The vital role the Cup and Saucer trail plays in Manitoulin’s tourism industry was clearly reflected in the shock and dismay expressed by many when the trail was temporarily closed last week. Comments in the Twittersphere and on Facebook flamed furiously as commentators weighed in with self proclaimed authority on the causes for the closure. As is all too usual the case with a social media furor, most of those pitches did not cross the plate and some (although assuredly not all) were most definitely foul.
Manitoulin Island owes a huge debt of gratitude to the private property owners who have opened their property up for the public’s enjoyment—particularly Casson Eadie and his late father Don Eadie, who despite years of not unreasonable concerns over liability and public safety, provided the entrance and parking lot at the head of the trail. But gratitude is no less due to Randy Noble and Meredith Chandler, upon whose property the “saucer” in Cup and Saucer lies, along with the very popular lookout. These private land owners have gone above and beyond in their commitment to public service and simply cannot be thanked enough for their generosity.
Thankfully, a significant number of those weighing in on the issue online did point out the generosity of the private property owners.
There is a lamentable tendency for people to weigh in on subjects online with little or no direct knowledge of the subject, depending largely on what they believe should be the case and often seeking villains where a close examination of the facts prove that none are to be found.
In the newspaper industry, we spend a tremendous amount of time and resources verifying “facts” that we have been told, chasing rumours and determining the truth behind a story. This takes a great deal more effort than a click and a prayer, and, more often than not we discover the undisputed “fact” with which we have been supplied has no actual basis in reality. We soldier on.
A little history on the current case. The entrance to the Cup and Saucer has long been problematic, running as it does in close proximity to an operating aggregate pit. The entrance has been moved at least once in the recent past, and both the Northeast Town and the property owners have recognized that it was only a matter of time before the current entrance would need to be moved. Mr. Eadie has, in the past, offered his own equipment and materials to relocate the entrance to another property, one that would not likely need to be moved again. At that time the current solution was not possible.
Entitlement tends to be a term lately reserved for those in public service who believe they deserve the perks that accrue to their position. For some few members of the public, thankfully not all, that term can also be applied when it comes to public use of their property.
When private property owners provide access to trails, whether they be for hiking or snowmobile trails, they are doing a public service that they are not obligated to provide. In the case of the aggregate owners, they pay taxes, they provide the province with royalties in return for their extraction of the material that is then used to build the roads upon which we travel and the very buildings that shelter us from the elements. They should not be vilified or challenged when, in the course of their own private needs, circumstances change and they can no longer provide their gifts to us. Instead, we should all be standing eagerly in line to shake their hands with a true and heartfelt thank you for their years of service to the community. The gravel pit operators are local businesspeople, who deserve no less, and a lot more, from each of us.
