concert. They’ve watched a lot of DVDs, played a lot of pick-up sports, learned to “suck the life” out of every magazine and newspaper. “There are 20 hours of every day to kill,” Doyle sums up. “Twenty hours, and you’re stuck in Medina, Ohio …” “I think I read War and Peace that day,” says Hallett. The conversation edges back towards pride in the province. All three are avid news readers, live in or near downtown St. John’s, adore the views and nearby green spaces, and have no plans to leave. They have a few snippy comments to make about recent city developments — including the Memorial Stadium Loblaws (“maybe we should go out there and tell people, ‘for God’s sake, come to Newfoundland now, before it’s ruined,” says Doyle, only half-laughing) — but give the thumbs-up to the growing popularity of the Pink, White and Green. “It doesn’t have to be a separation flag,” says McCann, “but not many places seem to have a flag they react so strongly to … “I wouldn’t mind it (being the provincial flag) just so it’s a constant reminder to the federal government that, by the way, we haven’t forgotten we used to be a nation,” Doyle kicks in. “I’ve noticed a big change in the last 10 years,” says McCann. “I’m glad to see it. The more educated people get about what we’re really about and how we get along and our own history, the more confident we become.” He laughs, looking at the guys he’s spent much of his adult life with. “If we’re going to be ambassadors, let’s do it right. We could wrap the bus in a giant Newfoundland billboard and drive through Manhattan … “And get five bucks from everyone we know in tourism,” adds Hallett. McCann is warming up to the idea. “The billboard would say, 1-800-CALL-ALAN, and people could call and the phone in the bus would ring, and it would actually be Alan on the phone,” he laughs. “We did say we were bored most of the day.”

YOUR VOICE

‘Passion in your words’

Fools rush into Rooms where angels fear to tread Dear editor, This letter is in response to a letter by Larry Small that appeared in the Aug. 1420 edition of The Independent. Fools do indeed rush in where angels fear to tread, as evidenced by the fairly recent action of Dean Brinton in firing the director of the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador (it shall never be the Provincial Art Gallery Division for me). Why was he fired? His ability to lead and to work with a team of curators and professional staff cannot be in question after that wonderful sight on opening day when we all got to experience his vision for our art gallery — a place where our historical pieces can take their place alongside the work of out contemporary artists; a place where children’s creativity in honoured; a place where colleagues are encouraged to share their ideas and thoughts about art. The art gallery is the jewel on the cultural crown of The Rooms. Brinton’s refusal to be explicit about the reasons why Laurin was asked to leave has left a shadow over Laurin’s reputation, a shadow that is undeserved and should be erased. Mr. Brinton speak up, and tell us why you couldn’t work with Mr. Laurin. Give us your side of the story. Let’s suppose the mysterious dismissal

Sept. 12 letter to the province from Health Canada states the federal government is planning to wait for the results of a World Health Organization study into the health implications of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) before funding any studies of its own or setting safety guidelines. The letter was sent by Morris Rosenberg, deputy minister of Health Canada, in response to an inquiry into overexposure to EMFs by John Abbott, the province’s deputy minister of Health. In July, Abbott sent three letters to Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the provincial Department of Natural Resources. He outlined a request for information on the subject of electromagnetic exposure due to increasing concerns within the province that high incidents of cancer may be related to electricity from transformers or faulty power distribution lines. “The matter of exposure to EMFs and the potential link to health issues, including cancer, is of public concern in Newfoundland and Labrador,” Abbott wrote. In his reply, Rosenberg explained why Canada currently has no exposure guidelines. “Health Canada is in line with a large number of other countries, which feel that the evidence for a clear association between magnetic fields and cancer is too weak to form a basis for national guidelines.” The results of the international World Health Organization EMF project are expected in 2006, along with recommended guidelines for national authorities. Rosenberg says Canada will review the issue at that time. “Should they be necessary, any changes to the current position of this department on the impact of EMF exposures would only come after consideration of this important and long-anticipated document,” he says. Scientists have been conducting research into the health effects of EMFs for decades. Reports have shown exposure can increase the risk of childhood leukemia, as well as exacerbate other cancers and chronic illnesses. Some countries such as Sweden and Switzerland have since tightened their guidelines for recommended magnetic field exposure. Others recommend a precautionary approach. After his wife fell sick with breast cancer, Norris Arm resident Gerald Higgins began lobbying the province to fund a localized, independent study in Newfoundland and Labrador (which has been called an ideal location by health and environmental experts, including the Sierra Club of Canada). He has received support from several politicians, including former

Liberal leader Roger Grimes and Scott Simms, MP for BonavistaGander-Grand Falls-Windsor. Five years ago Higgins discovered that out of the 62 transformers in his town, there were incidents of cancer located close to 60. He has since spoken to thousands of cancer victims, and to support Higgins, Norris Arm Mayor Fred Budgell, mailed 150 letters to towns in the province, asking for stories of cancer that could be related to transformers; 90 towns responded. Despite similar stories across Canada, government officials seem unwilling to conduct conclusive research. “Research findings remain inconsistent and seem only to exacerbate, rather than resolve public concerns,” writes Rosenberg. Geoff Eaton, founder of Realtime Cancer, says with other countries beginning to adopt EMF guidelines, Canada should take note. “On the one hand they’re not acknowledging data collected in other jurisdictions in the world and on the other hand they are refusing to investigate and generate data in Newfoundland,” he says. “It’s all about priorities. “We are far too dependent on government and if I had the cash in my back pocket, the studies would be funded and I’d do them right away.” He says government is too easily swayed by the best interests of power companies, who are “allowed to operate without any guidelines or responsibility.” Magda Havas, a professor of environmental resource studies at Trent University in Ontario and an expert in the harmful effects of EMF exposure, agrees. She says government will eventually have to pay attention because “too many people are getting sick.” Havas has been supporting Higgins in his call for a study in Newfoundland and Labrador and has spoken on several local radio stations about the issue. Almost on a daily basis, she says people who are suffering from health implications as a result of electrical sensitivity contact her for help and she also been approached by doctors requesting information on the subject for concerned patients. Havas says she has little faith in the World Health Organization’s upcoming EMF report. “I think membership is stacked; they pick the people who are going to give them the answers they want and we are not going to move forward on this very quickly.” She does have confidence in the possibility of a local, independent study, however, and says it could have a huge affect on government and public perception. “Studies like that will ultimately force the World Health Organization, Health Canada, to do something. One of the reasons why I think they’re reluctant to fund these studies is because they don’t want to get the answers that they might very well get.”

of the art gallery director was a necessary move. The concerns about the governance structure of The Rooms that subsequently came to light are very serious. People thought the three institutions would continue to be autonomous while sharing “corporate” resources under the same roof. Now it appears, they have been reduced to the status of divisions of The Rooms, as though they were divisions of Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire. The CEO, it was supposed, would look after the corporate side of things — the physical plant, the restaurant and gift shop services, fundraising, etc. I don’t think anyone foresaw the creation of a position that would have the power to interfere in programming and other professional archival, museum or artistic matters. Under the current legislation, the CEO has that power. Along with the fools who seem to be running The Rooms, the cowards on the board, most of whom weren’t even consulted about Laurin’s dismissal, so they story goes, also refuse to stand up and be counted. What do they think about all of this? Do they agree? Do they care? And what about the ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation? Didn’t they draft the legislation that created this situation? Where else in the country would

the director of the provincial archives, or the provincial museum be subject to the decisions of a corporate CEO? The Rooms board is due to meet sometime in the fall. Let’s hope they will take a

really good look at the governance structure they are supposed to be administering, and ask the government to change it. Mercedes Parsons, St. John’s

‘‘

Dear editor, I am aunt to Bernard Dyke, and I have to let you know how much I enjoyed your story (A survivor’s story, Sept. 25 edition). Stephanie Porter does have a way with words; I could almost picture myself sitting with you, Bernard and Marg in the kitchen in Eastport.

I am so glad you were there to do their story, lots of passion in your words. I can’t wait to see them this summer. Again, thanks for sharing their ordeal in your most sincere way. So many people have helped them through a hard time and I, for one, consider you one of those people. Maude Whiffen, Sparwood B.C.

One of the most gifted and sincerely expressive artists to have emerged in recent times. ~ The Daily Telegraph, London

’’

Masterworks #1 Marc David conductor

Virtuoso violinist James Ehnes plays his 1715 “Ex Marsick” Stradivarius. Friday October 14, 2005 Arts & Culture Centre – 8pm Prelude Concert – 7:15pm The Atlantic String Quartet Symphony No.3 Violin Concerto Akasha (Sky)

Brahms Sibelius Glenn Buhr

Tickets: $35/$29; $27/$23; $21/$17.50

Call 729-3900

Peter Gardner General & Artistic Director Principal Conductor Marc David

Designed & Created by Fonda Bushell Inc.

8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

LIFE STORY

‘Why go for seconds?’ FROM THE BAY “Intelligence of a melancholy boat accident at Harbour Briton was received by telegraph … it is that the Rev. Mr. How, clergyman of the Church of England at Harbour Briton, was drowned on Sunday by the upsetting of a boat in which together with his little daughter and his boatman — Chapman — he was returning from Jersey Harbour to Harbour Briton, and his daughter and Chapman shared the same fate.” — The Times, July 15, 1891. YEARS PAST “For the first time in its history Newfoundland is having a Governor who comes neither from a military or naval command nor from the diplomatic or civil service corps, but a parliamentarian who has risen from pit boy in a coal mine.” — The Newfoundland Trade Review, Jan. 26, 1946 introducing Governor Gordon MacDonald. AROUND THE WORLD “‘Happy Jack’ Echert, 63, who weighed 739 pounds and called himself the world’s fattest man, died tonight in a hospital of injuries received Feb. 7 when his specially built automobile was in collision with a freight truck near here (Flomaton, Alberta). — The Bay Roberts Guardian, March 27, 1937. EDITORIAL STAND “It matters not whether the government be in the hands of Whigs or Tories, Liberals or Conservatives, all are subject to venality and all require the constant supervision of an independent and uncompromising public press.” — The Conception-Bay Man, May 6, 1857. LETTER TO THE EDITOR “The dog sickness continues to spread among local teams and there are now few teams which have not been weakened. As far as we know there is no cure, but it can be prevented by inoculation with distemper vaccine, which is procurable in the United States at a cost of $2.50 per dose.” — The Twillingate Sun, Jan. 24, 1948. QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The financial position of the people has improved as is shown by the decrease effected … in expenditure on able bodied poor relief.” — Finance Minister Peter Cashin as quoted in the Newfoundland Gazette, May 27, 1930 when he explained relief was down to $90,000 a year from $260,000 two years previous.

STEVE NEARY 1925-1996 By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

ary Neary says the thought of remarrying hasn’t even entered her mind in the nine years since the death of her husband, Steve. “I had the best. Why go for seconds?” Neary tells The Independent. She describes her late-husband as a devoted father, a loyal Bell Islander, a “real district man” who served as a Liberal MHA for over 20 years, and a loving husband until the last days of his life in the summer of 1996 when he succumbed to a virus that attacked his heart. “The children, I don’t think, even knew he was a politician until about in their teens. They were kept very much away from it because at the time there was a lot of turmoil and he was always front and centre,” Neary says of her husband’s public life. She says she too shied away from the spotlight. “He worked in the (Confederation) Building and I remember I’d be driving down the parkway and Stephanie would say ‘Daddy’s building’ and my reply Former Liberal MHA Steve Neary. would always be ‘Yeah, I’d love to have the light bill.’ Neary says her husband was always Smallwood and elected as MHA for Bell Island involved with their four children Andrea (the in 1962. After the Liberals were defeated, eldest), Stephanie, and the twins Monique and Steve became one of the most well known Pierre. opposition members and, later, party leader. “Even as they got in their teens he always Steve retired from politics in 1985, but was a drilled it into them the fact that they work hard, frequent media commentator who was known give back and never do anything to hurt any- to rise above party bias. one,” Neary says. “He worked hard, they could Mary Neary, a public health nurse, says she see that with their father. He was an early riser met her husband of 43 years completely by and really believed in that early-to-bed and accident. early-to-rise theory.” On call one night, she sat by the phone in an Steve Neary was born in Wabana, Bell apartment she shared with two other girls — Island in 1925. Throughout his life he worked one also called Mary. at the former American naval base at Argentia, “I was sitting home and the phone rang and and in the office for the Bell Island mines this man says ‘Is Mary there?’ and I said where his father was a heavy equipment oper- ‘speaking’ and the man kept talking and I was ator. thinking he must have the wrong Mary,” Neary For 12 years Steve sat on the Wabana town says. council and even helped organize a union for “He said ‘What are you doing?’ and I said the workers at the mines. ‘Waiting for a call,’ and that was it. An NDP candidate for Bell Island, Steve “Steve and I had many a battle over the would rise to political fame after being recruit- phone,” Neary says of her husband’s frequent ed under the Liberal banner by Joey calls from the press. “Especially when he came

home for dinner. The phone would start to ring because people knew it was a good time to get him and I used to say I’m going to take that phone and throw it right straight through the window. “Just remember who pays the phone bill,’” Mary says, quoting her husband. “That’s one battle I didn’t win.” Neary says her husband was loyal to his native Bell Island, though she refused to allow Steve to move the family there. “I had no desire to live on Bell Island, not being born on Bell Island … when winter sets in and in Newfoundland that can last a long time,” she says. “Everything around me today reminds me of him because this is the home that we built and the garden that he built in bringing soil from Bell Island.” She says Steve could grow anything. In his last year, when he couldn’t get out to his garden, Mary would look after it for him — still does. “I’m not as good at it. I keep it up because I enjoy it and it keeps me occupied,” Neary says. She says the house was built for them to spend their old age in together. “He never talked about dying … it was all about living. I don’t think he was afraid of it,” Neary says. “He used to say the worst thing you can ask someone is how they are because you’ll get a litany of complaints and who the hell wants to listen to you?” She says it was his public life that tried their marriage — the travel to his district and government dinners. “There was lots of government dinners, you get sick of those, but we always found something to have a laugh at. Steve was always telling me to ‘watch this he’s guaranteed to make an arse of himself,’” Neary says with a laugh. “And he always knew when he was talking too long because he got the look.” When Steve got sick, Mary says he’d never allow anyone to pity him or take care of him. She would do a dry run before they went anywhere to make sure there wasn’t too much walking or stairs he’d have to climb. “I feel I was lucky to have Steve in my life,” Neary says. “He was very patient with me — he put up with my rants. “Steve was a very kind man and we liked each other … love doesn’t always last, but like does.”

INDEPENDENTWORLD

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2-8, 2005 — PAGE 11

Lebanese protesters carry posters of prominent anti-Syrian news anchor May Chidiac during a sit-in at Martyrs square last week. A car bomb seriously wounded Chidiac Sept. 25. Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Perils of reporting It’s been a bloody time for war correspondents, with 50 journalists killed By Oakland Ross Torstar wire service

hey knew his name, they knew where he lived, they were wearing police uniforms, and they said they just wanted to ask a few questions. A day later, on Sept. 19, Fakher Haider turned up by a roadside on the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city of Basra. The 38year-old freelance reporter for The New York Times was bruised and battered, shot at least once through the skull, and dead. His fate raised to 73 the number of local or foreign journalists slain since March 2003, in what has become, by a wide margin, the most dangerous place on earth to go ferreting around for images or information — Iraq. Three years after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein, people are slowly building democracy in that beleaguered land — at least this is the hope — but they are also digging graves. In addition to human bodies, they are burying courage and conviction, tenacity, and truth, and they are doing it deliberately.

“In every war, you will find journalists that many foreign newspapers and TV being killed,” says Vincent Brossel of companies have opted to rely on local Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based Iraqis to gather the news, mainly because media watchdog. “That’s nothing new. But locals, in theory, are less conspicuous and now, in Iraq, journalists are being target- therefore at lower risk of attack. ed.” So much for theory. For the most part, he According to means Iraqi journalists. Reporters Without True, several recent “In every war, you will Borders, 50 journalists victims of kidnap or murhave been killed globalder in Iraq have been forfind journalists being ly so far this year, and eign correspondents, Iraq has supplied by far killed … but now, people such as Steven the largest quota of Vincent, an American blood — 21 known journalists are being dead. With only a few freelance reporter who was kidnapped and murexceptions, these victims targeted.” dered on Aug. 28, also in have been Iraqi citizens, Basra. most of them working Vincent Brossel But Vincent was somefor foreign organizathing of an exception. tions. “The people who run the greatest risks Those foreign correspondents who are always local journalists,” says Ann remain in the country, or who continue to Cooper, executive director of the New- visit, now take elaborate security precauYork-based Committee to Protect tions that inevitably restrict their ability to Journalists. gather news directly. This is certainly true in Iraq, where the “When there are assignments,” says perils of reporting have become so great Tehini, “they use local staff.”

Now the local staff are being targeted, too. One North American journalist — Canadian Richard Gizbert — finally decided that he didn’t want any part of the country. He is suing his former employer — ABC News — for $4.2-million (U.S.), arguing he was effectively sacked last year for his refusal to accept assignments in Iraq. He had previously covered conflicts in Chechnya, Bosnia and Somalia for the network. ABC denies the accusation and says it declined to renew Gizbert’s freelance contract in order to save money. No matter how that imbroglio works out, there is little question that most large news organizations in recent years have become increasingly wary of putting their own employees in harm’s way, especially in Iraq. Many are placing a heightened emphasis on providing security for their people in the field. For Iraqis who report the news in their See “The bulk,” page 12

‘Night crawler reportage’ Peter C. Newman’s sensationalist book, The Secret Mulroney Tapes, is most accurately described as ‘a quick job for a quick buck’

t now seems obvious that Peter C. Newman, in publishing his new book The Secret Mulroney Tapes, was betraying the former PM for his own gain. The 1983 letter of agreement between the two, whereby Newman was to write a biography while Brian Mulroney would co-operate, provided the journalist not publish the book until after Mulroney had left office. But it also stated Mulroney could check any manuscript for factual corrections and that the book would not be published

JOHN CROSBIE

The old curmudgeon unless jointly agreed. Newman writes that after Mulroney left office, he decided not to give Newman access to all his files and documents as had been agreed, so Newman abandoned the original project. The

“secret tapes” book took shape two years ago when he decided to prepare the book without Mulroney’s knowledge or consent — a truncated and sensationalist substitute. The various parts of interviews used are not even related to one another; merely enclosed between an introduction and a conclusion which journalist Lysiane Gagnon accurately described as “a quick job for a quick buck.” This production had the co-operation of The Globe and Mail, which pub-

lished the first excerpts of the book on its front page Sept. 12, without any warning to Mulroney just as he was recovering from a near-fatal disease that had hospitalized him for months. Newman and his co-conspirators knew that Mulroney is working on his own serious autobiography for publication next year. The Globe outdid the worst of the English scandal sheets by publishing all of the most sensational quotations it could find in the Newman collection.

As most readers will know, I was an elected member of Mulroney’s government, and a cabinet minister from 1984 until he resigned in June 1993. In my own autobiography, published in 1997, I gave my assessment of Mulroney, whom I found to be a wonderful human being and an excellent leader: “He devoted 100% of his time to the job of governing the country and leading his party. Brian and Mila were a warm, See “It takes passion,” page 13

OCTOBER 2, 2005

12 • INDEPENDENTWORLD

In the Big Easy, home is where the art is By Rosie DiManno Torstar wire service

n New Orleans these days, there is only a pale imitation of life — a pentimento — the city’s previous existence, its neon shimmer of colours and vitality, just barely showing through the layers of grime and sludge and detritus. But there is still, in the oddest places, an affirmation of art: art as narrative, art as repository of truth, art as wailing protest. It’s there in the scrawled graffiti that residents left behind before they bugged out, messages that segue from defiance to fury to submission. They raged at the dying of the light, the death throes of a city that had danced and boozed, as if without care, Sodom-like, in those final hours before Katrina hit, even as meteorologists warned that something evil was this way coming. It’s there, too, in the sobering Xs and Os spray-painted in florescent colours against the front of every single house: The date the home was searched by troops, the number of people found within, whether dead or alive. Bright green means the structure can be entered by returning owners or tenants, if not necessarily habitable. Orange or red means not safe; this property condemned. If one squints the eye, there is even a Jackson Pollock vividness in the destruction wrought by both Katrina and her lesser sister Rita, a kind of finger-painting by Nature on the canvas of New Orleans, a smearing. The local paper, The TimesPicayune, went so far as publishing a photo spread yesterday that caught the aesthetic in drying strata of muck — “Mosaics in Mud” — almost geometric and concentric swirls of brittle, cracked soil, resembling pottery shards or Byzantine tessellate. Up near Audubon Park, a very old woman — one of this town’s wellknown Cat Ladies (she has 34 felines, their welfare her reason for refusing to evacuate, which meant playing hideand-seek with the National Guard) — was so inspired by Katrina she’s spent the past month painting the storm. Having run out of canvas, she’s now working in a medium provided by the hurricane — slate tiles scattered off the roofs of neighbouring houses, a seemingly inexhaustible supply. “They’re so beautiful,” Ellen Montgomery told a newspaper reporter. “I couldn’t bear the thought of the National Guardsmen or some contractors trampling over them, so I collected them. I won’t have enough time in my life to paint them all.’’

Irene Mackenroth looks at her ruined Mardi Gras gowns in New Orleans.

Montgomery’s paintings are delicate things, reflecting the view of life from a woman who prefers the purring company of cats to human beings, and who’s wiled away all these long hours reading and re-reading The Journal of Beatrix Potter. As a counter-point to the hurricane, to the documenting of the hurricane, there’s Jeffrey Holmes, an artist who lives and works at what was Ground Zero for Katrina, on St. Claude Ave., the neighbourhood known as Bywater, just this side of the bridge that leads into the Lower 9th Ward. On the meridian outside his house — where’s he’s now living in the second storey with his wife because the floodwater inundated the first floor — Holmes has created an extensive exhibit called “Toxic Art,” using damaged stuff gathered from his residence and from a studio the couple had recently opened, L’Art Noir. The piece includes a series of wooden crosses, garlanded with Mardi Gras beads as rosaries, daguerreotypes of exotic dancers from the turn of the 20th

century, a cheap metal coffin, brocade armchairs, busted TVs, the remnants of a player-piano, funeral brochures, an Elvis painting and a mannequin painted black. It was the mannequins — there had originally been several of them — that

A very old woman — one of this town’s well-known Cat Ladies — was so inspired by Katrina she’s spent the past month painting the storm. got Holmes arrested a few nights ago. “I was asleep, it was about four in the morning, when I heard this commotion,” he says as he prepared a barbeque for locals.

Charles W. Luzier/Reuters

“So I went outside and there’s this National Guardsman shining a flashlight on my work. He told me that the mannequins were deemed offensive because they were racist. I said to him, listen, you don’t know this area. It’s mostly black people who live here. They’re my friends. A lot of them had lost everything in the hurricane. This was my way of creating a memorial for them.’’ When Holmes — who is white — brought up his First Amendment rights, the Guardsman claimed his right to artistic expression didn’t extend to a public place. Then he radioed for assistance from the New Orleans Police Department. Within 15 minutes, Holmes was handcuffed, thrown in the back of a cruiser, and delivered to “The Gulag,” the temporary jail at the Amtrak station, where he spent the night before being released the following morning. He’s got a court date for next January. “They told me that my so-called crime was dumping stuff in the street. In the first place, residents have been

told to remove all their damaged possession and put it outside. And this isn’t dumping, it’s an art exhibit. I know it will all be bulldozed at some point but I wanted, at least for a while, to be able to look out from my balcony and see it for one last time.’’ Dumping, however, is not the misdemeanour on which Holmes, 40, was booked. “They charged me with disturbing the peace and public intoxication. But I wasn’t drunk because this was the middle of the night and I’d been sleeping. Anyway, there’s no law against being drunk in your own home.” This whole experience will likely infuse future artwork. Already, colleagues are helping Holmes to research art and censorship issues. But mostly, he just wants to get back to work, to expressing himself. Because there’s so much to express. “New Orleans has always been a city of artists, musicians and writers. There’s a joy of life here, even in the middle of destruction, so many creative people. And they’ll come back.”

‘The bulk of the carnage has shifted to Iraq’ From page 11 country, there are likely greater risks and even fewer protections. Some of the dangers arise, not from armed insurgents, but from U.S. military forces and the Iraqi government. Several Iraqi journalists have been shot mistakenly by U.S. soldiers, while at least eight Iraqi employees of foreign

news operations are currently behind bars without an official explanation for their imprisonment. Yesterday in Washington, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld agreed to look into the detention or accidental shooting of Iraqi media workers. Meanwhile, the world in general is

becoming an increasingly dangerous place to report the news. During 2004, Reporters Without Borders registered a total of 53 journalists killed around the globe — the bloodiest year for the profession since 1995, when Islamic radicals in Algeria were slaying reporters at the rate of 25 or so per year. Now the bulk of the carnage has

shifted to Iraq, but other countries in almost every corner of the planet persist in being lethal places for journalists. The second most dangerous country for journalists is the Philippines, where five reporters have been permanently silenced so far this year. TARGETED KILLINGS Eighteen other countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka, have contributed the remaining ink-stained entries in this year’s unfolding toll of murdered newsmen and women. The great majority of these killings are not haphazard whims of fate but deliberate, targeted killings. This is true in Iraq, but it is also the

case, for example, in India (one murdered journalist last year), Bangladesh (one), Russia (two), and Mexico (two). Some countries that have been lethal territory for journalists in previous years have lately witnessed substantial improvement, but such shifts may be deceptive. Five Colombian journalists were assassinated in 2002, and four in 2003. Last year, none was killed. But a report by the Organization of American States released this week did not see reason to celebrate, attributing much of this apparent improvement to self-censorship on the part of Colombia’s media. Fewer risks mean fewer deaths — but not necessarily a more vigorous press.

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTWORLD • 13

VOICE FROM AWAY

The wall and the holes in it There is only room for one ugly wall in world consciousness at a time, writes Peter Harley, and the Berlin Wall is down By Peter Harley For the Independent Peter Harley is a Newfoundlander who spent the summer in Bethlehem in a program called Palestine Summer Encounter, put on by Middleeastfellowship.org and Holylandtrust.org.

uring my two-month stay in Bethlehem, I attended an evening lecture by the editor and radio anchor of the English version of Palestine News Network, Kristen Ess. She is an impressive, low-key speaker, concerned both for the truth and exploiting the effects of words on consciousness. She emphasized the need of being certain of facts, faithful to the meanings of words, well acquainted with one’s subject and properly humble. She even spoke of an embarrassment she once felt for not knowing something she should have. She spoke abstractly about predictable reactions to words and phrases like “terrorism,” “defence,” “gunmen vs. soldiers,” “in retaliation,” and so on. It was clear she had an agenda, to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, and that she meant to use this side of journalism to achieve it. But she wanted the emotional effects supported by solid work. After a few minutes of general discussion she asked what we, if we were journalists, would call the physical barrier Israel has set up, mostly on Palestinian land. She asked us to remember that we would use the term over and over in writing about the subject. ‘THE WALL’ I suggested “the apartheid wall”; other people had other suggestions. Her choice was simply “the wall.” As soon as she said it I could see she was right. There is probably only room for one ugly wall in world consciousness at a time, and the Berlin Wall is down. To call this one the wall will promote its infamy more effectively than any string of pejorative adjectives ever could. “The wall” is also the term the International Court of Justice (ICJ) chose to use in its advisory opinion of July 9, 2004. It will not be long before everyone knows “the wall” means the wall the

ICJ considered illegal because it separates Palestinians from their land, divides their towns, disrupts their health care, transportation and agriculture, and constitutes one of the greatest affronts to human rights and common sense in recent memory. Some weeks after the lecture, we had a tour of east Jerusalem with another full-time opponent of the occupation, Angela Godfrey Goldstein. She is a member of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and about twice as old as journalist Kristen Ess. To hear her talk, you’d say she was also twice as steamed. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of local geography and events, and her energy and speaking ability are formidable. UNBEARABLE LIFE As we drove around, she made it clear that construction is as much an instrument of conquest as destruction. The illegal settlements, she said, were planned by military people and positioned strategically to disrupt Palestinian territory, not to mention making life almost unbearable in certain places. Around noon we ended up on the Israeli side of the wall as it courses through the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis. (Properly speaking, there is no Israeli side to the wall here: both sides of it are Palestinian territory, but we were on the Jerusalem side.) Abu Dis is a Palestinian community, and of course there are Palestinians living on both sides of the wall, a fact that gives the lie to any claim for its being a security measure. On this side of the wall a number of Palestinian men were being detained. Godfrey Goldstein said if we waited and watched for a while the Israelis might let them go — they didn’t like internationals looking at such scenes. We stood around and talked to the soldiers and passers-by, and learned the men had been there since about 5 a.m. Some of our group bought bottles of water and sneaked them to the detainees. Sure enough, they were all released within about 20 minutes. I had seen this part of the wall a few times from the other side and knew we were close to a famous hole in it. The hole has been allowed by the Israelis because even they can see, in some measure, the impossibility of what they

Top: people going through the wall at Abu Dis. Bottom: Angela Godfrey Goldstein and her maps.

are doing. In the spirit of being faithful to the meanings of words, one might ask whether “impossibility” is too strong a word to use here. The Israelis have certainly built a lot of wall and are continuing to build more. But imagine a wall in the middle of your town. Your brother or school or barbershop might be on the other side from you, even your hospital. Perhaps your work would be on the other side. There are almost too many reasons to list for the wall not to be there, reasons of human rights violations the

‘It takes passion and ego’ From page 11 personable, thoroughly admirable couple. They were friendly and decent people with children well brought up and well mannered.” My high opinion of him continues. What Newman did is not a surprise since, in his autobiography, he wrote “Those of us who have gained some measure of credibility practicing this mad craft thrive on a pretend intimacy that spawns betrayal.” By printing selected, sensational excerpts secretly and without warning to Mulroney, The Globe exhibited lower ethical standards and integrity than Newman — if this is possible. The most accurate commentary about this sordid exploitative episode that I’ve seen was written by Beryl Wajsman of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal. “It takes passion and ego to be a political leader,” he said. “They are not necessarily bad things. Sadly, the virus of political correctness that has infected Canada’s national mindset over the past decade, has made us forget this.” Wajsman argues “the fault in this episode lies not with Mulroney but with Newman,” whose work he describes as

“night crawler reportage.” He quotes Teddy Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts but the man who is actually in the arena.” I congratulate and support Mulroney, who was actually in the arena, who strove valiantly; who erred and came up short at times, but who spent himself for a worthy cause and can know today the triumph of high achievement. Where he failed, at least he failed daring greatly. Yes, Brian could make mistakes — as he did in trusting Peter Newman. Yes, he is a man prone sometimes to puffery and invective, which is no surprise to most. What is more troubling are the questions that now arise about the ethics of the journalistic craft as illustrated not only by Newman but The Globe.

International Court of Justice considered in declaring it illegal (quite apart from its use as a device to acquire territory illegally). Suppose you were the maker of the wall. Even you might see that you had created more problems on your side than you could bear to look at or live with. What would you do? Why, leave a hole in it! By and by, you begin to wonder about the wisdom of having a wall in the first place. The wall must be made a symbol of the occupation. As such, it should be attacked from both sides and pulled

Peter Harley photos

down. And every event should be a media event. Lately BBC news showed another hole in the wall, this one in Gaza. People were climbing through. There are already many Israelis and internationals who see the truth and impossibilities in this matter quite clearly. Let us hope the impetus for justice swells to a tide that no wall can resist, least of all, one with holes in it. Do you know a Newfoundlander or Labradorian living away? Please email editorial@theindependent.ca.

OCTOBER 2, 2005

14 • INDEPENDENTWORLD

Immigrants making a difference Young flee N.B. but province shows modest population growth By Lisa Hrabluk Telegraph-Journal

mmigration is keeping New Brunswick’s population steady at around 752,000 people even as born-and-bred New Brunswickers, particularly those in their late teens and mid-20s, keep leaving. Statistics Canada released two reports last week, one on population counts and the other on migration flow, which together paint a picture of growth and loss. Among the provincial highlights:

• New Brunswick’s population sits at 752,006 people as of July 1, 2005, a net increase of just over 2,000 people since July 2001. • Between 2003 and 2004, the province had a net gain of 725 immigrants, which enabled the province to claim an overall net gain of 89 new residents. Precisely 636 New Brunswickers left for other provinces. • Also in ’03-’04, New Brunswick had a net loss of people to Alberta (365 people), Quebec (350 people) and British Columbia (85 people). • It had a net increase of people from

Ontario (94 people), Newfoundland young residents, recording a net loss of and Labrador (61 people) and Nova 16 people aged 18-24. In comparison it Scotia (41 people). had a net loss of • Saint John’s 106 people in 2001 population is and 72 in 2000. If not for the 170 buoyed by immiNo doubt offigrants. In 2004 it immigrants … Saint John’s cials in the provinhad a small net loss cial government net loss could have been and in Saint John, of 36 people. However, if not for particularly those 206 people. the 170 immigrants promoting immiwho moved into the gration and repatricity, Saint John’s net loss could have ation as the solution to New been 206 people. Brunswick’s demographic challenge, • Saint John is stemming the loss of will find hope in these numbers.

It’s about time.

After the shock of the 2001 census (a flatlining population that is poorer and older than the country as a whole), these mid-term numbers aren’t that bad. There are a few more people and a few more immigrants willing to give New Brunswick a chance, even if residents are proving to be harder to convince. If asked, Premier Bernard Lord will likely say what he always says when numbers look good; his policies are working. The provincial nominee program, which smooths the path for business immigrants, was established in 1999 and has slowly increased its numbers. In 2001 it processed 50 applications; by 2003 it had approved 110 immigrants through the program. Others have also grabbed hold of immigration as a way to increase the province’s population. New Brunswick’s three southern cities have banded together to lobby for a joint $30-million project to increase immigration, while individuals such as Fr. Jacques Lapointe in St. Leonard and Annette and Rolf Sluiter in Royalton are working to fill niche labour markets. THE REAL WORK For Lapointe it is rural francophones, for the Sluiters it is European truckers. As for young New Brunswickers, it is their own peer group that has taken the lead on convincing them to stay. Lord may peddle his wares at meetand-greets in Calgary and Ottawa but the real work is being done by homegrown groups such as Fusion in Saint John, the Fredericton Young Professionals and the Federation des jeunes francophones du NouveauBrunswick. All three are led by people who had left New Brunswick but opted to return because, as each like to say, opportunity presented itself. And in the end that is what Statistics Canada’s twin reports are really about; whether people, be they from here or from afar, view New Brunswick as a place of opportunity. “Perhaps” seems to be the answer.

Minister seeks deal, not PR in CBC talks free time.

quiet time.

home time.

tee time.

From the minute you arrive to the moment you leave, Humber Valley Resort is dedicated to giving you the time of your life, in an unspoiled land of natural beauty and abundant wild life. With large, private, vacation homes on forested lots. With golfing, skiing, fishing and outdoor adventures of world class standing. With fine restaurants and bars, a club house, beach house and marina. It’s all about having a great time at one of the most internationally acclaimed vacation destinations in the world.

Don’t you think it’s about time you gave us a call?

Three night package from $305*/person. Package includes 3 nights in a luxurious 3-bedroom chalet and one of the following: 2 rounds of golf/person v 3 days in kid’s camp/child v 8 hours of water sports/person

www.humbervalley.com or 1.866.686.8100

* Limited time offer, all taxes extra. Price per person, based on 6 people sharing in mid-season. Other prices available for different group sizes. Based on availability, certain conditions apply.

OTTAWA By Graham Fraser Torstar wire service

abour Minister Joe Fontana is criticizing both sides in the CBC lockout, saying they are spending more energy trying to convince the public of their position than trying to reach an agreement. “They’re both in a public relations battle, but the public relations they need to build is between themselves,” he says. “Not trying to convince third parties of what they are trying to accomplish, but trying to convince each other of what a good, fair and equitable collective agreement would look like.” The CBC took out full-page newspaper ads in the Star, The Globe and Mail, the National Post and the Ottawa Citizen, presenting management’s version of the offer made to the union on Wednesday night. Earlier, the Canadian Media Guild — which has rejected the offer — took out ads showing wellknown broadcasters with their mouths taped. CONE OF SILENCE Late last week, Fontana asked both sides to respect what he called “a 48hour cone of silence” so negotiators can focus all their energies on achieving a negotiated deal without discussing the offers publicly. Fontana says he is getting hourly reports on the talks and he thought they were making progress. On Aug. 15, the CBC locked out 5,500 employees. Last Wednesday’s offer caps the number of contract employees to be hired each year, and proposes that, after two years, they be eligible for full pension and severance benefits. Negotiators spent yesterday analyzing it. The union responded to the ad by issuing a statement calling the offer “a cynical waste of taxpayers money” and the ad “misleading.” “The offer means that literally every future employee could be hired on a non-permanent basis,” said chief union negotiator Dan Oldfield. “This is out of line with Canadian workplace values, and far worse than what you find among private-sector broadcasters.”

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTWORLD • 15

Martin may face Vatican’s wrath VATICAN CITY By Sandeo Contenta Torstar wire service

says. “Politics is a sacred vocation. It’s a life where we need people with a conscience.” Collins believes local bishops should approach politicians and treat each case individually. The bishop should fully explain church doctrine, “encourage them to change their position,” and give them a chance to repent through confession, he says. The synod’s working document doesn’t specifically talk of politicians. But it’s filled with references that clearly apply to them.

oman Catholic bishops gathering for the first synod under Pope Benedict XVI will consider refusing communion to politicians who pass laws that violate church doctrine. The discussions are especially relevant to Canadian politicians, including Prime Minister Paul Martin, who recently spearheaded a bill allowing gay marriage — a move strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. Canadian bishops say the issue of withholding communion from some politicians will be raised as part of a larger discussion on the worthiness of Catholics who present themselves for the sacrament. “The faithful frequently receive holy communion without even thinking that they might be in the state of mortal sin,” says a working document the bishops will take into the three-week synod, which begins today (Oct. 2). In July, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. The withholding of communion has been a hot topic of debate in Canada’s Catholic Church since the law was passed. But the five Canadian bishops attending the synod will be going without a common position on the matter. Most Rev. Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Edmonton, makes clear he personally believes many of the politicians who voted for the law may not be fit to receive holy communion.

Pope Benedict XVI

Reuters

“If it was clear that the politician ... manifestly just rejected the Gospel, then I think the bishop would say to that person, ‘Come to mass, listen to the words of the Gospel, but it’s really not appropriate for you to receive communion,’” Collins

CATHOLIC LAMENT “Some receive communion while denying the teachings of the church or publicly supporting immoral choices in life, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing an act of grave personal dishonesty and causing scandal,” it laments. Voters, it notes, are committing a sin if they back politicians who make “immoral” choices. The synod brings together 256 Roman Catholic bishops from around the world. The working document gives a sense of the challenge ahead: while more than one billion people in the world are Roman Catholics, attendance at Sunday mass is less than five per cent in Europe and North America. Agreements reached at the synod will be forwarded to Pope Benedict. He will issue his verdict on the discussions in a document that could take as long as a year to be made public. On matters of church doctrine — particularly

issues surrounding the family, fertility, and the possible ordination of women priests — Pope Benedict, 78, is considered a staunch conservative. He is also considering a proposal to ban gays — even celibate ones — from becoming priests. In Canada, the issue of withholding communion from some politicians gained momentum in July, after the passing of the same-sex marriage law. A parish priest in Martin’s Montreal riding says the Prime Minister, a practising Catholic, no longer deserved the sacrament because of his support for the law. “I pray that he will lose his riding in the next election,” Rev. Francis Geremia says. Bishop Ronald Fabbro of the Diocese of London banned another NDP MP, Joe Comartin, (Windsor-Tecumseh), from involvement in some church activities because of his support for the law. Fabbro also publicly condemned Comartin in a letter he handed out to all parishioners and had read aloud during mass. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who will attend the synod as the Archbishop of Quebec, backed Comartin’s expulsion from church activities at the time. But he suggested the decision to withhold communion from the two MPs went too far. “You do not lose your right to belong to a community because you do not vote in the right way.” Most Rev. Paul-André Durocher, Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall, says he’s hoping the synod will enlighten him on the difficult subject. “The question of politicians and communion remains for me a kind of quandary,” he says.“I don’t have a personal opinion on it.”

Jean and unity (insert dose of reality here) By Chantal Hébert Torstar wire service

t is ironic but not surprising that few recent events have brought to the surface the enduring existence of the “two solitudes” in Canada as the installation this week of Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Her declaration that the time for the two solitudes was past grabbed headlines on both sides of the language divide but with diametrically opposed results. Outside Quebec, many commentators exhausted their supply of superlatives to laud Jean. In the wake of her speech, others seem to have gone to bed in a Canada much transformed from the one they had woken up to on the morning of the installation. A few even found signs in the entrails of Jean’s words of the demise of the sovereignist movement and the immi-

nent disappearance of its option from the Quebec mainstream. In Quebec meanwhile, the biggest revelation of the installation was not Jean — she has, after all, been a household name in the province for years — but the disproportionate hopes her performance seemed to inspire in other quarters in Canada. The Quebec reviews were far more critical, in particular of her statement on the two solitudes. It was greeted with a collective frown by francophone commentators of both the federalist and sovereignist persuasions. At a time when the so-called winning conditions for another referendum seem to be falling into place, with the Parti Québécois far ahead in the polls, many felt that the new governor general was telling other Canadians what they wanted to hear rather than what they should know. Leading the charge, Andre Pratte, La

Presse’s editorial board chief, warned of the danger of cocooning Canadians with the illusion that the unity issue was behind them. For most Quebecers, he wrote, Canada remains, at best, an incomplete project. MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING Rather than dream of the disappearance of the solitudes, he added, it would be wiser to promote realistic goals such as those of greater mutual understanding and more open dialogue. Quebecers do like and admire Jean. Many are justifiably proud of her. But that does not mean that most of them are about to set their political watches by the governor general. It is always a bit frightening to watch seasoned observers of the Canadian scene turn a pebble of evidence into the foundation of an ambitious analysis but it is hardly a new phenomenon. There has long been a tendency out-

side Quebec to underestimate the residual strength of the sovereignist project or to reduce its appeal to a personality contest. On the other hand, many Quebec commentators are oblivious to the attachment of so many in the rest of Canada to the concept of a federation that includes a French-speaking province. Because Canada leaves them cold, they fail to see how it can be a source of passion in others. It is always harder to assess a phenomenon one does not or cannot par-

take in. It is easy enough to state, as Jean did, that the time for the two solitudes is now past. There is no doubt that a great number of Canadians wish it were so. But if all that it took to turn that dream into a reality was to say so in a speech, it is too bad that the future governor general was otherwise occupied when others were manning the federalist barricades in Quebec. She could have restored Canada’s unity at the tip of her wand, possibly with time left over to turn the national debt into a rabbit.

Stop a heart attack before it starts. Your support is vital. Research into the root causes of heart disease and stroke will help millions live longer, healthier lives. As a leading funder of heart and stroke research in Canada, we need your help. Call 1-888-HSF-INFO or visit www.heartandstroke.ca

16 • INDEPENDENTWORLD

OCTOBER 2-8, 2005

INDEPENDEN T LIFE

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2-8, 2005 — PAGE 17

ith

LIVYER

‘Darkroom to the desktop’ Ray Fennelly on his love for Newfoundland, photography and lighthouses By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

Ray Fennelly

Paul Daly/The Independent

ay Fennelly says he’s lived his life backwards. The renowned photographer did everything he ever wanted to do in life and then semi-retired to take a regular teaching job. Fennelly, an instructor of graphic design and graphic production at the St. John’s campus of the College of the North Atlantic, leans in on his elbows and lowers his voice. “Let me tell you about the retirement package,” he says. “Pretty much everything I ever wanted to do I’ve done. My idea is coming in here now

at 8:30 (a.m.). I cannot wait to walk through that door. I pop out of bed and cannot wait to walk through that door.” Looking back on his career of shooting pictures for some of the world’s biggest publications, he says it’s a relief to go to work to see a dozen or so smiling faces eager to soak up his knowledge. “People don’t understand the amount of work it takes to find the (freelance) work, then they don’t understand how much it takes to do the work and they bloody well don’t understand the work it takes to get paid for the work,” Fennelly says of his days as a freelance photographer. He still does freelance every sum-

mer when school’s out, saying he’s been flat out in recent months, although these days he has more time to take photos for himself. Leaning back in his colleague’s office chair (his office was too cluttered for two people to fit in) Fennelly describes his childhood growing up in a lighthouse on Bear Cove Point on the Southern Shore. Every week his father’s edition of Life magazine would show up and Fennelly would stare at the pictures by light of a kerosene lamp wishing he were the one travelling the world taking pictures. See “Longest two weeks,” page 19

OCTOBER 2, 2005

18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

GALLERYPROFILE

RANDY BLUNDON Visual artist

look through Randy Blundon’s body of work is a tour around the province: Bonne Bay, Bay l’Argent, Fortune Bay, Labrador, St. John’s … the cliffs, ocean, forests and waterways provide Blundon with limitless inspiration. “I used to travel a lot with my job (with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans),” says the Bay de Verde native, at home now in Mount Pearl. “I lived in Grand Bank for 11 years — so there’s a lot of paintings from Burin — and spent five years in Labrador. “Most of the landscapes around Newfoundland I could paint; I just enjoy Newfoundland landscapes and seascapes.” Although Blundon was a member of the local art associations wherever he lived, it was only after retiring from DFO in 1998 that he devoted serious time to painting. He still does, although he’s also into his second career as a realtor in the capital city

area. In his spare time, he freelances as a graphic designer and does a little soapstone carving — then there’s the three grandkids to hang out with. “I don’t spend as much time outdoors as I used to.” He laughs, adding he still loves walking in the woods and neighbourhood parks. He says he’d like to spend more time doing pencil sketches to paint from — but weather and time don’t always permit. When painting, Blundon alternates

between acrylic and oil paints. “I plan on using more oils,” he says. “It’s looser; there’s more feeling in an oil painting than in an acrylic one. With acrylics, I tend to do too much detail. I guess I do it because I can, but I’d like to get away from that. “My favourite type of painting is really loose, impressionistic style. Even though that’s my favourite kind of painting, that’s not what I paint, you know?” Blundon gives a tour of his most recent pieces — a fall scene from

Oxen Pond, a winter river spotted in Bowring Park. There are two large seascapes, an iceberg caught floating by, and a bird perched on a fading fence. He points to one favourite — an atmospheric autumn scene near a still pond. For this one, Blundon used a knife to apply thick oil paint to the canvas, creating a textured, evocative surface. It’s a direction he plans to continue in. He may not travel the province the way he once did, but images from

nature pop out at Blundon every day. “Here, you don’t have to go too far to catch a nice scene,” he says. “Sometimes I take a picture — like of this old fence — because I know it’s a painting. It might be 10 years before it actually becomes one, but it’s in there.” Randy Blundon’s work will be on display at the Cynthia I. Noel Gallery on Long’s Hill, St. John’s, until Oct. 31. — Stephanie Porter

The Gallery is a regular feature in The Independent. For information, or to submit proposals, please call (709) 726-4639, or e-mail editorial@theindependent.ca

POET’S CORNER A Flag for Newfoundland My life is bounded by the surf of seas that washed up human cargoes plucked from the undertow of British ports who fashioned what I love in hues of garden pink and verdure green beneath a vault of clouded white enchanting sons unmoved by monuments of stone.

Green of Ireland— shoots of green sprouting in beauty on the broken spine of headlands sniffing airs from that lost home mocked into memory … tramp of summer’s feet across the seeded acres of the heart luring the grass to creep about new worlds and pattern stress of life with fantasies of happiness.

In this discharge of destiny where curlews echo sooty terns and headlands loom the day from tartan textures of the morningtide hands of our fathers, trembling hands, reached out to brotherhood and made a flag for Newfoundland from dawn and meadows and the foaming ocean’s wash. Pink of England— wild roses sprinkled with the lazy flame of evening’s blush of sky and tatters of dimly shadowed morn … north wind where fir cones fall from matins of the herring gull to partridgeberry fires … leaf mute days That mutter of encounters with the fragile hope of flesh embraced by youth, affirmed in burnished ebb of foliage and grasp of famished visions of a sleep.

Look to the Hill For Inspiration ON MAY 24, 2005, four young men braved the elements to install a flag on the Southside hills. Many were curious as to why they would do such a thing. Simple – they want people to take notice and to make a difference. Find out what inspired them to undertake this feat. Subscribe to The Independent for information.

White of Scotland— doves of white tracking the ice chill of old hates with breadth of thaw …

smoke of a springtime burning of the blight that grew from angry toil … splendor of a bloom of stars in moon wake of that long forgotten journey from the east Atlantic isles to the heart love and unlocked potency of half grown heresy that is my land.

Here is my heritage To flap in crowded winds … to flutter with the cloth of other lands … to dazzle where the eyes look from the soul … this is the one true flag of Newfoundland. Some few would legislate an alien banner dredged from lost enchantments that are now dead ash of a colonial dream— but in the eye that loves this island earth one flag alone is seen and it is coloured vertical with pink, white and green. A poem by Paul O’Neill from his 1968 book Spindrift and Morning Light.

Step Out for Stephenville Fundraiser the Red Cross Stephenville Flood Relief Fund Organized by CBC’s locked out employees

Hosted by Shelagh Rogers

Barkley's Bar and Grill, Mount Pearl, Monday doors open 7 p.m.

Tickets $10

Available at Norris Music (Mount Pearl) Barkley’s, The Travel Bug or at the door HOME DELIVERY: 726-4639 OR 1-888-998-4639 ~ WWW.THEINDEPENDENT.CA

Meet Shelagh, see the show, support the cause

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19

The cooking cusp T

o be perfectly honest, there isn’t much time during the day when I am not thinking about, preparing, or eating food. Food seems to be the focus of my day from morning when the first drop of caffeine hits the tongue and is carted through the bloodstream for that first invigorating “fix” of the day, until that last sip of water before I lay my head to sleep. Food is always on my mind. Food is what I live for; food is why I’m writing this. Good food is in my blood. I remember as a child in the early ’80s my parents hosting roaring dinner parties. My mother, a fantastic cook, would fret for hours making the finest foods. A typical menu could be boeuf en croute (Beef Wellington) with duchess potatoes (piped mashed potatoes) and other vegetables, as well as the accompanying wines. My mother truly shines

NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the eating path in cake and pastry making. All those people who have had the opportunity to taste her rich and decadent chocolate marble cheesecake with chocolate crust knows even a mere sliver will make you beg for more. My father gets really excited when we plan a good dinner party over what wine to serve. No matter what, he’s always up for a big robust red wine. I get my love of wine and spirits from my dad. My family has a reputation for having uproarious laughter, fun and merriment whenever we get together to eat. It is what we do. The troubles of the year

EVENTS SUNDAY OCT. 2 CIBC Run for the Cure at The Royal Canadian Legion, on Quidi Vidi Lake 9:30 a.m. To register, visit www.cbcf.org or drop by the Running Room, Churchill Square. MONDAY OCT. 3 Marian Frances White will read from Mind Your Eyes, during Random Acts of Poetry from October 3-9, 722-8500. TUESDAY OCT. 4 Join the Anna Templeton Centre for Preschool Art Discovery from 9:3010:30 a.m., for children 3-5, 739-7623. The department of Linguistics at Memorial will host a lecture titled Gender in English Pronouns: Myth and Reality with Dr. Susanne Wagner at 3:30 p.m., SN 2101. WEDNESDAY OCT. 5 Beauty and the Beast at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre. Call 729-3900. Folk night at the Ship Pub features Owen McEntee, 9:30. THURSDAY OCT. 6 The Irish Descendants live at the Gander Arts and Culture Centre, 2561082. Double Time Jazz with Duane Andrews Quartet and the Patrick Boyle Quartet at the Cook Recital Hall

seem to vanish and we set everything aside and resort to our childish ways. My father is stingy with the first pouring of wine, as he always is, and pours my glass last. A trickle of vino runs down, collects at the bottom and soils a perfectly clean glass. “There you go,” he proclaims. I pick up the glass and peer down into the depths and squint as if looking for atomic particles with the naked eye. “Come on dad, there’s not even enough in there to drown an ant,” I say, or something like it. “All right,” he says, chuckling, “I guess you deserve a bit more,” and then fills the glass. The farce never fails to amuse the rest of the table. Coming full circle we arrive with why I am able to comment on food — my credentials. I packed my bags and left Newfoundland to be trained in culi-

nary arts. I eventually landed a job in a restaurant in Niagara, Ontario attached to a winery. It was there that my skills were honed and my life’s passion — to find honest food — began. Over the years I worked at some very fine places in Ontario. Private dining restaurants for the privileged elite, private golf clubs and more golf clubs and even a stint in a large yet ill-run commercial kitchen where I was paid — not for my skills to cook — but, as it turned out, my ability to use a microwave oven. Each of the restaurants where I worked taught me a lesson in the food service industry. Each one had the right ingredients to be successful, but it takes more than just great food to make it a great restaurant. It takes a well-trained staff both behind the scenes and at your table to make an exceptional experience. Even with those experiences, I knew I had to go home.

I moved back from Ontario for a lot of reasons. I left Ontario even though they treated me well in the kitchen — I knew deep down that Newfoundland is on the cusp of something. I know it. Newfoundland is now where Toronto was 30 years ago. The food world is ready to explode here and I want to be a part of it. Why is all of this information important? I could just as easily have posted my CV online for all of you to read. I thought this way you would at least hear to my comments. Don’t take them as cardinal law, but know that I am at least trained to comment on food … unlike my contemporary. Move over Karl, there’s a new guy in town and things are about to get interesting for all of us. Nicholas Gardner is a food writer living in St. John’s. His next column appears Oct. 16. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com

JILL PORTER CD RELEASE at the MUN School of Music. FRIDAY OCT. 7 The Birdcage at the LSPU Hall. 8 p.m. $12 at the door.. Neil Diamond Dinner Theatre starring Peter Halley, Shelley Neville, Darrin Martin and Steve Power, The Majestic Theatre, 390 Duckworth St., 7 p.m. SATURDAY OCT. 8 Live at Junctions Children of Eve, 576-7007 Atlantic Ocean Dinner Cruise country and western party with Bren Walsh, 8 p.m. – midnight, tickets $35, 8346663 or 1-877-834-6663. IN THE GALLERIES David Hoffos examines illusion in genre movies, theme park attractions, 19th century parlours and museum displays in a of small installations. Eastern Edge Gallery, 739-1882. All Around the Mulberry Bush a group exhibit that explores the visual and tactile uses of Japanese paper. Devon House Craft Centre, 59 Duckworth Street. Balance restaurant, 147 LeMarchant Road, presents In the Eye of the Beholder by Eric Deitch.

Jill Porter will officially launch her self-titled debut CD Oct. 15 at the Last Drop on Water Street, St. John’s. Doors open at 9 p.m. for an evening of music and food. Porter will perform with her band and plenty of special guests. Paul Daly/The Independent

‘Longest two weeks of my life’ From page 17 “We didn’t have electricity — it’s not that we were poor folk — we just didn’t have it,” Fennelly says. For “romanticism,” he adds he attended a one-room schoolhouse. When he was 14, Fennelly says he convinced his father to allow him to buy a stereo during a trip to St. John’s. “I was going to buy a JVC VL15 turntable — God, I wanted that so bad … and I was walking up past Tooton’s (on Water Street) and I saw this camera in the window and that’s as close to a stereo as I got for quite some time.” His first photo, shot when he was a

young boy, was of a local man, Con O’Neil, walking up the road on the Southern Shore. The shot wasn’t a great one. He treasures the shots he took at the age of 14 of his lighthouse home. Technology has changed since then; digital cameras have replaced film. Fennelly says he wasn’t particularly attached to the darkroom he “grew up in. “When I was starting out, the idea of this scenario,” he says gesturing at the computer monitor with a jut of his chin, “would have been a joke. In terms of the science fact in comparison to the science fiction, it’s truthfully a quantum difference.

“This,” he says glancing again at the monitor, “is just a version of a traditional dark room … except I get to do it in the light which is kind of nice and I don’t have to have near as much chemistry around me so I don’t have near as much problem with my sinuses.” He says he still spends time in the darkroom — alone and with his classes. “I still love the smell of it and I love the light.” Fennelly lived out the great adventures he imagined as a boy — including walking across Newfoundland and eventually taking pictures that would appear in Life magazine. He says all

his “exotic trips” have been within the province. Fennelly talks about his love for Newfoundland and Labrador, the Torngat Mountains, the art and poetry of his homeland, with passion and enthusiasm. He says Labrador is an extension and exaggeration of Newfoundland. “I almost get nervous talking about it because I don’t really want people going up there,” he says with a laugh.

Offered jobs all over North America, Fennelly says he wouldn’t work anywhere that wasn’t near an ocean. Landing a job in Brandon, Manitoba in the 1980s, Fennelly says he told his new editor that he’d planned a twoweek vacation in Newfoundland before he started work. “I came back here for two weeks to do a magazine job in 1983 and it’s been the longest two weeks of my life.”

579-STOG 77 Harvey Road

Stoggers’ Pizza The“best pizzain town” is

BACK!

OCTOBER 2, 2005

20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

IN CAMERA

Voisey’s Bay produced its first concentrate a few weeks ago. The site will churn out 50,000 tonnes of ore a year for processing in Manitoba and Ontario smelters. Writer Clare-Marie Gosse spoke with Inco officials recently about the massive project, while picture editor Paul Daly flew into Voisey’s Bay.

Under Inco’s agreement with the province, n remote northern Labrador, Inco’s which was signed in 2002, a full-scale comVoisey’s Bay nickel mine is still a masmercial processing plant must be built in sive hum of activity. After a two-year Newfoundland and Labrador beginning intensive construction phase, the facilJanuary 2009. Whether that facility will use ity produced its first concentrate a few the hydro technology or conventional smelter weeks ago. Finishing touches are still being will depend on if the new process is found to made to areas of the site, which as well as a be technically, economically and environmenmine and concentrator, consists of power tally viable. plants, a landing strip, port and an extensive “I’m hopeful,” says Shirley, stressing the accommodations complex. importance of having a demonstration phase. Activity — which includes up to 950 peo“There’s just too many examples in the ple currently on site — should wind down by mining industry where people have gone the end of the month as the company prepares ahead and invested vast sums of money on to ship out its first batch of concentrate. The new technologies and then they don’t work or shipment, which will be delivered to they end up with start-up problems and it Argentia’s demonstration facility and Inco’s costs a tremendous amount of money.” other secondary processing In September 1993, the facilities in Ontario and first nickel deposits which Manitoba, will mark the would become Voisey’s Bay beginning of Voisey’s Bay’s “We carved out of were discovered on the eastfull operations, which are ern edge of a vast northern estimated to last at least 25 the green field area wilderness, roughly 35 km years, likely more (dependfrom Nain and 350 km north all of the facilities ing on ongoing exploration of Happy Valley-Gosse Bay. results). The mining project, operwhich we need to “Everybody that’s been ated by Toronto-based Inco, involved with the project is support a modern is considered to be one of the up there right now,” says Joe worlds largest and richest Shirley, project director, “and mining operation.” nickel deposits. The mine that’s from the designers that and concentrator operation is started drawing this on paper, Bob Carter, manager expected to process 50,000 through to the constructors tonnes of ore per year, conwho are building it, to the of public affairs tribute an estimated $11 bilvendors and equipment suplion to the provincial econopliers … and then the operamy and employ just under tions people that are operat400 people. ing the mine and the concentrator, through to If the operation moves underground, as is visitors. expected some time after 2015, employment “Very soon the designers will be gone, the figures will double. constructors will be gone, the vendors will be In 1996 Inco acquired the Voisey’s Bay gone and the visitors will be less and less.” deposit for $4.3 billion. It took six years of The Labrador facilities are running roughly negotiations before the province signed an eight months ahead of schedule and so is the agreement allowing them official permission demonstration plant in Argentia, which has to develop the mine. been built to process a small portion of Within that agreement Inco committed to a Voisey's Bay nickel (roughly five tonnes per number of conditions concerning business, month) over the next two years. educational and employment opportunities The demonstration plant is being used to for the people of the province — particularly test a new type of hydro processing which is residents of Labrador, including the Innu and more energy and environmentally friendly Inuit people. than smelter processing.

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 21

‘Carved’ from the Labrador landscape

Bob Carter, manager of public affairs, says currently 80 per cent of the employees at the site in Labrador are from Labrador. “They can be residents who already lived in Labrador or who moved there,” he says. “Of those, there’s a very high proportion of aboriginal people in the work force, about 50 plus per cent. “The balance are individuals who for the most part live on the island, and they do commute to pick up points in Labrador and we are paying a portion of their travel costs to get to those pick up points.” The 80 per cent travel subsidy Inco is paying

these employees to travel in and out of Labrador for their rotational shifts has been a heated subject with stakeholders from the local communities, who are calling for the company to revoke the policy. Talks are ongoing and Carter says the company aims to employ 100 per cent locally. “(It) just makes good sense,” he says. “As attrition occurs and there’s turnover in the workforce, we’ll be looking to fill those positions with people who are living in Labrador.” Happy Valley-Goose Bay Mayor Leo Abbass is hoping, along with the Labrador Inuit Association, to resume meetings with

Inco within two weeks. “It’s not just Inco,” he says. “We feel if this (travel subsidy) is allowed to occur, it sends a message out to other developments that may arise here in Labrador, that it’s OK to live outside of Labrador and travel to and from your place of work.” Abbass says the travel subsidy has been the only “glitch” in the development of Voisey’s Bay so far and he acknowledges the positive impact of the operation on the local economy. “I know there was over $14 million in wages paid to Labradorians and I fully realize that much of that money was spent here in our

community and Lab City.” Inco is proud of what the company has managed to create in the remote and often harsh landscape surrounding Voisey’s Bay, which as a site is only accessible by air and water and is openly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. “We carved out of the green field area all of the facilities which we need to support a modern mining operation,” says Carter. “So we built a port, we built an air strip, we built accommodations facilities and we built an industrial plant and that was accomplished in just about two years.”

OCTOBER 2, 2005

22 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

NOREEN GOLFMAN Standing room only

f any of the newly elected municipal councillors of St. John’s were asked to describe the future of the city, would any of them have a clue where to begin? What would they imagine? What would be their frame of reference? What would they see? Are there any among them who have a developed concept of beauty or design? Have they ever heard of Jane Jacobs? Shouldn’t there have been a quiz? Sadly, hardly anyone really talked about the city during the pathetic excuse for a campaign. Candidates blathered about fiscal responsibility or city hall decorum, but with only one or two notable exceptions the rest of the motley pack avoided language that hinted even remotely of urban beauty, heritage, or the value of maintaining whatever charm still remains in the older sections of town. The opportunity to save what’s best about St. John’s (harbour views; the elegant curves of Water Street, low-rise buildings, spots of green, a sense of neighbourhood, lively street life) lies before this council like a narrow gauntlet. The temptation to encourage the worst of it (shabby stretches of asphalt, ugly view-blocking buildings, concrete and vinyl structures) will be strong. Will this council find the courage to create fresh and exciting new structures? Around here hope springs infernal. Compare with another city many of us have visited. St. John’s residents who regularly escape to Cuba have the opportunity to check out a small museum in the relatively posh diplomatic section of Havana. Here, in a whitewashed open hall supported by the state, rests a perfect model of the city in miniature. Known as Havana’s Maquette, this impressive structure took 12 years and nine technicians to construct. It sits on a grand expandable table and it is colour coded in neutral shades to mark the different dates of the buildings. New buildings erected since the Revolution are in white to distinguish them from earlier structures. When new construction is proposed anywhere in the city, a scale white model of the new edifice is situated on its intended site, allowing citizens and city planners to plainly see the effects on the surrounding land and viewscape. Think Lego for adults.

Havana, Cuba

Eamonn Farell/Photocall Ireland

Saving the City A word of advice for the new St. John’s council: look to Havana It might be propaganda, but Cubans say that the capacity to visualize the city in this three-dimensional way has saved many a disastrous proposal from blocking the light of day. In one notable example, as soon as the scale model of a Japan-based corporate tower was placed in its intended space along the famous Cuban waterfront, everyone could see how wrong it was. Simply put, it chewed up the scenery. Havana, like St. John’s, is obviously a work in progress. It’s a big messy project, not a neatly designed blueprint of the state. The planned features of its modern development tend to complement the chaotic grace of its fading colonial architecture. Even beach-bound tourists like to flock to the city for surviving evidence

of its history, the elegance of its streets, the lovely traces of hundreds of years of built culture jostling up against a modern dream. Arguably, no city on this side of the world boasts such a harmonious balance of planned and random development. Without that balance Cuba could not depend on its tourism industry. There would be nothing worth seeing. No one admires St. John’s because of Kenmount Road, shopping malls, Atlantic Place, or those ubiquitous black vinyl billboards that announce daily specials. But even if we didn’t care a jot about tourism, the real and lasting danger is that our elected officials might lack an awareness of the importance of street life and the humancentred values such life produces.

They might not appreciate the demonstrated fact that rows of shop fronts in two or three-story buildings encourage safe and happy pedestrians who don’t rely on cars, that people are attracted to spaces where they can stroll at leisure and with a sense of surprise. Apparently when the Federation of Canadian Municipalities met here in June of this year, there was widespread appreciation of our well-honed hospitality and unreported murmurs of concern about the city’s uneasy future. Representatives observed we are on the very dangerous edge of possibility, the point being that some bad moves could easily turn the city from a rare example of livable space into a sadly wrecked dream. This challenge was lucidly stated

almost four decades ago by urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who actually fled the United States for the leafy communities of Toronto. She still lives in her chosen neighbourhood but there is now much to lament about the concrete alienation of Toronto. St. John’s doesn’t need that 1960s anathema, “urban renewal.” We don’t need suburban thinkers or real estate magnates to show us the way. We do need good judgment, bold ideas, and a sensitivity to what makes this place hum like no other. First, every newly elected official should have to swear an oath of allegiance on a copy of Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Then council should pass its first radical motion banishing lawn signs from all future election campaigns. They do nothing but blight the landscape and encourage bad spelling. Good luck ladies and gentlemen. We’ll be watching. Noreen Golfman is a professor of literature and women’s studies at Memorial. Her column returns Oct. 16.

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION • 23

24 • INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION

With the focus of today's lifestyle on fitness and nutrition, Manna European Bakery and Deli on Freshwater Road has become the number one stop for many customers in selecting deli and bakery products and in preparing for a special event where memories will last forever. Manna Bakery is known not only for the preparation of its fine foods but also for its careful selection of healthful products without compromising superior taste – all made from ingredients chosen from local and international markets. Whether you’re dropping in for a sandwich at lunchtime or require the services of an experienced caterer to ensure your special event is a success, Manna Bakery is the place to visit. Manna Bakery has on staff a pastry chef from Dublin, Ireland who is enthusiastic about sitting down with customers to help them make the right selection – be it a wedding celebration or any other special occasion. “Our store has a wonderful abundance of delights to entice you, including fresh meats, fish, fabulous salads, delicious hot foods, fabulous desserts and home style bakery goods,” says Manna Bakery Owner Chris Rusted. Manna Bakery also speciaizes in business luncheons, office

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION • 25

parties and holiday celebrations right in the comfort of your own home. Bartender and waiter services are also available.

“Our store has a How it all began Manna Bakery opened its doors in St. John’s in 1983, as the in-store bakery for another specialty food store in St. John’s. This arrangement continued for about three years, until normal growth left the operator of the bakery and the owner of the food store on different pages as to how future growth and management would occur. It was then determined by the bakery’s operator, Jindra Fodor that she would be best able to present the products and the style of service she required at new premises on Freshwater Road. These are the same premises Manna Bakery now occupies and where the business has been steadily growing for the past two decades. In 1989, some adjacent

wonderful abundance of delights to entice you, including fresh meats, fish, fabulous salads, delicious hot foods, fabulous desserts and home style bakery goods.” Manna Bakery Owner Chris Rusted

space became available and Manna Bakery was expanded to accommodate more display space and a small dining area of some 16 seats. The dining area has become the place to meet for quick lunchtimes nutritious sandwiches or mid-morning and afternooncoffee breaks. At present the business occupies some 2,800 square feet of retail, dining and production space. In May of 1992 the Rusted family acquired the business and company from the Jindra and George Fodor – one of the province’s leading cardiologists at the time. In building on George Fodor’s healthy lifestyle promotions through the years, Manna Bakery now offers a wide selection of sugar-free products for its diabetic customers. Those watching their sugar intake should visit Manna Bakery for sugar-free white and whole wheat bread, carrot and pineapple muffins, mousse cakes, oatmeal

OCTOBER 2, 2005

26 • INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION

raisin cookies, pineapple squares as well as other inhouse features. Manna Bakery also offers a number of gluten-free bread, muffins and cookies on request as well as a variety of lactose-free products including cakes, entrées and desserts. And with the low carb craze, Manna Bakery is the place to shop for a wide

selection of low carb breads and kaisers. Specialty products that you aren’t likely to find anywhere else in the city also hold their special place on the shelves of Manna Bakery. Leonidas Chocolates are maintained in a special case, and are exclusive to Manna Bakery for Newfoundland. “The products are all of supe-

rior quality, and have one of the highest brand recognitions in the retail specialty chocolate market,” Chris says. While Liberty Yogurts aren’t 100 percent exclusive to Manna Bakery, Chris says that for sometime now, Manna Bakery is virtually the only place in the St. John’s area where a wide range of the product may be pur-

chased. Like the Liberty products, Van Houtte Coffee is not exclusive to Manna Bakery. However, it’s the only business where the product can be purchased. For those who love to sit back and relax with a good cup of tea, you won’t find a more superior product than Harney & Sons teas, or a better place to enjoy them.

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2-8, 2005 — PAGE 27

Tourists ask for directions in downtown St. John’s.

Paul Daly/The Independent

The place to be Newfoundland and Labrador attracts more tourists than Maritimes, but fuel prices have hurt industry By Darcy MacRae The Independent

he province continued to be the top tourist destination in Atlantic Canada this summer, says an official with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. Although numbers on exactly how many tourists visited aren’t yet available, early indicators show it was another successful tourism season. “Overall, from what I’m hearing, the province was on par to the previous year and we are slightly above the other Atlantic provinces,” says Nick McGrath, president of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, which monitored trends and news reports throughout the Atlantic region. “That’s a good sign. Newfoundland

and Labrador still seems to be the choice place to be in Atlantic Canada.” McGrath says this is not the first time the province was the top tourist destination on the East Coast. He says for a number of years now, vacationers have been looking to Newfoundland and Labrador. “1997, the Cabot year (the 500th anniversary of John Cabot’s landing in Newfoundland), certainly put Newfoundland and Labrador on the map as a tourist destination,” McGrath tells The Independent. The summer tourism season kicked off in June, but tourists did not immediately flock to the province. McGrath says there are several reasons why visitors stayed away. “The weather wasn’t really great in

the early part of the season,” he says. “The strength of the Canadian dollar was keeping the American tourists away. And American travel hasn’t picked up since 9/11; they’re still not travelling back to Canada.” By the fourth week of July and into early August the tourism season was at its peak, McGrath says, with warm weather in abundance and festivals and concerts running throughout the province. Experiencing a spike in numbers for this time of year is nothing new, however. “That is the peak season in the tourism industry,” McGrath says. “We were expecting for it to peak at that time.” As good as things were in July and early August, later that month and throughout September the number of

visitors took a dive, thanks in no small part to the price of gas, says McGrath. “That has a major effect on the tourism industry because it is such a cost-sensitive industry. Any increase at all cuts into people’s pockets, so they often take shorter trips,” he explains. A large number of the tourists who visited the province came from eastern Canada, Quebec, Ontario and the eastern seaboard of the United States. McGrath says plenty of European tourists also travelled here. He adds that Europe is a growing market for Newfoundland and Labrador, a market the province is looking to for added tourism dollars in the future. As for where tourists headed once See “We maintained,” page 29

Province’s plan to revoke timber licences may be empty threat

he province’s threat to strip Abitibi Consolidated Inc. of its Crown timber licences should the company close No. 7 machine at its Grand Falls-Windsor mill may prove to be an empty one. The Quebec-based forestry giant will still have access to almost half its current timber allocations due to leases covering approximately two million acres of land. That much could keep the remaining machine going at the central

Newfoundland mill. The province is currently reviewing all its arrangements with Abitibi after talks broke off Sept. 22. The company announced it would close its Stephenville operation at the end of the month and plans to shut down one of its two machines in Grand Falls-Windsor by the end of the year. Over 400 jobs will be lost between the two communities. Labour Minister Joan Burke says it’s too early to judge the likelihood

of the province succeeding in stripping Abitibi of its remaining timber licences should it take the company to court. “It’s under review at this time,” says Burke, whose district includes Stephenville. “We just want to let Abitibi know that every arrangement that we have with them, right now, we are looking at it and we’re going to see how our relationship is and what we may be able to do.”

Premier Danny Williams has suggested the company should sell its Newfoundland facilities to another operator, but locals in Stephenville have expressed concern that the province’s tough stance could sever all hopes of ever saving their mill. Unreasonable demands and a “back-door approach” were cited as reasons for government’s refusal to continue negotiations with Abitibi. A request from the company for subsidized hydro power was part of

negotiations over the future of the Stephenville mill, but Burke says Abitibi was asking for too much. “Their request was that they wanted three cent power and it’s our position that we can’t give it to them. That’s below the industrial rate and it’s just unrealistic,” she says, adding the industrial standard is five cents. — Clare-Marie Gosse and Alisha Morrissey

28 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

U.S. closer to Arctic oil drilling Committee votes for development in pristine refuge; gas prices after hurricanes used as lever by pro forces WASHINGTON By Tim Harper Torstar wire service

he winds of Katrina and Rita that savaged the U.S. Gulf Coast now threaten to blow away Canadian efforts to prevent the Bush administration from drilling for oil in a pristine Arctic refuge. Proponents of the drilling initiative, which has been formally opposed by the Martin government, have ratcheted up efforts to finally win a battle that has raged for a generation, using post-hurricane gas pump price fears in this country to their advantage. A vote to allow drilling would be a highly symbolic victory for U.S. President George W. Bush, a man who needs a victory now. A House of Representatives committee voted to open drilling this week and a vote set for both chambers in coming weeks as part of a budget measure will decide the issue. “This has always been a very tough sell for us,’’ says Joe Linklater, chief of the Vuntut Gwich’in First Nation in Old Crow, Yukon, who is working with Ottawa to defeat the measure. “The pro-development forces have always been very good at getting their spin out on this and now they are using the hurricanes as part of that spin. But this is an international issue as well as an environmental and cultural issue.’’ MINI ENERGY BILL The energy and commerce committee voted Wednesday to lift a federal ban on offshore drilling, as part of a “mini energy bill’’ meant to address perceived oil shortages in the wake of the hurricanes. A move by Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey to strip language allowing Arctic drilling from that bill was defeated easily 28-14. Although that vote is not binding, it was symbolic and a sign of prodrilling momentum. The question of Arctic drilling itself is tucked into a budget bill, which needs only a simple majority to pass. In the past, when the drilling question was put before the Senate, filibuster threats by Democrats prevented its passage because it takes 60 votes, not 51, to override a filibuster. Ottawa has raised concerns with Washington over the effect of drilling on the Porcupine Caribou herd, which migrates annually across the

Native Americans from Alaska urge Congress to keep the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska free from oil exploration and drilling while at a rally outside the U.S. Capitol Sept. 20. Larry Downing/Reuters

Canada-U.S. border, and threats to the way of life of the Gwich’in First Nations of northern Yukon. Ottawa cites a 1987 bilateral agreement which compels both countries to protect the caribou herd. Drilling proponents say there will be no disruption because drilling would take place in a tiny 810-hectare portion of the 17.7-million hectare Arctic Wildlife Refuge. Opponents say the amount of oil available is so miniscule that it will make no difference to consumers but has the potential to wreak havoc in a pristine part of the continent. Environment Minister Stéphane Dion has been to Washington twice to make the Canadian case

and Yukon MP Larry Bagnell attended an antidrilling rally here last week. He was joined by the likes of Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry and New York Democrat Hillary Clinton. Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected to make another 11th-hour plea to U.S. President Bush. Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew wrote to the chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar of Indiana, and his House of Representatives counterpart Henry Hyde of Illinois, both Republicans, even before Rita took aim at the massive Texas refineries last week. “It has come to our attention,’’ Pettigrew wrote,

“that this (Katrina) disaster is being used by some to promote the development of petroleum resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, using energy security as their rationale. “The minimal oil resources in the Arctic Refuge will not make a timely or significant contribution to U.S. energy supplies.’’ With gas averaging $2.81 (U.S.) per gallon in this country, 61 per cent of Americans told the CNN-USA Today Gallup poll that higher gas prices are causing them moderate or severe hardship. Markey says the Bush administration’s figures show that drilling would not produce a drop of oil for 10 years.

Raising a glass to retiring brewer

After three decades of smelling, swirling and sipping, brewmaster hangs up his Moosehead mug By Greg Mercer Telegraph-Journal

ast week, Dave MacDonald drank your beer — for the last time. Most people can’t say they begin their day by smelling, swirling and sipping suds at 7:30 a.m., but that’s just what MacDonald has been doing for the last three decades. But today, after spending much of his life as the man who oversees — and tastes — virtually every batch of brew from Moosehead’s Saint John, N.B. operation, he’s calling it quits. “Beer is in my blood,” he says, with a hearty chuckle. “I’ll miss it.” While he talks, the room rattles and hums, an effect of the water filtration system of Canada’s third largest brew-

ery one floor below. One part biochemistry, one part “romance,” MacDonald’s job has relied on a basic formula: take barley, hops, water and yeast, add heat and fermentation, then drink. Modern technology has made his work easier, allowing him to control the temperature and pressure of vats down to the slightest fraction of a degree. But the brewmaster’s life isn’t just swilling beer. As the man responsible for the quality of every bottle that rolls out the West Side brewery’s big warehouse doors, anything less than perfection is not an option. He’s visited rolling barley fields and water filtration plants, spent weeks tweaking recipes and sipped countless one-ounce cups of lager, ale and stout. “You take the job home with you.

When things aren’t going well with a product, it occupies your mind and steals your sleep,” he says. His biggest challenge has been adapting Moosehead’s complex system of brewing kettles, fermentation and aging tanks to the curve balls thrown by Mother Nature. Barley and hops are, after all, agricultural crops, subject to drought and wet harvests. The slightest alteration in their quality can affect the flavour, appearance and aroma of the beer. MacDonald is there when the aroma hops come in to Moosehead from the likes of Germany, Czech Republic and New Zealand, sniffing, tasting, checking for quality. With the finished product, he’s much like a wine tester, except he drinks the beer down. That’s because the taste buds that respond to one of

beer’s most important characteristics — bitterness — are at the far back of the tongue. A chemist by training, he was working as a hospital lab technician when he moved into the brewing business in 1973. After two years learning the operation at Moosehead’s Dartmouth brewery, the Nova Scotia native was sent to Chicago’s prestigious Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest — and only — brewmaster school in North America. MacDonald admits age has dulled his senses a bit.. Moosehead has changed too, expanding its products and growing by leaps and bounds. In the mid- 1970s, the company’s total output was about 500,000 hectoliters a year; today, the Saint John brewery alone produces about 1.4 mil-

lion hectoliters. Like wine or coffee connoisseurs, he treats beer making much like an art. He’s a wealth of beer expertise, too. Beer poured without head will make you feel bloated, because if the carbonation is left within the beer, it releases in your belly and not in the glass. And smell your drink, because 85 per cent of flavour from anything consumed comes through your nose, not your mouth. And at the end of long days of gardening and family time, there’s a good chance he’ll still sit back with a cold glass of Moosehead Pale Ale, smelling, swirling, eyeing, sipping, checking for quality. “I may be done the job, but I’ll always have that,” he said. “That never leaves you.”

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 29

Ontario health tax to stay By Richard Brennan Torstar wire service

ntario's controversial health tax will not be eliminated, even though the Ontario government is reaping greater revenues than anticipated, Premier Dalton McGuinty says. “Love to if I could ... The fact of the matter is we need every penny of that to continue to support our healthcare system,” McGuinty says. The Liberal government introduced the health premium, which costs taxpayers up to $900 a year, in its first budget. It brings in $2.4 billion annually. The government announced yesterday — based on public accounts approved by the provincial auditor — that the deficit for last year came in at almost $1.6 billion, or close to half of the anticipated $3 billion. “There is some real good news here,” McGuinty told radio host Bill Carroll. Finance Minister Greg Sorbara says if the economy keeps doing well,

the budget could be balanced by 2007-08, a year ahead of schedule, or just in time for the next election. Sorbara says the bulk of $700 million in extra revenue came from corporate taxes while another $700 million came from savings, including ministry cuts, for a total of $1.4 billion. Opposition critics accused the Liberals of accounting trickery that made the deficit projection higher than it should have been. “It just underlines why people have lost confidence in government, because they know they don’t really get the straight goods. They get accounting jiggery-pokery that says numbers are better or worse,” Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory says. Tory has promised that if elected in 2007, his government would eliminate the health tax within its four-year mandate. He told reporters voters will never forgive McGuinty for bringing in a huge tax increase after promising during the 2003 election campaign that he would not raise taxes.

STANDING COMMITTEE

Tom Wappel, the Liberal MP from Scarborough Southwest and chair of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, listens to a presentation from Tom Best, president of the Petty Harbour Fishermen’s Co-operative. The standing committee, studying northern cod including events leading up to the collapse of the fishery and the failure of the stock to regenerate, held hearings at the Battery Hotel in St. John’s Sept. 30. Paul Daly/The Independent

Sizing up the offshore Record seismic testing taking place on Grand Banks; debate continues on the impact to marine life By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

his summer saw oil exploration (seismic surveys) off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador reach peak levels. “In terms of the total amount of data being acquired, this year will be a record,” says Dave Hawkins, manager of exploration for the CanadaNewfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB). Four vessels have been operating throughout the summer, 24/7, off the coast of the province: two in the Orphan Basin; one in the Laurentian Sub-basin; and one off Labrador. Hawkins says most of the data has now been collected and operations are winding down in the wake of poor weather conditions, including recent hurricanes. Increased seismic activity is a healthy sign for the blossoming offshore industry, but raises concerns about a practice that still remains relatively unknown in terms of its impact on the marine environment. Seismic tests are conducted to gather information about rock formations related to locating oil and gas reserves.

Air guns send shock waves — which reverberate through the marine area — down to the seabed. Much of the sound is propelled through the floor of the ocean, but it also travels horizontally across a wide radius. Over the years fishermen and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club of Canada have repeatedly expressed concerns about the affects of seismic testing on marine mammals, fish stocks and crustaceans. Between 1964 and 2002, more than one million kilometres of ocean off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador was covered by seismic surveys. Since May of this year, vessels collected data across over 350,000 km. Hawkins tells The Independent most companies in the now-established local offshore industry tend to conduct what is known as “three dimensional” seismic tests. “What’s really driving statistics this year is just the amount of 3D data that’s being acquired both in the Orphan and the Laurentian Sub-basin,” he says. The seismic industry uses 2D, 3D and 4D categories of testing. The 2D method is used in initial explorations

(such as in untapped areas off the coast of Labrador) and involves a wide ranging, sparse coverage. A 3D test is more intense, involving up to 10 hydrophone cables (underwater sound detecting instruments) which reach up to five km in length, towed 50

“It’s all unknown … I’m not going to say that seismic will do a tremendous amount of damage but nobody can say that it won’t.” Jeff Brownstein

metres apart. Fish and mammals tend to flee from the onset of seismic vessels and environmental tests have shown that in areas where a survey is operating for a long period of time, there is a localized

Nackawic mill deal delayed The official sale of the St. Anne Nackawic Pulp Mill to India’s Birla Group and Tembec Corp. could be delayed as much as six weeks as officials scramble to complete paperwork. “There are no concerns about financing,” says Business New Brunswick spokesperson Sarah Ketcheson. “We have no concerns about the deal.” Ketcheson says the delay was required to get more paperwork in order. Originally slated to close on Oct. 1, the deal won’t be finalized until mid-November and this is causing unease in Nackawic, a community of 1,000 people located 45 minutes north of Fredericton. “Everyone’s lives are on hold,” says Barry Elsliger, president of the Canadian Auto Workers local 219, which represents the mill workers. “For those who have found work, it is a temporary situation. They would like to know where they are going to be.” The mill unexpectedly closed Sept. 14, 2004 and left 400 workers unemployed. Its New York-based owners declared bankruptcy a few days later.

There was hope the mill would reopen quickly after a provincial court judge approved the terms of the mill’s sale to Birla and Tembec for $20 million in late August. News of the delay has renewed worries. “It is a concern,” says Elsliger. “It has been so slow, people have run out of (employment insurance), people are anxious to get back to work. There are people that are working out of the area, out of province who plan on coming back. They are anxious to get back to their families.” Elsliger says he was told the closing date was backed up until Nov. 15 but if the paperwork comes together faster, it could be moved up and a refit on the mill could get underway earlier. He says the union has worked with AC Nackawic Inc. — the corporate name for the new mill — to identify workers through skills evaluations and interviews will start soon. Following the finalization of the deal, the mill will be refitted to manufacture a mix of papers, including dissolving and specialty pulps used in the production of rayon. — Telegraph-Journal

‘We maintained our numbers’ From page 27 they arrived here, McGrath says no one region is more popular than another. The reason, he says, is Newfoundland and Labrador’s diverse culture. “One thing with Newfoundland and Labrador is each area is so unique; they all have their own special little touches,” says McGrath. “When you come here, you’re not just coming for one thing. The Avalon Peninsula, St. John’s especially, is becoming very popular for conventions; the west coast of the island is very popular for the skiing; Labrador has a winter product to offer that is second to none. All of the rural areas of the province, each one of them, have something special to offer. Newfoundland and Labrador is not a one-stop shopping destina-

tion.” Marine Atlantic reports that they had another strong summer in regards to passengers. In fact, officials say the entire year has been good business wise, with more than 350,000 passengers travelling on their vessels from Jan. 1 to Sept. 25. The numbers are on par with the same time last year and are projected to peak at over 410,000 passengers by the end of December. “The rest of Atlantic Canada seemed to have a slower tourism year, however we maintained our numbers from 2004,” says Tara Laing, spokesperson for Marine Atlantic. First-time visitors to the province enjoy travelling by sea, Laing adds, since “it’s part of the experience of travelling to Newfoundland and Labrador.”

depletion of marine life. A 1993 study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research revealed catch rates of haddock and cod were reduced by at least 50 per cent during and after seismic testing. Similar figures have been recorded for redfish off California. Jeff Brownstein, a spokesman for the Maritimes Fishermen’s Union, has spent years campaigning unsuccessfully for a moratorium on seismic testing in certain areas off the coast of Cape Breton, including Sydney Bight and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “It’s all unknown,” he says. “I’m not going to say that seismic will do a tremendous amount of damage but nobody can say that it won’t. Despite the fact they’ve been doing it all these years, nobody really knows. Everything’s far under water and all the species in the water are affected much more by sound than they are anything else.” What has been missing from seismic environmental assessments, to date, is a study conducted over a long period of time. “People said, well there was seismic

done in this area back in, I think it was the mid ’70s, and they said we did all kinds of seismic and we didn’t do any damage,” says Brownstein. “How can they say that? Ten years later, which is what it would take for cod and for lobster to go from egg to commercial size, we had a tremendous decline in both those fisheries. So was that because of them or not? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.” Monica Kidd, a former science reporter with the CBC, says regulators like the C-NLOPB and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are not as informed or thorough as they could be when it comes to monitoring the affects of seismic testing — despite the amount of literature suggesting largescale ecological studies need to be done. “They’ll say, ‘Oh we’re totally open,’ and ‘Look at the research,’ but I think a lot of people who are concerned about it would say that the proper studies haven’t been done.” The Independent’s requests for an interview with a Department of Fisheries and Oceans scientist, specializing in the affects of seismic testing on marine life, were declined.

A N N O U N C E M E N T Browne Fitzgerald Morgan & Avis is pleased to announce that Nick Avis, Q.C. — Senior Counsel to the Lamer Inquiry — has resumed his practice as of October 1, 2005. Nick has 25 years experience as a trial and appellate counsel. Practice areas include accident and injury, corporate and commercial, estates, family, employment, and criminal. Call 724-3800 for an appointment.

BROWNE F ITZGER ALD MORGAN & AVIS Level 2, Terrace on the Square Tel: 724-3800

30 • INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION • 31

32 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 Clergyman, to some (abbr.) 4 Brownish pear 8 Angling lures 13 “___ brillig and the slithy toves ...” 17 ___ on parle franÁais 18 Big Montreal fair of 1967 19 Bridal path 20 Days of ___ (long ago) 21 Ont. town with flying saucer 23 Kind of lily 24 Ship’s bow 25 Leader of Upper Canada Rebellion (1837): William ___ Mackenzie 26 Between (Fr.) 28 Young salmon back in fresh water 30 Electronic sound to drown out a bad word 32 Past tense of stand 33 Opposite of narrow: well-___ 34 Not straight 35 Rage 36 Twanging sound of a spring suddenly released 37 Summer time in Souris, Man. 38 Summer viewer’s

dÈj‡ vu 39 Hog sound 40 Greek letter 43 Make baby food 44 Norwegian composer 45 Narrow valley 46 Student 49 Primp 50 Cereal stuff 51 Drive forward 52 “Good ___!” 53 Copper/tin alloy 54 Rougher 55 Nfld. painter Christopher ___ 56 Expert, or master 57 Bits of ham 58 She wrote A Complicated Kindness 59 Weeds out 60 Boxing defeat 61 Our highest mountain 62 Pertaining to the ear 63 Legal field 66 Insert mark 67 Way in 68 Cubes you roll 69 Stonework 72 Door hardware 73 Popular number 74 Farthest point of an orbit 75 Russian novelist (Dead Souls) 76 Foil relative 77 Wide river valley

78 The Great White ___ 80 Longtime Chatelaine editor: Doris ___ 84 Graphic symbol 85 Chirp 86 “Parsley, ___, rosemary and ...” 87 Help 88 Mailed 89 Cunningly 90 Storage shelter 91 Nevertheless DOWN 1 Outer edge 2 System start? 3 Like an abuser 4 Type of jazz 5 Plough team 6 Health spring 7 “Fairy tales can ___ ...” (2 wds.) 8 Agent 9 B.C./N.W.T. river 10 Wight or Man 11 Extension 12 Like ocean liners 13 ___: A Life in 26 Keys (Matt Cohen) 14 Part of WWW 15 Left bed 16 Sat at a Singer 22 No (Russ.) 27 When your shadow is shortest 29 Smallest of the litter 30 Brit. radio

31 Skippered 32 More likely 33 Capital of la Normandie 35 Like cats gone wild 36 Short 38 It’s for good measure 39 Say “hello” to 40 Ficus or violet 41 Sixteen in Soissons 42 Not outer 43 Vatican residents 44 Liberals 45 Actor Paul 46 Small fish 47 Nasty remark 48 Bookstore category (2 wds.) 49 Shrimp 50 Searing surface 52 The ___ Lakes 53 Fasten (naut.) 55 Welfare benefits 56 Nfld. seabird 58 Downpours 59 Collectible tableware 61 Alley 62 ___ Domini 63 Poet Dorothy ___ (1909-96) 64 Virtuoso 65 Cyst 66 Appealing to the intellect 67 Fourscore 68 Elk cousin 69 Author Gallant

70 With speed 71 Athenian statesman 72 Motel alternative

73 Sprinter’s asset 75 ___ Cup 76 Sidle

79 Great horned ___ 81 No (slang) 82 French goose

83 Summer time in St. John’s

WEEKLY STARS ARIES - MAR 21/APR 20 This week, your luck has run out, Aries. You can no longer rely on your charm to get you the things you desire. Try some genuine hard work for a change. TAURUS - APR 21/MAY 21 A bit of good news comes your way, Taurus, but it's not what you expected. Take it at face value instead of trying to find the true meaning behind its receipt. Pisces plays a part. GEMINI - MAY 22/JUN 21 Don't be surprised if you're feeling a little blue this week, Gemini. Your goals are in disarray and there's confusion in your star chart. Wait out this mess for a few days. CANCER - JUN 22/JUL 22 Being overly demanding won't win you points with loved ones, Cancer. Stop putting on an act, and face up to your responsibilities. You'll find relationships will

improve as a result. LEO - JUL 23/AUG 23 Boredom is at the center of this week's lineup, Leo, only if you let it be. Rally some friends and make your own impromptu adventure. Aquarius will come along. VIRGO - AUG 24/SEPT 22 A mental roadblock is conquered and you'll experience newfound clarity in your life, Virgo. Enjoy the refreshing change to your outlook and the way it affects your actions. LIBRA - SEPT 23/OCT 23 There's good news at your job, Libra. You'll find positive changes will trickle down to your employment level. A promotion or raise could be the end result. SCORPIO - OCT 24/NOV 22 Sparks are flying between you and a fellow Scorpion mate. You

can let it ignite into a full-blown blaze, or extinguish all chances early on. Just make a decision soon. SAGITTARIUS - NOV 23/DEC 21 There's no time like the present to re-evaluate how you've managed your finances thus far, Sagittarius. A change could be for the better. Seek professional help. CAPRICORN - DEC 22/JAN 20 Financial troubles could be at the heart of difficulties with your romantic partner, Capricorn. It's best to get things settled so that you can better enjoy each other's company. AQUARIUS - JAN 21/FEB 18 You can no longer trust a close family member. This person is sneaking around behind your back and has been for some time now. Confront the individual this week.

PISCES - FEB 19/MAR20 A creative surge has you in search of a new career path, Pisces. The change will be just what you need to recharge your batteries. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS OCTOBER 2 Kelly Ripa, Actress (35) OCTOBER 3 Kevin Richardson, Singer (34) OCTOBER 4 Liev Schreiber, Actor (38) OCTOBER 5 Kate Winslet, Actress (30) OCTOBER 6 Rebecca Lobo, Athlete (32) OCTOBER 7 Toni Braxton, Singer (38) OCTOBER 8 Matt Damon, Actor (35)

Fill in the grid so that each row of nine squares, each column of nine and each section of nine (three squares by three) contains the numbers 1 through 9 in any order. There is only one solution to each puzzle. Solutions, tips and computer program available at www.sudoko.com SOLUTION ON PAGE 31

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 33

Frasor, Chulk better second time around Bullpen duo faded as rookies in 2004 By Geoff Baker Torstar wire service

he biggest working out that Blue Jays relief pitchers Jason Frasor and Vinnie Chulk did last September was crossing off calendar dates until the season mercifully ended. Both were out of gas by the second half of their 2004 rookie campaigns. They were devastated by their drop in fortunes, especially given how strongly they’d started. This past winter they embarked on an enhanced strength-training regimen to avoid any repeats.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour has to deal with both a bad back and smaller goaltender equipment this season. The veteran goalie has looked less than inspired during the NHL pre-season. Chris Wattie/Reuters

So far, so bad for the Leafs Pre-season has been a disappointment By Damien Cox Torstar wire service

es, it’s always important to note that they don’t award the Stanley Cup in September. But it’s equally reasonable to say that Toronto Maple Leaf architect John Ferguson could sure use some uplifting, positive developments right about now. To date, training camp has been a clear disappointment for the Leafs, and this in a year in which it could be argued the fall grooming sessions are more vital than any other year because of the long layoff caused by labour strife and the institution of some exciting but undeniably troublesome rule alterations by the NHL. Nobody has won or lost a game yet, either on a goal or a shootout. But the Leafs have really seen little in the way of truly encouraging news so far outside of the obviously smart Alex Steen, shifty Kyle Wellwood and impressive young goaltender J.F. Racine. On Sept. 27, in a 5-2 loss to the very fast Buffalo Sabres, however, it all looked wrong for the Leafs, starting with the active roster. Jason Allison, who has managed just one appearance in the pre-season, was missing again and is, presumably, injured. Eric Lindros is pointless and also

hurt already, precisely the gloomiest scenario a sceptic could have dreamt when the Leafs signed the pair of towering pivots. Nik Antropov looks like his confidence is totally shot. Marius Czerkawski has floated through the exhibitions. And ancient Ed Belfour was less than inspiring between the pipes, Aki Berg looks unimproved since he last wore the blue-and-white, Wade Belak was far more effective as a forward. And Matt Stajan has yet to look as canny and nimble as he did as a rookie. As a team, meanwhile, the Leafs can’t stay out of the box or avoid fouls under new NHL standards, and they failed miserably in the penalty-killing department, as well. In recent games, Pat Quinn’s crew looked as though they had understood the rule changes and were adapting reasonably well. Lately, however, they stood and hooked and interfered and continued to be in utter denial of the new availability of two-line passes through the neutral zone. The home side was even tripped up by one of the more subtle changes, namely the inability of teams that ice the puck to change lines at the whistle. This occurred to the Leafs in the second period of the game with Buffalo and, off the defensive zone

draw, Staffan Kronwall incurred an interference penalty, one of the few the Leafs were actually able to kill off. The Leafs most likely aren’t this bad, but the evidence at hand suggests this is a hockey team that will need to overachieve to reach the post-season and might even have difficulty registering more victories than their corporate cousins, the basketball Raptors. As suggested in this space at the beginning of camp, the best hope for the Leafs is that the NHL will, as it has always done, gradually relax its enforcement standards on penalties and allow slower, less-capable players to use various forms of restraining tactics to neutralize their more talented peers. The best news for the Leafs against Buffalo was probably how captain Mats Sundin became energized and ornery in the third after being thumped by Sabres rookie Paul Gaustad twice on one shift in the second. A big year from the big Swede could help provide cloud cover for a lot of glaring problems. The early part of the season, meanwhile, looks tricky to be sure. Two of the first three are against the very solid Ottawa Senators, and those two matches are sandwiched around a home contest against a Montreal team that could be a dark horse in the Eastern Conference this season.

Raptors serve up mixed bag of point guards An oldster, a washout and a neophyte By Doug Smith Torstar wire service

he Toronto Raptors have certainly given themselves a variety of third-string point guards to choose from. The team has invited three players with disparate backgrounds and abilities to fight for a spot on the roster without a guaranteed contract. Robert Pack, a 36-year-old veteran of 13 NBA seasons, Tierre Brown, a 26-year-old who was a washout with the team’s 2003 summer league team and Corey Williams, 28, who has no NBA experience at all, will join the team at training camp starting Oct. 4 in St. Catharines.

Pack has played with Portland, Denver, Washington, New Jersey, Dallas, Minnesota and New Orleans in his well-travelled NBA career; Brown has been with four NBA teams. ‘UNKNOWN ENTITY’ Of Williams, the 6-foot-3, 28-yearold who did not play college basketball, Babcock said, “He is the unknown entity.” Brown, who played in the Los Angeles Summer League for Toronto in 2003 and did nothing to warrant an invite to training camp, has been with Houston, Cleveland, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers. None is expected to seriously challenge incum-

bent Rafer Alston or rookie Jose Calderon for a spot in the rotation. The invites also mean an end to Toronto’s dalliance with Jay Williams, the former No. 2 draft pick trying to come back after missing two seasons following a motorcycle accident. “Jay has decided to go somewhere else,” the general manager says. “We just cannot get in a situation where we can guarantee him anything.” In addition to the three point guards, Toronto has invited two rookies: 6-7 forward Bryant Matthews and 6-10 centre Toree Morris. Neither has a legitimate chance at making a roster that now includes 14 players with guaranteed contracts.

In QB world, ‘best’ is relative By Garth Woolsey Torstar wire service

hen it comes to an athlete’s worth, there’s often a vast difference between “best” and “most valuable.” Maybe that’s what Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers had in mind when asked to assess his position relative to other NFL quarterbacks. “People say (Peyton) Manning,” says Roethlisberger, referring to the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, a two-

time league MVP. “Tom Brady is, by far, the best quarterback in the NFL.” Brady is about results. About Super Bowls won (three). That’s what sets him apart and until Roethlisberger (or Manning, for that matter) wins one or more, he’ll remain at the top of the heap. Today’s quarterbacks are typically bigger and in some ways better than quarterbacks of the past. They have to be, in order to master massive playbooks and the pressure of deception and 300-pound linemen. Roethlisberger stands 6-foot-5, as

does Manning and Byron Leftwich of the Jaguars and Carson Palmer of the Bengals. Brady is 6-foot-4, as are Minnesota’s Daunte Culpepper, Aaron Brooks of the Saints and Eli Manning of the Giants. Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb is 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, and Atlanta’s lightning-quick Mike Vick is only six feet but he weighs 222 pounds. None of the pivots mentioned weighs less than 220 (Culpepper’s 264) and all of them are also under 30 — when has there been such a legion of young, mean quarterbacking?

ENHANCED ROLE That’s a huge reason why each has solidified an enhanced bullpen role and carved out a niche as a specialist who can come into a game with runners on base and halt the damage there. “I think it’s worked out better for two reasons,” says Frasor. “Number one, it’s my second year. And number two, it’s a more consistent weightlifting program. The second thing is just as important as the first. “Mentally, it just felt so long,” he says of last season. “It felt like the season was never going to end. At one point, I was so high. I’d never experienced such a high and such a low point before.” Rookie pitchers Frasor and Chulk had almost no major-league experience when they found themselves thrust into an early season closer and set-up tandem in 2004. Frasor had nine saves and a 2.17 earned-run average in the first half, while also tossing 20 consecutive scoreless innings at one point.

Chulk posted a 2.16 ERA before the all-star break and rang up a 15inning scoreless streak. But Frasor’s second-half ERA ballooned to 6.39 while Chulk’s shot up to 6.68. Frasor had an August ERA of 9.26 while Chulk’s was 9.00 before the Jays severely curtailed their workload in September. “I know I did a lot more running than I’ve ever done before coming into this season,” Chulk says. “There was a lot of distance running. I wanted to work on my endurance so I could get through the longer season. “I’d never played baseball for that long before.’” Chulk this year has stranded 32 of the 36 runners already on base when he’s entered a game. Frasor has gone one better, stranding 33 of his 36 inherited runners. TOUGHER ASSIGNMENTS Jays manager John Gibbons says the performance of each pitcher has made them candidates for tougher late-inning assignments next year. “I think they’ve proved they can do that,” Gibbons says, adding that either can handle the set-up role depending on who the opponent is. “We’ve got flexibility,” he adds. “If somebody needs a night off, you know you can do that.” Frasor even converted a save opportunity recently when closer Miguel Batista needed a rest. Batista has had several shaky outings of late, but retired four straight hitters in notching a save in New York last week. The Jays stuck with Batista as closer after his struggles, but will review their options at the position for next year.

34 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS

OCTOBER 2, 2005

OF THE

DEVIL WEEK DEVIL STATS

Scott Brophy, center Age: 20 Hometown: Mobile School: Memorial University Favourite hockey team: Toronto Maple Leafs Favourite hockey player: Doug Gilmour Favourite movie: Hurricane Favourite book: Thunder and Lightning, by Phil Esposito Person who helped you the most in hockey: Gerard Brophy (father) What does it feel like to be the first captain in Fog Devils’ history? “It’s quite an honour to captain the first ever team here. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

NAME

POS.

PTS

Scott Brophy Marty Doyle Matt Fillier Luke Gallant Wesley Welcher Sebastien Bernier Nicolas Bachand Philippe Cote Maxime Langlier-Parent Pat O’Keefe Brett Beauchamp Pier-Alexandre Poulin Matt Boland Anthony Pototschnik Jean-Simon Allard Zack Firlotte Olivier Guilbault Josh MacKinnon Kyle Stanley Steve Tilley Oscar Sundh Nicklas Bergfors GOALTENDER Brandon Verge Ilya Ejov

C RW LW D C D RW RW LW D D C D RW C D RW D D RW LW RW W 2 0

12 43 27 6 14 44 23 22 16 11 2 18 26 24 4 5 21 8 3 25 10 9 L 2 1

4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 1 4 5 2 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 GAA 3.18 9.00

3 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 S.PCT .920 .786

2 2 3 4 2 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -

5 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -

HOMEGROWN “Q” PLAYER Robert Slaney Colin Escott Ryan Graham Justin Pender Brandon Roach Mark Tobin Sam Hounsell

HOMETOWN Carbonear St. John’s St. John’s St. John’s Terra Nova St. John’s Pound Cove

TEAM Cape Breton Gatineau Gatineau Halifax Lewiston Rimouski Victoriaville

GP 5 3 4 3 5 -

G 0 0 2 2 2 -

A 1 0 0 1 1 -

PTS 1 0 2 3 3 -

GOALTENDERS Roger Kennedy Ryan Mior Jason Churchill

HOMETOWN Mount Pearl St. John’s Hodge’s Cove

TEAM Halifax P.E.I. Saint John

W 0 1 1

L 1 3 3

GAA 4.10 4.26 4.52

S.PCT .789 .898 .882

OCTOBER 2, 2005

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 35

show, and says the game was much more enjoyable for fans. He says teams were balanced, blowouts were few and far between, and teams were stocked with local players — unlike today. “If Deer Lake (winners of the 2005 Herder Memorial Trophy) has a couple hundred thousand dollars to spend on players, then they can have as many imports (players from outside their region) as they choose to have,” Daly says. “I think last year’s club featured, what, four or five players from Deer Lake?” Johnson also longs for the days when players represented their towns with pride and teams stocked up on local talent. He believes some teams really don’t have to go searching for players from other parts of the province and that they should simply look in their own backyards for fine young athletes.

He says if he were running provincial senior hockey today, players such as Terry Ryan, Mark Chaplin, Graham Cooke and Brad Sturge would not be allowed to travel from the east coast to the west to play senior hockey. “I have no problem with Todd Gillingham (who lives in St. John’s but grew up in Corner Brook) playing in Corner Brook, but there’d be no way so many players would be going from east to west, not under my system,” Johnson says. “If a guy has a reason to be there, fine. But if he is there for his wallet, then I’m not interested.” Players moving from the east coast to the west is not the only issue that concerns Daly. He told The Independent last February that teams in the Avalon East were paying players too. Joe Maynard, president of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League, doesn’t dispute that some money may have exchanged hands last year, but says it was nowhere close to the cash being thrown around on the west coast. “It is a problem, to a point,” Maynard says. “You get a community like Harbour Grace, they’re offering fellas probably a few things. I don’t see any big amount of money being paid, but maybe a bit of equipment, a pair of skates and pay their gas.” Maynard adds that he thinks players switch teams in his league because they want to win — not because they want to be paid. “They want to play for the Herder, not money,” Maynard says. “Because if you’re looking to make money at it and party on the weekend, you’re going to the west coast.” In order to create some competitive balance this year, the Avalon East league is introducing new rules limiting the teams on which players from the region can play and forcing players from outside the area to enter a draft before joining the league. The new rules should help some teams stay competitive, but Daly says the lure of the west coast is still a major problem. “There are players at this moment who have verbally committed to teams in the east, but when the money starts flying from the west, they’ll break their commitment and go,” Daly says. Even if the teams in the Avalon East League are more balanced this season, Johnson doubts he will see much, if any, of the action. However, he would love to watch the Herder finals with his grandsons, providing them with a sense of Newfoundland history. He knows the young boys love the game and would like nothing more than to see them be able to watch battles for the Herder for many years to come. But with a hint of sadness, he says he doubts David and Steven will get the chance to pick up as many senior hockey memories as their grandfather. “It already happened once,” Johnson says of senior hockey being destroyed in the province. “How many times do they want it to happen?” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

Solution for crossword on page 32

Solution for sudoku on page 32

Final of a three-part series on the hockey days of Don Johnson. By Darcy MacRae The Independent

on Johnson doesn’t follow senior hockey like he used to. A big part of the reason is that his favourite hockey lately is that of his young grandsons, David and Steven. But he admits the current state of senior hockey in the province also plays a hand in his lack of interest. The present scenario is a far cry from the days Johnson played, coached and presided over senior hockey. Starting with his Boyle Trophy win with St. Pat’s in 1960, Johnson was a long-time supporter of the senior game for many years. Before winning four Herder Memorial Trophies as an assistant coach with the St. John’s Caps in the 1970s, Johnson served as president of the Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association — the provincial senior hockey league at the time — for five years, starting in 1965. It’s not accurate to say Johnson presided over the league with an iron fist, but he did lay down the law when necessary. “The beauty of that league was I, as president, was able to decide how many imports each team was allowed,” Johnson tells The Independent. The way Johnson ran things was simple: if either St. John’s, Harbour Grace, Gander, Grand Falls, Buchans, or Corner Brook (the six teams in the league at the time) wanted to add a player from outside the province, they had to clear it with him first. Sometimes it was obvious a team needed help, so Johnson allowed the out-of-province player to enter the provincial league. Other times Johnson suspected something funny may have been going on, like the time Buchans coach Hughie Wadden inquired about adding a young player from PEI just a few games into a season. Wadden told Johnson the “kid” was out of work and just looking to earn a few dollars. In the end, after an intense discussion between the two, Johnson told Wadden the player could not be added. “I said ‘Hughie, I’ve made up my mind. The teams are pretty equal now, I don’t want to bring anybody in,’” says Johnson. “I decided the season had started and we should move on.” Just a few seasons later, Johnson was watching a Toronto Maple Leafs’ game when he noticed a speedy new winger racing up and down the ice. His name was Errol Thompson — the same player Wadden tried to bring to Newfoundland. “Imagine, that was the kid he was trying to sneak in,” Johnson says with a laugh. Thompson went on to gather 393 points in 599 career NHL games. Another area of concern Johnson watched over was player movement within the province. For the most part, he didn’t see a need to get involved with

Saturday night companion From page 36 should come on over — after stopping for some Blue Star, of course — and enjoy the game with me. But unfortunately they couldn’t make it — some had to work, others had prior engagements. It was just as well, I guess. After all, I had plans with the missus, didn’t I? Oh yes, a movie. So I shut the TV down, reluctantly, I admit, but without too much regret. After a year without my long time Saturday night companion, I guess another couple of weeks of waiting won’t kill me. MAJOR JUNIOR NOTES A few thoughts on the three Fog Devils’ games played in St. John’s last week … • Brandon Verge is one solid goaltender. He only allowed one questionable goal in the games he played, and for the most part was the team’s best player. • Marty Doyle is more than a fighter. The big winger comes to St. John’s with a reputation for being a feared pugilist, but he’s got nice hands and decent hockey sense. • Scott Brophy plays with as much heart as any player I’ve seen. What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for with speed, quick thinking and extra effort. It’s little wonder he was named captain. • Something that I don’t think is mentioned enough is the fact that Mile One is a fantastic facility in which to watch hockey. There isn’t a bad seat in the building, plenty of concession stands and washrooms, and first-class luxury suites. For years I heard Halifax had the best stadium in the Q (the Metro Centre), but after watching plenty of games in both buildings, there is no question Mile One is far superior. Now that we have the best stadium in the league, the question is how many seasons will it take to have the best team? darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

Brad Crann of the Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars and Mark Robinson of the Deer Lake Red Wings battle for the puck during Herder Memorial Trophy action at Mile One last spring. Don Johnson, former senior hockey player, coach and administrator, fears senior hockey is on the brink of collapse in the province, due to the spending habits of teams and player movement from the east coast to the west. Paul Daly/The Independent

‘It already happened once’ Don Johnson doesn’t like what he sees with senior hockey these days; local coach Paddy Daly agrees league in danger of destroying itself the issue, but like the import situation, there were times he had to step in. “I didn’t get involved with that very often, but if I thought they were trying to buy somebody, I stopped that,” Johnson says. The issue of paying senior hockey players has long been a hot topic in the province. Back in the 1970s and ’80s, players from around the country were brought to Newfoundland to play senior hockey, raising the level of play in the league to minor pro status. But the money being spent was simply too much, and in the early ’80s, the provincial league folded. Many hockey people predict the situation is bound to repeat itself — and soon. Rumours run rampant of teams in the West Coast Senior Hockey League paying players up to $200 a game, as do allegations of teams on the east coast

padding players’ pockets in exchange for their services. Paddy Daly makes no secret of the fact he believes teams are paying players and that it will eventually destroy senior hockey in the province. Daly was head coach of the Outer Cove Celtics when they dropped out of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League last February, and when interviewed by The Independent about the situation had this to say: “All the people who think they’re doing the right thing by supplying their clubs with lots of money and enticing average players with enormous sums of money and free equipment and flying them around the island, they’re the ones who will be directly responsible for the ultimate demise of senior hockey in this province.” Daly remembers watching senior hockey in the days Johnson ran the

INDEPENDENTSPORTS

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2-8, 2005 — PAGE 36

The natural

For a guy who only began playing basketball four years ago, Léonel Saintil — last year’s AUS rookie of the year — is out to lead MUN Sea-Hawks to nationals

Léonel Saintil

Paul Daly/The Independent

By Darcy MacRae The Independent

ost athletes spend years perfecting their craft, devoting countless childhood hours to mastering the finer aspects of

their sport. Then there are athletes like Léonel Saintil. Saintil joined the MUN men’s basketball team as an 18-year-old freshman in the fall of 2004 and promptly went on to lead the entire country in rebounding with 12.4 boards a game. He also finished third in team scoring with the Sea-Hawks (13.1 points per game) and was named the AUS (Atlantic University Sport) rookie of the year for his efforts.

As remarkable as his accomplishments are, they are even more amazing when you consider the fact that Saintil didn’t start playing competitive basketball until he was almost 16 years old. Growing up in Ottawa, Saintil played sports such as track and field, basketball and football. His basketball experience amounted to pick-up games played with friends on the playground or in the backyard. Saintil didn’t join a true basketball team until he was in Grade 10 — although he was a star player from the get-go. By Grade 11, Saintil was playing for Ontario provincial teams and receiving tryouts for the national junior squad. Although he was relatively new to the sport, he was clearly meant to shine on the court.

“From grade 10 to 11, it was zero to 100. It started right away. I guess I was just made for the sport,” Saintil tells The Independent. “At first I was just doing it for fun, but I was an all-star that year so I kept playing. Every year I got better and kept getting awards. By Grade 11, that’s when I knew I was going to be playing university.” As soon as Saintil stepped on the court at MUN last fall, it was obvious the Ottawa native would have a major impact on the Sea-Hawks, says head coach Todd Aughey. Saintil’s capabilities were no surprise to the MUN bench boss, since he heavily recruited him to the school. “Léonel is a phenomenal athlete and a highlight-reel type of player,” says Aughey. “The sky is the limit for this kid. What he

showed us last year was just scratching the surface. He averaged a double double last year (double-digit points, double-digit rebounds), and that’s pretty impressive. It’s just a matter of Leo setting his mind to this. If he does, it’s scary how much potential he has.” Saintil is a pleasure to watch on the court. The 19-year-old runs the floor smoothly and quickly, exuding athleticism. He shows great awareness of where he should be at all times, and is capable of leaping high in the air to grab a rebound before his competition has a chance to even get off the floor. “His time between being on the ground and at the peak of his jump is next to nothing,” says Aughey. “That’s the separator — how quickly he can go from ground to apex. I haven’t seen it in any other player I’ve ever coached.” Saintil is also a hit with the team’s fans. His athleticism and ability to make highlight-reel plays endears him to followers of the Sea-Hawks so much that there are rumblings he is the new face of the program, much the same way Jeff Saxby (who also won the AUS rookie of the year award) was for the five years he played with the team. With Saxby now graduated and pursuing pro opportunities, there’s an obvious hole to fill in the Sea-Hawks’ lineup. While he’s honoured some fans think of him the same way they did Saxby, Saintil says there are other players on the Sea-Hawks who will be counted on to fill Saxby’s shoes. “People have to see that we still have Justin (Halleran), Robbie (Hickey), Evan (Constantine) and Peter (Imgram) — all these players who have been there for four or five years and have come into their own,” Saintil says. “To us in the program, we know that Justin’s the man and we expect a lot of him.” With a strong nucleus in place, this could be the year MUN breaks out and reaches the top of the AUS standings, says Saintil. Most of the Sea-Hawks made all their games last year, Saintil says, but several members of the team played at less than 100 per cent for long stretches. “We needed all of these guys to be healthy,” Saintil says. “If we had these guys at 100 per cent every single game, we could have made the playoffs. If everybody stays healthy this year, we’re going to go on a run and make the playoffs.” Given the talent level on this year’s team, Saintil says the Sea-Hawks’ goal is not just to make the playoffs. “Honestly, I see this team at nationals,” Saintil says, indicating MUN is capable of winning the AUS conference title. It has yet to be seen how good the SeaHawks can be — although the same goes for Saintil. But given his success in such a short period of time and considering he actually received (but turned down) offers to play at Division 1 schools in the United States, the possibility of Saintil turning pro some day is not out of the question. “I’ve thought about Europe a couple of times, maybe even some development leagues in the United States,” Saintil says. “I love to play ball, so for as long as I can play, I’d love to be able to play, wherever it is. If I get a chance, I’ll showcase my talent and do my best.” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

Reunited, and it feels so good

came upon an old friend last Saturday night, and must say I really enjoyed seeing him again. Actually, it wasn’t so much an old friend as it was an old habit. After an afternoon of watching college football — the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame to be exact — the misses and I were getting ready to go out to a movie. As she read through the list of movies showing that night, I grabbed the TV remote for one final scan of the sports channels. The misses was in a hurry to get going, so I knew I didn’t have much time to work the clicker. Just as I was

DARCY MACRAE

The game about to put it down, I saw it. The red, white and blue of the famed Canadiens were taking on those dastardly Maple Leafs from T-Dot. I admit that at first, there were mixed emotions. I used to live for these games, especially the Habs vs. Leafs matchups. I spent virtually every Saturday night since I was three in front of the televi-

sion, often at the expense of my social life. Even when I was in college, I didn’t hit the downtown Halifax bars until the final whistle had blown. Drinks and ladies could wait damn it — I had hockey to watch. But then my Saturday night rituals were taken away from me for an entire year. Like a lot of fans, I struggled with that reality. Instead of watching hockey on Saturday nights, I found myself watching sappy love stories on Movie Night in Canada, and sometimes, I even enjoyed them. As if this tale isn’t chilling enough already, without hockey I even started to

enjoy watching curling — although I still believe someone must have slipped something in my coffee that week. So after a winter of heartache and loneliness (although the misses refers to it as “the winter of joy”) I didn’t know if I was willing to jump back on the NHL bandwagon when the action resumed. I told everyone — friends, family and ex-girlfriends (of which there are plenty, trust me) alike that I didn’t need the NHL. No, I didn’t want the NHL. Well, I lied. Even though the game was in French and was only an exhibition contest, I was hooked after the first shot on goal

last Saturday night. Within seconds it was as though no time had passed at all since I had last watched an NHL game. I quickly looked for some chips and beer to make the experience complete, but upon discovering neither were available settled for toast and tea. Within minutes I got what I was itching to see — a goal, and by the Habs no less. A Sheldon Souray blast from the blue line put the Canadiens up 1-0 and left me smiling like a cat that just discovered an open can of tuna. I instantly called some buddies and hinted they See “Saturday night,” page 35