Rocky Island Lake whistleblower seeks NDP nod

Peter Denley, the man who blew the whistle on the controversial draining of Rocky Island Lake, announced today that he'll seek the nomination of the provincial NDP for Algoma-Manitoulin.

Denley, a freelance outdoors columnist with the Sault Star and outdoor publications, expects to be acclaimed.

But in case he isn’t, he's enlisted the help of party heavyweights Howard Hampton, Shelley Martel, Peter Kormos and Tony Martin to speak on his behalf at nomination meetings throughout the vast riding.

Denley tells SooToday.com that he'll be suspending writing his Sault Star column at the request of the newspaper while he's seeking political office.

"I want to rectify the notion that there is nobody representing the issues that face the people of Algoma-Manitoulin," says Denley.

"Issues like timber resource availability, hydro problems, doctors for under serviced in areas like Eliott Lake, and farming issues, to name a few," says Denley.

The Algoma-Manitoulin NDP nomination meetings will take place in Echo Bay on February 15th, Eliott Lake on the 16th, Wawa on the 20th, and on the 21st in Espanola, where the winner of the nomination will be announced.

Sault Liberals choose nomination date

Meanwhile, the Sault Ste. Marie Provincial Liberal Association announced today that it will hold its nomination meeting on February 13.

Association president Geoff Shaw said today that the Sault Liberals have identified a preferred candidate and are "excited in the prospect of having an energetic and experienced person who can make a difference in the community."

"The nominee has been approached by the association executive who is expected to allow his name to stand," he said.

Shaw refused comment on speculation by Andy Martens and John Campbell that Ward One Councillor David Orazietti will be the Liberal's new flag-bearer. ************************************************************************* Peter Denley's formal biography

Peter Denley was born, raised and received his Bachelor of Arts in Geography in Northern Ontario.

It is Peter’s love of hunting and fishing with his family that has given him a strong conviction to protect our lakes and forests.

He has spent most of his life working hard to promote and defend our northern way of life.

As a child he spent his summers traveling throughout the north with his father, who was a pilot with the Ontario Provincial Air Service.

He now lives with his wife Heather and his sixteen-year-old son Ryland on 25 acres north of Echo Bay. His twenty-two year old daughter Kristen is away at university.

Peter is a freelance outdoor columnist for the Sault Star and is regularly published in a variety of outdoor magazines.

He was the first to expose the scandal of Rocky Island Lake that was drained by Brascan-owned Great Lakes Power for huge profits at the expense of local jobs and fish habitat.

Peter sits on a number of committees for the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment.

These include the East Algoma Recycling Steering Committee, the Lake Superior Management Unit Fisheries Advisory Committee and the Lake Superior Coaster Brook Trout Advisory Committee and Peter is also the hunter representative on the Moose Advisory Committee for Sault Ste. Marie District.

As co-chair of his local branch of Ducks Unlimited he has helped to raise $16,000 annually for wetland and wildlife preservation.

Peter works for Canada Post and is an instructor with the Ontario Federation of Labour’s Workers Compensation Training Project, teaching employees about their rights when it comes to safety on the job.

He has also written training manuals on the subject and is considered an expert in the field.

As a result Peter was brought in on a one-year contract to assist with WSIB cases for the Office of the Worker Advisor.

Through Peter’s work in the riding he has seen first hand the negative impact shortsighted decisions from the conservative government in Toronto have had on our natural resources, our jobs and our pocket books.

He has also seen how Howard Hampton’s hard work fighting hydro privatization and deregulation has achieved incredible results.

Peter knows that it this kind of strong representation that we need here and that is why he has decided to run to be the NDP candidate in Algoma-Manitoulin.