03242022 March 24 2022

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS

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personal opinion or election issues.

This does not mean THE NEED TO KNOW THE FACTS councillors must always make the Opinions expressed in this article are those correct decision as the public wishes. Decisions of the Mayor, as a citizen, and no other Councillor. must be based on facts and what is best for the These are based on personal experience. whole community. This requires knowledge and Anyone running for elected office must be the personal inclination to search for all the facts. congratulated for their commitment and bravery.

Two sources if information mentioned in People enter elected office for various reasons: the first article, THE ONTARIO MUNICIPAL social conscientiousness; personal gain; a wish to COUNCILLOR'S GUIDE and THE TOWN'S improve municipal services; a desire to change PROCEDURAL BYLAW are a good start. policy etc. Whatever the reason, every elected All municipal government authority councilor should be well – informed about originates in the ONTARIO MUNICIPAL ACT community issues as well as how the municipal and the policies and procedures related to it. ( The functions based on provincial laws and policies. aforementioned Councillor's Guide covers many of This need to know is part of the contract between an the Act's main points and also lists other major acts elected official and the voter. This goes beyond just which may affect your decision-making in office. ) sur le fonctionnement de la ième municipalité en vertu des lois et des politiques provinciales. Cette LA NÉCESSITÉ D'ÊTRE AU COURANT nécessité de savoir est partie intégrante du contrat DES FAITS entre le représentant élu et l'électeur. Ceci va auToutes les opinions exprimées dans cet delà des opinions personnelles ou des enjeux article sont celle du maire, en tant que citoyen. Elles électoraux. ne sont en aucun cas celles de l'un ou l'autre Cela ne signifie pas que les conseillers membre du Conseil. Ces opinions se fondent sur doivent toujours prendre les bonnes décisions mon expérience personnelle. comme le réclament les concitoyens. Les décisions Quiconque se présente à une charge doivent être prises en s'appuyant sur les faits et dans publique élective mérite des félicitations pour son le meilleur intérêt de toute la communauté. Pour y engagement et sa bravoure. Les gens posent leur parvenir, il faut être informé et avoir une candidature pour diverses raisons : conscience propension personnelle à la recherche de tous les sociale, enrichissement faits. p ersonnel, volonté Long Term Le Guide de la conseillère ou du conseiller d'améliorer les services municipal de l'Ontario et Les règlements de Forecast de la municipalité, désir procédure d'une municipalité, deux sources Thursday de changer les politiques, d'information mentionnées dans le premier article, High 2 Low -4 etc. Quelle que soit la constituent un bon point de départ. raison, tout conseiller élu Friday Toute autorité du gouvernement municipal devrait être bien informé découle de la Loi sur les municipalités de l'Ontario High 4 Low -4 sur les dossiers de la et des politiques et procédures connexes. (Le Guide communauté ainsi que de la conseillère ou du conseiller précité couvre Saturday

Notes d’un maire 2 partie

Sunday High -11 Low -19 Monday High -10 Low -16 Tuesday High -6 Low -12

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Vol. 26, Issue 28, March 24, 2022

Notes from a Mayor Part 2

High -4 Low -17

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Closer to home are a number of local Bylaws and Policies you should read and remember. These are – ! THE CODE OF CONDUCT ! THE RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY POLICY ! WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT POLICY ! THE MUNICIPAL FORMAL COMPLAINT POLICY These are on the town website or at the Civic Center.

I hope all these details do not discourage anyone from running for Council. That is not my intention. The job is not simply giving your opinion or voting for everything you want. Knowing these Bylaws and Policies is essential to do an effective job as a councillor. Isn't that why people voted for you? plusieurs des points essentiels de cette Loi et fournit la liste des principales lois qui peuvent avoir une incidence sur votre prise de décision au cours de votre mandat.)

Parmi ce qui nous touche de plus près, il y a un bon nombre de règlements et de politiques qu'il convient de lire et de se souvenir. Les voici : ! le code de conduite ! la politique sur le respect et la responsabilité ! la politique sur la violence et sur le harcèlement au travail ! la politique de plainte officielle de la municipalité.

Vous les trouverez sur le site Web du Canton ou au Centre civique.

J'espère que tous ces détails ne vous dissuadent pas de poser votre candidature pour un poste au Conseil. Là n'est pas mon intention. Un tel poste ne consiste pas simplement à donner votre opinion ou à voter pour tout ce que vous voulez.

Pour travailler avec efficacité comme conseiller, il faut connaître ces règlements administratifs et ces politiques. N'est-ce pas pour cette raison que les gens ont voté pour vous?

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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 2

Ontario Government Helping to Protect Black Bears The Ontario government is safeguarding black bear populations by making sure they are hunted legally.

Yves Theriault of Smooth Rock Falls pleaded guilty to hunting big game that is swimming, for which he received a $2,000 fine, and to hunting big game without a licence, for which he received an $800 fine.

The court heard that on August 26, 2020, Theriault was at his cottage on Shackleton Lake when a bear entered his property. Theriault decided to hunt the bear by chasing it across private property to the shore of the lake. Theriault shot at the bear multiple times while it ran on land and as it swam across the lake. Four witnesses came forward to help identify Theriault as the shooter and the investigation revealed that he did not possess a licence to hunt black bear for 2020.

Justice of the Peace Jean-Marie Blier heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Kapuskasing, on January 26, 2022.

Conservation officers remind everyone that by respecting seasons, sanctuaries, bag and possession limits, we all help ensure our natural resources stay healthy. To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/mnrftips.

Message from MP Carol Hughes on being Placed on Russia's Travel Blacklist "Like most other Members of Parliament, I was placed on a Russian travel blacklist for having the audacity to speak out against the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. If Vladimir Putin doesn't want me to travel to Russia, so be it.

I will wear the blacklist as a badge of honour for doing the right thing and standing up for the people of Ukraine.

I certainly didn't have any plans to travel to Russia anytime soon. I have not travelled out of the country s ince 2016.

OBITUARY Should I decide Loretta Francis Conroy to travel outside In loving memory of Loretta Francis Conroy (June 9, 1935 – February of Canada, it 2, 2022) who passed away after a short but courageous battle with w o u l d b e t o cancer. Predeceased by her parents Susanne and Alexander and her brother Robert “Bob”. She will be dearly missed by her beloved sister countries who Mary, as well as nephews Robert (Valora), Rodney, Kelly, Les h a v e l e a d e r s

(Doriane), and her nieces Rhonda and Marcia. Loretta is lovingly remembered by her great nieces and nephews who all held a special place in her heart. These three generations of nieces and nephews will ensure that her legacy of living life with a caring heart will continue.

Loretta was the best sister and aunt you could ever ask for, she always put the needs of her sister, nieces, and nephews before her own.

Born and raised in Webbwood, Ontario, Loretta moved to Chapleau in 1959 and started work at Smith and Chapple. She soon began a long career with Simpsons Sears that saw her as store manager for many of those years until her retirement in 1990 when the Sears Mail Order Store was closing.

Though she had many interests in life that gave her great joy including cooking, gardening, knitting, playing cards, and helping others; spending time with family was her greatest joy. Loretta was grateful for the friendships in her life and treasured each one.

Loretta saw the best in everyone. She cared deeply, laughed often, approached life with a positive outlook and had the brightest of smiles even in the toughest of times.

We knew her as Retta, Aunt Loretta, Aunt Ray, Ray Ray and best of all we knew her as one of the greatest blessings in our lives.

Loretta's family wishes to express their appreciation for the care and compassion extended by Doctors Jefremova, Kendra Saari, Steven Saari, as well as the staff of Chapleau Health Services and Chapleau Medical Centre.

At Loretta's request cremation has already taken place at River's Edge Cremation Centre and a Celebration of Life will be held a later date.

Donations made in memory of Loretta to Chapleau Health Services or Trinity United Church Chapleau, Ontario would be greatly appreciated by her family. (Arrangements e n t r u s t e d t o K e r r y F u n e r a l H o m e L t d . Wa w a , O n t a r i o 7 0 5 - 8 5 6 - 7 3 4 0 ) www.kerryfuneralhome.ca

that respect international human rights and the sovereignty of other nations. As we've seen frequently during this illegal invasion, even ordinary Russian citizens don't want this war.

I was moved by President Zelensky's address to Parliament yesterday, as were Canadians across the country. As such, I will continue to call for the Government of Canada to provide more humanitarian aid to Ukraine, give the opportunity to Ukrainians fleeing their homeland a chance to settle as refugees in Canada, and push for stronger sanctions against Putin's closest oligarchs."

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 3

Chapleau A glimpse at Chapleau hockey starting in Moments 1910 with a mention of the 1893 team too by

Michael J. Morris "Heart of my Heart, when friends were dearer then, too bad we had to part.." lines from one of the top songs of 1953 by The Four Aces may well be the theme song for Chapleau hockey teams throughout the community's history. The Bantam hockey team of the day sure sang it over and over again on a road trip to Sudbury in their own passenger car.

Here is a glimpse of hockey in Chapleau from 1910 on. Chapleau had a hockey team in 1893, likely earlier, but we know that the team made a trip on the Canadian Pacific Railway to play Sudbury that year. It lost!!

In 1966-67 hockey season their first year of competition, the Junior 'B' Huskies won the International Junior 'B' League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association championships coached by Lorne Riley and Keith 'Buddy' Swanson. Tom Welch was the first president of the Junior B hockey club, I returned to Chapleau in 1968 to teach at Chapleau High School and refereed many Junior B games both at home and in other communities.

High school hockey was very popular in Chapleau and teams played in the town league and against outside competition.

The 1949 Trappers were an Intermediate team sponsored by Mrs. A.W. Moore with many players who had returned home after serving in Canada's armed forces in World War II. The municipal council in 1978 at the opening of the new recreation centre named the arena portion the A.W. Moore Arena after her.Mrs. Moore was at the opening.

Coached by John McClellan, who for 30 years defined Chapleau High School as teacher and principal was the Juvenile Flyers from the 1930s. This was my father's generation of hockey players in Chapleau, born between 1913 and 1916. My father, Jim Morris played on this team in the early 1930s.

My grandfather Harry Morris was playing on a team in 1911 shortly after he arrived to work on the CPR In 1919, Bob Turner, a legendary goaltender over the years was playing for a Chapleau team.

I welcome comments, stories and photos from all on Chapleau hockey. My email is mikejmorris41@outlook.com

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The champion 1966-67 junior B Huskies

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 4

Consumer Protection Needed to Fight Sticker Shock at the Pump REPORT There is significant precedence to fix price billion in net income last year. Canadian Natural from OTTAWA Resources and Suncor made respectively $2 billion gouging and help consumers in other industries, but and $1.5 billion in net income in the fourth quarter more often than not it comes from the work of Rapport concerned citizens, as opposed to the goodwill of alone. d’Ottawa People across Northern Ontario have corporations. Some of you may remember that a by/par

Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

People throughout Canada have seen the price of gas skyrocket over the past month. This has been particularly challenging throughout AlgomaManitoulin-Kapuskasing. Here in the North and in rural areas across the country, individuals generally have to use their vehicles to travel longer distances for work, groceries, and medical appointments compared to people in urban centres who have access to a variety of choices when it comes to public transportation. Gas is not a luxury when you can't walk or take a city bus to take care of your affairs, it is a necessity.

As we've seen for decades, the most obvious driver of the cost of fuel is not the supply of fuel itself, but the commodity price for oil and gas as it's traded across stock markets. This has become clearer than ever in the past month, as commodity prices for oil and gas has risen sharply on news of international sanctions placed on Russia in response to their invasion of Ukraine. Although Canada has not directly imported Russian crude oil since 2019 we have not been immune to sticker shock at the pumps that the U.S., European nations, and indeed the entire world has felt as sanctions have been put in place. We must remember that large oil companies made record profits last year, and rather than help ease the burden felt by consumers, they seem to be using the crisis to further line their pockets. This includes Enbridge, which made $1.84

always noticed the significant difference in gas prices versus what our colleagues in the south pay.

While prices were still up sharply in Toronto, Windsor, and Ottawa, the price increases were more pronounced here in the North. As of the time of this writing, prices in Toronto were approximately 170.0¢/litre, while prices in Kapuskasing were 196.9¢/litre. There has always been a case to be made that Northerners are getting gouged at the pumps, even when taking into account fuel transportation costs. Sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine may have prompted the rise in prices, but it cannot account for the disparity in costs that Northerners feel on a day-to-day basis.

This disparity needs to be brought into full view. Concerns about price discrepancies cannot be corrected until we have sufficient data to understand how they function and an agency with teeth to bite back when petroleum companies gouge consumers.

To respond to this issue at the Federal level, we must do two things. First, we must create a petroleum monitoring agency with a three-year mandate to collect and disseminate price data on crude oil, refined petroleum products and retail gasoline. This way, we can get actual statistics to better understand the fluctuations in commodity prices that hit people's pocketbooks. Secondly, we must create an Oil and Gas Ombudsman who would work on behalf of Canadian consumers, not the oil industry, to take on complaints about price gouging. In addition, such an Ombudsman would be responsible to implement mechanisms for investigation and remediation to help consumers fight price gouging.

few years back, grocery giant Loblaws admitted to price-fixing the cost of bread, resulting in the company issuing gift cards to anyone who stated they were affected. A $25 gift card certainly didn't pay for how much people were gouged, but even such an admittance of guilt would never have come if it wasn't citizens like anti-poverty activist Irene Breckon from Elliot Lake, who led the class action suit against Loblaws. We need to enable consumers with both the knowledge of how gas prices have gotten so far out of control and give them mechanisms to fight back. This is what a petroleum monitoring agency and an Oil and Gas Ombudsman would do.

Additionally, given the record profits oil companies have been raking in, we should also consider an excess profit tax on those oil companies who have been gouging consumers, and redistribute those profits to Canadians who are being financially drained by the rising cost of living.

Combine this with efforts we are seeing at the provincial level, such as the Fairness in Petroleum Products Pricing Act tabled by NDP MPP Gilles Bisson, which would allow the Ontario Energy Board to regulate how frequently and to what degree gas prices can be changed, and we may very well actually start to see some degree of fairness at the pumps.

It is imperative that we implement effective consumer protection mechanisms into fuel prices now, as we continue our efforts to ween ourselves off our reliance on fossil fuels in the longer term.

La protection des consommateurs pour contrer le choc des prix à la pompe est nécessaire Au cours du dernier mois, la population de tout le pays a vu le prix de l'essence monter en flèche. Cette montée est particulièrement difficile pour la région d'Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing.

Ici, dans le Nord et dans les régions rurales du pays, les gens doivent généralement parcourir de plus longues distances pour se rendre au travail, à l'épicerie et à des rendez-vous médicaux, comparativement aux habitants des centres urbains qui ont accès aux transports en commun de toutes sortes. L'essence n'est pas un luxe quand on ne peut marcher ou prendre un bus de ville pour s'occuper de ses affaires, c'est une nécessité.

Comme c'est le cas depuis des décennies, le moteur évident du coût du carburant n'est pas l'approvisionnement en carburant lui-même, mais le prix du pétrole et du gaz négocié sur les marchés boursiers. On a pu le constater au cours du mois dernier, alors que les prix des matières premières pour le pétrole et le gaz ont fortement augmenté à la suite de l'annonce des sanctions internationales imposées à la Russie en réponse à son invasion de l'Ukraine. Bien que le Canada n'ait pas importé directement de pétrole brut russe depuis 2019, nous

n'avons pas été immunisés contre le choc des prix à la pompe que les États-Unis, les pays d'Europe et même le monde entier ont ressenti à la suite de l'imposition des sanctions. Il ne faut pas oublier que les grandes compagnies pétrolières ont réalisé des bénéfices records l'année dernière et que, plutôt que de contribuer à alléger le fardeau des consommateurs, elles semblent profiter de la crise pour s'en mettre plein les poches. Enbridge ne fait pas exception, elle qui a réalisé un bénéfice net de 1,84 milliard de dollars l'année dernière. Canadian Natural Resources Limited et Suncor ont réalisé respectivement 2 milliards et 1,5 milliard de dollars de bénéfices nets au cours du seul quatrième trimestre.

Les gens du Nord de l'Ontario ont toujours remarqué l'écart important entre le prix de l'essence ici et celui dans le sud de la province. Bien que les prix soient toujours en forte hausse à Toronto, Windsor et Ottawa, les augmentations de prix ont été plus prononcées ici, dans le Nord. Au moment d'écrire ces lignes, les prix à Toronto étaient d'environ 170,0 ¢/litre, tandis que les prix à Kapuskasing étaient de 196,9 ¢/litre. Il a toujours

été possible de faire valoir que les habitants du Nord se font escroquer à la pompe, même en tenant compte des coûts de transport du carburant. Les sanctions prises en réponse à l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine ont peut-être provoqué la hausse des prix, mais elles ne peuvent expliquer la disparité des coûts que les habitants du Nord ressentent au quotidien.

Il faut exposer cette disparité. Les inquiétudes concernant les écarts de prix ne pourront pas se dissiper tant que nous n'aurons pas de données suffisantes pour comprendre leur fonctionnement et une agence ayant du mordant pour riposter lorsque les pétrolières escroquent les consommateurs. Pour faire face à ce problème, il y a deux choses à faire. D'une part, il faut créer une agence de surveillance du secteur pétrolier dotée d'un mandat de trois ans pour recueillir et diffuser des données sur les prix du pétrole brut, des produits pétroliers raffinés et de l'essence au détail.

De cette façon, nous aurons des statistiques réelles pour mieux comprendre les fluctuations des prix des produits de base qui frappent le portefeuille des Suite P.7

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 5

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 6

Last weeks solutions MOMENTS IN TIME On April 9, 1859, a 23-year-old Missouri youth named Samuel Langhorne Clemens receives his steamboat pilot's license. Clemens would later write under the pseudonym Mark Twain, a boatman's call noting that the river was only 2 fathoms deep, the minimum depth for safe navigation.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 7

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Chapleau Resident Charged With Drug Trafficking On March 8, 2022 at approximately 12:08 p.m., members of the Superior East Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (O P P) responded to a suspicious person call on Broadway Avenue in Wawa.

Police located the individual and, as a result of the investigation, Angie NESHAWABIN, 39 years-of-age, of Brunswick House First Nation was arrested and charged with the following: Possession of a Schedule 1 Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on April 4, 2022 in Wawa.

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La protection des consommateurs pour contrer le choc des prix à la pompe est nécessaire Suite de la P.4 gens. D'autre part, il faut mettre en place un ombudsman du pétrole et du gaz qui travaillerait au nom des consommateurs canadiens, et non de l'industrie pétrolière, pour traiter les plaintes relatives aux prix abusifs. Ce médiateur serait notamment chargé de mettre en œuvre des mécanismes d'enquête et de réparation pour aider les consommateurs à lutter contre les prix abusifs.

Il existe des précédents significatifs en matière de lutte contre les prix abusifs et d'aide aux consommateurs dans d'autres secteurs, mais le plus souvent, ils sont le fruit du travail de citoyens préoccupés, et non de la bonne volonté des

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entreprises. Certains d'entre vous se souviennent peut-être qu'il y a quelques années, le géant de l'alimentation Loblaws a admis avoir fixé le prix du pain, ce qui l'a amené à émettre des cartes-cadeaux à toute personne qui désirait en recevoir. Une cartecadeau de 25 dollars n'a certainement pas suffi à payer l'arnaque dont les gens ont été victimes, mais même un tel aveu de culpabilité n'aurait jamais eu lieu si ce n'était de citoyens comme la militante contre la pauvreté Irene Breckon d'Elliot Lake, qui a mené le recours collectif contre Loblaws. Il faut permettre aux consommateurs de savoir comment le prix de l'essence est devenu si incontrôlable et leur donner les moyens de se défendre. Ce serait le rôle d'une agence de surveillance du secteur pétrolier et d'un médiateur pour le pétrole et le gaz.

De plus, étant donné les profits records engrangés par les pétrolières, il faudrait également envisager une taxe sur les bénéfices excédentaires des compagnies pétrolières qui ont escroqué les consommateurs, et redistribuer ces bénéfices aux Canadiens qui sont financièrement épuisés par l'augmentation du coût de la vie.

Si l'on ajoute à cela les efforts déployés au niveau provincial, comme la Loi de 2018 sur l'équité en matière d'établissement du prix des produits pétroliers déposée par le député néodémocrate Gilles Bisson, qui permettrait à la Commission de l'énergie de l'Ontario de réglementer la fréquence et le degré de modification des prix de l'essence, il se pourrait bien que nous commencions à voir un certain degré d'équité à la pompe.

Dans la quête pour se libérer de la dépendance aux combustibles fossiles à plus long terme, il est impératif de mettre dès maintenant en œuvre des mécanismes efficaces de protection des consommateurs dans le prix des carburants.

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Local MARKETPLACE ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (A.A).Open discussion meeting every Monday evening. Brunswick House First Nation Band office lounge 7pm. Narcotics Anonymous(N.A) every Tuesday same place same time.

NNADAP Worker @ 864-0174 info.

CHADWIC HOME, FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE. Offers shelter, emotional support, and information for women and their children who are in crisis situations. We have a Toll Free Crisis Line which is staffed 24 hours a day. We can arrange for free transportation to the Centre for women who live in the Algoma/Chapleau area. We also offer support to women who live in the communities of Chapleau, White River, Dubreuilville, and Hornepayne through our Outreach Program. Our Outreach Worker travels to those communities to meet with women who need emotional support as well as information about their rights and options. If you need to speak with the Outreach Worker when she is in your community, you can call the Centre at any time to set up an appointment. You do not need to be a resident of the Centre in order to use our services. If you need someone to talk to or if you just need someone to listen, call our Toll Free Crisis line at 1800-461-2242 or you can drop in at the Centre. We are here for you.

Deadlines on Wednesdays at 3 p.m.

New at the Library Library Hours Monday 1-5 pm Tuesday & Wednesday 1-7 pm Thursday & Friday 1-5 pm Website : www.chapleau.ca Follow us on facebook for more info!

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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, March 24, 2022- Page 8

Re cently after burning the midnight oil at the Legislature, I had to rise and shine long before the sun had risen or shone on a Friday morning. This was not really a choice to make because I had a long drive to get back to the constituency office to meet with my team in the early afternoon. It was a tough week, to be sure. It seemed there was an inordinate amount of frustration and conflict that week. People are weary, tired, and anxious after enduring the multitude of hardships and uncertainties that we face day after day. This pandemic has played havoc with almost every aspect of our society and general way of life.

So, after supper, I put my feet up, sitting in my favourite chair, waiting for my friend to come over for a visit. I was tired and looking forward to the weekend; by spending some quiet time on the lake and in the bush. So, I plugged into my phone to listen to some tunes. I eventually was mesmerized watching the sound wave graph that measured the music's different musical levels and tones. My mind wandered.

It seems that it is just my nature to consciously and unconsciously look for relationships, similarities and comparisons between things. I think it's how I help myself understand the world around me. The thing that caught my attention was how the wave-like behaviour of the many bars on the graph as they rhythmically hit peaks and valleys so quickly.

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It then occurred to me that the sound graph could equally represent the impact of everyday things and events that affect our lives. I know that I'm not alone in thinking that it seems that over the last few years, even before the pandemic hit, how people are looking at the world around them from just a single lens; their own. I've really noticed how people seem almost purposely to seek out and exemplify differences between one another. Unfortunately, the result of this is that Canada appears to be heading toward being a nation of highly divided and intolerant people. What's worse is that I'm afraid this trend is proving to be true even here in Nothern Ontario.

There is no shortage of evidence of this change in our society. Look no further than the unrest that fell over the nation a few weeks ago. It is not hard to see why this happened. People are tired of dealing with the many relentless stresses that directly result from the pandemic. We've endured lockdowns, restrictions, economic hardship, loneliness, loss of education and employment opportunities, sick loved ones and thousands of deaths across the country and in our own communities. Understandably, Ontarians are tired, frustrated and scared.

The job of an MPP requires regular communication with people. Note that communication means that I have to listen first and talk later. Before being elected, most of my jobs required the same skills. Effective communication requires both parties to listen to achieve an understanding of perspectives. In fact, there are multiple perspectives in some situations that need to be considered and understood.

However, understanding a person's perspective does not necessarily mean that you have to agree with them. We all know that there are different paths to follow to get to the desired destination.

Therefore, even though all parties may understand each other, in the end, they still might not agree on what is right or what is best.

There is no doubt that there has been a marked change in how people react to one another when they disagree. There was a time when people could talk things over then walk away satisfied that their position was understood and worthy of genuine consideration. However, there has been a trend toward intolerance of opposing opinions in recent years. Unfortunately, frustration, anger and lashing out are becoming ever more commonplace. Historically our democracy has been a success because Canadians have chosen to rise above such unhelpful behaviours.

HOWEVER, as I said earlier, this deterioration of our society didn't start because of the pandemic. It began long before the pandemic hit. The pandemic merely fueled the fire. The civil unrest was simply a manifestation of the real

problem – intolerance.

I say, however, now is not the time for despair, fear or anger. Instead, now is a time for Ontarians to reach way down in their souls and restore the hope we have in each other and our province. We should not shy away from communicating with one another but instead use everyday opportunities to restore our society to be all it can be. We can help route out ignorance and misinformation by listening to and understanding each other. We must utilize opportunities to provide science-based evidence and factual information from reliable and verifiable sources To be sure, calling people out and demonizing them is not a pathway that will lead to a better, stronger Ontario. Sharing, listening and understanding will win the day. And note that understanding does not equate with agreeing.

People have the ability to understand and yet still disagree. We must learn to resist the urge to form unnecessary and exaggerated walls between people we disagree with.

In recent years, my team and I have noticed an increase in calls and letters from constituents who vow that if I do support a bill, policy or opinion that is contrary to their own way of thinking, they will show their displeasure at the ballot box. And, of course, such is their prerogative. But the funny thing is that if such people would just take a moment to consider a long list of values, ideals and policies that we actually do share, they most often take a step back and assess the overall picture.

Do we share a concern about keeping our northern highways safe and clear in winter? Do we share concerns about improving access to government services such as DriveTest? Do we share concerns about the need for more doctors, medical services and nurses? Do we share concerns about protecting our wildlife and the environment? Do we share concerns about the need for more and better jobs, a living wage and affordable housing? And do we share the view that all people, no matter where they live in this province, should have access to clean, safe water in their homes?

Like the sound graph that caught my attention, our lives will always continue to have fluctuating highs and lows. But if we want to return to some semblance of the calm, respectful and tolerant society that most of us grew up in, we need to turn down the volume of our reactions and exchanges of ideas and just learn to listen better and understand each other.

As always, please feel free to contact my office about these issues or any other provincial matters. You can reach my constituency office by email at mmantha-co@ndp.on.ca or phone at 705-461-9710 or Toll-free at 1-800-831-1899.