06132024 June 13, 2024

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Aboundlesscommitmenttohisschoolcommunity

Emmanuel Boucher, a soon-to-

graduate student from École secondaire catholique Trillium (Chapleau),isa polite,kindandhelpful student who stands out for his unwavering commitment to his school community.Throughouthisfouryearsin secondary school, this grade 12 student was able to overcome challenges and obstaclestoachievesuccess.

Since grade 9, Emmanuel has been involved in a number of school initiatives, including the volleyball, badminton,soccerandcurlingteams,as wellasseveralschoolcommittees,such as the chess club. This year, he had the

chance to exercise his leadership as coPresident of the school's Student Parliament. His active participation earned him the title of student with the most badges in recognition of his involvement in school and extracurricularactivities.

Very active in the Fédération de lajeunessefranco-ontarienne(FESFO), healsorepresentedhisschoolverywell during school and extracurricular activitiesfacilitatedbythisorgnization.

Next year, Emmanuel will pursue his studies in the Architectural Technician Program at Algonquin CollegeinOttawa.

Unengagementsansborne enverssacommunautéscolaire

Emmanuel Boucher, finissant de l'école secondaire catholique Trillium (Chapleau), est un élève poli, aimable et serviable qui se démarqueparsonengagementenverssa communauté scolaire. Tout au long de son séjour au secondaire, cet élève de la 12e année a été en mesure de surmonter des défis et obstacles pour atteindre la réussite et le succès.

9 Long Term Forecast

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Depuis la 9e année, Emmanuel a participé à plusieurs initiatives scolaires telle que l'équipe de ballon volant,

badminton, soccer, curling ainsi que plusieurs comités de l'école dont le club d'échecs. Cette année, il a eu la chance d'exercer son leadership en tant que coprésident du Parlement des élèves. Sa participation active lui a permis de se mériterletitredel'élèveayantaccumulé le plus grand nombre d'écussons en reconnaissance de sa participation à des activitésscolairesetparascolaires.

TrèsactifauseindelaFédération de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne (FESFO), il a également très bien représenté son école au niveau des activités scolaires et parascolaires organiséesparcetorganisme.

L'an prochain, Emmanuel poursuivrasesétudesdansleprogramme de technologie de l'architecture au CollègeAlgonquinàOttawa.

Chapleau Moments

by MichaelJ. Morris

Aftermyfather,FlyingOfficerJamesE. Morris was killed while on active service in the Royal Canadian Air Force on July 16, 1943 duringWorldWar II,mymother Muriel(Hunt) Morris decided we would remain in Chapleau, butstayin touchwithsomeofmyparents'close friends made when he was a Flying Instructor with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Iven andArlene Nichol came to Canada from the United States after the war started in 1939, andIvenjoinedthe RCAF,thenbecame, likemyfather,aflyinginstructoratMountHope near Hamilton. Iven was one of hundreds of Americans who came to Canada to join our

Following

theAmericanDreamfromChapleau

andreuniting withmy'sevensisters'inalastingbondofover70years

nation's armed forces before their country enteredthewarin1941.

J.L. Granatstein, the former CEO of the Canadian War Museum and historian described the BCATP as "the major Canadian military contribution to the Allied (Second World) War effort." It was a program to train air crew members from the Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air

Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force and RCAF in Canada. By the end of the war more than130,000aircrewmembershadbeentrained andmorethan100aerodromesandlandingfields builtacrossCanada.

My parents met Iven and Arlene in Hamilton, and more than 70 years later, I am in contact with their children. In a real way, I have beenabletofollowtheAmericanDreamthrough theirfamily,beginningshortlyaftertheendofthe war when Mom and I travelled by train from ChapleautoIllinoistopayourfirstvisit.

It was on that trip that I visited Tom Sawyer's caves in Hannibal, Missouri in Mark Twain country and fell in love with marching bandswhentheytookustotheIllinoisStateFair.

As Iven moved up the corporate ladder, the ever growing family moved to Pittsburgh wherewe visitedoftenandIsawmyfirstMajor Leaguebaseballgame.Cont’donP.3

Looking for something to do on a Friday night in June? LOOK NO FURTHER!BignamesreturningtoChapleauyetagainfor an evening of glorious music with Chapleau's own Keiko Larocque.Theprogrammerunsapproximately1hrandthenight willbefilledwithvaryinggenresofmusicfromoperatomusical theatre and more! Tickets can be purchased by calling or emailing,andtheywillalsobeavailableatthedoor.

ChapleauMoments

Americanlife."Needlesstosay,Iwasamazed.

Then I received an email from Janet, another daughter. There were eight daughters, sevenofwhomarestillalive.

Janetexplained:"Mynephewwasasking my sister Susan if his grandfather was on the internet. Shedidasearchandyourblogcameup fromyourreportonthe2009StanleyCupwhere you reminisced about Pittsburgh and your visits withmyfamilyIvenandArleneNichol. Youcan imagine my sister’s shock and my nephew’s joy to find that small paragraph so kindly penned aboutourparents/grandparents."

Cont’dfromP.2

But most importantly, I still recall Iven tellingmymotherthatthenextdayhewasgoing totakemeandtheiroldestdaughterSandyforan airplanerideoverPittsburgh.Mymotherwasnot in favour, but Iven insisted that given how my fatherdied,itwassomethingthathadtobedone. IvenwonandtothisdayIamgratefultohim.

But, he wasn't done. We had arrived in Pittsburghbytrain,butIvenarrangedforustofly back to Toronto on a commercial flight which wasthefirsttimemymotherhadflown.

We visited them In Stamford, Connecticut too and my mother made regular visitsformanyyears.Ihadmyfirstsliceofpizza inStamford.

In 1955, Iven, his father-in-law and a friendcametoChapleauonafishingtrip.Iwasin GradeEightatChapleauPublicSchoolandJ.M. Shoup, the principal who had served in World WarIand WorldWarIIletmeskipclassestogo fishingwiththemoneafternoonatPoulinCreek. To his great credit, Mr. Shoup understood how importantitwasformetogofishingwithoneof myfather'sverybestfriendsfromWorldWarII

After my mother died in 1989, I was going through her address book and found a number for them in Florida where they had movedtoretire.Icalledandhadonelonglastchat withArlene.Ivenhaddiedafewyearsearlier.

But,howdidIgetbackintouchwiththe Nichol children? Actually they found me. In 2009,IwroteastoryaboutwatchingtheStanley Cup finals between Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Redwings, mentioning that I was cheeringforPittsburghbecauseasakidIvisited Iven andArlene Nichol who had lived there. It appearedontheInternet.

Some time later there was a comment posted on it from Susan: "I am one of Iven and Arlene's daughters. They loved to entertain so I am not surprised that they showed you some

Laurie,inherfirstemailwroteaboutmy mother. "I too am a product of that American Dream!Iam#7ofthe8girlsinthefamilyandI fondly remember my Auntie MOO! She was always my favorite visitor and covered me with lovelikeIwasthemostspecialchild.Iknowshe had much love to give and she shared that love with so many! I miss her so much and I am blessedtohaveknownherlove!"

Just recently Laurie sent me a message thatsumsupsoincrediblywellthebondthatwas createdduringthewarandcontinuedtothisday even when we have not seen in each other in years,andourparentsarenowgone."Iknowthat you and your mom were very important to my dad.Heandyourdadwerelikebrothersandwhen he spoke of him, you andAuntie Moo, his heart would swell and his eyes would be moist with tears,helovedyouallthatmuch!"

The Nichol children called my mother Auntie Moo, my father's nickname for her, and Lauriealsocommentedthatshelivedina"afairy talelandcalledChapleau,Ontario."

Sandy,theeldestofthefamilysharedthat herfathercametoCanadaashewasupsetthatthe USwasdoingnothingtostopHitlerandhefeltso stonglyaboutitthatheenlistedintheRCAF.

"Since you know him I'm sure that this makesperfectsensetoyou. Heheldsuchstrong convictions and felt that Hitler needed to be stopped. He went to Canada and enlisted and I suppose it was pure happenstance that he was senttoHamilton. Therealironyisthatafterallof that, he was never sent to Germany to bomb the Nazis, but was left behind to train others to do whathewantedtodohimself."

He did tell of several scary experiences where he was nearly killed by his students. "I remember one story he told that when he gave final instructions to a student about to take his firstsoloflight andasheclimbeddownfromthe cockpithisweddingringgotcaughtonariviton thewingandhewasdraggeddowntherunwayas thestudent wasabouttotakeoff.Dadmanaged to free himself just in time, but from then on he neverworehisweddingring. Momdidn'thavea problemwiththatandwasgratefulthatDadwas OK."

"Anothertimehesaidhehadhisstudent 'buzz'thehousejustbeforethelessonwasoverso Momwouldknowtocomeandpickhimup. As shewaitedatthechainlinkfenceforhimtoland thestudentcrashedtheplaneandDadwastossed free of the wreckage on the other side so Mom could not see him. She was sure he was hurt or dead when he walked around from behind the wreckage and she could see he was fine. He always told these stories with that rather 'dirty laugh' thathehadandusuallywenttogetanother scotch.'

Sandyconcludedthatitwasnicetohavea "brother" and that I had "seven sisters" in the UnitedStates.

Idecidedtosharethisverypersonalstory aboutthelastingbondofover70years,begunat the beginning of World War II when a young Canadian couple, Jim and Muriel Morris met Iven andArlene Nichol from the United States, becamefriendsandtherelationshipcontinuesto thisday.

From left Harold Kennedy, Jiggs Goldstein, Bubs Zufelt, Beth Goldstein, my Mom, Paul Behrens, Marion Morris, Iven Nichol, Elsie Zufelt,HarryMorris(mygrandfather)

MeandSandy,Illinois,circa1947

from OTTAWA Rapport d’Ottawa

by/par Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

Last week, the House of Commons Procedure and HouseAffairs Committee (PROC) began reviewing the House's policy on workplace harassmentandviolenceprevention.This,inyears' past, would register as an innocuous meeting not worthyofgeneratingevenasmallstoryintheback of a paper or deep in a website. That's not what happened,asthe PROC Committeeheardwitness after witness, frequently MPs, recount in excruciatingdetailtheextremelevelofharassment, threatsofviolenceanddeaththreatstheyhavebeen receivingorhaveobserved.Thisisnotnormalnor acceptable.

PatrickMcDonell,thecurrentSergeant-atArmsandCorporateSecurityOfficeroftheHouse of Commons, perhaps provided the most succinct sentencepossibletoexplainwhat'shappening:“In 2019 there was approximately eight files we opened up on threat behaviours, either direct or indirect threat towards an MP, and in 2023 there was530filesopened.”Thenewsheadlinesareasad collection of where our political discourse has steeredtowards: MPsadvisedtolockofficedoors, avoid meetings as death threats skyrocket reads a National Post article; Harassment of MPs spiked almost 800% in 5 years, says House sergeant-atarmsreadsaCBCarticle.

Thisisanastonishinglydepressingstateofaffairs, onethatanumberofMPsandotherpublicservants haveexpressedseriousconcernsaboutoverthelast fewyears.It'sbeenasortofunspokenfeelingfora whilenowbuthearingtheSergeant-at-Armsreveal the massive increase in threats and harassment is verytroubling.

When asked about harassment online, the Sergeant-at-Arms said this: “it's come to the point where we're bulk filing the harassment of MPs online, as there's just so much of it. The social mediaplatformsare,one,eithernottakingourcall or two, taking our call and saying, 'Yes, we'll look intoit,'anditendsthere.”Theverynatureofsocial media has made it easier to attack, harass, and threaten people, where users can hide behind anonymity.And,becauseoftheworktheydotrying torepresenttheirconstituents,MPsareeasytargets for this sort of behaviour.We've known for a long time that social media trades on engagement, and rage is often the easiest tool to keep people engaged.Butitcomesatamassivecostthatwestill aren'tfullypreparedtodealwith.

This isn't a partisan issue, but an issue of how we engage with each other. During that particularPROCCommitteemeeting,manyofthe witnesses appearing were woman MPs. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner and NDPMPLyndsayMathyssenbothstatedtheyhave received death threats. Liberal MP Pam Damoff, who recently decided not to run again citing harassment,said“thelevelofthreatsandmisogyny

ThreatsAgainst MPsareCompletelyOutofHand

I am subject to both online and in person are such thatIoftenfeargoingoutinpublic,andthatisnota sustainableandhealthywaytolive.”Mycolleague andfriendCharlieAngushashadtohavethe OPP come and answer phone calls in his constituency office at one point because he was receiving a streamofthreatsovera24-hourperiod.

And while I have not spoken much about this publicly, I've personally worked with the Sergeant-At-Arms office after receiving threats in recentmonths,whichisnotsomethingI'veactively had to do in my almost 16 years as an MP. There have of course been instances where I'd receive angryphonecalls(theverynatureofpoliticsmeans youaren'tgoingtomakeeveryonehappyallofthe time)butnothingtothelevelthatIormystaffhave had to be concerned about personal safety until recently.As a result, a formal complaint was filed with the police and charges laid, not something I considered lightly, but leaving my staff or myself opentoactivedeaththreats&ongoingharassment isn'tanoption.

There are enormous costs to this

unacceptable growth in intimidation and abuse, both financially, and far more importantly, to our democracy.RCMPcoststoprotectMPsexcluding thePrimeMinisterhaveincreasedto$1.8millionin fiscal year 22/23 and we are on track to double those expenditures in 23/24. That's a significant increase. But what's more significant are the number of people who will step away from even attempting to run for office. Anyone who doesn't feel like they can endure a torrent of vitriol may decidethisjobisn'tworthit.Thatmeansthepeople who may be more likely to attract those threats (women, First Nations people, youth, LBTQ+ people,etc.)willbelessinclinedtorunforelected office, and that does severe damage to representativedemocracy.

We have recently seen that this isn't just a growing problem here in Canada, but to countries acrosstheglobeaswell.It'sobviousweneedtodoa better job of turning down the heat both on social media and in the political sphere, or we risk alienating the next generation of leaders from publicservice.

Menacescontrelesdéputés:unesituationquiacomplètement

La semaine dernière, le Comité de la procédureetdesaffairesdelaChambre(PROC) a commencé à examiner la politique de la Chambre sur la prévention du harcèlement et de la violence en milieu de travail. Dans le passé, une telle réunion aurait été considérée comme anodineetn'auraitpasméritédefairel'objetd'un articleenfindejournaloud'unarticlesurunsite Web.Or,cen'estpascequis'estpassé,puisquele comité PROC a recueilli témoignage après témoignage,souventdesdéputés,quiontraconté dans les moindres détails le niveau extrême de harcèlement, de menaces de violence et de menaces de mort qu'ils ont reçu ou constaté. Ce n'estpasnormal,niacceptable.

Patrick McDonell, le sergent d'armes et directeurdelasécuritéinstitutionnelleactuelàla Chambre des communes, a bien su résumer la situation: « En 2019, nous avons ouvert environ huit dossiers sur les comportements menaçants, directs ou directs, à l'égard d'un député. Or en 2023, 530 dossiers ont été ouverts. » Les manchettes sont une triste compilation des orientationsdenotrediscourspolitique:dansun articleduNationalPost,onpeutlireMPsadvised to lock office doors, avoid meetings as death threatsskyrocket[Montéeenflèchedesmenaces demort:lesdéputéssontinvitésàverrouillerles portesdeleurbureauetàéviterlesréunions];ou encore,dansunarticledelaCBC,Harassmentof MPsspikedalmost800%in5years,saysHouse sergeant-at-arms [Augmentation de près de 800 %duharcèlementdesdéputésencinqans,selon le sergent d'armes de la Chambre des communes].

Il s'agit d'une situation étonnamment déprimante, qui a d'ailleurs suscité de vives

dégénéré

inquiétudes de la part d'un certain nombre de députés et d'autres fonctionnaires au cours des dernièresannées.

Bien que gardé sous silence, ce sentiment était déjà présent depuis un certain temps. Il est très inquiétant d'entendre le sergent d'armes révéler l'augmentation massive des menaces et du harcèlement.

Lorsqu'on lui a posé des questions sur le harcèlement en ligne, le sergent d'armes a répondu ceci : « Nous en sommes au point où nous déclarons en vrac le harcèlement des députés en ligne, car il y en a tellement. Les plateformes de médias sociaux, d'une part, ne nous répondent pas, ou bien nous répliquent : “Oui, nous allonsexaminerlaquestion”,etc'est tout. » La nature même des médias sociaux a renduplusfacileslesattaques,leharcèlementet les menaces, les utilisateurs pouvant se cacher derrièrel'anonymat.Et,enraisondutravailqu'ils accomplissent pour représenter leurs électeurs, les députés sont des cibles faciles pour ce genre de comportement. Nous savons depuis longtemps que les médias sociaux reposent sur l'engagement et que la rage est souvent l'outil le plus simple pour maintenir l'engagement des gens.Maiscelaauncoûténormeauquelnousne sommespasencoretoutàfaitprêtsàfaireface. Cen'estpasunequestiondepartisanerie, mais de la façon dont nous interagissons les uns aveclesautres.LorsdecetteréunionduComité PROC,denombreuxtémoinsétaientdesfemmes parlementaires. La députée conservatrice Michelle Rempel Garner et la députée néodémocrate Lyndsay Mathyssen ont toutes deux déclaré avoir reçu des menaces de mort. La députéelibéralePamDamoff,quiaSuiteP.7

OntarioOfferingFreeFishingonFather'sDayWeekend FishforfreeacrosstheprovinceJune15-16

InhonourofFather'sDayonSunday,the provinceisofferingfreefishingthisweekend.

“Father'sDayweekendisagreattimeto get out on one of Ontario's beautiful lakes or rivers and enjoy fishing,” said Graydon Smith, MinisterofNaturalResources.“Fishingisafun activityforeveryoneinthefamilyandit'sagreat waytospendtimetogether,soIencourageyouto cast a line June 15 and 16 to celebrate Father's Day.”

Rightnow,youcanfishformanyspecies, including yellow perch, common carp, northern pike, lake trout and walleye in most of Ontario. Some waterbodies have exceptions; be sure to check the before Fishing Regulations Summary headingoutsoyouareawareofalllimitsonhow manyfishyoucankeep.

If you are fishing for free during this period,youneedtocarryidentificationissuedby

the provincial or federal government, showing yournameanddateofbirth.

Over one million licensed anglers spend $1.75 billion per year on recreational fishing in Ontario.

The last annual free fishing event this yearisFamilyFishingWeek(June29-July7)to celebrateCanadaDay.

Ontariofishinglicencescanbepurchased online at If buying huntandfishontario.com. online,alwayslookfortheOntariologo.Youcan also purchase in person at participating ServiceOntario or authorized licence issuer locations.

Outside of free fishing periods, most Canadians between the ages of 18 and 65 must haveanOutdoorsCardandafishinglicence.

VeteransandactiveCanadianArmed Forces members residing in Ontario can

enjoyfreerecreationalfishingintheprovinceall year.

MOMENTS IN TIME

On June 27, 1939, one of cinema's most famous scenes was recorded when Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara partedforthelasttimein"GoneWiththeWind."Director VictorFlemingalsoshotthesceneusinganalternateline-"Frankly,mydear,Ijustdon'tcare"--incasefilmcensors objected to the word "damn." They did, fining producer David O. Selznick $5,000 for including the curse even thoughtheyapprovedthemovie.

SuitedelaP.4

récemment décidé de ne pas se présenter de nouveaueninvoquantleharcèlement,adéclaré: «Leniveaudemenacesetdemisogynieauquelje fais face en ligne et en personne est tel que je crainssouventdesortirenpublic,etcen'estpas une façon durable et saine de vivre. » Mon collègueetamiCharlieAngusadûdemanderàla PPOdevenirrépondreauxappelstéléphoniques dans son bureau de circonscription à un certain moment parce qu'il recevait un flot de menaces dansunepériodede24heures.

Par ailleurs, même si je n'en ai pas beaucoup parlé publiquement, j'ai personnellementtravailléaveclebureaudusergentd'armes après avoir reçu des menaces au cours des derniersmois,unepremièreenpresque16ansde carrière en tant que députée. Il m'est bien sûr arrivé de recevoir des appels téléphoniques de personnes en colère (la nature même de la politiquefaitqu'onnepeutpastoujourscontenter toutlemonde),maisjamaisaupointquemoiou mon personnel n'ayons eu à craindre pour notre sécurité personnelle jusqu'à récemment. En

INSURANCE

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conséquence,uneplainteofficielleaétédéposée auprès de la police et des poursuites ont été engagées.Jenel'aipasenvisagéàlalégère,mais il est hors de question de laisser mon personnel ou moi-même exposés à des menaces de mort activesetàunharcèlementincessant.

Cette croissance inacceptable de l'intimidation et des abus a un coût énorme, à la fois sur le plan financier et, encore plus important,pournotredémocratie.LesfraisdelaGRC pour protéger les députés, à l'exception du premier ministre, ont augmenté pour atteindre 1,8milliondedollarsaucoursdel'exercice202223; nous sommes en bonne voie de doubler ces dépenses en 2023-24. C'est une augmentation importante. Mais ce qui est encore plus grave, c'estlenombredepersonnesquirenoncerontàse présenterauxélections.Quiconquenesesentpas capablede supporter un tel tourbillon de hargne peutsedirequecetravailn'envautpaslapeine. Celasignifiequelespersonneslesplussusceptibles d'attirer ces menaces (les femmes, les autochtones, les jeunes, les personnes LBTQ+, etc.) seront moins enclines à se présenter aux élections, ce qui nuit gravement à la démocratie représentative.

Nous avons récemment constaté que ce problèmenes'aggravepasseulementauCanada, mais aussi dans d'autres pays du monde. Il est évident que nous devons mieux faire baisser la pressionsurlesmédiassociauxetdanslasphère politique, sinon nous risquons d'éloigner la prochainegénérationdedirigeantsdelafonction publique.

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I have to say that we politicians are truly a puzzlinglottounderstand.Itiswithgreatconfidence that I say there is no standard 'type" or particular charactertraitthatweallshare.Somemightmaintain thatwealllovethelimelightorliketohearourselves talk.Somemightsaypoliticiansthriveonthefeeling of perceived power over the masses.And, of course, thereisanoverwhelmingassumptionthatpoliticians enjoy a special kind of exhilaration that can come from battling wits and jousting with barbs and jibes between the government and opposition. If you ask meifit'struethatpoliticiansareallcutfromthesame cloth,I'danswer,'Ofcourseitis-tosomedegree.'But tobesure,therearealsoinfinitevariations.

However,Ithinkgovernmentsarelikeaquilt formed of hundreds of patches that come together, creatingsecurityandstrength.Ifirmlybelievemuch isgainedbydebatingissuesinthelegislature.Iknow from experience that great things can happen when committees comprising government, opposition and independent members shun partisanship, instead maintainingdialoguetomakelegislationworkforthe peopleitisintendedtogovern.

Public perception is that governing and changehappenonthelegislature'sfloor.Thatmaybe howitlooksonnewsclips,butitisnotreality.Allthe leg work and preliminary discussion is done behind the scenes before the Ministers and MPPs get their hands on it.We are involved in the process all along theway,butwearenotthecreatorsorbuildersofthe legislation.

I raise the issue of, for lack of a better term, political grunt work for a reason in this week's column.

Recently, a government minister visited the riding to announce, with great fanfare, numerous grantsandprogramlaunchesinseveralcommunities acrossAlgoma-Manitoulin. I was thrilled to learn of the ministry's generous support for several community groups. However, as I listened to the speech, I couldn't help but feel a niggle of annoyance on the backofmyneck.IfthelivesofthepeopleofAlgomaManitoulin will benefit, how could I feel nettled at suchgoodnews?

Iwasperturbedbecausetheministerdidnot givecreditwherecreditwasdue.

Yes, funding is doled out by various ministriesandagencies.However,longbeforetheapplications are submitted for consideration, much groundworkmustbeputinplacebyorganizationvolunteers, municipal administrators, and so on by the communityrecipients.Andthatworkdoesn'tstartjustweeks beforetheapplicationsaresubmitted.Itdoesn'teven begin months before. In some cases, the project is conceivedanddevelopedovertime,sometimesyears beforefinalplansareactuallysubmittedforconsideration. Getting major projects off the ground takes foresight, planning, and gruntwork. It also takes persistence,submittingapplicationsyearafteryear.

I was so disappointed that the minister who recently came to the riding to make announcements didnothavethecourtesytoinvitethosewhodidthe actualgroundworktojoinhimindeliveringthegood news. Even worse, the minister did not give even a hintofcredittothankthepeoplewholaidthegroundwork. Most ministers also invite the local MPP to

Let'sgivecredittowhomcreditisdue

participate as we often know the trench workers and wanttocongratulateandthankthemonbehalfofthe citizens.Asisthestyleoftoomanypoliticians,some politicians just can't summon the will to shun the limelight and give credit to those who made things happen.

To be clear, the standard I hold other politicianstoalsoappliestomefirstandforemost.Ialways receive calls, emails, letters, and handshakes from constituents who thank me for helping resolve personal or community issues or successfully applying for funding. Admittedly, sometimes, I am the one who makes the calls or bends the ears of the appropriatepeopletogetthejobdone.However,the fact of the matter is that one person can't do all the thingsthatmyofficegetsdone.AsmuchasIamproud toacceptacknowledgementformywork,Itakeeven greaterprideintellingpeoplethatmyteam'seffortsin Queen'sParkandtheconstituencyofficemadethings happen.Giventhenumberofcasesandissuesthatare handled through my office, a good deal of the time, myteamoftendoesallthelegworkandnetworkingto getthingsdone.

And when I say team, that is precisely what they are and how they work. When a sports team scoresagoalorahomerun,everyoneinvolvedshares inthesuccessandjoy:players,coaches,trainersand othersallcelebrate.Thesuccessofoneteammember is a success for all of us. It is the same for when the volunteers and workers of an organization, group or municipal administrators work toward completing a projectorlaunchingaprogram.Andifyouthinkthat submittingfundingorprogramapplicationsisaneasy task,thinkagain.Heavenknowsnoonecan'mudify' or complicate a simple question or statement like a bureaucraticorgovernmentoffice.

It is also important for people to know that there are literally hundreds of opportunities to apply forprogramsandfundingtomakelifebetterfortheir community. One of the most common funding sources is the OTF Ontario Trillium Foundation. grants help an extensive range of organizations and communities to deliver programs and services that directly benefit the people in the region. They offer community investment in the form of seed, Capital and growth grants. And they have many funding opportunitiestosupportyouthinitiativesandfunding to help local organizations come together and build resilientcommunities.

OTF has been very generous in supporting the people of Algoma-Manitoulin. From January 2023throughthisdate,OTFconductedfourgranting rounds: 1 Capital funding and 3 Resilient Communities Fund rounds. During this time, the people of this riding have benefitted from 15 grants, totalling$1,293,100.

Another huge funding source for Northerners is the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). Itwasestablishedin1988withamandate to promote and stimulate economic development initiativesinNorthernOntariobyprovidingfinancial assistance to projects that stabilize, diversify and foster economic growth in the region. NOHFC concentrates on six key funding programs aimed at promoting job creation, technology research and development,infrastructureandcommunitydevelopment, youth entrepreneurship, youth internship and cooperation and the generation and conservation of renewableformsofenergy.Duringthe2023calendar year,NOHFCinvestedmorethan$14.3millionin85 projects across Algoma-Manitoulin. This strong support helped to leverage more than $30.7 million

additional dollars in investment, creating or sustaining 73 jobs. So far, in 2024, NOHFC has invested more than $5.7 million to date in 33 projects in the Algoma-Manitoulin riding, which has leveraged an additional$6.1millionininvestmentandcreatingor sustaining33jobs.

Lastyear,theMunicipalityofWawareceived funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs under the Rural Economic DevelopmentProgramtosupportthedevelopmentof a new Downtown Wawa Community Improvement Plan. Wawa also received over $553,000 in funding for three infrastructure projects. $$246,000 for the municipal airport, almost $109,000 for the Michipicoten Golf Club and nearly $200,000 has beensetasidetodevelopnewbusiness/culturalspace for Michipicoten First Nation. This funding did not falloutofthesky.Itwastheresultofmuchhardwork behindthescenes.

AsIsaid,togetprogramsandfundingdoesn't just take work. It also requires time and lots of patience.ResidentsofBlindRiverandtheareahave been working very hard and patiently trying to arrange funding for a badly needed new school.The existingschoolisover85yearsoldandhasmorethan done its duty. I enjoyed the privilege of joining the Algoma District School Board and Conseil scolaire duGrandNordastheyannouncedthattheMinistryof Education was investing $50.5 million in a jointly operated JK-12 school just months ago. It will accommodate 381 students, 72 elementary Frenchlanguage places, 64 childcare spaces in four rooms andtworoomsforEarlyOnChildandFamilyCentre. Thissuccessstoryrequiredfiveyearsofdiscussions, planning,hardworkandpatience.Butintheend,their determinationwasrewarded.

hesearejustsomeofthesuccessstoriesthat have happened in Algoma-Manitoulin. My office receives regular notifications from many Ministries. The Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility supportsthe programs, SeniorsActiveLivingCentres which offer a range of social, cultural, learning and recreationalprogramsforseniors.Seniorgroupsand centres in Algoma-Manitoulin have received generousfinancialsupportandaccesstoprogramsthrough the Ontario Ministry for Seniors andAccessibilitySeniorsActiveLivingCentreProgram.Thisprogram helps seniors engage in activities that promote physicalandmentalwellness,socialengagement,and education.

LikemanyNortherners,Isometimesfeelwe areforgottenintheNorthernregions.But,despiteall the negative news that the media bombard us with, therereallyaregoodthingshappening–andtheyare happening here in Algoma-Manitoulin. They are happening because of the hard-working volunteers andcommunityworkerswhoseeaneed,formulatea plantoaddresstheissues,andthenworkhardtomake theimprovementsareality.So,thenexttimeyoulearn ofagrantannouncementeventorattendyourcommunity organization or club meeting at which funding and program announcements are made, I hope you willtakethetimetogivecredittothepeoplewhodid thebootsonthegroundlegworktomakethefunding possible.Theyaretheoneswhomakethingshappen, notthepoliticianswhodeliverthegoodnews.

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.