BLOG MyyyyyAsssss

Tuesday past saw the start of a three day meeting in Ottawa of Indian chiefs from across Canada. That same day, a protest on Parliament Hill of some 400 natives took place.
They are upset with Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jim Prentice.

Blog MyyyyyAsssss is also upset with this minister. He and his department are big on words, but very small on action.
Regular readers will know of a web page I created to bring a local native problem to light concerning the storage of up to four million used car tires in the western region of Manitoulin Island. I have also been e-mailing various government officials in an attempt to get some action. One such e-mail was to Prime Minister Harper:

Mr. Prime Minister,
In April of this year I became aware of a situation here on Manitoulin Island that shocked me to the core and as I researched it further, I realized something had to be done to avoid a local catastrophe to the environment. In contacting my local reeve I discovered his mutual concerns, but found he had run into a brick wall of bureaucracy and misrepresentation.
I refer to the tire recycling depot situated on the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation located in the northwest section of Manitoulin bordered by the North Channel.
In hopes of applying pressure to the individual(s) responsible for the 'disaster waiting to happen' to remove the offending tires I started up a web page. http://www.manitoulinislandindex.com/manitoulinsshame.html
You may be aware of the two tornadoes that hit Manitoulin a few weeks ago. Associated with this we have been experiencing a great deal of thunder and lightning of late and my worst fear is that lightning will hit the tire depot and start an environmental disaster that will cripple Manitoulin and cause damage in the millions of dollars. The tire fire of Hagersville in February of 1990 will seem like childplay compared to what a fire here will do to the economy, the Great Lakes and the entire evacuation of three quarters of Manitoulin.
I have been in contact with Indian and Northern Affairs, but I have received nothing other than 'we're working on it'. Several e-mails have bounced around their department and frankly I'm tired of being played with by passing me to different section heads that all say nothing to fixing this situation.
I am sending you this e-mail with cc's to various Chairs of Standing Committees in the hope that somebody there in Ottawa will take the time to investigate this matter and have Indian and Northern Affairs close down this tire depot and have the tires removed - I don't think Ontario needs to suffer another environmental disaster when the facts are right there in front of us, but we are afraid to 'offend' a First Nation enterpreneur that obviously is playing the government for all he can. The tire depot should never have been started in the first place and their failure to obtain a permit from Indian and Northern Affairs speaks volumes.
Hoping to receive a reply beyond the usual auto-response, I remain, Yours Truly,
Pat Keenan,
Manitoulin Island

Copies to:
Ken Noland, Reeve
Sarah Hutchison, Green Party
The Hon. Rona Ambrose Minister of the Environment
Colin Mayes Chair-Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Bob Mills Chair-Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development
Gerald Keddy Chair-Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
Rob Merrifield Chair-Standing Committee on Health
James Rajotte Chair-Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology
Art Hanger Chair-Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
Lee Richardson Chair-Standing Committee on Natural Resources
Garry Breitkreuz Chair-Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
Merv Tweed Chair-Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

The following was returned:

Dear Mr. Keenan:
On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail, in which you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians.
Please be assured that the statements you made have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Prentice so that he too may be made aware of your continuing interest. I am certain that the Minister will give your views every consideration.
Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister. For more information on the Government's initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister's Web site, at www.pm.gc.ca.
P. Monteith
Executive Correspondence Officer for the Prime Minister's Office
Agent de correspondance de la haute direction pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre

And weeks later this followed:

déc 4 2006

Dear Pat Keenan:
This is in response to your correspondence of August 21, 2006, to the Prime Minister and forwarded to my attention, regarding the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation tire stockpile. I regret the delay in responding.
I appreciate your concerns and can assure you that the Government of Canada is concerned about protecting the environmental health and safety of all communities on Manitoulin Island.
As you are aware, Ontario regional officials of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada are working with the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation Chief and Council, the United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin, the Sheshegwaning First Nation, the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal, and Emergency Management Ontario to resolve the situation. This includes implementing fire prevention and suppression measures at the site and an integrated emergency response strategy. The integrated emergency response strategy involves agreements between the First Nation and local municipalities for the provision of firefighting assistance and an agreement between the First Nation and Emergency Management Ontario for the provision of emergency response services.
The Department has dedicated funds for the implementation of a tire removal project, and a public tendering process was initiated and posted on MERX (the Government of Canada’s electronic tendering service) on October 3, 2006. Should you require further information please contact Mr. Roy Angelow, Senior Environmental Specialist, at (416) 973-6225.
Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister and for your continued patience in this very important matter.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
a signé l’original

The Honourable Jim Prentice, PC, QC, MP

c.c.: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, PC, MP