Lakeshore Advance, 2013-01-23, Page 44 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesda , dan : 23, 2013
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ashore Advance
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editorial
Someone finally
takes responsibility
for something
Wi11, at least
someone is tak-
ng responsibil-
ity for something in Lamb -
ton Shores. Unfortunately it
is not an elected
representative.
At the December 17th
meeting there was turmoil
in the parking lot after the
regular meeting that appar-
ently began in the cham-
bers. It was a contentious
meeting, but this has been
the norm for more than two
years. Council member
Lorie Scott went so far as
asking for police protection
for the behavior. When the
media asked if any of the
councilors had actually wit-
nessed the outside ruckus,
and did they know where it
originated- council mem-
ber Doug Bonesteel
quipped it probably came
from the same rumour mill
where everything else was
coming from in the north.
Bob Sharen, in a delega-
tion last Monday took
responsibility for that tur-
moil. He said, ':..I will
accept the responsibility for
that event; I should not
have allowed my frustra-
tions with the personal
attacks that have leveled
against me and others to
manifest themselves in a
negative way."
What a relief for the gal-
lery—someone had owned
up to something.
The ratepayers are asking
a lot of questions and get-
ting no answers with "What
is the new direction?" at the
top of the list.
In her answer to the pub-
lic as to what new direction
the municipality is going—
deputy mayor Elizabeth
Davis- I)agg said the new
direction came when the
people voted for change in
the 2010 election. People
don't vote for staff, they
vote for councilors. In
Lambton Shores case for
the 2010 election at least
four members of previous
council, were re-elected
anyway. 'Ibis of course was
only the deputy's opinion
of the new direction- we
have yet to hear what that
means from the council of
the whole.
When the new CAO iter)
came up at the January
14th meeting, councilor
Doug Bonesteel said maybe
the proposed consultant
they are hiring could deal
with the "low morale" of
staff. The gallery laughed,
wondering why this council
has not realized after two
years- they are the reason
for the low moral.
Councilor Martin Under-
wood told the gallery,
together with councilor
Ken McKrea, they would
hold an open house 00 Jan-
uary 29th so people from
wards 4 and 5 can voice
their concerns.'1hat does
little for the woman in the
gallery from Medford who
wants desperately to have a
venue for that ward and
others to voice their
concerns,
At the end of the day- you
can have open houses till
the cows come home- they
will only be effective if
those at the helm are not
only listening—but actually
hearing what the people
are saying.
Lynda Hillman -Ripley,
Lakeshore Advance
IdIe no more and
uphold the rule of law
WIen you tempt
fate by inviting
public examina-
tion of your home and com-
munity, you better be ready
for critics.
When Attia-
wiapiskat
Chief
'Theresa
Spence
began to
fight the
media, the
reporter's
decided to
fight back
and look a
little
deeper. It is
probably nota good idea to
take reporters to task—they
will always dig deeper, And
in this case they found
financial discrepancies.
When the chief's Gamily is
bringing in $300,000 a year
and the guy down the street,
in the same reserve has no
plumbing -there may be a
problem with their financial
management.
'Ihe (lobe and Mail jour-
nalist loi) Stackhouse,
culled white perceptions of
native privilege and corrup-
tion "Canada's most hidden
anger" and the split between
natives and immigrant
Canadians the country's
greatest division.
Remember the infamous
1969 "White Paper"?'Ihis
was a Canadian policy docu-
ment in which the Minister
of Indian Af1'ah's, Jean Chrot-
ien, proposed the abolition
of the Indian Act, the rejec-
tion of land claims, and the
assimilation of First Nations
people into ibe Canadian
population with the status of
other ethnic minorities
rather than a distinct group.
Negative reaction from
Indian communities was
strong and the White Paper
was r tracted,'Ihere was a
change in Indian -
government relations:
Indian organizations
became stronger and began
to play a more active role in
negotiations with govern-
ment,
Indian. )-
ple also
began to
play is more
significant
role in
managing
their own
affairs. If
the First
Nation
people rend
the pro-
posed fed-
eral Omnibus hill carefully -
that is what is on the table.
And, now today we live
under the shadow of Dudley
George, the Ipperwash
native who was shot by OPP
during a 1995 protest. And
this is not all about protests.
'Ibis is about the treaty rights
our forefathers bestowed
upon the First Nation peo-
ple. In 1993 George and his
followers walked to Ottawa
to fight for their land. And
then- when nothing was
done- the blockades began
and tiie burning tires on the
highway became the not
And still nothing. 'that Is
until George was shot. And
really, 18 years later when
Idle No More continues to
block railways and bridges -
they have to know- even
though the Canadian gov-
ernment is enabling these
protests- if George's death
diel not bring about the
results they wanted for the
First Nation people- maybe
their tactics don't work.
Aboriginal people have
made it clear, in words, in
actions they will no longer
sit quietly waiting for their
grievances to be heard and
their rights restored.
Sands of Time
Lynda Millman-Rapley
1 tlitur, t.itkoshora Advance
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