A letter from the Temagami Stewardship Council

[TJQ]

Thought Id post this for everyone to read!

 

With an election fast approaching, there is a lot of talk about broken promises. As the Chairman of the Temagami Stewardship Council (which is the first Stewardship in Northern Ontario to enter the Ontario Stewardship Program), I would like to state that the problems with the MNR, North Bay, and the TSC were caused by the same broken promises.

 

When the Temagami Stewardship Council (TSC) signed on to the Ontario Stewardship Program (OSP), we were promised a coordinator who would be "hired by the MNR to work for the Stewardship." The only 2 expectations that we had were that the coordinator would lesson the administrative workload on a small and already overworked Council and that he would find funding for our projects and activities. Although we were told by the Ontario Stewardship Program that these were reasonable expectations of the person in that role, neither happened. Had the TSC been allowed to direct the coordinator, I am sure we could have demonstrated (as has been demonstrated in Stewardships in Southern Ontario) the tremendous value created by a Stewardship with a willing and active coordinator,

 

When the Temagami Stewardship Council signed on to the OPS, we were promised a Stewardship Program where "the Stewardship would be supported, not controlled by the MNR." It was in fact a move by the MNR to take control of our Stewardship that caused the blow up that was used as an excuse to kick us out of the Ontario Stewardship Program. Why did the MNR need to move to exercise control when we have worked as a fantastically productive partnership for the past 12 years? In that time it was always understood that the MNR had the final authority. Had support continued our proposed major projects of conducting a Hydrological Mapping of Lake Temagami and an Assessment of Septic Systems would have begun in 2007.

 

We have been asking David Ramsay, our local MPP, since February 8th that he intervene on behalf of the Temagami Stewardship Council with the MNR. As the Minister of Natural Resources, should he not be concerned when his Ministry breaks its word to his constituents? We would ask David to work to reinstate our membership in the OSP so that the TSC has the opportunity to continue to demonstrate that provided the support promised by the Ontario Stewardship Program, we could continue to be one of the most active Stewardships in Northern Ontario. Check our webpage at www.temagamistewardship.ca and see what we are about in Temagami.

 

Gaye Smith

Chairman, Temagami Stewardship Council

705-237-8709

[tonyb]

Keep us posted on any results from the inquiry...This is just another example of the unkept promises in our Government, particularly relating to our natural resources.

 

It's a shame...really.

Tony

[Gerritt]

BRING ON THE ELECTIONS!!!

 

Shah-na-na-na...na-na-na-na....hey hey hey goodbye!

 

Gerritt.

[bigbuck]

I'm just waiting to see what Dalton is going to promise this time to get elected. He promised the world and delivered peanuts last time around. The MNR has been getting hosed for several years and needs a lot of money and effort to be rebuilt to operate effectively. Come on, CO's not having gas to patrol???

[silveradosheriff]

Hopefully democracy will hold him accountable.

[TJQ]

I do have to say... that I was totally flabbergasted with the amount of lies and broken promises the last time.. im only in my 40's but i cant ever remember being so disgusted with a party so soon after they were elected.... at the provincial level im not party man, but I don't see how anyone can vote for them again...

 

I shook hands and spoke with David Ramsay at a local restaurant and he assured me that the Liberals would do everything in their power to bring back the spring bear hunt.... then they get elected and then he even gets the MNR portfolio, and still can't do anything about it... pathetic i say... Ill need to see some real action on the natural resource front before I vote for him again... maybe its too late.

[Fang]

TJ

 

Being on Lake Temagami a few times each year I bump up against these Stewardship meetings with friends on the lake and by all accounts have to say what I have heard is really discouraging. Rumours abound that the ice fishing season is in real jeopardy. Funny how the biologists can run the computer models to tell them what's going on and be so off base in their calculations but not willing to spend any time on the lake. I fill out the catch survey reports every year when at Ket-chun-eny. Hopefully they were used.