The Islander 2018
Christian Island Cottagers' Association
Welcome to The Islander 2018!
We have a new format for The Islander...a Smore, something that is free, and hopefully easily accessible. Here are a few stories, pictures and events to share with you, our cottage community!
We welcome your feedback, and especially any news you would like to share about our First Nations and cottage communities.
Respectfully submitted...editor Gary Moorcroft, Big Sand Bay
Sunset Big Sand Bay
Rainbow South Side of the Island
Peaceful Sunset Big Sand Bay
CICA - The Christian Island Cottagers' Association
Welcome to The Islander 2018!!
Warm greetings! Once again, we are continuing to publish this magazine in a way that is affordable to our limited resources, by doing a digital publication. Those who want a hard copy can download it and print it for yourselves. My thanks to our Editor, Gary Moorcroft for again spearheading this project and to all of the contributors. I hope you have all enjoyed an incredible summer in our wonderful homes away from home, our Christian Island cottages! As President of your Christian Island Cottagers’ Association, it has been and will be a pleasure and a real privilege to serve you and, along with your Board of Directors, do our best to enhance your cottage experience on our beautiful island paradise.
Speaking of the Board, let me introduce you to them, but before I do, I want to issue yet again another big Thank You to Andrew Lam, who served many years on the Board as our capable Treasurer, and continued to help us as our Membership Chairperson, keeping our Membership Lists organized and accurate, until we finally found a replacement. Thanks, Andrew!
The Present Board Members are:
President - Sonny Goldstein – LHP
Vice-President - Doug Bingley - LHP
Secretary - Beth Herrema - LHP
Treasurer - Jill Ovens-Mcmillan - BSB
Directors - Stephen Christie - BSB
Eli Rubenstein – MP
Paul Keefe – LHP
Gary Moorcroft – BSB
Jennifer MacLeod - BSB
Thanks, Jennifer for volunteering, as a new member from Big Sand Bay, we are able to even out the representation from Big Sand Bay and Lighthouse Point. We also need everyone from both LHP and BSB to join CICA if you are not already a member or renew your membership. We need to represent all of the cottagers if we are going to be able to have any influence with our landlord over the rents in the future. Membership fees have been reduced to zero in order to get every cottager enrolled as a member of CICA so please send us your contact information – that is all you need to do to join. Enclosed with the Islander is a copy of the minutes of the Annual Meeting, and if you missed it, it was a good one.
If you wish to contact me directly about any comments or recommendations you may have about the Association, the Board or our relationship with our landlords, my email address is cicasonny@live.ca and my cottage phone number is 705-247-9061. I look forward to another great summer with our cottage friends and neighbours.
Sonny Goldstein, President
Cottage Subletting/Renting
All cottagers are reminder that subletting/renting your cottage is prohibited by The Beausoleil First Nation.
New Ferry Update
Picture 1 is the Front Runner from years ago
(Some long time cottagers might remember this :)))
Picture 1
Picture 2 A smaller Hoey
Picture 3 . What they use to cross the Rhein
Picture 4 If only the Christian Island Community had to cross this body of water
Christian Island Cottagers Association Supports Local Students
Two of our Executive Members, Sonny Goldstein our President and Eli Rubenstein attended the Graduation of Students in June. Awards were presented to 2 of the students for their accomplishments
On behalf of all the members of the Association, congratulations to all the students graduating and good luck in you future endeavours.
First Nation - New Ferry Petition
The Christian Island Cottagers' Association writes a letter to assist Beausoleil First Nation petition for a New Ferry.
The Christian Island Cottagers’ Association islander_cica@hotmail.com via mailchimpapp.net
Sun, Dec 9, 2018, 10:54 PM
Beausoleil First Nation - New Ferry Petition
Hi Cottagers,
You may have already received the petition letter below from the BFN office (Crystal Roote), but for anyone who may not have received it, I am sending it again with a request that you copy it onto your own letterhead and send it to both Minister Philpott and Prime Minister Trudeau. You may also want to send it to your local MP with a note to ask for their support also.
It is very important that we support this initiative and let the BFN know we are doing so. Here is the letter:
December 11th, 2018
The Honourable Jane Philpott
Minister of Indigenous Services
House of Commons Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Ms. Philpott
As a cottage lessee on Christian Island, the home of the Beausoleil First Nation, located in the Southern Georgian Bay area, I would like to draw your attention to a potentially dangerous situation regarding access to the island. As you are already aware, access to our island community is by ferry only. The ferry service is a critical link for the health and safety of the community.
The vessel, known as the M.V. Sandy Graham, was purchased twenty years ago and was meant to be a temporary vessel for the Beausoleil First Nation citizens and the more than 200 cottage lessees and their families, until such time that Canada could locate funds to build a new vessel. Numerous requests and meetings since this time have been made to Canada for follow up and no commitment has been followed through.
The M.V. Sandy Graham is 61 years of age. It has and can become non-operational for weeks on end due to the age of its components. This and the frequent extreme weather conditions impact the island community’s access to basic needs, services, education and employment. Each weekend hundreds of cottagers use the ferry to access their island cottages. We are concerned that if the short-term remedies continue, it is only a matter of time that something more serious will happen while crossing the channel, and lives will be at risk. We do not want to wait until that happens. It is imperative that something is done immediately.
I write to you today to request that Canada adhere to its obligations and commitments made to our landlord, the Beausoleil First Nation, and to our cottage community, that a new vessel be designed and constructed so that the health and safety of our joint community is not compromised.
Thank you for your attention on this matter and we, the joint Christian Island community, await an immediate resolve on this long outstanding item.
Thank you,
(Sign your name)
C.C. The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
Thank you all for your help with this.
Sonny Goldstein, President, CICA
Nancy King January 27th, 1976 --August 17th, 2018
Police Matters
Friday, August 31st, a number of cottages on LHP were broken into. A couple of ATV’s were stolen along with food, alcohol and some amounts of cash. One cottage was entered and while nothing was stolen from the cottage, about 10 sheets of plywood that were left on the property were stolen.
The police investigated and recovered the ATV’s. The question will be whether there is finger print evidence to link the individuals to the crimes. We believe the criminals fled at least in part due to the alarm system at the one of the cottages being tripped.
We want to advise members to take steps to hide keys to vehicles, secure building materials, etc. This time of year, with some of the cottages already closed, we may be more vulnerable to this kind of activity.
Enjoy what we have left of this season and have a great "other" season.
Regards,
Sonny Goldstein
President, CICA
Mrs Christian Island 1968 celebrates 50 years.
Greta and her husband Ken Upper, have been long time Christian Island Cottagers dating back to the Mid 1960's.
A celebration was had on Big Sand Bay, with many new and old BSB (and some Lighthouse) cottagers attending for Greta on this great accomplishment.
Her family, husband Ken, daughters Marcia Moorcroft (nee Upper) and Alison, son-in-law Gary Moorcroft, granddaughter Sarah Moorcroft wish to thank all those who attended.
August Fest 2018
August Fest Christian Island Summer Jam 2018 Pictures
To watch clips from concert, please log on to
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtwdOwsyL98FklCwLgpmfouQp8QRtRLug
The March of Remembrance and Hope Fall 2018
The March of Remembrance and Hope is a dynamic educational leadership program whose purpose is to teach students of different religious and ethnic backgrounds about the dangers of intolerance through the study of the Holocaust in Germany and Poland, and to promote better relations among people of diverse cultures. Every year we have First Nations students participate - including participation from Christian Island. When the students return to Canada from Europe, they travel to Christian Island for a reunion (at Eli Rubenstein's cottage) where they hear from First Nations teachers, learn more about the history of First Nations in Canada, and how they can use the knowledge they’ve learned on the trip to also better address First Nations issues and concerns.
Chief Guy Monague was among those who participated along with Holocaust survivor Elly Gotz and First Nations Healer James Carpenter/GreyCloud.
A Letter about Healing and Hope
February 11, 2019
From Poland to Christian Island – a story of healing and hope
by Varun Srivatsan
On a cold, crisp autumn day, a group of people you wouldn’t typically expect to hang out together, ranging from young adults barely out of their teens to nonagenarians, filtered onto Christian Island. There were few people out and about that day; this group was probably one of the few coming to the Island, and you could hear the gravel crackling as the cars were promenaded by flaming red and strikingly golden trees.
To understand why this group came to the Island, a group that hadn’t even met each other six months prior, you had to know about an event that has been etched into human history, an event that occurred thousands of kilometers away from Christian Island. During an autumn almost 80 years ago, Germany invaded Poland in what marked the beginning of a war that engulfed almost the entire world. This also marked the beginnings of what became the Holocaust, a genocide that took the lives of millions of innocent men, women and children across Europe.
In May 2018, a group of young adults coming from all over Canada and the world met in Germany as part of the March of Remembrance and Hope. This program has brought together youth to listen, learn about and act upon the brutality that was the Holocaust. Importantly, it serves as a reminder that peace and justice are words that are not benign platitudes, but an active construct that constantly shapes and is shaped by human action.
The program took these youth through the roots of division in Berlin, to the immense, incomprehensible brutality of Auschwitz, and the cold, calculated evil surrounding Treblinka. Personal responsibility, collective guilt, the nature of morality, these were all concepts that became concrete when looking at the shoes of those imprisoned in concentration camps. But most importantly, they learned from a man who was witness to this brutality himself. Elly Gotz, a survivor of the Dachau concentration camp, taught them about history, civics, even engineering, but throughout, he teaches them how to live full, complete lives after witnessing the worst that humanity has to offer.
I was one of these youth, and after this program, I felt many wounds being opened, many questions unanswered that will probably remain so. After witnessing one concentration camp after another, I felt confused, loopy, uncertain about what I should be learning or taking away.
As we were graciously received by the Beausoleil First Nation in their ancestral land, Christian Island offered a space to think back to this experience while thinking ahead of work to be done in Canada. When we travelled through the Island, collecting rocks and wood for our sweat lodge ceremony, I was struck by the deep, profound respect the community holds for nature and what it gives. As we built our sweat lodge, I was moved by the moments when the medicine man, John Carpenter / Grey Cloud, pulled us back and helped us appreciate the positive impact collective action can have.
And as we entered the sweat lodge, hesitant and excited at the same time, I was struck by how incredibly unique this moment was. Bumping knees with Elly and the medicine man, I realized an experience such as this reaffirmed how people from all across the world, regardless of the hurt and pain they had experience, could come together in a moment of healing and peace. As we re-emerged into the cool moonlight, a bit disoriented, my experience in Europe did not diminish, but gained new meaning. I understood that the purpose of our trip was not only to understand where we come from, however ugly that may be, but use that understanding to direct where we are going forward in our lives, always in peace. Christian Island and the Beasoleil First Nation offered that understanding, and for that I will forever be grateful.
G'Chimnissing News a Trust Office Production
We would like to wish our membership and community a Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year for 2019. We have been very fortunate this year and we are very proud of each and everyone of you as we keep hearing about the stories on how your money was spent. If you want to share any news or updates, please send them to our Trust Office Communications. There is a lot of work that the organization hopes to accomplish in the new year and we hope that you continue to be involved in community meetings, emailing our departments and become involved in any upcoming developments. New Ferry & Docks We are in the midst of finalizing the financing of our New Ferry and aim to have it under construction by this spring. Just recently, the Federal Government has committed10 Million Dollars towards the project in which they will have an official announcement in the new year . The Professional Project Manager that was funded through our Minor Capital will coordinate the tendering of the project. I would like to thank each and everyone of you for assisting us in the petition, we had over 1,400 people participate, these letters went directly to Minister Jane Philpott’s office and copied to the Prime Minister. Our upgrades to the docks will start in July 2019, there have been some delays due to the Hydro Relocate of the wire coming from Cedar Point. We had received 2 tenders for the construction that were too high and had to retender and make some adjustments. The reconstruction of the docks is coming from Own Source Revenue and Provincial Funding from the Small Communities Fund. We will announce the final costs once we receive updates on Tender Submissions for both projects. The Future Is In Your Hands In 2019, we have many decisions to make about our future. We will now have two Trusts that will help us in designing our future, we have to make wise decisions and realize that these decisions will impact future generations. The recent Trust Sessions helped us to design the structure of the new trust, but we have to consider on how we will invest and realize better returns. We will also have to consider provisions in the Trust that will create opportunity and wise investments into our community such as: • Roads and Infrastructure • Economic Development • Partnerships & Investments • Land Acquisition Combining our Trust Revenues with our other sources of revenue along with careful planning will help us realize our goals according to our Community Plan. The winter months will give us time to plan and look at important projects and to finalize the structure of the trusts and create an Economic Vehicle that will carry us and future generations into a better future. We would like to wish every family a happy and prosperous New Year and we hope that you take time for family and friends over the holiday season, make an effort to visit at least 5 of your family and friends. Miigwetch, Chief Guy Monague
A Message from APS
Warren Says Farewell!!
To the Community of Christian Island, I wanted to take a moment to let you know I am leaving the area to teach at the Ontario Provincial College (Police Academy) on a two-year secondment with the intention of returning after completion. I was honoured to be approached for this role as the Detachment Commander in the community and have enjoyed my four years working and living here, serving the Ojibway people and residents of Beausoleil First Nation. I have met some very good people that I can say made my time here very welcoming. I felt as though I was a part of the community and it made me work harder to ensure you received effective Policing despite trying circumstance with shortage of staffing. Even though I will miss the community and the people, I am looking forward to this new challenge. The APS advertised internally for my replacement and Constable Deborah Brown has accepted the role as interim Detachment Commander. This will be an excellent development opportunity for Constable Brown and I’m sure you will offer her the same support and understanding I received over the years. Handover is currently underway and expected to be completed by the end of the year. You will be in my thoughts and I hope the best for you all. I hope to return and visit to see how great everyone is doing. Please be safe and continue to be positive and supportive of each other.
Sincerely, Warren John. APS, Christian Island
Labour Day Weekend...Shake the Shack
Message from Beausoliel First Nation
You are cordially invited to a Breakfast Meet 'N Greet with the Lands Department Sunday, July 1st, 2018 Starting at 9:00 a.m. - at the Pavilion (in front of the Senior's Centre) Introduction of Lands Staff members and our roles and responsibilities‐ Information on your rights and obligations as a BFN lessee‐ Update on Lands Initiatives‐ And More
Cottager Meet and Greet
submitted by jill mcmillan
My husband and I attended the Meet and Greet, and like last year, it was a wonderful event. It was an early start on an incredibly hot day, so likely attendance might have been more otherwise, but there were still about 25 cottagers there.
The Lands people all introduced themselves and then had the cottagers do likewise, which was very useful. The breakfast was extensive and I think all in all the whole affair really demonstrated a desire to maintain a positive relationship with cottagers.
The new chief, Guy Monague, was introduced and spoke briefly. Kristen did as well- as you might be aware she has been elected to the council so will be leaving her post.
Jill
Long Time Cottager Patrick Bloomfield . March 14 1927 to July 1st 2018.
Link to Chimnissing Information
For those who like to connect with the Happenings at Christian Island.
Below is a link for you to visit for updates about the island.
Building Membership....Why, Who How and the Approach.
WHY
1. The First Nation is concerned that they are not meeting with the true representatives of cottagers when dealing with CICA. We must build membership in order to build credibility.
2. In the event that there is an inordinately large rent increase, emergency, or other serious impairment on our leases, we need to be able to get in touch with all cottagers.
3. We have eliminated any cost of membership, making it easy to join CICA
4. We must contact people who are unaware of the no-cost membership. The only way to do so is on-island.
WHO
1. Lane captains at BSB, and a series of volunteers at LHP
HOW
1. We will have picked the July and August long weekends for a membership drive, however, if you see neighbors out and about at any time GET THEM!
2. Canvassing is a combination of census taking and a membership drive.
- Due to numbering changes, we do not have accurate information from all members as to their cottage address. So, even if someone is a member, please list their road name and number. Also, confirm their email, since email addresses change as well.
- If someone does not want to become a member, at least get their name and address. If possible, get an email address so that we can contact them in the future if there is an emergency, boat not running, etc.
- If no one home, get the name and street address from thei sign or neighbors
3. To avoid having paper flying all over the place, your “census form” is also a membership form. Just get all information for new members and their signature.
4. To make it easy to get forms back to us, please just take a photo of the form on your smartphone and email to dbingley@rock95.com I don’t know about you, but at our cottage, paper, books and other things often don’t find their way into the car when we are heading home. So, at the end of each canvass, please take the photos and email them to me when you get back to the mainland and are in cellphone range. Of course, if you would like to take the forms home and scan them, that’s great as well.
THE APPROACH
1. We want this to be fun. Introduce yourself and explain where you live. Everyone wants to meet their neighbors!
2. Then explain that you are calling on behalf of the cottagers’ association, that it is free to join, or if people do not want to join, you are trying to at least build a mailing list so that we can get in touch with all cottagers should there be an emergency.
Annual Meeting for 2019
Please plan to attend:
Location: Katz Deli
Date: Saturday May 4th 2019
Time 1:00pm to 3:00pm