The record, 31 juillet 2006, lundi 31 juillet 2006

2006 WINNER CCNA BETTER NEWSPAPERS COMPETITION 75 CENTS + TAXES THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 • • • PM#0040007682 MUST Mi Monday, July 31, 2006 The answer’s not blowing in the wind MRCs reluctant to embrace wind energy By Joshua Bleser and Maurice Crossfield Global warming and air, soil and water pollution are gaining increasing recognition, and although oil companies continue to post record profits and consumers continue to buy gas-guzzling cars, some are turning toward cleaner sources of energy to fuel cars, homes and businesses.According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), wind is the fastest growing source of electricity across the world.In Canada, however, though the association reports there is a capacity to source 20 per cent of our energy from wind (that could power 3.5 million homes), air gusts currently generate only one per cent of our electricity.Quebec produces 212.25 megawatts of wind energy per year (with another 1,000 megawatts proposed), mostly at huge wind farms in Cap Chat, Mur-dochville, Mont Miller and Matane.Some of these projects — notably in Cap Chat — met in their early stages with vocal opposition from locals.Protests have recently halted the construction of a 134-turbine-strong farm in the Rivière-du-Loup regional municipal county (MRC).Meanwhile, Hydro-Québec has issued a call for tenders to produce 2,000 megawatts of wind energy — with a submission deadline of April 17,2007—and potential producers and MRCs across the Eastern Townships are closely watching developments at wind energy farms in the rest of the province.Citing both aesthetic and environmental concerns, several Eastern Townships MRCs recently have passed by-laws controlling — and in some cases restricting, — the erection of wind turbines and wind energy parks on their territory.The Record brings you a round-up of what elected representatives are doing about wind energy, and why they're doing it.Brome-Missisquoi The Brome-Missisquoi MRC has taken a firm stance on the windmill issue, going so far as to set limits on both industrial and smaller residential units.In the spring the MRC restricted the erection of large windmills to areas east of Route 235 and North of Route 202.This flat territory, including the municipalities of Stanbridge Station, Pike River and Saint-Sébastien, is presently being studied for the construction of 30 to 40 giant turbines, capable of generating up to 100 megawatts of electricity.At the time the concern was to avoid having the windmills, which can stand as high as 150 metres, scarring the landscape.Please see Wind Energy on Page 4 Beat the heat PERRY BEATON JNK i Losing both feet to diabetes has not slowed the spirit of Rainville Dubois, once a goalie and an honoured hockey referee.Last week he was headed from downtown Sherbrooke to the Carrefour de L’Estrie in his air conditioned, battery powered trike. pagb 2 Monday, July 31, 2006 » ¦ THE — RECORD -5- Final respects PERRY BEATON Family anti friends paid their last respects Saturday to 35-year-old mother of three and step-mother of three Faye Geraghty, who was found murdered in her home in Lennoxville July 23.The funeral was officiated by Rev.Michael Canning at St-George's Anglican Church in Lennoxville.MNA arrest warrant lifted An arrest warrant against Megantic-Compton MNA Daniel Bouchard has been lifted after his lawyer appeared at the Sherbrooke courthouse on Friday to explain why his client did not appear for a hearing on Thursday.Bouchard, who was to be arraigned on two new charges of fraud, was not on hand for a scheduled appearance because it was not in his agenda, explained lawyer Walid Hijazi.Hijazi explained his client was on vacation in the region and that he was not attempting to avoid his obligation to appear.Last September, Bouchard plead guilty to a dozen charges of electoral fraud leveled at him by Quebec’s chief electoral officer.The new charges laid last week stem from a Sûreté du Québec investigation into allegations that Bouchard attempted to defraud two insurance companies with false claims by producing counterfeit documents while he was the director general of the Société d’aide au développement de la collectivité du Haut-St-Francois (SADC).After leaving the SADC, Bouchard became the Liberal MNA for the riding of Megantic-Compton, but the party dumped him when allegations of electoral fraud surfaced.Bouchard pleaded guilty last September of using the organization’s funds to reimburse electoral contributions to the Liberal riding association in Megantic-Compton.Bouchard continues to sit as an independent in the National Assembly.Bouchard had to go to the Sherbrooke courthouse on Friday to sign a promise to appear for his court dates and to respect other conditions.He is due back in court on Sept.29.Brieis Calling Grondins The Grondin family association will hold a reunion in Maniwaki Aug.19 and 20.Everyone with that name is invited to attend.Check out associationgrondin.org on the Internet or call Gerry at 819-379-0372.Construction in St-Malo One of two lanes on Highway 253 (Breton road) in St-Malo will be closed for paving starting today.The Quebec Ministry of Transportation said one lane will be closed from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m.to 6:30 p.m.Crews will direct traffic during work hours.Area beaches are better?Local beaches have performed well in the latest round of testing by the Quebec government.Every summer from late June to mid-August public swimming areas are tested for bacteria content.The only required criteria is that the swimming areas be open to the public and meet safety requirements.An A rating means the bacteria content in the water is low, and the water quality is excellent.B means good, C passable and D means the water is polluted.Testing on July 24, showed Sherbrooke’s Blanchard Beach got a B rating while the Deauville municipal beach got an A.The Livingston beach in Stanstead got a A as did the Camping Massawippi beach in Ayer’s Cliff.Beaches tested on July 25 got straight As including the Coop Prévert-de-Birchton beach, as well as the swimming areas at Camp Bel-Air in Stratford and O.T.J.in Lambton.The O.T.J.beach in Megantic received an A rating on July 26.Rising temperatures can increase the bacteria count in shallow waters; check out the water quality of your favourite swimming hole before you go for a dip.To do so, dial toll free 1-800-561-1616.Or go to www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca, click on the “Eau” link and then on “Environnement-Plage”.Weather Ben by Daniel Shelton Today: Becoming cloudy.40 percent chance of showers in the afternoon and evening.High 27.Tuetday: Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers.Low 21.High 31.Wednesday: Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers.Low 22.High 28.Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers.Low 14.High 23.Gnnn! THIS THING WEIGHS A , _ TON/ ' o F ITU 0E WORTH It r THOUGH.JUST 7D SEE * Uwb FACE WHEN SHE TAKESAUXX/T /.SH£ALV\MV5~T ANP WHAT CAN ^ CLASSIEZ THAN A SUTUB i Of A NODE GREEK GOPPESSt SAID SHE WANTED TO APPA TOUCH Of CLASS TO HER V GARPEN. mm.*§!*»•* ***f pPiJMS a f4 29th Edition RECORD Monday, July 31, 2006 page 3 They want you as a new recruit Volunteers help clean up the tires and fridges By Rita Legault Sherbrooke Action St-François is seeking volunteers to pursue its mission of cleaning up the St-Francis watershed.For more than a decade, the river cleanup group has organized some 300 work bees where hundreds of volunteers have pulled tonnes of garbage — including cars, tires and old refrigerators — from some 64 tributaries of the St-Francis River.The watershed is made up of more than 1,000 streams, brooks and other waterways - many of which have their own hidden dumps adding to the deterioration of water quality throughout the watershed.Last year the non-profit group held 27 cleanup operations on a half dozen creeks and and streams.From spring to mid-fall, some 271 volunteers removed some 22 metric tonnes of garbage, of which 79 per cent was recycled.As usual, volunteers found old cars, tires and refrigerators.But along with the car cadavers they also found a heap of dead, rotting pigs left behind by a local farmer.Gendron said the pig dump was an unusual find that was reported to health authorities.While undertaking their shoreline cleanups this summer, Gendron said the organization will also be compiling a list of areas that need revegetation.Once an inventory is completed, the group will begin planting shrubs along waterways next summer.“We want to target the areas that need it the most,” he said.Cleaning bees take place every Saturday.Two days ago, volunteers headed to a stream located on Chemin Vaillancourt in Compton — the spot of a regional dumpsite which has been the scene of numerous cleaning bees.Gendron said last year, the groups removed some 17 tonnes of garbage from the site during 14 work bees.They have been back there a half dozen times already this summer.Gendron said local birdwatchers are planing to set up an observation site in the vicinity of the stream which is a tributary of the Coaticook River.Weekly cleanup crew leave the Grenouillère parking lot (entrance on Frontenac Street) every Saturday morning at 7:45 a.m.Volunteers are car-pooled to the site and returned to the downtown pickup around noon.For more information on how to become a volunteer or a member of Action St-François, call (819) 563-5362 or visit the organization’s bilingual website at www.asf-estrie.org.J® MUR Festival au Lait tie la MRC PERRY BEATON Volunteers gave up their Saturday morning to clean out the garbage dumped onto the St-Francis embankment.PERRY BEATON BRI! I s Toxic fumes kill one One man is dead, and another man and woman are in critical condition after being overcome by fumes in the machine shop at Knowlton Packaging SaUirday morning.At about 7 a.m., a worker in the machine shop was welding inside a large metal tank used for storing chemicals.He was overcome by fumes, and lost consciousness.A second employee entered the tank to try to resale him and was also overcome.A third person, a Brome Lake First Responder who worked at the plant also attempted to get the other two out — and was overcome by the fumes as well.Sûreté du Québec spokesman Const.Marc Butz said the three were taken to the Brome-Missisquoi Perkins Hospital, where one, a 30-yearold sub contractor from the Montreal region, was declared dead on arrival.The identity of the man who died will not be released until his family has been contacted.The other two victims were transferred to the CHUS in Fleurimont, where they remain in critical condition.Butz said it was not clear if the workers were overcome by the fumes from the welding itself, or from chemical residue in the tank.Butz did not say how long each was inside the tank.Les Emballages Knowlton packages health and beauty products such as antiperspirant, shampoos, soaps and skin conditioners.As such, the company works with a wide assortment of chemicals used to mix and package the products.The SQ the workman’s health and safety board (CSST) and a coroner will all be investigating.Fire in Clarenceville Fire destroyed a one-time general store in Clarenceville Friday morning.Firefighters were called to the building at the corner of Route 202 and Front St.at about 4 a.m.Despite their efforts, the building could not be saved.Sûreté du Québec spokeswoman Const.Chantal Mackels said no one was in the building and no one was injured in the fire.Route 202 was dosed for several hours.For the last few years the building had been empty.The SQ is continuing its investigation.August 3rd to 6th, 2006 Come visit Coaticook and its beautiful region THURSDAY, AUGUST 3RD 7:00 p.m Opening Cocktail FRIDAY.AUGUST 4TH 9:00 a.m.Young Rural Dwellers Judging 8:00 p.m.4X4 Pull 9:00 p.m.Concert: Les Respectables SATURDAY.AUGUST STH 9:00 a.m.Holstein Judging 7:00 p.m.Modified Tractor Pull SUNDAY.AUGUST 6TH 2:00 p.m Modified Lawn Tractor Pull 7:00 p.m.Appreciation Evening 900 p.m.Lottery Draw -RF.C.ORn page 4 Monday, July 31, 2006 Wind Energy: Cont'd from Page 1 The utility lines connecting them to the electric grid were also seen as a potential source of visual pollution.In June, at the beckoning of Cowansville.the MRC took things a step further, limiting residential windmills to properties of more than one hectare (2.47 acres).“It is the MRC that oversees land management issues." said Cowansville mayor and MRC Prefect Arthur Fauteux.In order to have the restriction on its own territory.Cowansville had to get the regulation passed for the entire MRC.This effectively bans windmills from all urban areas in Brome-Missisquoi.Haute-Yamaska In neighbouring Haute-Yamaska things have moved more slowly.There the council of mayors has placed a temporary ban on all windmills — industrial, agricultural or domestic — while it studies the issue.“We are far from forbidding the development of wind energy, quite the opposite." said Haute-Yamaska Warden Paul Sarrazin.“This type of energy represents an important form of sustainable energy for some, and has negative sound and visual impacts for others." Sarrazin said the issue is not a simple one, and while it is being studied the MRC doesn’t want speculators rushing in to establish themselves before a regulation is passed.He noted that some residential turbines can be purchased at hardware stores like Canadian Tire, tempting many to seek an alternative form of power.A committee has been formed to study the issue, and its members will Bruis Roxton Falls blood drive Héma-Quebec will hold a blood drive today, July 31, at 2 p.m.at the Roxton Falls community centre (125 des Églises West).For more information contact 1-888-666-4362, extension 185.To make an appointment to give platelets, call 1-888-666-4362, extension 408.visit a couple of wind farms in the Gaspé in August.Sarrazin said that will give the committee a true view of the advantages and disadvantages of large scale windmills.“Before we make a regulation we want to look at all sides of the issue," he said.Sarrazin said the MRC is making more of an effort to be responsive to the wishes of its citizens.The regulation will only be introduced after meeting with farmers, promoters and concerned citizens, and could take up to a year to be passed.Memphremagog Memphremagog was the first Townships MRC to weigh in on the issue of wind energy — not surprising, given that it is home to some of the area's most beautiful landscapes and bustling tourist industries.In November 2005 the MRC amended its land use plan to forbid commercial windmills on all of its “sensitive landscapes,” which MRC Warden Roger Nicolet explains means "pretty much all landscapes visible from a distance.” The MRC’s 17 mayors felt “windmills would have a negative effect on the attractiveness of the region and, indirectly, on real estate values,” Nicolet said.In other words, the mayors banned windmills because they find them ugly.The amendment, approved by the provincial ministry of municipal and regional affairs in February of this year, was the subject of public hearings, at which no questions were raised, Nicolet affirmed.As sweeping as it is, the Memphremagog amendment does not prohibit residential turbines “within the limits of normal tree heights,” Nicolet said.He added that to his knowledge virtually no MRC residents have installed turbines on their property, and that due to a lack of large scale marketing, those interested in doing so would have a hard time finding them.Nicolet confirmed that no developers have approached the MRC with plans to build a wind farm, and that the amendment was “preventive, not reactive." COATICOOK The situation is similar in the rural MRC to the east of Memphremagog.Coaticook’s by-law, also passed last winter, prohibits wind turbines within a radius of one kilometre from urban and industrial sectors, as well as resort areas, ecological parks, and recreation and conservation zones.Turbines are also forbidden within 250 metres of provincial and municipal roads.Those hooked up to diesel generators are outlawed within 750 metres of homes, while those with non-diesel generators are not allowed within 350 metres of homes.Granit According to wind speed and volume tests conducted by Hydro-Québec, this eastern most Townships MRC is the most conducive to the development of wind farms, thanks to its vast expanses of uninhabited flat land, explains its warden, Maurice Bernier.Although no project has been presented yet, TransCanada is conducting wind speed tests around the town of St-Robert-de-Bellarmin.Because of the resulting economic opportunities, the MRC’s administration remains open to welcoming wind farms on its territory.Nevertheless, it has passed a by-law clearly outlining the conditions anyone interested in cultivating wind energy must obey.“What we [the mayors] wanted to convey is that we are not closed to the development of wind farms, but that we don't want it to occur any which way,” Bernier said.Due to noise concerns, Granit’s bylaw stipulates that windmills are forbidden within two kilometres of homes and within 500 metres of any building whatsoever.They are also verboten on public land, Domtar’s land, and within two kilometres of tourist areas and land earmarked for protection in the MRC’s land use plan.Above all, companies interested in setting up shop on Granit’s windswept territory must go through the MRC before going ahead with tests and further developments.If and when a project is presented, the MRC will hold public hearings to find out what its residents want.“We absolutely want to be consulted,” Bernier said, noting that the motive behind this desire is threefold: to ensure that the project respects the by-law; to allow the MRC to decide if it is interested in being a business partner in a prospective wind farm; and to ensure that residents on whose land turbines would be put up don’t hastily sign over rights of passage and regret it later.Val Saint-François “It’s not for us as an MRC to say we don’t want [windmills] at all on our territory,” said Cleveland Township Mayor and Val Saint-François Warden Gerald Badger.He said that some municipalities are considering by-laws to restrict the implantation of wind turbines, and that Ulverton has already banned them in residential areas “for a simple reason: they hum, and within close distances, it can be a nuisance to neighbours.” Badger said that in MRCs with more pristine landscapes and a more robust tourist industry, especially Memphremagog, it makes sense to place stricter conditions on wind energy development.He maintains, however, that in Val Saint-François, “it’s not for us to say to a municipality what they are and are not allowed to do.We just provide general guidelines.” Haut Saint-François Claude Brochu, Haut Saint-François’ director general, does not think his MRC lends itself very well to wind energy.For that reason, he said, “We have not weighed in on the issue yet," although he adds that because individuals may begin to express interest in residential turbines, the MRC’s council will have to discuss it and take a position soon.For now, no developers have approached the MRC, and Brochu “[doesn’t] think we’re going to very far with it.” Asbestos It was not possible to reach officials with the Asbestos MRC by press time.! PI ^§^31 Diabetes Québec Information and donations: (514) 259.3422 or 1.800361.3504 www.cliab«t«.qc.ca "" " ——I —— ¦THt » i .' ' " ———ii i " Pf rnun______:____Monday, July 31, 2006 pa An odd love affair — with concrete JOSHUA BLESER Zachary Gillmaris Sherbrooke plant is a zero-discharge facility: no pollution! INTERSTAR INTERSTAR Sherbrooke anglo up for business award By Joshua Bleser Sherbrooke Call it a love affair with concrete.Zachary Gillman moulded his brainchild.Interstar, from a concrete pigment distributor in Montreal with a handful of employees into the only Canadian company that manufactures and distributes a complete range of its own lines of concrete pigments, admixtures, fibres, sealants, and automated pigment dispensers to markets across North and South America and the United Kingdom.Interstar now boasts eight offices across North America and 90 employees — 65 of whom work out of its three-year-old corporate headquarters on Portland Boulevard in Sherbrooke — and Gillman has been rewarded for his business savvy and vision by being named a Quebec finalist for the Ernst & Young 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year award.The Entrepreneur Of The Year awards honour businesspeople who have demonstrated entrepreneurial success and personal commitment to their communities.“The wealth of great visionaries in Quebec continues to build our Quebec and Canadian economies, and in many cases grow the global marketplace as well,” says François Dufresne, director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Quebec and partner at Ernst & Young.“We’re proud to recognize the exceptional contributions of these committed individuals to our communities.” Gillman was born in Sherbrooke and moved to New Brunswick after high school to study to become a commercial pilot.After a couple of years of flying a corporate jet for the provincial government, Gillman — whose father was in the concrete industry — returned to his native Quebec to study geology at Concordia University and earn a business management certificate from McGill.He founded Interstar in 1987 while studying at McGill at night."I saw the need for the kinds of products we manufacture," Gillman explains simply, adding that the focus of the company has always been customized products developed with the manufacturers and — increasingly, as the concrete industry becomes more so- phisticated and aesthetics-minded — the architects, designers, and decorators who turn to Interstar.In 1989 Gillman moved the company to St-Élie-d'Orford and kick started the transition from distributor to a vertically integrated outfit.In 1997 Interstar began marketing its own line of pigments and admixtures exclusively.Since then Interstar has spawned a pharmaceutical research branch and grown by about 20 per cent per year across the board, from sales and profits to its workforce and physical space.In 1998 the company opened an office and warehouse in Toronto and launched operations in Mexico under the name Interox.In 1999, operations expanded into Syracuse, NY.and Calgary.Throughout the past few years, that growth pattern continued, culminating in the construction of the Portland Boulevard facility in Sherbrooke in 2003 and its 30,000-square-foot expansion this year.Interstar's president matches his entrepreneurial prowess with a devotion to environmental stewardship.The Sherbrooke plant is a zero-discharge facility, which means no manufacturing by-products are released into the atmosphere: dust is collected by a state-of-the-art filtration system; heat produced in the manufacturing facility is used as a primary heat source in winter; and all waste water ts purified and re-used.Gillman won a Business Development Bank of Canada award in 1999.In 2002, the Eastern Townships Chamber of Commerce bestowed upon Interstar its small business manufacturer of the year award, and last year the company was the recipient of the Government of Canada's Export Award in Research and Development.The entrepreneur attributes his success to an emphasis on research and development at all levels of the company's organization.Gillman will discover if that approach earns him another notch in his belt when the provincial Ernst 8i Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 awards are handed out Oct.26.The provincial winners go on to the Canadian finals Nov.2.The national prizewinner will then compete against counterparts from 35 countries for the title of International Entrepreneur of the Year, to be announced in June 2007.jbIeser@sherbrookerecord.com Briefs Local schools win The Order of St-Francis recently announced the 2006 winners of its youth environment contest.A special mention was awarded to Sherbrooke’s École de Carillon for its composting project.Students constructed a composting bin and used it to recycle the school’s food waste.The project also included peripheral activities designed to raise awareness among the students and their families.The Order will finance the construction of a second composting bin.The third prize was awarded to Coaticook’s Ecole Gendreau for its Grades 3 through 6 students’ composting project.In this case, the composted food was used to fertilize the schoolyard.Second prize went to École St-François-Xavier.All students and teachers from Kindergarten through Grade 6 participated in an awareness campaign about water consumption and raised money to build a well in India.École secondaire du Tournesol garnered top honours for its ongoing and comprehensive series of environment-friendly actions.Students at the Windsor high school, among other things, set up a composting program and used clothing exchange, made reusable bags, spruced up stuffed animals to donate them to various charities, recycled batteries and printer cartridges, and sent packages of school supplies to dis- advantaged students in Haiti.Ascot Comer traffic death A 57-year-old man was killed instantly after a head-on collision with a truck in Ascot Corner Friday morning.At about 4 a.m.the man was driving eastbound on Route 112 when he apparently tried to pass another car.But when he pulled out he collided head-on with a westbound dump truck.Sûreté du Québec spokeswoman Const.Chantal Mackels said the man died on impact.The gravel truck driver was uninjured and did not want to go to hospital.The man’s identity has not been released.Route 112 was closed for several hours.RECORD Let the readers know about your products and services.JO-ANN HOVEY Advertising Consultant jhovey@sherbrookerecord.com (819)569-9525 Fax (819) 821-3179 page 6 Monday, July 31, 2006 ¦ — THF—.RECORD Community Forum IH TK MIDÇT OF SUFFERING THROUGH TMEÇVJMN6ROF 2006, PHYUJÇ AMO ED ÇUDOENCT HND THEWÇEtVEÇ N HE(X_.oOOCOOoo FEEL THAT COOL AIR! vife 11 IWcSawwi Tell us what you’re thinking! The Record welcomes letters to the editor.By e-mail: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com By fax: 819-569-3945 or 450-243-5155 By post: 1195 Galt E., Sherbrooke, JIG 1Y7 Muscular Dystrophy Assoclitloi it CirMi ‘ w 1 800 567-ACDM Untfl there's a cure, there's us.RECORD PO ta lajOShfrbrookrJlH 516or 1195Gill K.9wrt>mota)lG IV7 Fax: 8I9-5693945 i'-maii nrwrrooiiHHhrrtmTokrrrcond com Wmsirv wwwxhfrtmxikrrrron] com Raniiv Kinniiak Purusiier ((*19) 5W«u l l KANO* Brown Ewnw (819) 5696345 Ni l AON AhiNMI CORRISP EDITOR (819) 5696345 Richard I.EVVAKD Prod.Mgr (819) 5699931 Shk(.k Gagnon Chiu Pressman (819) 5699931 Franonr Thibault Prod Siipsrv (819)5694856 DEPARTMENTS AIXXKINTING .(819) 5699511 AuvMmaNG.(819)5699525 Osculation.(819)5699528 Newsroom .(819)5696345 Knowltun iwmi 8R-A lAUtsIDC.Knuwuon.Qjiew*.JOE 1VD TMJ (450) 242 1188 Fax: (450) 2435155 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: Iyfar 120.00 7.20 9.54 $116.74 6 MONTHS 63 00 3.78 SOI $71.79 3 MONTHS 32.00 1.92 2.54 $36.46 Out o/ Qlirhfc residents do not include PST Rotes/or other servUrs asutlohle on request The Rerord is published daily Monday to Friday Back copies of The Record are available.The Record was founded on February 7.1897.and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Cazette (est.1837) in 1908 The Record is published by Glacier Ventures International Corp PM #0040007682 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Record.1195 Calt East.Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Member ABC.CARD.CNA.QCNA r Joon«-* RPenjCEh It’s all about the canoe By Deirdre McMurdy Canwest News Service How are you spending you summer vacation?Lazing on the dock at the cottage, perhaps?Dozing in a backyard hammock with a spy novel?Maybe exploring Canada in an RV or catching up on some household chores?You loser.If you were New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton, you’d be spending your holidays doing something a little more constructive, like saving the Na-hanni River or networking with a First Nations leader or two.For the past week, Layton, his MP wife, Olivia Chow, and fellow NDP MP Dennis Bevington have been paddling about 40 km a day on the Nahanni while conducting satellite telephone interviews and transmitting daily podcasts to the NDP website.Did he ever consider just slacking off and, enjoying the view?“No.There’s so much interest among paddlers, environmentalists and NDP supporters in this region, we felt a direct report would be interesting for them,” says Layton.“This trip and everything we’re learn-ing here, the evidence of climate change, our meetings with Dehcho nation leaders, really underlines the importance, the urgency of environmental issues.” Even before he arrived in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., the point of departure for Nahanni expeditions — he was briefed by geologists and biologists.He’s travelling with representatives from the World Wildlife Federation, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the environmental program director for the Ivey Foundation, as well as river guide and author, Neil Hartling.Heightened environmental sensitivity doesn't come cheap, by the way.Nahanni River Adventures, which is owned by Hartling, charges $3,700 for a one-week trip, and that doesn’t include the requisite personal gear.The NDP has already put forward a plan for the expansion — and rigourous protection — of the Nahanni National Park Reserve.Layton says his new appreciation of the risks facing the fragile ecosystem will be a key issue for the NDP in the fall sessions of Parliament.“This government has really underestimated the resonance of environmental issues with Canadians.We hear they’re now planning to label themselves as green, but they just don't get it,” he states."We’re going to push very hard on this.” Layton has been wilderness canoeing — a particular enthusiasm of his wife — for about 21 years, but he's by no means alone in Canadian political circles.Pierre Elliott Trudeau was passionate about canoeing (in 1944 hé wrote an essay, Exhaustion and Fulfillment: The Ascetic in a Canoe) and it was his 1970 trip down the Nahanni that led to the creation of the national park there — a preserve Layton is lobbying to expand.Trudeau’s annual paddling adventures often included political and Hill colleagues as well.Journalists Craig Oliver and Tim Kotcheff were core members of a group that grew to include Jean Chretien’s chief adviser, Eddie Goldenberg, Senator Peter Stollery and Liberal MP and environment critic John Godfrey.(Godfrey wrote a chapter on Trudeau and canoeing in the book, The Hidden Pierre Elliott Trudeau: The Faith Behind the Politics.) At Trudeau’s funeral there was even a special section of the Basilica of Notre Dame reserved for his fellow canoe trippers.“We’re none of us as young as we were, and the original group has largely disbanded now,” notes Goldenberg.“I’ve canoed since summer camp and it’s a wonderful way to get away from everything.If I were Jack Layton, I’d just enjoy it fully — and do my advocacy afterwards.” That said, his paddling circle wasn’t exactly apolitical.“It was always a group with common interests and politics was certainly one of them,” recalls Godfrey.“We all brought along our stories and experiences, but we were talking politics with a very different perspective on these trips.” He also concedes that strong bonds were forged among participants.“You get a group of guys together in a situation like that and you revert to simpler times in your life,” he says.“There are the running gags, the collective memories of companionship in beautiful places.” Godfrey notes that “the type As in the crowd were always the sternsmen and the guys like me were content to be in the bow.It’s very much part of canoe culture, where you sit." Few people are more acutely aware of the significance of seating plan than the Speaker of the House of Commons, Peter Milliken, who’s also an avid pad-dler.In addition to canoeing the Madawas-ka and Petawa rivers near Ottawa, he has also ventured into the Arctic.John Turner shares that love of Arctic canoeing — he’s paddled the Copper-mine, Burnside, Thelon, and Hanbury rivers (he's a sternsman).“I started canoeing when I was seven years old and I was sent to camp in Temagami," he says.“It’s the most freedom you can have — to be alone in the most beautiful scenery in the world.You can go for days and days without seeing a soul." Or making a single satellite phone call. ; —THf — i RECORD Monday, July 31, 2006 page 7 Letti-rs to the Editor Not my complaint Dear Editor, Sorry this is late as I was away and had trouble getting hold of the paper with the letter of July 20 concerning my complaint about Town of Brome Lake’s reluctance to mail me the English version of a document (“Who Hired this Guy?”).Letter writer Margaret Dunberry (“Where’s Your Tact?”) may be right that my letter could have been written more tactfully, but she in turn might have had the courtesy to read it.Although she puts the words “impersonal service” and “delay” in quotes, I never complained of either.Nor did I complain about, in her words, “some staff who didn’t mail you the right form.” What I complained about was, after saying there had been a mistake, the receptionist told me to go to the Town Hall to collect the English version.I was told very clearly that it could not be mailed to me without specific permission.Mayor Richard Wisdom telephoned me about this matter and said he agreed with Mrs.Dunberry.After some effort to get a word in edgewise, I finally got Mr.Wisdom to agree that refusing to mail me the English form without Mr.Roy’s permission was also a “mistake”.Lionel Albert Knowlton Knowlton word of mouth Dear editor, Currently playing at The Piggery (in North Hatley) is an unbelievable musical revue called The Time Machine.To accurately describe the music and dancing of this trio is beyond words; it has to be viewed as one of the best shows to be ever presented at The Piggery.The way the costumes portray the period during which the song was popular, to the way the trio interact with dancing and mannerisms appropriate to the era of the song has to be seen and heard to be believed.Even the flawless way in which one song leads to another is very tastefully done.The crowning touch has to be the continual action on stage, it never hesitates even while one or two are offstage changing costumes.The exuberance and vitality displayed and expressed by this very talented trio leaves the audience spellbound on several occasions.So much so that on the night 1 truly enjoyed the show they were given standing ovations, as their presentation is comparable to that of a Broadway presentation.Shows don’t get better than this, so I would highly recommend readers take time to enjoy this Quebec talent, as show is a 10-plus! Many thanks to The Piggery directors for allowing a show of this calibre to be shown.George Matheson Sherbrooke Sherbrooke disrespect Dear editor, How disrespectful can one person be (“Harper: Resign!,” in Letters to the Editor, July 27).Calling a soldier that gets killed in action a fallen fool?Men and women who join the Canadian Armed Forces have to swear an allegiance to Canada and its leaders.Do you understand what that means?No matter where or when, when they are ordered to, they must put themselves in harm’s way for their country.I have a son in the army who, with 3,000 other military personal, will be going very soon to Afghanistan.How dare anybody call them fallen fools if one of them happens to be killed in action.Robert McDonald Sherbrooke A life in Gould Dear editor: The family of the late Donald Edward Watson wish to extend their deep appreciation to the kind relatives, friends and former neighbors who attended his interment in Ling-wick Cemetary on July 10.It was clear to us that some of the best moments of his life revolved around Gould and those who shared their time with him there.We are sure he would have been touched, as we were, that so many came to wish him peace.Gordon G.Watson Milo, Maine EMAIL YOUR CLASSIFIED TOUS! Fast and convenient! classad@sherbrookerecoFd.com _ .4 à A t .à .! j ¦ .MM * • .* .r * it.< i * • • ' i' • • ?• # • • ?» i Jj r.f 4 1/' f i « ?r » Joo o> Pipe 5ofà&Ac Muscular Dystrophy 1 800 567-ACDM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SPECIAL for a limited time THE PRICE OF A COMPLETE TREATMENT D—Clfll 'RUSTPROOFING= # Sherbrooke 4232 Bourque Blvd.1829-2888 • * » * i • • • ¦«fc! X&'Æ.*,5-0oZ~| includes I •••• » • »'•••>» • * ¦ ¦ : -¦•¦.• ¦.A' ilfll Mm.|r“** - Get Your Garage Sale Kit And Make Your Event a Success! GARAGE N04& Parkli pay Grwrt «¦ wwk* Crwd I ^^#¥0lr0 forry- RECORD Each Kit Includes: • 4 Bright 11" x 14" All-weather Signs • Over 275 Pre-Priced Labels • “No Hassle" Package including: • Successful Tips for a “No Hassle" Sale • Pre-Sale Checklist • Sales Record Form • Oversized Price Labels • "No Parking" Sign • "Sorry No Restrooms Available" Signs • “Pay Here" Sign Come to our office at 1195 Galt St.East, Sherbrooke or 88 Lakeside, Knowlton to pick up your kit and place your ad Info: (819) 569-9525 / (450) 242-1188 Kih must b« picked up ot the office (no moiling) INSIDE Anna May Kinney, on what you can do to prepare for an uiban emergency .see Page 9 pack 8 Monday, July 31, 2006 Newsroom@sherbrookerbcord.com Tel: 819-569-6345; Fax: 819-569-3945 Cool tips to beat the heat Wear a hat, drink lots of water, take a dip and avoid hot, salty or heavy foods By Gwen Preston It's been very hot this summer across Canada, and more warm weather is forecast - but not to fret.There are lots of ways to keep cool.Some are well-known, common-sense tactics.Others are a bit more imaginative.• Wear loose-fitting, light-coloured cotton clothing and a hat.• Stay inside or in the shade when the sun is at its peak, between 11 a.m.and 3 p.m.Physical activity is still a good idea, but adjust your schedule to exercise in the morning or evening when it’s cooler.• Drink lots of fluids - and that doesn't mean Coronas on the patio.Beer, coffee, tea and colas are diuretics, so they actually dehydrate you more.To keep hydrated in the heat, water is the best choice.• Keep a bottle of moisturizer in the fridge.While it may seem a bit odd, cold lotion is a fantastic treat for hot tired feet.The same trick works well for cosmetics.• Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the fridge for a quick spray to the face.It has all the cooling power of a Super Soaker without the mess.• If a soccer tournament or camping trip keeps you outside all day, try soaking your hat in cold water.Just like a toque is key to staying warm when it’s cold, a cold hat helps one keep cool in the heat.• Swimming or bathing in tepid water works wonders to lower body temperature.Head to the pool or lake and splash around.Or take a longer trip out to the water park, where the kids can rip around while mom and dad float along gently in a tube.• Avoid hot, salty or heavy foods.Try eating frequent small meals that include cold fruit or vegetables.Keeping away from the hot stove is an added benefit.• There are ways to keep the house cool without an air conditioner.Close windows and drapes during the midday sun to keep the heat out.In the late afternoon, open all the windows and curtains to get a breeze moving through the house.• Spend a few hours somewhere there is air conditioning.The mall is one option.If shopping doesn’t appeal, galleries, museums and other indoor public CANWEST NEWS Taking a regular dip is an excellent way to cool down during hot summer days.venues all have air conditioning.- Canwest News Service SHm %¦ SO years, 10,000 wishes.100% Canadian Only 2 more my Wish!' 4P,,', childrens 20^ar5 10,000 W/sK^S he Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada .RECORD Monday, July 31, 2006 page 9 Let’s talk urban survival Anna May Kinney Every bookstore and library offers a vast selection of survival manuals, and 98 per cent of these provide wonderful suggestions for how to, live off the landj scrounging around for wild berries, roots and anything else that is edible, what poisonous plants to look out for and pictures to help you identify them.There’s information on how to build a quick shelter and campfire, and most talk a lot about preventing hypothermia for those having to brave the outside elements.But — and this is a big but — few books deal with urban survival.Even if you are one of the lucky ones who has access to a wild area where you can search for edible berries, plants and roots, the first thing you probably discovered is that everything is seasonal, and depending on the time of year, it is likely that there will be few if anything available for the picking.While there are berries like service berries (Saskatoon berries) that produce in the early springtime, chokecherries during the summer, and wild cranberries, elderberries and wild apples during late summer and early fall, unless you are in an area where these bushes are prolific, it is meager pickings at the best.Tasty, but nothing a person could live on.Once the ground is snow-covered, the game is over.Foraging through knee-deep snow is not a way to survive.Whenever it takes more calories to find food than the food provides you with, you do not have a chance of maintaining body heat, and once body heat is depleted, so is a person’s chance of surviving.Knowing how to build a fire does a person living in a high-rise apartment little good when there’s no place for them to build one.When the lights go off ten stories above the ground, elevators and other services quickly shut down.Do you leave the safety of your apartment?Can you find your way down ten flights of stairs?Where does a person go and whom do they call for help?These and other questions need to be addressed if our society is going to be prepared for such occurrences.For the last six years I have been working on an urban survival manual.The idea came to me about ten years ago while I was hosting a group of young adults from Montreal.Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to host other groups who were eager to camp, enjoy nature, and learn about survival.Most are surprised when they begin taking notes and find that the lessons are not about which berries to eat and which are poisonous, but rather, where does one go to the bathroom when there’s no water?What can city-dwellers do when faced with the fact that the urban comforts they've become accustomed to may be no longer?How to store basic emergency supplies in a water tight container and many things most people would never think of, like the many possible uses for a stack of old newspapers.Surviving outdoors is relatively easy compared to surviving when things go wrong in an urban setting.Those trapped in a city can’t be expected to walk twenty miles to forge for wild food or locate drinking water.This scenario is totally impossible.We must learn that survival means using what is available in our area.It all boils down to the fact that if you do not prepare for the unexpected before it happens, you and your family might be totally on yoUr own when the community services that you have grown to depend upon suddenly disintegrate.Trapped in the city?Over the last twenty-five years, we have watched our cities become more overcrowded.Roadways going in and out are often not sufficient to handle a mass evacuation, leaving large populations trapped to the mercy of whatever disaster is headed their way.As I write this, there is a massive heat wave affecting most of the United States, Great Britain and parts of Europe.Hundreds of people have already died from heat-related illnesses and many more will until society adjusts to our rapidly changing climate and learns what to do when weather extremes happen.We have also seen larger-than-nonnal amounts of rainfall affect areas that have never had flooding before, many of them urban areas away from rivers and lakes.When something like this happens, the first acts of self-preservation are to know where to go and what to take with you.Flooding will often cause water filtration plants to become emerged, ceasing their operation and resulting in polluted water that is unfit to drink without boiling.This can affect a district or an entire city.Not having enough drinking water can be bad enough at any time, but when there are record-breaking temperatures, it becomes even more deadly.This is why no matter where or how one lives, the first survival step we must take is to asses our living conditions and make sure that we have secured a five-day supply of water for ourselves, our families and pets.The simplest way to achieve a supply of water is to purchase a few cases of bottled water.But if you live in a private home and have set up a place for emergency supplies, you might want to take ordinary tap or spring water, bottle it, add a preservative, such as a few drops of Lugol’s iodine solution, or in an emergency, a couple of drops of chlorine bleach can be used per gallon (I personally prefer not to have chlorine in my body).Water that has been preserved like this needs to be kept in a dark, cool and dry place and should be dumped out and redone every six months.You don’t have to be paranoid about this.Like I’ve said before, everyone has fire insurance and we don’t sit around worrying about having a fire: it is there in the backs of our minds.The same needs to be true of our emergency supplies: once we have them, we don’t need to worry about what might or might not happen; we know that whatever comes around, we’ll be prepared.CANWEST NEWS hack 10 Monday, July 31, 2006 — THE ¦¦ - 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