Each year around Thanksgiving, Northerners bite the bullet and grudgingly go about closing down camp for the winter so it is all set to go as soon as in spiring arrives. When spring rolls around, we want to be able to jump into our boats or onto our quads, ready to rock. It is so disappointing if we fail to ...

During question period Algoma-Manitoulin MPP, Michael Mantha, called on the Conservative government to ensure operators in the forestry sector are made whole for fiber cut before the Espanola Domtar Mill idles its operations.   “Stopping operations at the mill will be disruptive enough as it is without adding the extra burden of watching harvested fiber rot at roadside and worrying ...

J’ose dire que de nombreux Ontariens sont bouleversés et déçus par les nombreux scandales émanant du gouvernement Ford ces derniers temps. Présentement, nous observons les sagas de l’ensemble résidentiel et la ceinture de verdure. Nous venons d’être témoins de la virevolte du premier ministre sur la restitution des terres de la Ceinture de verdure, la démission récente de deux ministres ...

I venture to say that many Ontarians are upset and disappointed at the numerous debacles and scandals emanating from the Ford government lately. Right now, we are watching the simultaneous, dramatic housing development and Greenbelt sagas unfold. We have just seen the Premier’s eventual flip-flop on returning lands to the Greenbelt and the recent resignation of two prominent cabinet ministers ...

The other day, I stopped by to help a friend construct some trusses for a garden shed he was building. He asked for a hand because he knew it was getting late to have the shed in place before winter set in. He had some of the pieces cut and ready to assemble. I had expected him to use spikes ...

L’autre jour, je me suis arrêté pour aider un ami à construire des fermes pour un hangar de jardin qu’il construisait. Il a demandé un coup de main parce qu’il savait qu’il était tard pour que le hangar soit en place avant l’arrivée de l’hiver. Il avait quelques-unes des pièces coupées et prêtes à être assemblées. Je m’attendais à ce ...

Today during Question Period Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, called on Health Minister Sylvia Jones to address potential closures of emergency rooms (ER) in Northern Ontario.   Last week, Manitoulin Health Centre announced that they may have to close one of their ERs for days throughout the month of October due to a shortage of doctors. Other hospitals in Algoma-Manitoulin, ...

MPP Michael Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin) issued the following statement in light of the news that the Domtar Corporation will be idling operations at its Espanola, Ontario facility indefinitely: “It is devastating to hear that Domtar will be idling operations by early November this year. It is heavy news for the workers, their families and the community who will be impacted by ...

Aimez-le ou détestez-le, nous avons besoin du gouvernement. Avant 500 av. J.-C., le but du gouvernement était de servir les intérêts des dirigeants de l’époque, qu’ils soient des monarques, des dictateurs, des aristocrates ou une classe dirigeante privilégiée. Nous avons les Grecs à remercier d’avoir réorienté la cible des intérêts gouvernants. Les Grecs ont proposé le concept qu’une terre devrait ...

Love it or hate it, we need government. Before 500 BC, the purpose of government was to serve the interests of the rulers of the day, whether they were monarchs, dictators, aristocrats or some privileged ruling class. We have the Greeks to thank for redirecting the target of governing interests. The Greeks first proposed the concept that a land should ...

MPP Michael Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin) responded to Health Minister Sylvia Jones’ announcement that the government will provide a one-time funding increase to Public Health Units (PHU) who voluntarily merge. “In the North PHUs provide services to vast areas spanning dozens of communities with unique needs and circumstances,” said Mantha. “The realities faced by Northern PHUs are different from those in urban ...

Regular readers of this column are accustomed to me relating events and issues at Queen’s Park to everyday experiences that I find myself in, be they personal or professional. I think, in a way, the writing style compliments the way I approach my job. It is one of the things I do to stay focused, grounded and in touch with ...

Les lecteurs réguliers de cette chronique savent que je fais des liens entre les événements quotidiens et les enjeux de Queen’s Park. Je pense que, d’une certaine manière, le style d’écriture complète la façon dont j’aborde mon travail. C’est l’une des choses que je fais pour rester en contact avec les gens d’Algoma-Manitoulin. Cette semaine, cependant, ce que je veux ...

Following the release of the Auditor General’s “Special Report on the Changes to the Greenbelt“, Michael Mantha (MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin) is calling on the Premier to immediately recall the legislature and reverse the removal of land from the Greenbelt that happened last fall. MPP Mantha issued the following statement: “Today the Auditor General made it clear that the ‘exercise’ undertaken ...

Les lecteurs de cette chronique savent à quel point je suis fier d’être un habitant du Nord né et élevé. J’ai grandi à Gogama, où le français était la langue maternelle dans presque tous les foyers. Les gens parlaient français dans les églises, les écoles et les entreprises. Dans l’esprit de mes frères et sœurs et de mes amis, notre ...