Needless expense wasted on a pointless delay
To the Expositor:
I really thought Councillor Brian Parker had learned his lesson when he wasted four council meetings ragging the puck on a no-brainer decision to deny Hydro One permission to spray Garlon Pesticide on their right of ways in Billings, but it seems I was too optimistic!
This week at council he decided he wanted legal opinion on a few plaques—funded by Federal Canada 150 dollars—which reference the First Nations history on this Island whose very name reflects the Ojibwe word for Creator and whose main community in Billings, Kagawong is yet another Anishnaabek word. All this though the plaques had been developed with the input and blessing of Billings council’s favourite committee, the Museum Board and a well-chosen working group from the community. Democracy at work you would think? Not for Councillor Parker (though sometimes I have to say, I wonder whether Brian is sometimes the “spear-chucker” for Mayor Hunt, whose operating style is to be affable at all times, and perhaps letting his faithful retainer fall on his sword on his behalf). Odd that both of them said no but voted yes in a recorded vote on the pesticides ban though!
Again, he will lose this—not just the vote—but major face. What neither he nor Mayor Hunt took into account is that while the dust will no doubt be flying for the next few weeks because of this, the already slim chance that markers called in by the mayor from his now tenuous Liberal connections will not mean a jot for Justin Trudeau’s handlers, who will not let PM SunnyWays anywhere near this unnecessary commotion—he has enough problems with TRC and MMIW right now, he doesn’t need more!
Paul Darlaston
Kagawong
