The Recorder
MANITOULIN—Carolyn Lane-Rock, the Manitoulin Island district representative for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) board, said she enjoyed her many years on the board and was thrilled to help support the Island.
“I was honoured to serve in the capacity as representative on the board for the District of Manitoulin Island,” Ms. Lane-Rock told the Recorder this past Monday. “It was not a political thing, but to help benefit of Manitoulin Island.”
Ms. Lane-Rock, whose term with the NOHFC board expired as of January 1, 2019, said, “I was on the board for 12 years.” She explained, “you’re appointed to the board through an Order of the Cabinet. I was reappointed maybe four times. The guy who spearheaded the thought of having me on the board was (former Algoma-Manitoulin) MPP Mike Brown. I think I was appointed because I can make tough decisions on things.”
The NOHFC board “has approved funding for a lot of good projects over my years, across Manitoulin. I’m particularly pleased at what has taken place at the (Gore Bay-Manitoulin) airport for instance. But if it wasn’t for the support of the townships-municipalities it wouldn’t have worked out. While I was on the board there has been the work on the breakwall and docks in Gore Bay, the new First Nation-run Manitoulin Hotel in Little Current, community infrastructure in Little Current, such as funding for the sewer line in the town, and in Gore Bay, the North Channel Cruise Lines, projects in Billings, the Chi-Cheemaun ferry, and First Nation community projects. Sheshegwaning has also done a good job in accessing funding through NOHFC.”
“And there has been a lot of funding approved and for Manitoulin Streams projects, they have done a lot of wonderful work on the Island,” said Ms. Lane-Rock. “The NOHFC has also helped fund a lot of Island farmers drainage projects, and there were projects that NOHFC supported in Sudbury that also benefitted Manitoulin. That’s what it’s all about.”
Ms. Lane-Rock noted that there are about 10-12 members of the NOHFC in Northern Ontario. “During the winter I would come back from Florida to attend meetings,” she said, pointing out, “I always felt it was my duty to get to the meetings, which took place about every six weeks. I really enjoyed being on the board.”
Ms. Lane-Rock did say she is concerned that, “I don’t know if the province will be replacing me on the board to serve the Manitoulin Island district. Local people should be lobbying for someone to take over this position; there is no one currently from Espanola on the board either. I think people should be calling the member of parliament to lobby for the Manitoulin district to have a rep on the board.
“I really enjoyed my time serving on the board, working with my colleagues and with Esther Spadzinski, and to help benefit the Island,” she added.
