Beausoleil First Nation
Posted by Bill Molesworth
on Aug 15, 2012
Aaron Ledlie introduced Roland Monague, the Chief of the Band. He's born and raised on Christian Island and has served two terms on Council and is in his second term as Chief.
Chief Monague thanked the Club for the welcome, the meal and the opportunity to speak. He said he was born in Midland, where the hospital was, and raised on the Island. He said life there was a struggle and that he has faced challenges - the first was going to school not knowing any English - he grew up speaking Ojibway. He went to school there through gr. 6 and then faced another challenge - going to school in Midland and boarding through the week. This was quite a culture shock and, being billeted with strangers, he missed his large family.
He started HS at MSS but finished in Barrie because he had been recruited to play hockey with the Jr. B team there. He feels that he was distracted a bit by the even bigger city and didn't put as much effort in as he could have but he still graduated in 1979 and went home but found there were no opportunities on the Island. So he joined the military.
His first reaction to that life was that too many people were bossing him around so he worked as hard as he could and got promoted, first to Master Corporal and then, within 5 years, to Sergeant and he could tell some people what to do. That was a challenge too, though, because he'd been promoted quite quickly and was in charge of people who had been in a lot longer.
He spent 5 years in Germany doing Cold War training and exercises and became a paratrooper. He enjoyed travelling around Europe which he would not have been able to do otherwise. Back at Petawawa an exercise went wrong - jumping in high winds caused equipment to crash, ammunition to go off and many troops to suffer broken bones. He crushed two vertebrae and has experienced surgery and pain. He stayed in for another 5 years but mustered out and joined the police on the Island.
The military gave him a lot of what he has to offer to the community and it helped him in his policing career - dealing with people he knew and earning their respect. Eventually he ran for councillor and concentrated on water issues which has resulted in a high quality treatment plant being built.
Now, as Chief, he's facing other challenges. Access to the Island is the biggest. Many studies and reports have been produced and much consultation has been held with the feds. A bridge would be the solution but it's way more expensive than another ferry and even another ferry is too expensive right now, apparently. Funding is going to other priorities so they live with a 50 plus year old boat that's on its last legs and can't handle the pressures of summer traffic.
With guaranteed access they could develop a forestry industry, enhance their tourism and cottage traffic, explore their achealogical sites and build an economy.
Chief Minogue says he wants to make people more familiar with the Nation - many people still don't even know they're there but, he says, 'we're your neighbours, we spend money here for services we lack' and we should be talking more.
They are reaching out - to a Chinese firm for investment, for instance - but everything has to go through the feds which is a real obstacle. They are concluding a land claims agreement for the land they gave up in Coldwater and will have cash to hand and will want to work with their neighbours to improve life for all on the Island.
The population there now is about 1,000 but it goes up by 3 times in the summer. They have formed a Youth Council to work with the Band Council and to bring their ideas and concerns forward and they are working on a new strategic plan.
Ron offered the thanks of the Club to the Chief for his visit.
Chief Monague thanked the Club for the welcome, the meal and the opportunity to speak. He said he was born in Midland, where the hospital was, and raised on the Island. He said life there was a struggle and that he has faced challenges - the first was going to school not knowing any English - he grew up speaking Ojibway. He went to school there through gr. 6 and then faced another challenge - going to school in Midland and boarding through the week. This was quite a culture shock and, being billeted with strangers, he missed his large family.
He started HS at MSS but finished in Barrie because he had been recruited to play hockey with the Jr. B team there. He feels that he was distracted a bit by the even bigger city and didn't put as much effort in as he could have but he still graduated in 1979 and went home but found there were no opportunities on the Island. So he joined the military.
His first reaction to that life was that too many people were bossing him around so he worked as hard as he could and got promoted, first to Master Corporal and then, within 5 years, to Sergeant and he could tell some people what to do. That was a challenge too, though, because he'd been promoted quite quickly and was in charge of people who had been in a lot longer.
He spent 5 years in Germany doing Cold War training and exercises and became a paratrooper. He enjoyed travelling around Europe which he would not have been able to do otherwise. Back at Petawawa an exercise went wrong - jumping in high winds caused equipment to crash, ammunition to go off and many troops to suffer broken bones. He crushed two vertebrae and has experienced surgery and pain. He stayed in for another 5 years but mustered out and joined the police on the Island.
The military gave him a lot of what he has to offer to the community and it helped him in his policing career - dealing with people he knew and earning their respect. Eventually he ran for councillor and concentrated on water issues which has resulted in a high quality treatment plant being built.
Now, as Chief, he's facing other challenges. Access to the Island is the biggest. Many studies and reports have been produced and much consultation has been held with the feds. A bridge would be the solution but it's way more expensive than another ferry and even another ferry is too expensive right now, apparently. Funding is going to other priorities so they live with a 50 plus year old boat that's on its last legs and can't handle the pressures of summer traffic.
With guaranteed access they could develop a forestry industry, enhance their tourism and cottage traffic, explore their achealogical sites and build an economy.
Chief Minogue says he wants to make people more familiar with the Nation - many people still don't even know they're there but, he says, 'we're your neighbours, we spend money here for services we lack' and we should be talking more.
They are reaching out - to a Chinese firm for investment, for instance - but everything has to go through the feds which is a real obstacle. They are concluding a land claims agreement for the land they gave up in Coldwater and will have cash to hand and will want to work with their neighbours to improve life for all on the Island.
The population there now is about 1,000 but it goes up by 3 times in the summer. They have formed a Youth Council to work with the Band Council and to bring their ideas and concerns forward and they are working on a new strategic plan.
Ron offered the thanks of the Club to the Chief for his visit.