705 - 864 - 2785
Thespiritofgenerositylivesat CSC Nouvelon
ConseilscolairecatholiqueNouvelonboardofficeemployeeswill donate no less than $ 7,768 to five Greater Sudbury charities to helpsupportthoseinneedthisChristmasseason.
Maison McCulloch Hospice, NEO Kids Foundation, Sudbury FoodBank,DeafBlindOntarioServicesandNortheasternCancerCentre willeachreceiveadonationof$1,553.60.Throughouttheyear, CSC Nouvelon board office employees are offered the opportunitytocontribute$2eachweektotakepartindress-downFridays.
Thisinitiativeisamongmanyothercharitableendeavoursledby CSC Nouvelon schools and the Board. Students and staff at several schoolspreparedChristmashampersforunderprivilegedfamiliesofthe community,whileotherstookpartinnon-perishablefooddrivesfortheir communitychurchorfoodbank.
"The generosity of our students and employees is a tremendous demonstration of the desire to help one another, which is so central to Catholic education," stated CSC Nouvelon Director of Education and Secretary-Treasurer,Mr.PaulHenry."Iamproudtobepartofthisgroup
of people who are committedtosupporttheless fortunatemembersofour communities."
The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon offers a French-language Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSC Nouvelon provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 5,500 students enrolled in 27 elementary and 10 secondaryschools.
Unespritdegénérositéau CSC Nouvelon
Les employés du Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon oeuvrant au siège socialremettrontlasommede7768$à cinq organismes de bienfaisance de la ville du Grand Sudbury afin d'offrir du soutien aux personnesdanslebesoinencetempsdeNoël.
La Maison McCulloch Hospice, la FondationEnfantsNEO,laBanquealimentaire de Sudbury, le Service ontarien de la Surdicécité ainsi que le Centre de cancérologie du Nord-Est recevront chacun un don d'une valeur de 1 553,60 $. Toutaulongdel'année,
les employés du CSC Nouvelon oeuvrant au siège social ont l'occasion de débourser une sommede2$parsemaineafindeprofiterd'une journéedetenuedécontractéelesvendredis.
Cette initiative s'ajoute à de nombreux autresactesdecharitéexécutésparlesécoleset lesiègesocialduCSCNouvelon.Lesélèveset lesmembresdupersonneldeplusieursécolesse sont engagées à confectionner des paniers de Noëldestinésauxfamillesdéfavoriséesdeleur communauté, alors que d'autres écoles ont entrepris une collecte de denrées non périssables pour la paroisse ou la banque alimentairedeleurcommunauté.
« Cette générosité de la part de nos élèvesetnosemployésdémontrebienlavaleur
de l'entraide qui est centrale à l'éducation catholique»,exprimeM.PaulHenry,directeur de l'éducation et secrétaire-trésorier du CSC Nouvelon. « Je suis fier de figurer parmi ce groupe de personnes mobilisées en vue de contribuer au mieux-être de nos concitoyens moinsfortunés.»
Le Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon offre une éducation catholique de languefrançaisereconnuepoursonexcellence. Avec près de 5 500 élèves répartis dans un réseau de 27 écoles élémentaires et 10 écoles secondaires, le CSC Nouvelon offre un milieu propice à l'apprentissage et un programme éducatif de qualité, de la petite enfance à l'âge adulte.
Chapleauresidentwinsbigwith TimminsHospitalFoundation50/50
AluckymanfromChapleauisnowover$300,000richer.
Jacques Tremblay found out on New Year's Eve that he'd purchased the winningticketfortheDecemberTimminsandDistrictHospitalFoundation(TADH) 50/50draw.Heistakinghome$308,290.
Whenaskedabouthisplansforthemoney,hesaidhe'dliketotravel,helphis familyout,andmaybe"spoilhimself"bypurchasingaside-by-sidehe'sinterestedin.
Tremblaysupportsthefoundationbecausehismomisinthehospitalandhas receivedgreatcareduringherstay.
OBITUARY
Joseph “Joe”Anglehart
Passed away peacefully with his loving wife by his side at theChapleauHealthServicesonFridayDecember20,2024at theageof47years.
Loving husband of Joelle for 17 years. Beloved son of Patricia and Jean-Paul Anglehart. Dear brother of Ken Anglehart (Alisha) and Jean-Paul Anglehart Jr. (Dominique). GrandsonofthelateThereseandJosephAnglehartandJudy Fuller (late Ken) Dear son-in-law of Camille Guillemette (late Margueritte, Francine Foisy). Brother-in-law of Joey Guillemette, Eric Foisy (Lianne) and Sylvain Foisy (Tanya). Uncle of Adeline, Harlow, Caius, Morgan, Jacob, Harper, Katryne,Patrick,MorganandNoah.
A celebration of life will be held at the Shrine Club (1260 Brookes Street, North Bay) on Saturday January 18, 2025 from 12:00 noon until 4:00 p.m. CremationhastakenplaceatRiver’sEdgeCremationCentre,SaultSte.Marie. MemorialdonationsmadetotheBrainCancerFoundationofCanadawould beappreciatedbythefamily.
The family would like to thank all of the doctors and nurses that have providedcaretoJoeovertheyears.
(Arrangements entrusted to Kerry Funeral Home Ltd., Wawa, ON, 1-800439-4397).www.kerryfuneralhome.ca
Chapleau Moments
by MichaelJ. Morris
As Chapleau prepares to mark its 110th anniversary of incorporation as a municipality in Ontarioin2011,AndreByhamwillbecomethe22nd mayor (formerly called reeves) when he takes office onDecember1.
Thenewlyelectedmayorisactuallythe20th person to hold the office as Frank Edwards, a CPR engineer,andKennethRussell,TechnicalDirectorof Radiology at the hospital, each served again after a breakinterms.
On February 15, 1901, George Brecken "G.B." Nicholson, took office as reeve, and served until 1913, never facing an opponent as he was returnedbyacclamationforone-yearterms.Looking at the history of Chapleau, Mr. Nicholson and his councils created the basic infrastructure for the community in the 20th century. By the time Mr. Nicholson retired as reeve Chapleau had a water works system, cement sidewalks in some residential areas, two schools with a high school under consideration, and a Town Hall considered most modernatthetime.Mr.Nicholsonwasinthelumber andotherbusinessesandlaterservedasaMemberof Parliament.
The railway YMCA with its rooms, restaurant and programs was called one of the best institutionsofitskindanywhereinCanada,whilethe Lady Minto Hospital under the Victorian Order of Nursesopenedin1914.Themajoremployerwasthe CanadianPacificRailwaywhilethebusinesssection contained a number of special, general and departmentstores.Thepopulationhadreachedabout 2,500people.
Before I go any further, let me extend my mostsincerecongratulationstoMr.Byham,andLisi Crichton. Laurent Lacroix, Doug Greig and Rose
ReflectionsonChapleaucouncilsfromGeorgeBreckenNicholsontaking officein1901toAndreByhambecomingmayor110yearslater.
Bertrand on their election to Chapleau council.All the best to eachofyou.
Doug Greig has been researching Chapleau councils and sent me the most recent results of his efforts. Just reading the names is a journey into history,soIdecidedtosharesome of the information about those whohaveservedtheircommunity oncounciloverthepast110years, addingabithereandtheremostly from the mothballs of my own memory. This is really just a starting point, and I hope Doug will have time to continue his efforts.Perhaps others will volunteertohelp.
Lisi Crichton, who will be serving her first term has a direct family connection to Chapleau council. Her great grandfather Vincent Crichton, who was a plumber and proprietor of the Regent movie theatre, wasaChapleaucouncillorin1921.(FullDisclosure: VincentCrichtonwasmygreatuncle)
But,asIreviewedDoug'sresearch,itbecame apparentthatthefamilyofEarleFreeborn,theretiring mayor, has had the most members who served on council. His grandfather, J.D. McAdam, a CPR engineer, was the third reeve of Chapleau, holding office from 1917 to 1919, while his father Earle Freeborn, a CPR freight agent, died in office while serving as the seventh reeve in 1938. Earle's brother Elmer was a councillor for several terms, while Earle,whowasaCPRengineerandrecreationcentre manager,hasbeeninofficeasmayorsince1998.
During World War I, T.J. Godfrey, who was Indian agent, entrepreneur, and major force over the years for the construction of Highway 129, finally opened in 1949, was the second reeve from 1914 to 1916,followedbyMr.McAdam.
Max Brunette, elected in 1920, a CPR conductor,servedasreeveuntil1929tobesucceeded byMr.Edwardswhowasinofficeuntil1936andthen returned from 1943 to 1947. In 1937, Edgar Pellow, the sixth reeve took office, held it for less than two monthstheresignedtobesucceededbyMr.Freeborn.
It should be noted that elections were held yearly,withthefirstcounciltoserveatwo-yearterm electedfor1969-70.Latertheywenttothreeyearand nowafour-yearterm.
George Fife, the manager of the Chapleau ElectricLightCompanybecametheeighthreeveand was in office until 1942. Mr. Fife is reportedly the onlyChapleaureevetomeetaBritishmonarch.When King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were on their Canadian tour in 1939, the Royal Train stopped in ChapleauapparentlyinthenightandtheKinggotup tomeetMr.Fife.
While the reeves from Mr. Nicholson to Mr. EdwardssawChapleauthroughtwoWorldWarsand the Great Depression, all of which presented huge challenges to the community and are stories in
themselves,itwastheelectionof1947thatsawB.W. "Bubs"Zufelt,ownerofChapleauBakery,asthe10th reevethatmarkedtheemergenceofChapleaufromits relative isolation and set the stage for a somewhat differentcommunity.Mr.Zufelt(whointheinterests offulldisclosurewasmyuncle)servedasreeveuntil 1955.
In 1948, a disastrous forest fire resulted in newlumbercompaniescomingtotheChapleauarea providing an expansion of the employment base. By 1949, Highway 129 was finally completed although the celebration was marred by the death of Mr. Godfreyduringtheofficialopeningjustashisdream became a reality. With the end of World War II Chapleau citizens returned from overseas and many stayedtowork,gotmarriedandstartedfamilies.The babyboomwasunderway.
Onthelocalscene,someofthemajorprojects included a sewage plant and system, the first road paving project and the completion of the new Chapleau Memorial CommunityArena. In the early Fifties, Smith and Chapple Ltd. expanded to the "other side of main street". and many may not be awarethatChapleauhadtwosoftdrinkbottlingplants --CocaColaandPepsi.
Residential areas were also expanded in the Fifties, and it seemed like Chapleau boom times wouldcontinue.Cont’donP.5
G.B.Nicholson
from OTTAWA Rapport d’Ottawa
by/par Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing
Theholidayseasonisuponus.It'satimeof the year where most of us take some time to reach out and celebrate with family, friends, and neighbors.It'salsoatimetoremindourselveswhere we've been, what's been accomplished, and what workstillneedstobedone.Atatimeofsocialand political uncertainty, it's vital that we take stock of what's happening in our communities, in our country,andaroundtheworld.
IfyouaskanyCanadianwhattheirbiggest concerncomingoutofthebackof2024is,you'dbe hardpressedtofindanyonewhowouldn'ttalkabout the economy. But for most people, when they talk about the economy, they aren't talking about Bay Streetstockportfolios.Theyaretalkingabouttheir pocketbooksandjobs.Abouttheirpaychequesand the costs of essentials like food, home heating and cellphonebills.Thishasbeenthemajorconcernof peoplethroughoutthelastseveralyears,andrightly so.Inflationhastakenabiteoutofpeople'sspending power,andparticularlyintermsoffoodandshelter costs.TheFoodPriceReportestimatesthatcostson food items will rise by three to five percent comparedto2024,whilegeneralinflationonother goods will rise by one to two percent. Housing prices, meanwhile, is expected to reach peaks similartothosein2022.Couplethiswithlastweek's large rate cut from the Bank of Canada and the unexpected, ridiculous but real threats of tariffs fromthe US President-elect,peoplehavearightto be concerned about the costs of essentials and the economy. Should those tariffs take effect, most CanadiansandAmericanswouldbehard-pressedto thinkofasingleissuethatmaybemoreimpactfulin 2025.
Whenwetalkabouttheeconomy,workers have continued to step up in force in 2024, attempting to negotiate higher wages so they can compete with inflation. In the face of rising costs, both public and private sector workers have been organizing. According to Statistics Canada, work stoppagesacrossthecountryhavetripledinthepast three years, with no sense that the trend is slowing down. Its not just postal workers, who, at present, are being forced back to work by the so-called Labour Minister. Air Canada pilots, WestJet mechanics, port and rail workers, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers, LCBO workers,andmanymorehaveallengagedinsome form of workplace action or have been locked out while demanding better wages and workplace supports. For many, it may be inconvenient, but workers seem to have found their labour footing once again in the face of growing financial inequalitybetweentherichest CEOsandeveryone else. Gains made by unionized workers also have the knock-on effect of improving wages and working conditions for non-unionized workers as well.
Theimpactofclimatechangehasalsobeen topofmindin2024giventhedevastationcausedby wildfires, with the beautifulAlberta resort town of Jasper evacuated and devastated in the middle of summer. 25,000 people had to be vacated, and a
ReflectingontheChallengesandAccomplishmentsof2024
firefighter, Morgan Kitchen, lost his life. When all wassaidanddone,accordingtotheInsuranceBoard of Canada, the wildfire caused $880M in insured losses, the ninth costliest disaster in Canadian history. But when taken as a whole, all of the costliestnaturaldisastersinourhistory,asidefrom the1998icestorm,havehappenedsince2005.
These matters signal the importance of workingtogiveCanadiansabreak.Whileit'sclear theFederalgovernmenthaslittleinterestinactually tackling many of these issues head-on, New DemocratspushedtoensureCanadianscangetabit of a financial break. These include an expanding dental care program that's already been access by over a million Canadians, and the framework for a federalpharmacareprogramthatwillsoonprovide Canadianswithnocostdiabetesmedicationandfree contraceptives. Also included is a GST Holiday rebateatatimewhenpeoplearefeelingthepinchon their pocketbooks, although, to be clear, its important to remove the GST from essentials like phone and home heating bills, less so on nonessentialitemslikevideogames.Itwouldalsohelp
people more if we removed the GST on essentials permanently, not just for a few months. But it also includes the continued push for public, low-cost childcareandtheincomingNationalSchoolLunch Program, because we know how food insecurity impactschildren'sabilitylearnandgrow.
Anti-scab legislation was also passed, and while this doesn't stop the Labour minister from undemocratically imposing binding arbitration, it does prevent federally-regulated businesses from hiring replacement workers, giving workers more bargainingpower.Andweknowtheclimatecrisisis continuing to be a huge problem for people and communities.Intheshortterm,wepushedtosecure increased tax breaks for volunteer firefighters and searchandrescuepersonnel,doublingthetaxcredit from$3,000to$6,000.
Thereisalwaysmoreworktobedone,and whilewetakestockofwhereweareandwherewe areheadedin2025,let'spleaseremindourselvesof the good we can do by taking care of each other. Please take the time to have a safe and happy holidays.
Uneréflexionsurlesdéfisetlesréalisationsde2024
LetempsdesFêtesestànosportes.Pour la plupart d'entre nous, c'est le moment de nous retrouver en famille, entre amis et entre voisins pour festoyer. C'est aussi l'occasion de réfléchir au chemin parcouru, aux réalisations passées et autravailqu'ilresteàaccomplir.Encettepériode d'incertitude sociale et politique, il est essentiel quenousfassionslepointsurcequisepassedans noscollectivités,aupaysetdanslemonde. Si l'on demandait à tous les Canadiens quelleestleurplusgrandepréoccupationencette fin d'année 2024, on aurait du mal à trouver quelqu'un qui ne mentionnerait pas l'économie. Or,quandlaplupartdesgensparlentd'économie, ils ne parlent pas du cours des actions sur Bay Street. Ils parlent de leur portefeuille et de leur emploi. Ils pensent à leur salaire et au coût des produits essentiels, comme la nourriture, le chauffageetlesfacturesdetéléphoniecellulaire. Cette question a été la principale préoccupation des citoyens au cours des dernières années, et à juste titre. L'inflation a rogné leur pouvoir d'achat,enparticuliersurleplandel'alimentation et du logement. Le Rapport sur les prix alimentaires prévoit que le coût des denrées alimentairesaugmenteradetroisàcinqpointsde pourcentage par rapport à 2024, tandis que l'inflation générale dans les autres secteurs augmentera d'un à deux points de pourcentage. Le prix des logements, quant à lui, devrait atteindre des sommets comparables à ceux de 2022.Sil'onajouteàcelal'importantebaissedu taux directeur annoncée la semaine dernière par laBanqueduCanadaetlesmenacesinattendues –ridiculesmaisbienréelles–dedroitsdedouane brandiesparleprésidentdésignédesÉtats-Unis, il est tout à fait légitime de s'inquiéter de la situation économique et du coût des produits essentiels. Si ces droits de douane devaient se
concrétiser, il serait difficile pour la plupart des Canadiens et desAméricains d'imaginer un seul enjeu susceptible d'avoir des conséquences plus lourdesen2025.
Sur le plan économique, les travailleurs ontcontinuéàsemobiliseren2024etonttentéde négocier des salaires plus élevés afin de contrer l'inflation. Face à la hausse des coûts, les travailleurs des secteurs public et privé se sont organisés.SelonStatistiqueCanada,lesarrêtsde travail ont triplé au cours des trois dernières années à l'échelle du pays, et rien ne laisse présagerunralentissementdelatendance.Iln'ya pas que les travailleurs des postes qui, à l'heure actuelle,sontforcésderetournerautravailparle ministreduTravail.Lespilotesd'AirCanada,les mécaniciens de WestJet, les travailleurs des secteurs portuaire et ferroviaire, le personnel de l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada (ASFC), les travailleurs de la LCBO et bien d'autres encore ont tous organisé des actions en milieudetravailouontétémisenlock-outparce qu'ils réclamaient de meilleurs salaires et de meilleures mesures de soutien au travail. Pour bien des gens, ces situations comportent certes desdésagréments,maislestravailleurssemblent avoir repris pied dans le monde du travail, alors quesecreusentlesinégalitésfinancièresentreles PDG les plus fortunés et le reste du monde. N'oublions pas que les acquis obtenus par les travailleurs syndiqués ont également pour effet d'améliorerlessalairesetlesconditionsdetravail destravailleursnonsyndiqués.
Dans un autre ordre d'idées, les conséquencesduchangementclimatiqueontété aucœurdespréoccupationsen2024,notamment enraisondeladévastationcauséeparlesfeuxde forêt et de l'évacuation de la magnifique ville
Cont’donP.7
Cont’dfromP.4
ChapleauMoments
Cont’dfromP.3 ABrewer'sRetailstorearrivedintheFiftiestoo.
Mr. Zufelt was succeeded by Leo Racicot, a CPRconductor,whoservedfrom1956to1959,then James"Jim"Broomhead,oftheAlgomaDairy,from 1960 to 1962.Arthur Grout, president of Smith and ChappleLtd.becamethe13threeveinJanuary1963 butresignedaftertwomonthstobesucceededbyFred A."Nick"Card,aCPRengineer,whoheldofficeuntil 1966.WilliamJ.Card,Mr.Card'sfatherhadservedas acouncillorforeightyearsbetween1922and1934.
In 1962 Highway 101 linked Chapleau to Timmins.
T.C. "Terry" Way-White, a CPR conductor, became the 15th reeve serving from 1967 to 1973. Major projects undertaken in those years were the new water plant and new bridge and pedestrian overpass. I succeeded Mr. Way-White in 1974, and major projects included the recreation centre, civic centre,andCedarGroveLodge.
William Howard, of CPR, became the 17th reeve in 1980 and was in office until 1986 when
Kenneth Russell took over. Mr. Russell served as reeve until 1997. However, he resigned and from December1990untilDecember1991hewas,hewas out of office and Claire Charron was reeve. Mr. Russellreturnedtooffice.
EarleFreebornbecamethe21stholderofthe office,andthe19thpersontodoso.
It has not been my intention to provide a detailedlookatprojectsundertakenoverthepast110 years. Those mentioned are simply to provide a context for what was happening at certain times in Chapleau'shistory.
Just a couple of more mentions of Chapleau people whohaveservedoncouncil.
J.M."Jack"Shoup,thelong-timeprincipalof Chapleau Public School, appears to hold the record forlongestservingcouncillor--16yearsofone-year terms-startingin1946andendingin1968.
Before Dr. G.E. "Ted" Young served on council,hisfatherGeorgeYoungandhisbrotherDr. William"Bill"Younghadbeenmembers.
Mrs. Maud Hands, elected in 1947 was the firstwomanonChapleaucouncil.Itappearsthatonly eightotherwomenhavebeenmembersin110years.
Thanks to Doug Greig for sharing his research. As I put together this column, I could not helpbutreflectonallthosewhohavesatonChapleau council.Theywerealsomostactiveinotherareasof communitylifetoo.
NowAndreByham,thenewlyelectedmayor, andhiscouncil,embarkonajourneytotakeChapleau intoitssecond110yearsasaprogressivecommunity facingthechallengesofthe21stCentury.Godspeed!
AndreByham
Lastweekssolutions
MOMENTS IN TIME
On Jan. 20, 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis, aka "The Killer," made an appearanceattheGrandOleOpry,declaring,"Iamarock-and-rollin', country-and-western,rhythm-and-bluessinging[expletivedeleted]!" beforelaunchingintohisset,whichnotablyincludedalltherock-androllclassicshe'dpromisedOpryofficialsnottoplay.Shunnedbythe pop music world following his controversial second marriage to his teenage cousin Myra Gale Brown, Lewis had staged a successful comebackwithcountrymusic.
Uneréflexionsurlesdéfisetlesréalisationsde2024
albertainedeJasper,ravagéeaumilieudel'été.
Quelque 25 000 personnes ont dû être évacuées,etunpompier,MorganKitchen,aperdula vie.SelonleBureaud'assuranceduCanada,cefeude forêt a causé des pertes assurées de 880 millions de dollars, ce qui le place au neuvième rang des catastrophes les plus coûteuses de l'histoire du Canada.Soulignons,d'ailleurs,qu'àl'exceptiondela tempête de verglas de 1998, toutes les catastrophes naturelleslespluscoûteusesdenotrehistoiresesont produitesdepuis2005.
Ces faits soulignent l'importance de travaillerpourdonnerunrépitauxCanadiens.S'ilest évident que le gouvernement fédéral n'a pas la volonté de s'attaquer de front à ces problèmes, les néo-démocrates, eux, ont fait pression pour que les Canadiens puissent mieux respirer financièrement. Nous avons notamment travaillé en faveur d'un programme élargi de soins dentaires, dont plus d'un million de Canadiens ont déjà bénéficié, et d'un programme fédéral d'assurance-médicaments, qui permettra bientôt aux Canadiens d'obtenir gratuitement des médicaments contre le diabète et des contraceptifs. En cette période où les gens doiventseserrerlaceinture,leNPDs'estaussibattu pour le congé de TPS – cela dit, je tiens à préciser que, si la TPS doit être éliminée sur les dépenses essentielles,tellesquelesfacturesdetéléphoneetde chauffage,ilestmoinsimportantqu'ellelesoitsurles produits non essentiels, comme les jeux vidéo. D'ailleurs, on aiderait davantage les gens en supprimant la TPS sur les produits essentiels de façon définitive, et non pas seulement pendant quelques mois. En outre, nous avons poursuivi nos efforts en faveur de services de garde publics abordables et du nouveau programme national d'alimentation scolaire, car nous connaissons les effets de l'insécurité alimentaire sur le développement et la capacité d'apprentissage des enfants.
Uneloiantibriseursdegrèveaégalementété adoptéeet,bienqu'ellen'empêchepasleministredu Travail d'imposer l'arbitrage exécutoire de façon antidémocratique, elle interdit aux entreprises sous réglementationfédéraled'embaucherdestravailleurs deremplacement,cequidonneunplusgrandpouvoir de négociation aux travailleurs. Enfin, nous savons quelacriseclimatiqueresteunproblèmemajeurpour les citoyens et les collectivités. À court terme, nous
avonsfaitensortequelespompiersvolontairesetle personnelderechercheetdesauvetageobtiennentun allégement fiscal accru, en faisant passer leur crédit d'impôtde3000à6000$.
Il y a encore beaucoup de travail qui nous attend. Alors que nous faisons le point sur notre situation actuelle et sur la direction que nous prendrons en 2025, souvenons-nous de tout le bien que nous pouvons faire en prenant soin les uns des autres. Sur ce, je vous invite à prendre le temps de passerd'agréablesFêtesentoutesécurité.
MIKE C.ALLEMANO - RETIRED
PETER J. BERLINGIERI CHRISTOPHER P. COCCIMIGLIO
Sault Ste. Marie Office T: (705) 253-3800 Wawa Office T: (705) 856-4970 W: www.algomalawyers.ca E: info@algomalawyers.ca
(705) 942-0142
Pimii Kamik Gas Bar & Gift Shop
Located on the Chapleau Cree First Nation
will be from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m., 7 days a week
Drop by and check out our line of Authentic Native Crafts, Unique Gift Ideas, Jewellery, and Gift Certificates TOO!
We also carry road trip snacks, which includes Subs, Chips, Pop, plus a whole lot more.
Your Propane Refilling Station
ACALLAT 1-705-264-4334
1800-461-2242oryoucandropinattheCentre.Wearehereforyou.
tgendron@northernlightsford.ca
I was passing through a community in the north recently. I stopped by a constituent's home to help her sort out some issues she was experiencing. WhenIarrived,Inoticedthatherkidswereplayingan old card game of French origin called Mille Bornes. You win a hand by being the first team to go 1000 miles–hencethename.Thewinningteamistheone thatreaches5000milesfirst.
Kids love it because they enjoy the fun of inflicting misfortune on their opponents through hazards like speed limits, stop lights, running out of fuel, having flattires,andaccidents.Theafflictedteamhastofind andplay,inturn,aremedycardandthenagreenlight togoagain.Whatkiddoesn'tlovetomesswiththeir siblingsorfriendslikethis?
Butthedeckincludes4specialsafetycards, which can be played whenever a team is 'attacked,' withahazardcard,effectivelyturningthetablesback ontheopposingteam.Thesafetycardsgivetheteam immunity from specific perils, foiling the culprit's nefarious desires and earning bonus points too, for being cagey. Even getting one of these cards makes theteamfeeltheyarewearingTeflon-coatedarmour. Makesthemfeel'untouchable'.
Oh, such wonderful memories of sticking it to my brothers.
AfterIfinishedmymeeting,Idrovedownthe highway.IcouldnothelpbutthinkthatIbetPremier Ford loved to play that game, too. I bet he loved conspiringwithfriendstostackthedeckonoccasion, making the win even sweeter. Now, Mille Bornes is justagame.However,itseemstomethattheremaybe apoliticalversionthatPremierFordenjoys.Butinthe political version, instead of playing the 'safety card,' heseemstorelishthethoughtoftherushhegetsfrom playing the NOTWITHSTANDING CLAUSE card,makinghislegislationuntouchable,evenbythe courts.
Unfortunately, Premier Ford seems almost eager to turn to the notwithstanding clause to get his way. EdwardKeenanwroteanopinionarticleentitledFord Too Keen to Override Rights in the December 6, 2024,issueoftheTorontoStar,“Therewasatime— for 36 years after the Charter came into effect — in which this provision was rarely used outside of Quebecandneverused inOntario.ThencameFord, whoinsixyearshasinvokeditthreetimes,passedtwo of those into law (before repealing one and seeing anotherstruckdownbyacourtondifferentgrounds). AndnowFordistalkingaboutdoingitafourthtime.”
As readers know, Premier Ford is making it morethanclearthatheplanstousetheclausetoclean up the homeless encampment mess that his governmenthascreated.TheRegionofWaterlootried to oust about 50 people from an encampment in Kitchener.However,theactionwaschallengedinthe courts,andthejudgeruledthatevictingtheresidents under the regional bylaw violated constitutional rights.Thecourtruledthatifpeoplecannotfindany indoor space to shelter, they have the right to find
somesortofshelterwithasemblanceofsafety.After all,everyonemustbesomewhere.Wherecanyougo ifyouhavenohome,land,ormoney?
Since the encampment residents had no access to shelter, even those provided by social agencies,themunicipality'sbylawwasstruckdown. Thecourt'sdecisionclearlyinfuriatedDougFord.He reacted,stating,“We'regoingtochallengethat;we're goingtochallengethatcourtcase.Becauseyoucan't have people setting up encampments in beautiful neighbourhoods.”
Waterloo Region was not alone in experiencing the encampment issue. It is happening to varying degrees across the entire province, includingAlgoma-ManitoulinandNorthernOntario. EveryOntarianknowsthatourshortageofaffordable housing has been an ongoing issue for years. Now, wellintoitssecondmajoritymandate,sayingthatthe Fordgovernmentisfailingmiserablytomeetitsbuild targetsisbeinggenerousbecausethefailureis,infact, colossal.
DougFordisembarrassedanddesperate.So, what is his solution? Bulldoze the encampment, forcingthehomelesstomove…somewhereelse.The problem is, where can they go?Thegovernment has no effective plan in place on what to do to help save thesepeople'slives.Therearenotenoughsheltersto accommodate them all. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. Which is the greater priority, an individual'shealthandsurvivaloraccessingbeautiful parklandtowalkyourdog?
Just days ago, even the Auditor General castigatedtheFordgovernmentforitshandlingofthe encampment and opioid issues. Trillium News reported on December 3, 2024, that “The Auditor General found that the government has made no attempt to determine if anyone will die or not as a result of the site closures. Nor did the Progressive Conservatives talk to anyone who might be affected by the closures, such as the SCS [Supervised Consumption Site] operators, the people who use them,ortheNorthernOntariocommunitieswhowill be left without any access to an SCS despite having theworstopioidstatisticsintheprovince.”TheAG's report concluded saying the government's actions “havebeeninsufficient.”
So, what is the Premier Ford's solution? He goadedthemunicipalitiesintowritingtohimtopass legislation that would shield them from the court ruling that municipal bylaws so they could evict the homeless, who, as you just read, are currently protected under the notwithstanding clause. At a media event, he said, “I have an idea, why don't the bigcitymayorsactuallyputinwritingthattheywant the province to change the homeless program, make surethatwemovethehomelessalong,andwhydon't they put in (to) use the notwithstanding clause, or something like that.” Now, that's what you call goading! It disrespects the municipalities and homelessanddishonoursthePremier'sposition.
TheFordgovernment'ssolutionwastotable Bill223,whichwouldallowpolicetoissueticketsor arrest people for using illegal drugs in public with penalties of up to $10,000 or 6 months in jail. What theheck!?Thesepeoplehaven'tgotevenjust$1,000, letalone10.So,itmayaswellbe$10Million!They
are also considering forcing people into involuntary rehabilitation programs for their own good. But statistics overwhelmingly show forced rehab doesn't work.
Ontario's justice system is operating far beyondcapacity.Criminalizingmorepeoplewillnot onlynotalleviatethehomelessnessandopioidissues. It will only put more stress on the courts and bail system,leadingtomorecasesbeingthrownoutdueto exceededwaittimes.Onecan'tevenimaginethelost time,moneyandprofessionalresources.
In the words of Doug Ford himself, “Enough is enough.” What Ontarians need is for Doug Ford to stopplayinggamesandgetthejobdone.Thisisnota gameofMillesBornesinwhichthePremierseeksthe thrill of immunity by passing unconstitutional legislation with the preset protection of the notwithstanding clause. We need a government to bringaboutrealsolutionstotheproblemofaffordable housinganditsoffshootissuesratherthanfocusingon liningthepocketsofwealthydeveloperswhohavethe Premier'sear.
· Immediately create effective launch programsintheshorttermtocreateessentialshelters andsupervisedinjectionsiteswhichareadaptableand appropriate for communities of all population sizes andgeographiclocations.
· Rampupnewhousingconstructiontomeeta broad range of housing needs, not just high-end, single-familydwellingsforthewealthy.
· Build a healthy labour pool. Train more workersandprioritizetheimmigrationofpeoplewith tradeskillsthatareinhighdemand.
· Encouragetheuseofinnovativeconstruction materials, techniques, and building design to maximizeproductivity.
· Encourage more efficient redevelopment of existing urban lands rather than prime agricultural land.
· Follow the Auditor General's recommendation to implement transparency and integrity in approving Minster's Zoning Orders (MZOs)
· Incentivize municipalities and developer programs to reward efforts to meet broad-ranging housing construction without the loss of productive agricultural and essential environmental lands, such astheGreenbelt.
ThetruthofthematteristhatOntarianshave always believed that the use of the notwithstanding clauseissomethingdoneindesperationandearnsany government a collar of shame to be worn. But for whatever reason, Mr. Ford seems to think that to brandishtheclauseistowearabadgeofhonour.
Since the Charter was signed way back in 1982, Ontarians have believed that for any government to even contemplate invoking the notwithstandingclauseistantamounttoviolatingthe very heart and soul of democratic principles. Any government that has to rely upon such tactics is violatingthetenetsofdemocracyitself.
As always, I invite you to contact my office about these issues or any other provincial matters. You can reach my constituency office by email at mmantha-co@ola.org or call Toll-free 1-800-8311899.