The future of Laurentian University is in the hands of a flawed process and an anti-education government

When Laurentian University was founded it was not to create a profit making enterprise but to create an educational institution to serve the north, one that went on to include an important partnership with the Franco-Ontarian and Indigenous communities.

Using a mechanism (Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act) designed to ensure profit making enterprises can continue to earn a profit as a means to solve it’s financial problems is doomed to failure from the start. I fear greatly that this great institution will be damaged beyond repair by this process as our anti-education provincial government and “businessman first” Premier stand idly by and watch.

We now have a process based on making cuts to ensure profitability and prioritizing revenue earning programs rather than than prioritizing the programs most important to the institution and the community.

The first thing that should have been done to address Laurentian University's future was to identify the most important programs, particularly those that can only be provided by Laurentian University or provided better there than elsewhere.

At this time of reconciliation there is one program at Laurentian University that stands out from all others and that is the Indigenous Studies Program, and supports for Indigenous students and ties to the Indigenous community. This is a program that is historically important not just to Laurentian University but to all of North America.

A plan to save Laurentian University must have its indigenous component at the forefront. The Indigenous Studies Program should not only be preserved with no cutbacks but expanded. Retaining a few courses and slapping them together into a token program is the worst thing that could be done and would be about as disrespectful as could possibly be to the Indigenous community.

That, of course, should not be the only priority. Near the top should be programs and research in the social sciences that focus on Northern Ontario in particular and northern communities in general.

In the sciences and engineering sectors, programs, courses, and research dealing with the ecology and environment of the north should prioritized along with programs and research related to the mining industry.

As well, programs in the health sciences and professional schools designed to meet the particular needs of Northern Ontario, such as social work, nursing and midwifery, also need to be protected.

The traditional arts programs and courses may be easier replaced by programs at other institutions but courses relating to northern history and culture, including francophone culture and history, should be protected.

As an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) graduate (May 1973) I would be remiss if I did not mention the Political Science program, which in my time provided me with a unique education in both applied and theoretical politics with a particular Northern Ontario focus.

Only after it has been determined what needs to be saved to protect the unique Northern Ontario mandate of the University should an analysis of what should be done to solve the university’s financial problems be undertaken. Gutting the university is not the answer. Strategic investments are more likely to be succesful.

To be done properly this process would require extensive community consultation, impossible with the flawed process that has been chosen that puts the process in the hands of bankers and accountants rather than educators and community representatives.

With the ultimate decision making power in the hands of a provincial government that is anti-education and anti-community I fear for the future of Laurentian University.

Back From The Great Green North

The Fifth Column has been idle for a few weeks because the Fifth Columnist has been on vacation in Northern Ontario.

We spent about a week at our favourite bed and breakfast, Whispering Pines on the Bay between Killarney Provincial Park and Sudbury. After that we spent almost a week at Killarney Lodge in Algonquin Park. Although a bit pricey, Killarney Lodge is a family operated lodge on Lake of Two Rivers with absolutely wonderful service and owners that really care about their guests.

I hope to soon post some photo blogs about our northern vacation as well as get back to regular blogging, although that may still be intermittent throughout the summer.

Murdock River Paddling Route

Every summer we spend a week at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in Northern Ontario called Whispering Pines on the Bay. We cannot describe it any better than our wonderful hosts do on their website.

Welcome to a little piece of Heaven on Earth. We invite you to join us to hear the peaceful call of the loon, the relaxing sound of waves lapping against a rocky shore, and the beauty of Northern Ontario. Bob and Peggy Fera invite you to join us for friendly hospitality, bountiful food, and a home away from home.

This is not an arrive late, leave right after breakfast kind of place but a real "home away from home" where you are always assured of meeting interesting people from all over the world.

Whispering Pines on the Bay is surrounded by wilderness, located approximately halfway between the City of Sudbury and Killarney Provincial Park and close to the French River.

It is located on Kakakiwaganda Lake, also known as Rock Lake, with fishing, boating and paddling opportunities. There are also old logging roads and ATV trails in the area suitable for mountain biking.

The Murdock River flows from Kakakiwaganda Lake to the French River and that is what this post is about.

I have been thinking of undertaking that paddling route with my kayak. We have paddled part way a few times but never undertaken the complete 32 km distance (as measured on the map) which includes several portages. I understand the number and difficulty of the portages depends on the water levels which do vary from time to time. But it is a navigable route.

So with that in mind I have put together a collection of maps of the route using the Canadian Topographic Maps, as well as LandSat satellite images. I also created a GPS track of the route from the map, so please note that the GPS route is not a track of an actual paddling excursion.

What follows are the maps I created. If you wish a copy of the GPS track (GPX format) or a PDF version of the maps suitable for printing at 8 1/2 by 14 inches (legal size) please email me at: richardw.woodley@gmail.com.

Click on Map Images to Enlarge Them
Garmin MapSource Map of GPS Track
Canadian Topographic Maps Combined
Canadian Topographic Map 1
Canadian Topographic Map 2
Canadian Topographic Map 3
LandSat Combined Views
LandSat View 1
LandSat View 2
LandSat View 3

Actually Not - Al Gore

Click image to enlarge
Today’s editorial cartoon in the Ottawa Citizen may not have been intended to be taken seriously but only meant as a lighthearted comment on the current "cold spell" but it still reinforces the stereotype that there is a good side to global warming.

The truth is global warming is ruining Canadian winters. I grew up in Northern Ontario. I know what a Canadian winter is supposed to be like - cold with lots of snow. It only became abnormally cold when it hit 40 below and then you just added more layers and went out to play.

The fact is global warming is wreaking havoc with our winters, ruining our fun and costing us money and lives. Recent years have seen a change from winters of primarily cold and snow to a predominance of up and down temperatures, with rain and freezing rain and drizzle rather than snow. I remember a couple of years in a row when almost every week early in the week we would get nice snowfalls and look forward to a weekend of cross-country skiing only to have it rain on Friday ruining the weekend.

But the excessive amounts of rain and freezing rain due to global warming not only ruins our fun but costs us money and lives. These conditions require the use of much more road salt that we pay for once as taxpayers and a second time as drivers as our cars rust out faster. It also costs us in automobile damages as accident rates increase, not to mention the injuries and lives lost from those accidents.

And, of course, growing up in Northern Ontario before global warming we never had “ice storms” that are becoming much more frequent with economic costs and more lost lives.

There is no good side to global warming. Al Gore would not be amused.