Welcome back, fishing derby.

It is with great joy that I greeted the news that Chapleau's former annual northern pike fishing derby is returning.  This event is a great boost for our local economy during the long winter months.  The logistical problems that caused last year's cancellation were not discussed in any detail.  At least the event is back...how can we expect anything less from Canada's Ultimate Fishing Town?

Property owners beware!

Especially those in the downtown core.  Dog walkers are a common sight in some parts of Chapleau.  The first thing I look for when I see dog walkers (or anyone walking their dog, for that matter) is a plastic bag in hand for picking up the dog's excrement.  Not only is this the polite and neighbourly thing to do, it's also the law.  I regularly see dog walkers all over Chapleau.  To my shock, I saw a woman letting her dog take a big dump on the lawn of Trinity United Church!  As if this was not bad enough, she continued on her way as if nothing had happened.  No bag, no picking up.  Next time, I'll make sure to bring my camera with me on my walk.  You never know what you'll see!

Tim Hudak pulls a John Tory!

Allow me, if you will, to divert your attention to the provincial election campaign, already in progress.  Premier Dalton McGuinty has offered an incentive to employers to hire newly arrived skilled canadian workers.  Tim Hudak, in a rush to disagree with a Liberal policy announcement, has referred to these new arrivals as "foreign workers".  The backlash continues.  Nevermind the reactions to the original policy announcement, Hudak is getting tons of attention for his turn of phrase...bad attention.

Will this be the wedge issue, like religion in schools that dogged John Tory during the 2007 campaign, for Tim Hudak?  Only time will tell.

Public works

Glad to see some much needed paving work has been undertaken this summer.  At this rate, almost all of our streets are actually paved with asphalt.  Can't wait until they pave Ash, Minto (half) and Elgin.  Maybe next summer?  Some of our sidewalks still could use some tlc.  A random patch in front of the United Church was fixed recently.  Why this particular location?  There are far worse patches on nearby Pine Street.  Interesting...

On another note, does anyone know what happened to Kimmo's site?

The Phantom Menace

I did notice Dr. Pellow in the newspaper yet again.  I wonder if he secretly has some master plan up his sleeve? 

On another note, somebody threw out my collection of "gently used" hockey equipment donated by "you know who".  It's too bad.  All I was missing was a helmet and some pads and I was ready to open the Dr. W.R. Pellow hockey museum.  Think of the tourist potential for Chapleau!  I know it's not a railway webcam, but I think it could work.  Maybe someday...

As for Dr. Pellow replacing Dr. Shearer (as some have suggested)...as scary a thought as that is, Dr. P is WELL beyond retirement age.  I doubt that will happen anytime soon.  Then again, maybe that's his ticket to getting back to Chapleau from London or wherever.  Keep your eyes peeled, residents of Chapleau.  No doubt, he is lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment.

For the pride of Chapleau

It is so exciting that with barely a week left, Chapleau is leading the race to be Canada's ultimate fishing town.  Our massive margin has shrunk a little, but we seem to be holding steady.  It would be such a fantastic accomplishment if Chapleau won.  Not only would the money help, but the bragging rights and huge boost to our town's morale would be great also.  I don't know about you folks, but when I think of a great fishing town, Chapleau tends to leap to mind a lot more than a city in the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.  It's a natural fit and I sure hope that we win.

At the same time, I have noticed a disturbing trend in town.  There seem to be a few naysayers that are convinced that winning this contest would be a bad thing for Chapleau.  They seem to think that a first place finish would result in an inundation of tourists that would empty all of our local lakes of their fish stocks.  These few individuals have managed to convince their entire families and others to boycott the contest entirely.  This is probably the biggest piece of nonsense I have ever heard.  Most of us sane people realize that this fear is completely unfounded.  The future economic benefits of the tourists that do make it here are sure to be significant.  Let's not let a bunch of traitors spoil this great opportunity for our town.  It's backwards thinking like that that keeps Chapleau from soaring to its greatest potential.

Go Chapleau!

Rose strikes again!

There was much commotion lately when councillor Bertrand has attempted to dictate what committee a local volunteer could sit on.  She also tried to tell the committee how they should conduct their meetings and that their current method of organization was not acceptable.  These comments were met with opposition by Michael Levesque, the chair of the Recreation Committee.  He has shown that he is doing an excellent job, as are all the other members of this vibrant, valuable and badly needed group.  They extraordinary efforts must be commended.  Let's not let one bad apple spoil all the hard work that has been done so far.  Keep up the good work!  Chapleau needs you! 

Perhaps councillor Bertrand should look to her own behaviour before being too concerned about hard-working community members who have taken the time to contribute by attempting to join a committee.  She has still not yet publicly explained her actions as of late.  As a result, her credibility has been seriously damaged and everything said by her will be examined more closely than ever.  Even though, through legal technicalities, there is nothing much that the taxpayers of Chapleau can do about her misconduct, we will certainly not forget.

The gravy train ends in 2014! (Of course, sooner would be better).

The right to decide

While the current federal election campaign may be on some peoples minds lately, it illustrates a very important fact about our democratic system.  Many of us take our democracy and our right to vote for granted.  This happens at every level of government in Canada.  Voter apathy is a growing problem.  While the rate of participation in our last municipal election was an improvement, we can still do much better.  Many people in Canada have questioned the necessity of the latest federal election.  While that may be a valid argument, there is something even more important at stake: the future.  If you don't want things to be exactly as they were before the election call, get out and VOTE!  Maybe then, something will change and this will not all seem like an exercise in futility.  Let's not forget the millions of people around the world who would love to have a say in how THEIR country is governed (Lybia, China and many others).  If they ever do get the right to vote, I doubt they would ever choose not to exercise their right.  It makes me sick when I hear that people are deciding not to vote.  Every Canadian citizen has a responsibility to be informed and do their civic duty to elect a government that represents them.  Apathy leads to lots of minority governments and scandalous behaviour by a man who likes to wear sweaters and his party who think they can do whatever they want and get away with it.  The only way to change this is to get out and vote and show the man in charge that we will not be ignored and taken for granted anymore.

More tweaking...

Unfortunately, my attempt to reduce the clutter on my site has failed.  Live and learn.

Anonymous postings are once again enabled.  Traffic has remained strong, but there have been no comments since the change was made.  Hopefully, this will rectify the situation.

After all, what's a site like this without the input from all of you, the readers.

Thanks again for all those who take the time to read and support this site.

Keep the comments coming, they are always welcome.

An excellent job!

I would like to take the time to thank Mr. Mario Lafrenière for all his fine work in the Chapleau Express.  I, for one, appreciate all the articles about the local political situation.  The fact that some people are against the reporting of these facts astonishes me.  I am saddened by the growing voter apathy at every level in Canadian politics.  The simple fact that the Conservative government's recent contempt of Parliament does not seem to bother many Canadians is astonishing.  This is similar to our own local scandal involving councillor Bertrand.  If the person in question (Bev Oda or Rose Bertrand) does not have the guts to step down after such blatant disrespect for their public oaths, what are we to do?  The Conservative government may or may not be held accountable for their actions.  That is up to the Canadian people to decide on May 2nd.  Unfortunately, at the local level, we have to wait until October 2014.  That's 3 1/2 more years of potential for misbehaviour.  Hopefully, this misconduct will be dealt with soon at the local level, as it should be.

Keep up the great work, Mario!  Many of us do appreciate your tireless efforts to make sure that the Chapleau taxpayers are educated and informed.  I also like your new editor's column.  Great idea!

A positive step

I was quite pleased to hear about the recreation and cultural committee's upcoming event on March 30th.    For once, the township is asking our opinion on what we liked, what we did not like as well as what we would like to see in future winter carnivals.  Instead of residents simply complaining to each other or under their breath, now we have a real public forum to vent our collective frustrations and make our special town events even better.  Perhaps we will see better attendance at community events as a result.  One thing is for certain: if you don't show up to voice your concerns (just like voting), then you shouldn't complain about future events.

My sincere congratulations to the committee for such an innovative idea.  I applaud you all for taking the time to sit on this important body that will hopefully make Chapleau more vibrant for all of us.

Correction

My apologies.

Three comments were made on March 11th and somehow, they made it into my spam filter (for the first time ever).  My apologies to Dennis, as two of the posts were from him.  I will now check this filter daily.

As to the other poster who would like people to sign up first, I'll see what I can do.  Unlike Kimmo.ca (which I found with google), my site was not designed for me.  It is a template that I have a certain level of control over.  Otherwise, my hands are tied.  But I will certainly see what I can do.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Here are the posts that everyone missed:

http://chapleauvote2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/just-thought.html?showComment=1300072855298#c5231639271566683915

http://chapleauvote2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/just-thought.html?showComment=1300112285133#c4687600163563606036

http://chapleauvote2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/real-transparency.html?showComment=1300064693063#c8540618435618287821

Clarification, please

Does anyone know if there is a bylaw regarding large lumber trucks on our town streets?  I often see trucks (usually empty) on Birch, Pine and Lorne streets.  Has anyone else seen anything of this nature?  There was even a similar truck driving in the middle of town the other day while using his engine brakes (Jake Brakes?).  I know for a fact that this is illegal.  Are there any laws in this town that are enforced?

Timing is everything

To my relief, and that of many fellow residents and taxpayers, our Mayor, André Byham, has finally spoken out about the recent scandal.  Much of the text is familiar to us.  We have learned, through consultation of the appropriate legislation, that other councillors, and even the Mayor, are not obligated to intervene when a fellow council member is in conflict of interest.  What's even worse is that the Mayor and council can do nothing in terms of discipline for any infractions.  While I would have liked a statement a little earlier, when this whole story was a little more fresh, I am pleased that our Mayor has spoken up.  I was not expecting any loud booming pronouncements, I just wanted to hear something.  Which brings me to my point.  While it's great that the Mayor has spoken and is aware of the ongoing situation, there is still one person I want to hear from: Rose Bertrand herself.  I know she's probably getting nice and toasty in Florida and she probably hoped that this whole thing will blow over by the time she gets back.  That is not enough.  We deserve better.  Are we missing some key piece of information?  Is there a part of the municipal act we don't understand?  Is there something else we got wrong?  Set us straight, Rose.  Either explain yourself, or tell us where we've got it wrong.  We are still waiting patiently for answers.  Hopefully, you can some in person, before too much time has passed.

Economic woes

According to the latest edition of the Chapleau Express, two key events were lost in the recent past by decisions made by our town council.  The Editor-in-Chief then goes on to tabulate the amount of money lost by local merchants.  The effect of losing the bantam hockey tournament and the snowmobile races appears to be substantial.  Some people are indeed narrow minded and believe that if an economic loss does not directly affect them, then it is someone else's problem.  There is so much wrong with this point of view, I don't know where to start.  Everyone and everything is connected in our modern economy.  In a small town such as Chapleau, these connections are even stronger.  It is not unlike a pool of water that you throw a stone into.  The stone makes ripples on the water's surface.  The smaller the pond, the more quickly the effect of the ripples will be felt.  That is why they call them economic spin offs.  They (new businesses, new initiatives) gradually affect every one of us in some tangible way.  Whether it means more or better jobs, or better public infrastructure, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that a major local investment is good for us all.  By the same token, economic losses have a similar negative effect.  It's just common sense, actually.  Maybe our elected officials should take a step back and look at the bigger picture when they make key decisions.  They are not just deciding for themselves, they are making a choice for each and every one of us.  Please make the right choices and make Chapleau better and stronger.  Before there is nothing left for anyone.

Just a thought...

Isn't it easier to find out exactly what went on at a council meeting by reading the minutes published on the Internet or in the newspaper?  I'm curious as to how many people were quick enough to catch the original conflict of interest from the January 10th council meeting.  Or, was it not discovered until afterwards when folks had the time to sift through the print version.  I'm not saying anything against going to the meetings.  They are public so that people can see the municipal government in action.  So that we get to see Doug Greig asleep in all his glory.  Or we can see what kind of clothes the councillors are wearing.  But to truly analyze the facts, you have almost no choice than to examine the written version of the council minutes.  That is why they exist and why they are made available.

To those of you who can and choose to attend council meetings in person, I salute you.  Continue to do so as long as you feel it is necessary and effective.  For those of us who do not do so, perhaps we will someday.  In the meantime, we will continue to stay informed by all the means at our disposal.  We live among you, work among you and pay municipal taxes just as you all do.  In my opinion, that gives us just as much right to pronounce, speculate, criticize and voice our opinions as any one else in town.  With a clear conscience, I can say that I did indeed cast my ballot on October 25th, 2010.  This site is my continued way of exercising my guaranteed democratic right in the best way I know how.

Repeat offender...

According to the latest edition of the Chapleau Express, Rose Bertrand may have been in conflict of interest more than once in the past.  All of the alleged infractions relate to giving perks to family members, hence the conflicts of interest.  It is also interesting to note that more and more of the space in the local newspaper is being devoted to this ongoing story.  Clearly, the public is quite taken by this level of apparent corruption in our quiet little town.  It's big news.  While Larry Lacroix's letter reveals what many of us suspected, it does nothing to satisfy our collective demand for justice.  Nor was that Mr. Lacroix's intention.  I don't even think the Mayor can make this all go away, at this point in time.  We need something (an explanation, an apology, something!) from Rose Bertrand herself.  She has had several weeks to dwell on this.  I could use some colourful metaphors to illustrate the urgency by which we need a response.  I'll leave them to your imagination.  This issue will not go away.  At the very least, for the people that voted and put their faith in her, Rose Bertrand owes some answers and they are very long overdue.    

A good start...

At long last, someone has had the intestinal fortitude to break the long silence.  Local councilor Larry Lacroix has given us some insight as to what really goes on at council meetings.  His revelations are both insightful and disturbing.  The big question on my mind is the following: If this is how municipal council is behaving now, when not much is really going on, how are they going to be when certain economic events are about to transform our town?  Can we really count on our elected representatives to help Chapleau rise out of the muck when the time comes?  So far, their behaviour leaves much to be desired.  I congratulate Mr. Lacroix for taking the time to fill us in on these recent happenings.  I truly hope he is able to stand up for all his constituents and help make our town run the way it should: smoothly.  At the end of the day, that's the only way we can move forward and live in a Chapleau we are all proud of.

Real transparency

Governments, at all levels in Canada, often speak of transparency.  We all know how poorly the Harper Conservatives have kept their promises to be transparent.  Unfortunately, as recent events have shown, our municipal government has not done any better.  I seem to remember that accountability and transparency were frequently used terms during the election campaign.  And where are we today?  Are council minutes on a website or in the newspaper considered real transparency?  It's a start, but I think more, much more needs to be done to restore faith in our local municipal council.  First of all, this ongoing conflict of interest business has to be addressed and dealt with in a timely fashion.  Very difficult, for as far as I'm concerned, too much time has gone by already.  I also believe there should be a list of all the committees, boards and such (in the municipal sphere of influence) and who exactly sits on these boards.  Are they all elected to these positions?  What are they paid (if anything) for their work?  Municipal council is only one piece of the puzzle of who is running our town and what their possible motivations for doing so may be.  Such knowledge is essential in understanding how our town works and who is doing what.  We as living, breathing taxpayers deserve nothing less.

Rest in peace

It is with shock and sadness that I recently learned of the passing of Mr. Ron Yurick.  While I had never met the man in person, I admired his passion and outspoken nature.  I truly felt he deserved a seat on town council and I was hopeful that he would have been elected on October 25th.  I believe he could have made a difference (or at least tried his best) in the town of Chapleau, if given the chance.  Unfortunately, now we will never know.

Chapleau Express!

There is yet another letter calling for action to deal with the ongoing conflict of interest scandal.  This one has been submitted by Mrs. Claire Charron.  In it, she demands the dismissal of Rose Bertrand and a pay cut for Lisi Crichton-Bernier.  This is why we need a person appointed to such a position to rule on such matters and make such decisions.  If we let everyone with an opinion decide the fate of these persons, we're liable to have someone burned at the stake.  While the acts themselves seem grievous on the surface, I am certain there is much more to the story (or stories) than what most of us have read in the paper.  Cool heads prevail.  I like to hope that something will be done sooner rather than later to deal with this ongoing fiasco.  That is the faith we must give our elected representatives.  But then again, Bev Oda still has her job, and she has done far worse than Rose Bertrand.

On another note, a link to my blog has appeared in the Chapleau Express, as has a link to Kimmo's site.  I'm quite flattered by all the attention.  Now I'll have to sharpen my pencil (virtual pencil that is) and make sure I keep on top of everything.

Thanks to everyone for reading!

Mr. X

Decisive action

While some may call her a political opportunist (she came within a handfull of votes of a seat on council), I believe that Pierrette Ouellette has some valid points in her recent letter to the editor.  As there is currently no person to determine the penalty in the case of a conflict of interest, a person guilty of such a charge could easily get off without so much as a slap on the wrist.  This type of inaction does not discourage the person from continuing the pattern of behaviour.  A type of ombudsman would help in establishing clear consequences for such infractions.  Then, nobody will have an excuse to act this way ever again. 

Furthermore, is this the type of conduct we expect from our elected officials?  Maybe this is why the public is so disengaged with our electoral system.  As to the reason why Lisi seconded Rose's motion to appoint her own husband to a paid position, I have no idea why that happened.  While the law indicates that other councillors are not obligated to do anything in the case of such a conflict, it appears that Lisi was nearly an equal participant in the act in question.  Perhaps she was unaware of the legislation, as it is her first term as councillor?  I have no idea.  I sense a case of the Obama syndrome hitting Chapleau.  Our hopes were so high and we placed so much trust in these people that we forgot one simple fact: they are exactly that...just people.  No single person (or even five for that matter) can solve all of our problems with the wave of a magic wand.  It takes effort from all those concerned, from the ground up, to get things moving and really make a difference.

Conflict of interest

Thankfully, we live in a country like Canada, where we have elected representatives who don't try to stay in power for thirty years.  It's also a good thing that Bev Oda doesen't live in Chapleau.  We seem to be free of these types of political shenanigans that we are so used to seeing in the news.  Or are we? 

The latest minutes of coucil meetings show that councillor Rose Bertrand nominated her own husband, Graham Bertrand, for a position on the Chapleau Public Utilities board of directors, a paid position.  According to provincial legislation (which is also public) and common sense, this is clearly a conflict of interest.  While this may be a small town, clearly another councillor could have nominated Mr. Bertrand instead of his wife.  That's why the legislation exists.  We hold our elected officials to a higher standard than this and, as such, they are required to act within an acceptable code of conduct.  Let's see what kind of repercussions this act has on the council level.  Hopefully, sooner rather than later, something is done to send a message that this type of behaviour will NOT be tolerated.

Only in Chapleau...

Sorry about the lack of activity, folks.  Things are a little busy in my corner these days.

In the 5+ years I have been in Chapleau, I have noticed an interesting local phenomenon.  I have previously lived in Sudbury, Toronto and Ottawa.  This activity is unique to Chapleau, from my experience.  I am referring to the act of stopping one's vehicle in the middle of a street (sometimes when there is traffic) to roll down the window and have a conversation with someone.  Even more extreme is the act of two vehicles going in opposite directions stopping so that their drivers can shoot the breeze.  Chapleau is indeed a very friendly place.  Personally, I find the usual nod or wave to suffice.  While this practice can at times be a little annoying (when the stopped car or truck is holding up traffic), most of the time I get a kick out of this local form of social networking.  Clearly, larger centres could not support this type of activity due to the larger traffic volumes.  I can't imagine people doing this on Lasalle Blvd. or on Steeles Ave.

I have a few questions to you longtime Chapleau residents:

1. Is there a name for this stopping and chatting?

2. Have people in Chapleau always done this?

3. Have you ever seen people in other towns doing this?

I am anxious to hear what people have to say about this.

Recycling update

Here are some pictures of a recycling depot in Hearst, Ontario, as promised. 

There are two such depots in town.  Hearst is a town of about 5500 residents on Highway 11.  Other towns with recycling depots on Highway 11, are as follows:

Opasatika - population 280

Mattice -population 772

I am not sure if any other towns along Highway 11 have similar facilities.  No doubt, a similar model could be applied to Chapleau.  No collecting would be required by the municipality, thereby reducing costs.

Something to think about in 2011.  We are already decades behind other municipalities in Ontario (and even the rest of Canada, I'd imagine) in having no recycling whatsoever.  Let's move into modern times, shall we.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!  Let's hope 2011 is a great year for Chapleau.  I have decided to nominate someone as 2010 Chapleau newsmaker of the year.  For 2010, I choose Dr. William Pellow.  He taught us to care about politics again and to take nothing for granted.  Who will it be in 2011?  Only time will tell.