Official Sydney and Area Projects Thread

[Davey Boy Smith]

Laurentian announces partnership for $200 million terminal Breaking News print this article
BY NANCY KING
The Cape Breton Post


Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY - Laurentian Energy announced a partnership with a Paris-based transportation infrastructure equity fund Thursday to develop a $200 million container terminal at the ports of Sydney.
The manufacturing and commercial property management group will now work with Galaxy SARL to design and construct the terminal, which would be constructed on the west side of the harbour’s south arm at Sydport, and select an operator.
“This is my job, this is what we do, we invest in infrastructure projects worldwide,” said Corinne Namblard, Galaxy fund founder and CEO. “We will raise ourselves the funding and we will commit the necessary level of equity.”
Ports should be seen as a piece of a supply chain, she said, and Galaxy works with others interested in becoming partners in that supply chain. She noted her firm funds projects into the billion dollar range, and called the Sydney project well within its scope.
In looking to develop the terminal, Laurentian knew that at some point it would need a partner that would bring more than money and understand how to operate in this community, CEO Jim Wooder said.
“Galaxy brings to us absolutely everything that is required to take this project from this point forward to fruition,” he said.
While a $200 million price tag has been attached to the project, Wooder said they believe it could actually be built for less than that.
“We benchmarked that against other greenfield sites that been constructed in recent memory and this project has no rivals in North America,” he said.
The two-berth container facility would have an annual through-put capacity of 750,000 20-foot equivalent containers (TEUs). That compares with a capacity at Halifax of about 1.2 million TEUs and 1.5 million TEUs for the Melford project currently in development.
In operation, the terminal is estimated to create about 1,200-1,500 direct jobs and a total of up to 3,500 positions once indirect and induced jobs are considered.
Dredging of the harbour’s outer channel to a depth of 17 metres, which is currently the subject of an environmental assessment, would be required for the terminal to proceed. That is expected to cost $30 million. The assessment is expected to be completed in January and, if approved, dredging would begin in fall, 2009. The terminal would be expected to start operating in the second half of 2010.
Laurentian and Galaxy are working together to secure financing for the dredging, and Namblard said they will look to government gateway programs for possible assistance for that component, although there will be private funding as well.
The environmental assessment project description for the terminal was filed with regulatory authorities last month.
“You can’t build these things sequentially and hope to be to market in an appropriate period of time, so we will get into design engineering, selection of design build contractors, selection of terminal operators, all in parallel,” Wooder said.
“There is a window of opportunity ... there is a timeline when these superships are coming in to the market and we’ve got to be ready,” Namblard said.
The harbour dredging will also open up potential bulk cargo opportunities for the port, Wooder said, such as coal shipments if the Donkin mine reopens, and with other players such as Nova Scotia Power.
The terminal would be capable of dealing with vessels with about 8,500 TEUs capacity. There are few ports on the eastern seaboard currently capable of handling those ships, he added.
“They will be an attention-grabber when they come through the access channel,” Wooder said.
Rather than dumping the dredged material at sea, the project would see the sediment used as fill in the construction of the container terminal.
Wooder said the opportunity facing Sydney is driven by vessel size and cost and efficiency. Having a greenfield site will allow them to develop ship to rail efficiency that would set Sydney up as a low cost service provider, he added.
One of Sydport’s advantages is the ready access to rail, Namblard said.
“This is a foundation project that will help secure the restructuring of the economy here for a very long time,” Wooder said. “It’s not something that we’re kind of superimposing into Sydney. It’s relying on the most natural of assets, it’s relying on development of something that gave Sydney a reason to exist in the first place.”
Galaxy operates seven ports in Australia, and is looking at projects in Europe and the U.S.
nking@cbpost.com

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^Thanks for the updates guys. Two words I like...private money. Using the dredged material for fill for the site itself only makes sense...but is something I didn't think about earlier. Second half of 2010 seems optimistic to me, but I hope they're right.

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Cape Breton Post

Cruise season officially underway with the arrival of first vessel on the Sydney waterfront

Section: Arts/Entertainment

By Kiersten Johnston, Special to the Cape Breton Post


There are many signs of summer's impending arrival in Sydney. The buds unfurling on trees, people out basking in the warmer temperatures, flowers blooming, children enjoying the many playgrounds in the city, skateboarders out in droves, the colourful fountains coming to life in Wentworth Park and the magnificent cruise ships docked at the marine terminal.

"Our 2007 season was very comparable to our 2006 season, so we were happy with our numbers, we had roughly 31 calls and upwards of 42,000 passengers.

In 2008, we have an 88 per cent increase in passenger counts, there are 51 calls due this season."

It turns out that the banner year for cruise ships here in Sydney was 2004. What was the reason for the huge turnout? 9/11.

"2004 was our banner year, as we knew it would be, it was a reaction to September 11th.

The cruise lines deployed their ships to this region as a reaction to tragic events of 9/11, they had to redeem themselves after that catastrophe, and they needed to fill the ships again. They really needed to restructure themselves."

The biggest customer here in Sydney is the Holland America lines; this year there is cause to celebrate that.

"The news this season is that Holland-America, our best customer, is bringing in a second vessel to the port, the Eurodam. The season started on May 14th and goes right through till the end of October.

This year we will have calls in July and August which is contrary to most summers, usually we have a ship come in May and June and then she repositions herself in another destination and we have no calls in July and maybe two in August. September and October is extremely busy, we are booked back to back."

"In fact," says MacNeil, "Holland-America, in its brochures for passengers, describes Sydney as a location where there is a wealth of things to do and see.

They compare us to other ports on the Canada, New England itinerary, and they say Sydney is far too often overlooked."

"Strategies are being developed that will see improvements in training the travel agents, who make the bookings, to show that we really do have fantastic summer product here. With that happening, we will have better numbers than ever before in 2008."

MacNeil says that when you get the cruise representatives down on familiarization tours, they all walk away very well educated on what Cape Breton has to offer and they are all very pleased with our versatility and the amount of excursions available to passengers.

"The passengers are elated with all that is offered in excursions," Bernadette says with pride, "they have so many choices.

With Destination Cape Breton located right in the pavilion, they have a wealth of information available to them.

We have received glowing feedback from the passengers who have returned from day trips to the Fortress of Louisbourg.

But the community does have to work extra hard to impress those who do not take organized shore excursions, those who walk around independently."

"Our main objective is to entice the cruise passengers to return as land tourists, to show them that a mere eight hours in not nearly enough time to explore this beautiful island."

"We may not be a marquee port like Halifax and Quebec, but we're very proud that the passengers say that Sydney exceeds their expectations."

The merchants in the downtown area look forward to welcoming the passengers each year, as do the many tourist facilities here on the island.

They have become an important component of the tourist season in urban Cape Breton, we are fortunate to have the Sydney Ports Corporation involvement in this important industry that gives so much to our island.

We may not be a marquee port like Halifax and Quebec, but we're very proud that the passengers say that Sydney exceeds

their expectations.

Bernadette MacNeil, cruise marketing and development manager

MCI signs agreement with aboriginal development group

Section: Business

By Nancy King, Cape Breton Post


The Mi'kmaq College Institute at Cape Breton University has signed an agreement intended to help First Nations communities more effectively obtain, use, and share information to help them move to more sustainable economies.

The MCI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs (APCFNC) that focuses on the development and implementation of the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program (AAEDIRP) Information Repository and Database.

APCFNC will invest $25,000 in the project while MCI will develop and implement the repository and database. Employment will be available for CBU aboriginal students to do web searches and scan documents for the database. Economic development data will be housed at MCI for all to use.

Lindsay Marshall, MCI associate dean, noted it's the second MOU the MCI has signed - the first was with Membertou - and he hopes these efforts will help the institute establish a niche for itself.

"Our position here at the Mi'kmaq College Institute at Cape Breton University is to become the storehouse for this information," he said. "We would develop the knowledge to develop a virtual library that people would have access to."

Communities need good, accurate data, Marshall noted, when looking to undertake development. For example, he said, if someone is looking to launch a fishery initiative, they could go to the database and look at trends in the industry.

"Once you look at the raw data, you're able to make projections for the future, you're able to say exactly what your human resource needs will be, what your infrastructure needs will be, maintenance and replacement of vessels, what kind of training is going to be necessary, or maybe you need to examine best practices in the past," Marshall said.

This project will involve aboriginal researchers and aboriginal students in each phase. Economic development baseline data, human resource best practices and regional aboriginal business case studies are the sorts of information that will be researched.

"My interest, of course, is because I'm an MBA student in community economic development, and as a former chief, this is an area I feel needs work because we need to develop the expertise in the community," Marshall said. "The community has the resources and what we're trying to do is help develop the tools necessary to allow for healthy, sustainable communities."

Eventually it will become a community asset, Marshall said, because the information would be readily available and can be built on and it becomes a means of safeguarding information for future generations.

A team including representatives of APCFNC, Cape Breton University and its MCI, Memorial University, and First Nations communities will offer oversight to help maintain the integrity of the program.

Cruise ship visits on rising tide

Sydney Ports Corp. expects 82,000 passengers - an 88 per cent increase - will visit during 53 cruise ship visits this season

Section: Front

By Chris Hayes, Cape Breton Post


Cruise ship passengers Jack and Marsha Hutslar of southern Indiana were bundled up for a cool May morning in Cape Breton after disembarking from the Maasdam Tuesday.

"It's a little cold, but it's not bad," said Jack Hutslar, as the couple walked toward the Old Sydney Society museum at the Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science.

"We're dressed for it," Marsha added. "This is our first time to Cape Breton so we are very excited."

The couple joined a group of cruise ship passengers for a walking tour of Sydney's historic north end.

Cruise ship season in Sydney was launched Tuesday with the arrival of the Maasdam, a Holland America Line ocean liner carrying 1,192 passengers and 569 crew.

Bernadette MacNeil, director of cruise marketing and development for the Sydney Ports Corp., said 2008 will be a banner year with a large increase in the number of ship visits and passengers coming ashore.

The corporation is estimating 82,000 passengers - an 88 per cent increase - will visit during 53 cruise ship visits between now and November.

"We're very happy with it," she said. "The ships are large that are coming in and we have more calls. When you combine that, we have a big increase."

Cruise ship passengers booking New England-Canada cruises leaving New York and Boston have been tending to book nine- and 10-day cruises, which added to Sydney visits. Ports of call might also include Bar Harbour, Halifax and Quebec.

Many of the passengers taking New England-Canada trips have already taken cruises, said MacNeil.

"Most of them have already done the 'fun in the sun' trip," she said.

"They are looking for something different. They find this area romantic, almost comparable to Alaska."

Cruise ship passengers typically are interested in walking tours of Sydney's historic north end and tourist destinations like Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site or Highland Village in Iona.

Last year, Holland America, which is Cape Breton's best customer, ran a two-page feature on Sydney in its internal publication, she said.

"They said there is just a wealth of things to do and see. They very much compliment this port city and destination."

Several cruise ships will be in port at the same time on a number of days in September and October.

The cruise ship Minerva landed passengers in Louisbourg last week.

Here's hoping there's no strike

Hammering away at a new deal

Major construction projects could be shut down if island's trades unions and contractors can't reach agreement

Section: Front

By Steve MacInnis, Cape Breton Post


Major commercial and industrial construction projects on Cape Breton Island could be shut down if an agreement isn't reached between the island's trades unions and contractors.

While both sides say they are optimistic a negotiated settlement can be reached, time is running short and some trades unions have already rejected the last offer from the organization representing contractors.

"It is the council's recommendation that members turn down the latest offer," said Cliff Murphy, president of the Cape Breton Building and Construction Trades Council which represents 12 union groups.

However, said Murphy, the council remains hopeful for a negotiated settlement before the current contract expires June 30.

Al Stapleton, president of the Construction Management Bureau, which represents more than 80 construction contractors and employers, echoes Murphy's sentiment about a negotiated settlement.

"We are exchanging dates now to get back to the table and we are certainly hoping for an agreement," said Stapleton, adding the most contentious of the outstanding issues deals with wages.

The practice of negotiating a multi-trades construction agreement is unique to Cape Breton as the bureau negotiates individual trades contracts with unions on the mainland.

The multi-trades agreement covers everything from wages to pensions to holidays and hiring practices.

The two sides last met face-to-face April 29 under the guidance of a conciliator who has told the parties he won't be filing his report with the minister of labour until sometime in June. Under provincial labour law, a union moves into a legal strike position 14 days after the report is filed and management is within its rights to lock out employees.

Murphy said the last contract signed in 1996 didn't address a lot of issues as the two sides agreed to a cost of living increase in a bid to prevent any disruption in major construction projects occurring in the Strait area including the $650-million expansion at NewPage, formerly Stora Forest Industries.

"We now just want to play a little catch up," said Murphy.

The last strike involving trades unions was a two-week stint on the picket line in 1992.

The council's 3,600 members are now voting on the latest offer and have ratification meetings scheduled for the remainder of the month. The carpenters union is one group that has already unanimously turned down the offer.

If there is a strike, projects like the cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds would grind to halt until a settlement is reached.

Louisbourg 2008 plans revealed

Section: News

By Debbie Gwynn, Cape Breton Post


Plans for a unique summer-long celebration were unveiled Tuesday at the official launch of Louisbourg 2008.

The second - and final - siege of the French fortress in the summer of 1758 was a key battle in the Seven Years War between the British and French.

As part of planned activities at the fortress, Encampment 2008 from July 25-27 is expected to attract about 1,000 costumed re-enactors from across North America playing the parts of British, French and native people of the era.

Other events during the encampment include a Parade of Centuries involving the re-enactors and modern-day military, the Louisbourg fisherman's carnival, a songwriters' circle, entertainment tents with vendors and food, activities for children, sea kayaking, a concert and fireworks display, as well as the official opening of an improved section of the Lighthouse Trail.

Tuesday's launch, which featured selected speakers and presentations, also included the introduction of Jost Winery's two commemorative Louisbourg wines, L'Acadie Chardonnay and Marchal Foch.

Potential of port and harbour has never been fully realized

The focus is to promote Sydney harbour and brag about its attributes

Section: News

By Kiersten Johnston, Special to the Cape Breton Post


It has long been acknowledged by experts in the field and confirmed by all who view the potential on a daily basis that the port of Sydney is one of the finest in Canada.

Yet, that potential has not been tapped and certainly not fully developed.

Now, in 2008, on the 31st anniversary of Sydney Harbour Ports Day which will be celebrated on May 15th.

"Ports Day is an annual conference and each year we try to develop a theme that really is relevant to the time, to the year, to what's going on in the harbour," says Bernadette MacNeil, cruise marketing and development manager. "Essentially its focus is always to promote Sydney harbour and to brag about its attributes. So this year, there's lots going on around the harbour and we are all optimistic, there's a large number of individuals, operators around the harbour, the community, the politicians, etc, that are all working together with one vision. We have tremendous support to develop the Sydney harbour; i.e. we are in the middle of an environmental assessment."

"This year's theme is "It's Our Time" and we have a program developed around that theme. It will be talking about what makes a port successful, what does success look like, what's the infrastructure that you have to have in place, and how does that compare to what we do have?"

As for Ports Day itself on May 15th Bernadette says those who attend will participate in an impressive program at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion.

"We have someone from CBNS Railway speaking in the first panel and combined with that we have someone who is going to be informing us of what container cargo business is and what potential they identify that Sydney has for developing that business.

We have someone speaking about bulk cargo to describe what it is, and again describe what we currently have here in Sydney and their opportunities.

The final part of the panel will be an update on the environmental assessment and where we are with that right now and our future objectives in that scope of work and in that plan. That is all part of the first panel, What Does Success Look Like?"

"We have Ian MacNeil, who everyone knows as our moderator, so he will keep the content and flow going."

The second part of the panel is entitled Delivering Success, and that would be the operators around the harbour disclosing their business plans.

There will be updates from the Sydney Airport Authority, Marine Atlantic, Laurentian Energy Group, Logestech, and the Sydney Ports Corporation who will give an update on cruises.

Managing Success is the third panel; the guest speaker is the CEO of port of Toronto, Lisa Raitt.

She has already met with the members and the board of the Sydney Ports Corporation to have an understanding of what's come out of the port master plan and where we can go in the future, what we should develop in the way of a governance structure to move forward. She will be speaking about what options Sydney Harbour has.

"We also have someone from AIMS, the Atlantic Institute of Management Studies, Charles Certwell, and he will be talking about port models and telling Sydney what we should be looking for," says Bernadette.

"Our keynote speaker during the luncheon is Rankin MacSween, from New Dawn.

He's an extremely motivating and colourful speaker, very humorous but at the same time well spoken.

His title is "Writing our own Story: Discovering Hope and Possibility Amid the Ruins." And we are looking to have the best year for registration numbers, so we are very optimistic."

The Ports Days crew and the Sydney Ports Corporation officials have worked diligently to offer not only an interesting program, but one that is relevant, well researched, and a challenge to face the opportunities that lie ahead for the port of Sydney.

Seal Island lighthouse about to get new lease on life

Section: Northside/Victoria

By Doug MacKenzie, Cape Breton Post


One of Canada's oldest lighthouses may have brighter days ahead.

Built in 1830, the Seal Island lighthouse is the second-oldest octagonal, wooden lighthouse in Canada, but since it was de-staffed in 1990, the structure has had little maintenance and has been deteriorating rapidly.

New legislation, sponsored by former B.C. Senator Pat Carney, recently passed Parliament, giving individual Canadians a formal say in the future of hundreds of federally owned lighthouses.

"Every lighthouse has a story," said Carney, who may best be known for helping secure Canada's 1988 free-trade deal with the United States while serving as a Tory MP. "Every one is there because something happened: people drowned, ships sank, fortunes were lost. That's why they matter to local communities."

Many of the lighthouse stations are the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans which has no mandate or budget for heritage protection.

"Once the act comes into force, we as custodians of many of these lighthouses are required to make public a list of all the lighthouses which are considered surplus to operational requirements," said Phil Jenkins, spokesperson for the DFO. "For lighthouses that are designated heritage properties and stay within our custody, we have a statutory obligation to respect the requirements for sale or transfer or maintenance or alteration of those designated lighthouses in accordance for the criteria which is established by the minister for Parks Canada."

Once the DFO makes the list public, community groups will have a further two years to petition the federal environment minister to designate lighthouses as heritage sites and explain how they would use any buildings that DFO no longer requires for operations.

"What's really important about the passing of this legislation is that it gives some teeth to the federal government to actually impose some conservation measures for lighthouses," said Carolyn Quinn, director of communications for the Heritage Canada Foundation. "It doesn't come into effect immediately because there has to be certain criteria established and put into place, and that will be developed by Parks Canada.

"Once that criteria is in place, then communities can apply to have the historic lighthouse in their community designated under this new legislation."

Quinn explained that not all historic lighthouses are going to qualify as having particular heritage significance, but she said Seal Island would be one which should make the grade.

"I would say with Seal Island already being recognized by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office, it's a no-brainer that one would be included in the legislation for protection," she said. "Basically, that means it will put into place certain steps which would prevent DFO, for instance, from just deciding they no longer want to maintain this lighthouse because obviously for them their priority is their navigational light system.

"What would happen in the past often, or enough times to cause concern right across the country, was that these lighthouses would be left - demolition by virtue of neglect, essentially, due to the lack of any regular maintenance or repairs."

Approximately 120 lighthouses have been recognized by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office, but Quinn said that was simply a policy recognizing their heritage and did not provide protection which can be found in the new legislation.

Quinn said the Heritage Canada Foundation would continue to encourage the process to occur in a timely fashion with the criteria being established sooner rather than later.

For more information on the legislation and the Heritage Canada Foundation, go to www.heritagecanada.org.

This story is a little trumped up...this was a training exercise for no specific event, but there will be members of the PSU onhand at the QMJHL draft. The Post seemed to take that loose connection as this training being motivated by the draft itself.

Regional police partnering with community to ensure everything runs smoothly at QMJHL draft

Section: Sports



Cape Breton Regional Police aren't taking any chances when an expected 1,000 people visit Cape Breton for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Session and Draft, June 4-7.

The local police service's public safety unit will be front and centre with more than 50 officers volunteering their time during the draft, according to a draft committee release.

"Both our mission statement and one of our key strategic priorities include the word 'partnership,'" said Deputy Chief Myles Burke of the Cape Breton Regional Police.

"The successes of our police service can be directly tied to us partnering with our citizens to prevent crime and disorder. Partnering with the community on events like the QMJHL draft is an example of community plus volunteers plus partnerships plus leadership equalling success."

According to the release, the public safety unit is a support unit "trained to pro-actively manage orderly and disorderly crowds," using the skills of crisis resolution and teamwork.

"General responsibilities of public safety unit members are to maintain close contact with a crowd, protect the lives and property of citizens, protect members of lawful assemblies, assess crowd dynamics, prevent a breach of the peace, identify possible dangers and manage responses using a minimal amount of force," continues the release.

"These duties will be carried out by the officers volunteering for the draft. Close to 15 of those officers are receiving training this week with the Toronto Police Service that will help hone their skills when the draft and annual session opens on June 4."

Staff Sgt. Ron Donovan said the training with the Toronto police is timely.

"As a unit we know it is easier to prevent disorder than react to disorder," said Donovan.

"The draft is a great opportunity for our team to put our practice to work. We don't anticipate any problems but having our officers present is again showing the proactive approach of the public safety unit."

Draft committee co-chair Anita DeLazzer agrees.

"When hosting an event of this calibre we have to prove that we can provide a safe environment for all participants," said DeLazzer. "Our partnership with the Cape Breton Regional Police played a major role in solidifying our ability to host the draft. We can't thank the Cape Breton Regional Police enough for their support."

Fellow draft committee co-chair Don Morrison echoed sentiments.

"This is another example of a partnership that will make events and projects a success in Cape Breton," said Morrison. "We really appreciate the police involvement. Staging and hosting events require co-operation and it's something that we get in our community."

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Cape Breton Post

Glace Bay MLA introduces casino bill

Section: Business


Dave Wilson, Liberal MLA for Glace Bay, has introduced a bill called The Sydney Casino Profits Distribution Act, aimed at increasing the casino's charitable contributions in Cape Breton.

Wilson says less than half of the casino's profit is returned to the province to pay for programs and services and he wants half of the amount distributed to local charities.

"Our bill would ensure that money stays in the community," says Wilson. "It establishes a board to oversee and administer the distribution of funds to local charities and non-profit organizations.

"The operator of Casino Nova Scotia is reporting significant first quarter gains and the Sydney casino made $9 million in profit last fiscal year," adds Wilson.

"Casinos are generating significant profit and Liberals believe that the community should directly benefit.

"I believe that the Sydney Casino has a responsibility to re-invest profits in their own backyard. The Liberal Caucus believes that it is the right thing to do and we have introduced this bill every session since 1999."

This goes under the "ummm...what?" category. It's a 30 minute drive from port to port if you follow the speed limit the whole way. Many cruise-ship passengers make the day-trip to Louisbourg (rougly 1,000 in former town limits).

Louisbourg announcement held in Sydney seems par for the course

Section: Comment

Column: Letters to the editor


Louisbourg 2008 Plans Revealed, reads the May 14 headline in the Cape Breton Post. It is just enough to make one scream! The biggest event for the Fortress of Louisbourg in years and the big announcement is made in Sydney!

Please, let me hear from some bureaucrat explain the logic behind this.

And further to the story on the same day, Cruise Ship Visits on Rising Tide, since I moved to Louisbourg eight years ago it seems to me there has been a marked decrease in cruise ship visits.

The Minerva was in last week and there are only three visits scheduled for 2008.

This is what the Sydney Ports Corp. is doing for Louisbourg. With the big events at the fortress, you would think the ports corporation would have been doing everything possible to increase the visits. Could it be possible there is some kind of bias toward Sydney?

Imagine that!

It is wonderful that Sydney will benefit from all the visitors. However, the ports corporation deserves no kudos for the poor treatment of the Port of Louisbourg.

Judy Swain

Louisbourg

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The next few sets of pictures will be a series...Panoramio (Google maps) finds by area.
This page will feature The Northside
Balls Creek

by nancy m

Beach near Florence

by athenaa

Sydney Mines

by Withinside

Northside General

by J. A. Gillan

North Sydney

by J. A. Gillan

The Icons 1

by mira577

The Icons 2

by s. mednick

And for the Newfies...it's what we share! That and our love of these

by J. A. Gillan

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Cape Breton Post

For whatever reason, my fiancee's internet is not co-operating with my desktop. I'm trying to keep the effect on what I post limited, but there are some downfalls with her laptop, including excel's activation period being expired and the lack of a picture-editing program for the google maps of development areas. When things get back to normal, I'll go back and edit all this stuff in, and update the main page.


Port Hood

Anticipation high for Saturday's official opening of recreation park

Section: Business

By Nancy King, Cape Breton Post


A high-end recreational vehicle park that's been in development for three years will mark its official opening Saturday.

The Port Hood and District Recreation Commission looked at developing the park in an effort to boost tourism in the Inverness County community.

"We're very excited about it, for sure," spokesperson Joe Morris said.

"Right now, there's very little that holds people in the community for any length of time in the summertime and we're hoping that this is going to a place that tourists can stay for an extended period of time and enjoy themselves."

The community group was able to raise $465,000 through a CEDIF (community economic development investment fund) and construction began last June.

A second share offering that occurred earlier this year raised more than $250,000, and Morris said the group is now making plans for the expansion.

Under a CEDIF, members of the community are able to invest in the project and receive a tax credit for their support. They receive the same benefits as they would by investing in a RRSP, but the money stays in their own community. The CEDIF will pay a dividend after three years and people must invest for a minimum of five years.

"We have 55 fully serviced sites in place and now we're looking at developing another 55 units, some of them are in the water recreation area, that's to come over the next couple of years," he said.

The park is located on property adjacent to the Al MacInnis Sports Centre and is only a stone's throw from Port Hood beach. The co-operative wants to attract high-end campers with three-way hookups on large sites. Vacationers would have access to the arena's fitness centre, hospitality room, restaurant and outdoor performance stage, and the park has a washroom-laundromat building.

"We're within walking distance here of Murphy's Pond where our campers can go pick up their lobster and we can provide the equipment to cook them - they taste great this year," Morris said.

As well as the additional camping sites, there are also plans for a playground area, convenience store and heated salt water outdoor swimming pool.

"There's quite a bit of interest," Morris said. "We find that a lot of people are coming to see it and a lot of people are talking about seasonals or various lengths over the summer this year. A lot of people have been waiting for it because of the wonderful beach we have here and the other amenities we'll be offering."

As part of Saturday's official opening, a ribbon cutting will take place at 2 p.m., with Premier Rodney MacDonald, who is also the area's MLA, MP Rodger Cuzner, and municipal government officials, as well as other guests, are expected to be on hand.

There will also be a trade show, taking place both inside and outside of the Al MacInnis Sports Centre, featuring models of recreational vehicles from two Cape Breton-based dealers. Two of the commission's units will also be on site, which will be rented out throughout the season.

Entertainment will follow in the evening, in the arena mezzanine.

If this stuff doesn't solidify, it's going to be an even bigger mess...so here's hoping it does though I'm still not really a fan of the method, it was the only one left that didn't involve emission or transportation concerns.

Tar ponds cleanup moves closer to solidification, stabilization

Section: Cape Breton

By Debbie Gwynn, Cape Breton Post


Before moving ahead with the full scale solidification and stabilization of the cooling pond project a small field demonstration was carried out in January 2008.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency held an open house Thursday to update residents of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality with the results of the testing.

The field demonstration, led by Chris Holt, senior remediation engineer with Earth Tech, helped engineers to select which mix recipes would work best on the cooling pond sediment when the full-scale solidification and stabilization technology is applied.

Twelve cells were treated during the testing. The total volume of contaminated sediment treated was about 1850m3 (enough sediment to fill about 2,100 domestic oil tanks).

"This is pilot-scale work and is needed before we can go ahead with full scale solidification/stabilization," said Tanya Collier MacDonald, communications officer for the tar ponds agency, "where they (Earth Tech) show their results meet the criteria regulators have identified before moving ahead with the full scale project."

Members of Sierra Club's Cape Breton Group issued a press release Thursday demanding the results of bench scale testing of the stabilization and solidification of the Sydney tar ponds sludge completed in May 2007, be released to the public immediately.

"This technology holds no promise of success with tar ponds sludge," said Dan McMullin, chair of Sierra Club's Cape Breton Group in the release. "Once again, government will squander hundreds of millions on a proposal that may well make matters worse."

Reports from the testing carried out in 2007 along with results from the pilot-scale work will be sent to the regulators, Nova Scotia Environment and Public Works and Government Services Canada upon completion.

Collier MacDonald anticipates it will be four to six months before all results are in, the regulators approve it and the agency can move forward.

"We will release the results of the reports of the bench-scale and pilot-scale work at that time," said Collier MacDonald.

Although exact figures were not available, Collier MacDonald believes that during peak construction periods approximately 120 people will be involved on the construction side of the project - but added the numbers will fluctuate.

Upon approval, full-scale stabilization and solidification of the Sydney tar ponds is expected to be completed by 2014.

Think-tank executive wonders where new terminal will get cargo

Section: Cape Breton

By Nancy King, Cape Breton Post


Funding may be in place for a new container terminal at the ports of Sydney, but proponents will soon have to turn their attention to ensuring there are clients to use it, the acting president of a conservative think-tank says.

Charles Cirtwill of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies attended Thursday's announcement that Laurentian Energy will partner with Galaxy SARL to develop a $200-million terminal here.

"I think the challenge that Galaxy and Laurentian has is the challenge that the folks in the Strait are going to have, which is it's fairly easy in the global equity market to get money, but money doesn't necessarily turn into cargo," he said.

"The big question now for both Sydney and the Strait is you have your money, you're doing your environmental assessments, where's your cargo coming from, who's running your terminal, who's bringing the boxes, who ships."

While the Sydney project is targeting ships larger than those currently serving North America, he noted other ports could upgrade facilities to handle those as well.

Galaxy CEO Corinne Namblard indicated they are about to make an announcement in Suez and they have interests in target markets on the other end, something Cirtwill said he hasn't heard from many other project proponents.

"One of the things you have to look at to make these kind of ports successful is about supply chain and about getting a partner that's investing throughout the supply chain and has that capacity to handle it over time," he said.

The Sydney announcement shows the Atlantic Gateway fund set up by Ottawa is unnecessary because private interests are willing to step forward to fund projects, Cirtwill argued.

"When you have a major international conglomerate basically describing a $200-million investment in Sydney as a small project it kind of makes all of our navel-gazing around can we find $30 million from various levels of government for dredging seem a little unnecessary," he said.

Critics of these developments often note that the port of Halifax is currently below 50 per cent of its annual 1.2 million 20-foot equivalent containers (TEUs) capacity, while proponents say they aren't responding to current numbers but projected spikes in international shipping.

"It's a validation of what we've been saying all along that the global projections on container trade are such that there should be enough for a number of container terminals . . . our market analysis that we've done supports that," said Richie Mann, spokesperson for a $300-million container terminal project on the mainland side of the Strait of Canso.

He added players aren't putting millions of dollars into these projects without doing their homework to see that they'll get returns on their investments.

"When you're raising hundreds of millions of dollars to do a development, you have to have good information," he said. "There will always be doubters, no matter what you do."

The container terminal, rail intermodal facility and logistics park to be built at the provincially owned 14,500-acre Melford industrial land reserve in Guysborough County will have an annual throughput capacity of 1.5 million TEUs and have three berths initially. That compares with 750,000 TEUs and two berths at Sydney.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor John Morgan called the announcement a dream come true.

"We have always taken the position that the key piece of infrastructure in terms of redeveloping this regional economy has been the development of Sydney harbour and the development of a variety of infrastructure facilities on Sydney harbour, principally container traffic in the region," he said.

The thing the critics of these developments miss when they quote the percentage usage of Halifax is the two main capacity-inhibitors of the Halifax Port. The port itself can handle 1.2 million TEU's, but CN is uncooperative in moving more cargo out of the port, and the container trucks line up onto downtown streets and have to move through downtown traffic to leave the port. Both of those things, while not decreasing the ports ultimate capacity to take/store cargo, decrease its real capacity to move cargo. While the Strait and Sydney ports will have to deal with CN, the ports won't be in a position where container trucks are moving through the dominant downtown of the area (only actually existant in Sydney and Halifax anyway). The main downfall of the Strait and Sydney ports will be the 2-lane highway system, though that's being upgraded for the Strait port...no mention of upgrades for Sydney yet other than the 125 and a short stretch of the 104 in Port Hastings/Port Hawkesbury which will be designed 4-lane but built initially as 2-lane.

My best guess for where the container terminal will go...I'm probably a bit off though.

Created by myself in Google Maps!
I'm not sure where exactly the boundaries of the industrial park lands are, but I know there's area set aside for expansion. This site makes the most logical sense to me as far as being connected to the park and still having water access.

[Smevo]

Cape Breton Post

Too bad they couldn't find a better location closer to downtown. Hopefully this won't decrease their customers. The Marine terminal really was the ideal location until the security issues came into effect.

Cape Breton Farmers' Market gets new home

Section: Cape Breton

By Nancy King, Cape Breton Post


In only a few weeks, the Cape Breton Farmers' Market will move to a new location that will allow its vendors more space and give them the opportunity to expand their offerings.

The board signed a five-year lease for its new location on Keltic Drive Friday, in the former W.A. MacLeod Wholesale in Coxheath.

The market now is located at Sydney Marine Terminal in downtown Sydney, but looked for a new location because of increasing security restrictions there. More than 40 locations were considered before settling on its new home.

The property was attractive for a number of reasons, said Charles MacDonald, chair of the board of directors, including ample parking.

"The building is very well-maintained and it has the kind of square footage that we were looking for," MacDonald said. "It fit all of our needs."

The market, which operates on Saturday mornings, will move the first week in June. Renovations, including knocking down some walls and electrical and plumbing work will allow vendors access to the services they need, including a state-of-the-art kitchen.

"It's our space, it's not a multi-purpose space, which was the situation at the marine terminal," MacDonald said. "We can set up our fridges and freezers and tables and displays and leave them there from week to week."

Vendor Lark Szick, who sells jams and jellies, noted that permanence, along with extra room, may encourage some vendors to expand offerings. Currently, vendors often only bring with them what they can carry that morning, she said.

Initially they hoped to remain in downtown Sydney but weren't able to find a location there that was large enough and had enough parking. Keltic Drive is an increasingly bustling area, MacDonald said, and can be readily accessed by people who live throughout the CBRM, particularly with the new Coxheath exit from Highway 125.

"Not only do we expect to bring our current customers with us, but we expect that we're going to be able to attract new customers, he said, adding a survey of patrons showed that 93 per cent made their way to the market by car, while only seven per cent came by foot.

MacDonald noted they are also considering opening on Fridays throughout the summer months.

The market has operated for about 30 years, mostly in the summer outdoors on the corner of George and Pitt streets, before moving indoors, first to the Civic Centre round room, six years ago.

Board vice-chair Jeremy Frith, noted in a news release the market grew significantly during its time at the marine terminal, averaging about 700 customers throughout the winter and upwards of 1,500 during its peak season last year. It attracts vendors and customers from around the island.

The Cape Breton Farmers Market Cooperative brings together 30 vendors, selling items such as locally produced meats, fish, vegetables, baked goods and crafts.

Community visionaries behind shipping concept

Section: Comment

Column: Fred Jackson

By Fred Jackson,


A publisher now deceased always urged the best vantage point for reporting, whether a sporting event, a fire or a meeting. Thursday, during one of the best good-news announcements to hit Cape Breton in years, I positioned my frame towards the back of the room at the Sydney Marine Terminal. This gave me an excellent opportunity to hear plans for the design and construction of a $200 million container terminal in Sydney Harbour. I noticed several business leaders who deserve a lot of credit for spearheading this project. Marty Chernin, Brian Shebib, Hughie Tweedie, and Andre Cote are among those who have pushed this project, but there was one person missing. Chernin credits the late Greg Lynch for having the insight to pursue development of Sydport. There are others who have helped but it was Greg from the start, said Chernin. We are doing this for the community. It's our future and hopefully someday we will all get our investments back. Fortunately, Cape Breton has many business people who are communityminded. Individuals like Irving Schwartz, Jimmy Kehoe and Joe Shannon have invested in this island, but unfortunately our business leaders at times are the target for unwarranted criticism. People like Chernin and Tweedie can go off into the sunset and play the business game elsewhere but they have the fire in their bellies to move this community forward. One of the smartest things that the Sydport group did was hire Jim Wooder, who has done a great job in developing this project into a joint venture between Galaxy SARL of France, a transportation infrastructure equity fund, and Laurentian Energy Corp., a manufacturing and commercial property management group based in Nova Scotia.

A two-berth container facility with a yearly capacity of 750,000 tonnes will be built to accommodate the world's largest vessels. The project will require a deepening of the Sydney Harbour access channel to 17 metres at an estimated cost of $30 million. The dredging project is undergoing an environmental assessment. I also noted two men in uniforms Chief Dave Wilson and Deputy Chief Miles Burke of the regional police. Once this facility is up and running it will require tight port security and policing will be important. The spin-offs for this project will be enormous. It's estimated the terminal will create 1,200 to 1,500 direct jobs, a total of up to 3,500 positions once indirect and induced jobs are considered. Although this is driven by the private sector it was nice to see Sydney Victoria MP Mark Eyking and Mayor John Morgan in attendance, and they both asked important questions. This project will require co-operation from all levels of government and the entire business sector. Folks, from my vantage Thursday, this dream will become a reality and co-operation will be the key to success.

Pride in our people
Being an avid Detroit Red Wings fan, I have been glued to the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's still nice to hear Bob Cole's voice calling the play-by-play for the series between Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. I have known Cole from my younger days growing up in Newfoundland. One of my first feature stories was on Cole starting his career on Hockey Night in Canada. It amazes me that Cole at 74 years of age is holding his own. During the last six decades, a Newfoundlander or a Cape Bretoner has been calling the shots for Hockey Night in Canada an amazing accomplishment for two Atlantic Canadians. Danny Gallivan, born in Whitney Pier, became the voice of the Montreal Canadians in the early '50s on radio and then later on television. With Dick Irvin as his colour commentator, he was featured almost every Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. Newfoundland was quick to name the media booth at Mile One in St. John's the Bob Cole Media Centre, and hopefully someday we could call the media booth at Centre 200 the Danny Gallivan Media Centre. It's long overdue.

Cape Breton has many icons. Let's showcase some of that by naming the media centre in Gallivan's honour. There are other opportunities of this kind, such as naming the Sydney airport in honour of some contributor. It was fitting Thursday to hear the container terminal announcement in the Steve Kavanaugh room. Kavanaugh, who died in 2006, was dean of the School of Business at Cape Breton University and a founding member of the Sydney Ports Corp., and he served on the board of trade and Sydney Airport Authority. Having pride in our people is important. Legacies can inspire and will live on. Farside of me Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.

Famous quotation
It ain't bragging if you can do it.

Dizzy Dean,

Hall of Fame baseball pitcher

Inverness fishermen initiate blockade in battle for crab

Section: Front

By Doug MacKenzie, Cape Breton Post


Cape Breton fishermen continued to blockade four New Brunswick fishing boats in the harbour here, Friday in protest of their lack of share in the crab fishery.

"Things are going great," said Inverness fisherman Lawrence MacLellan. "We're hearing rumours we might be able to talk to the fisheries minister, we're making headway, everybody's behind us and we hear there are Mabou boats and Port Hood boats coming down and they are supporting us 100 per cent."

The four New Brunswick boats were in Inverness with permits to fish crab, a right not afforded to the Inverness fishermen.

"We've tried every avenue for years to get crab permits," said MacLellan, who estimated the out of province boats would take 500,000 pounds of crab back to New Brunswick. "I think it was eight years ago Margaree harbour to Bay St. Lawrence were given their access and were given a four-trap permit and we've been left waiting. We're the last four harbours (Inverness, Mabou, Port Hood and Judique), the last four communities in Cape Breton without a crab allocation.

"We understand we're not going to get a 70,000-pound licence, that's not on the books, but we want the little permit."

MacLellan explained local fishermen hoped to get a four-trap permit allowing them to fish approximately 8,000 pounds of crab as a way of supplementing their livelihoods.

Despite being forced to tie up, the New Brunswick fishermen understand the reasoning behind the actions of their Inverness counterparts.

"It's not what we had planned and we didn't know the politics of it," said Lee Straight, adding some of the crew members had gone home to be with family while awaiting a resolution to the conflict. "We're stopped I guess for a couple of days and there is nothing we can do. We won't cross the boats, we won't go out through them. We don't agree with the way they're doing it, but we agree with what they are after.

"There are no hard feelings. We understand what is taking place and our boats are safe."

Straight explained the New Brunswick boats were sub-contracted to fish the quota for the New Brunswick inshore fishermen who total 144.

"So much goes to pay for the boats, it goes to our health insurance, our fishermen's plan and the rest goes to lobster rationalization," said Straight. "The (fishermen) here who had their names drawn to come, they don't fish lobsters this fall, they have to give up their lobster fishery for one year."

MacLellan agreed that everyone has been getting along well considering the situation, but he feels this was the only route available to best preserve the interests of Inverness and he was quick to point to the closed fish plant on a hill overlooking the harbour to emphasize the effect on the community.

"The fish plant processed crab last year and they aren't this year and that has left 20 to 30 people out of work," said MacLellan. "You don't go to New Brunswick and take a job away from someone up there when they're not working so it's a hard pill to swallow.

"This day and age we shouldn't have to burn boats and cause a big ruckus, but it seems like the way to do it. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, but we're doing it in a diplomatic way and we're doing a peaceful protest and that's the way we want things to happen."

In the CBC NS news story, one fisherman said they'd been trying to negotiate and get the attention of DFO for 5 years, but to no avail. The fishermen are there, and the crab are in their home harbour, but not only can they not fish it, they have to watch NB boats come into their harbour and take the crab away. I know everyone has to make a living, and it's not the fault of the NB fishermen, but it does seem more than a little ridiculous.

Politicians, business people keeping an eye on ECBC's direction

Section: Front

By Chris Shannon, Cape Breton Post


The ongoing mandate review of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. has many politicians and business people questioning the future direction of the federal Crown corporation, which has been co-ordinating economic development efforts in the region for the last two decades.

The speculation of the agency's future began to heighten following the official departure of Rick Beaton as its vice-president and chief executive in November.

Beaton had held the top position at ECBC - an arm of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency - for eight years before his sudden departure in the winter of 2007.

Many current and former employees at ECBC were glad to see him go. Some were quick to point out his leadership style was heavy handed and erratic, although saying that publicly wasn't an option for most.

Todd Graham, president of McKenzie College in Sydney, had been one of Beaton's most outspoken critics during his tenure.

Graham said it'll be difficult for the consulting firm conducting the review to simply glance over the troubles during Beaton's time in office. Although, in the same breath, he believes Beaton's work with ECBC shouldn't permanently tarnish the federal agency.

"(Beaton) ruled the corporation with an iron first and there really was no other opinion that carried any weight other than Rick Beaton's. To even call it ECBC at that point in time was probably unfair because it was Rick Beaton's corporation," Graham said.

"It's unfortunate that ECBC is undergoing this review at this point in time because unfortunately they were not necessarily doing the job they could have been able to do under Mr. Beaton."

Graham said there's been a new air of co-operation since Marlene Usher was appointed acting chief executive and vice-president of the corporation more than a year ago.

"It's unfortunate that people are making decisions now, or judgments now, based on what's happened during (Beaton's) tenure."

However it was announced Thursday that former longtime Sobeys executive John Lynn from New Glasgow, would succeed Beaton as chief executive and vice-president of ECBC. The five-year appointment is effective June 1.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who is responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, formally announced the first-ever mandate review of ECBC last fall.

The outcome will determine whether ECBC continues its work or potentially has its role altered.

With 42 employees, it has a direct parliamentary appropriation of $8.6 million a year and is also responsible for delivering ACOA programs on Cape Breton, which includes $13.6 million this year. ECBC also receives about $1.5 million a year in loan repayments.

The president of the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce Owen Fitzgerald believes taking ECBC for granted could be a costly mistake.

"We have to be aware of what changes they could make and make sure they don't happen," Fitzgerald said. "I think the (federal government) has to understand, too, that we are in transition, we do have some significant challenges but at the same time we have some great opportunities and we have made some progress.

"When you look at the whole picture, then we are able to make an argument that the budget needs to be protected, if not expanded."

Municipalities in Cape Breton have passed resolutions to show their support for ECBC and the money it has spent on the island.

Port Hawkesbury Mayor Billy Joe MacLean went so far as to ask the island's mayors and wardens to join forces with federal and provincial representatives in sending a message to MacKay that, at the very least, the status quo must be maintained.

He has said shutting down the agency would be a "disaster" for parts of the island.

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality was eager to show its support for the corporation.

A letter was sent to MacKay by CBRM officials to express the importance of having such a federal agency on the island.

CBRM Mayor John Morgan said the perception of ECBC in the past is that it has functioned as a "private bank for a small group of individuals."

With new leadership at the helm, the mayor agrees that has "changed somewhat."

"(ECBC's) model is to subsidize business. But there are other mechanisms that can be employed by the federal government," Morgan said during a recent interview.

"We've talked about decentralizing federal government offices and building major infrastructure like the ports, tax incentive systems and investing in educational institutions, so there are a lot of things that the federal government can do to help an area other than just subsidizing businesses."

Morgan said that ECBC has only applied an "anecdotal standard" of whether they've had success in adding to employment growth in Cape Breton. The unemployment rate continues to be stuck in the double digits.

He noted that efforts by ECBC alone haven't been enough to stem the tide of a population that continues to move west by the thousands in search of a good job.

"Unless you set (economic) targets at the outset, you don't know whether the interventions that you are applying is doing anything of substance in the community.

"Even if they got it perfect, it is such a narrowly focused effort at economic development in our region . . . realistically (ECBC) is unlikely to have a material impact on the future direction of the region."

Acting CEO says ECBC unlikely to experience 'radical changes'

Mandate review of federal Crown corporation comes two decades after it was first established to help transform Cape Breton from an island dependent on the now-defunct steel and coal industries

Section: Weekend

By Chris Shannon, Cape Breton Post


Established at a time to bring relief to an already struggling economy, Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. has been used as the tool of the federal government to support business initiatives on the island since the downturn in the economy began to hit high gear in the late 1980s.

ECBC originally came out of a division of the Cape Breton Development Corp., which was formed in 1967 as part of Ottawa's plan to address the burgeoning coal crisis on the island.

ECBC became its own distinct entity in 1987 - pursuant to the Government Organization Act of Atlantic Canada with a jurisdictional mandate which included all of Cape Breton and the town of Mulgrave, since the town had undergone dramatic decline following its bypass as a ferry port and railway hub with the 1955 opening of the Canso Causeway.

The emergence of this federal agency was the government's response to a region which was undergoing a transition from a resource-based economy centred on the coal and steel industries to one mainly focused on the service sector.

Fast-forward to 2008 and the federal Crown corporation is undergoing its first mandate review.

In addition to its own programs, it also delivers programs for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency in the region.

The lack of a formal review process after two decades of doing business had one government official surprised.

"I'd expect it would probably have had one by now, and if it hadn't, it probably should have, as ACOA would have a mandate review and as any federal department would have a mandate review," Conservative MP Gerald Keddy, parliamentary secretary to the ACOA minister, said during a trip to Sydney in March.

It was back in 2005 the Treasury Board directed the minister responsible for ACOA to conduct ECBC's first-ever review. While the enacting legislation for some Crown corporations dictate when mandate reviews must occur, there's no such provision in the ECBC Act.

Review will have "broad scope"

ECBC's acting chief executive officer Marlene Usher explains that even though the review is wide in scope, with many possibilities to be examined, she doesn't expect any major changes in its current mandate.

"There's a possibility the corporation's mandate could be amended or changed or it could be that there are some efficiencies found with Devco. There could be some (possibility) to combine the two Crown corporations," said Usher, a member of the mandate review's steering committee.

"But really at this point I don't expect there to be radical changes."

This review officially began in February with results to be released in a report by Ottawa-based consulting firm Universalia in late summer.

It will give the federal government a chance to examine its processes and programs, and then take the necessary steps to improve them or change the corporation's direction completely.

Other than Usher, the steering committee includes a senior official from ACOA and senior management from other federal government departments.

Usher said the report's findings will first be brought to the steering committee for further discussion.

"It'll be up to the steering committee to make recommendations to the minister (of ACOA)," Usher said.

Reviewing the files that 'went wrong'

The review will ultimately focus on evaluating the economic impact of the Cape Breton Growth Fund - the $98-million fund intended to help the island make the transition from an economy dependent on coal. That fund wound down in early 2007.

Keddy also suggested the review will take into account ECBC's troubled relationship with the North Sydney die-cast manufacturing plant Cape Breton Castings, among other projects.

"We've had some files that have had some difficulty and it's time to look at those files to see exactly what went wrong and how we need to improve that."

Cape Breton Castings, which provides aluminum auto parts to the nearby Magna-owned Tesma auto plant, was established in 2004 and received $24.7 million of repayable assistance from the Cape Breton Growth Fund, ACOA and ECBC.

The growth fund took control of the plant in March 2006, however, when the project's proponents encountered difficulty and had to surrender their shares.

The owners, who are in the auto parts business in Ontario, struggled to find financing for the Cape Breton project to the point that the plant may have closed if Ottawa didn't come up with more money.

"It's been a painful process but this is the step we needed to take to ensure the long-term future of the plant," then-ECBC CEO Rick Beaton said at the time.

In December 2006, the growth fund board committed to operating castings until July 1, 2007 while efforts were made to sell the plant. After a public call for proposals was made for the sale of the assets, a total of five proposals were received - two for liquidation and three to purchase the plant as a going concern.

The federal government is unlikely to ever recover all of its investment. Beaton said the company's assets were worth in the $18 million to $19 million range.

Now called Atlantic Castings Ltd., a group of mostly local investors acquired the plant in November from the growth fund for $2-million.

The purchasers assumed responsibility for the 60 employees and immediately injected $2 million of working capital into the operation, followed by an additional investment for new equipment. The existing building will continue to be leased from ECBC.

Investing in communities

Engineering a stable economy has meant keying into two of ECBC's strategic priorities: supporting business and investing in communities.

Much effort has been placed on revitalization of downtown areas such as the work done to buildings, particularly in Sydney and Glace Bay, over the last several years.

Along Charlotte Street, some 47 businesses took part in the first phase of the project two years ago. It translated into $1.2-million in renovations where ECBC would match the investment made by businesses up to $40,000.

Phase two of the project last year also drew interest from more than 30 other businesses on Charlotte Street, as well as adjacent side streets, to improve their storefronts with the intention of drawing a larger customer base and thus encouraging more entrepreneurs to set up shop in the downtown.

"It gives a cluster effect in your downtown core. It has a domino effect and we've really found a change in the customers' attitude," Eileen Lannon Oldford, chief executive of the Cape Breton County Economic Development Authority, said last summer as the regional development authority in charge of administering the program.

[Smevo]

Got some images done, will update the main page in the coming week.

New Lawton's location...2 storey development with some space being for lease.


Best guess at container terminal location

[Smevo]

Cape Breton Post

Just cause it's Cohen...

Crazy for Cohen

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leonard Cohen to grace Savoy Theatre stage for two sold-old performances

Section: Arts and Entertainment


The Savoy Theatre has hosted some big names over the years and this week it will welcome one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time.

The legendary Leonard Cohen will grace the Savoy stage twice with performances Tuesday and Wednesday night. Originally slated to perform just once in Cape Breton, a second show was added when the first sold out in less than an hour.

Cohen will be joined by world renowned musicians Roscoe Beck (bass & vocals, music director) Neil Larsen (keyboard, accordion, brass instruments), Bob Metzger (guitar, steel guitar & vocals), Javier Mas (acoustic guitar, oud & misc. string instruments), Christine Wu (violin, viola, cello & keyboard), Rafael Gayol (drums & percussion) and Dino Soldo (keyboard, saxophone, wind instruments & vocals), for the concerts.

The Cape Breton Post put in a request to interview Cohen but according to a publicist, he is not doing any media interviews at this time.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, Cohen followed that up with an announcement of his return to the live arena after 15 years, much to the delight of his many fans. At his induction into the Hall of Fame, Lou Reed recognized him as, "without question one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, a figure whose body of work achieves greater mystery and depth as time goes on."

In a brief biography on Cohen's website, he is described as an artist whose body of work achieves greater depths of mystery and meaning as time goes on. His songs have set a virtually unmatched standard in their seriousness and range. Also a renowned poet and author, his dual careers in music and literature have continued feeding each other over the decades - his songs revealing a literary quality rare in the world of popular music, and his poetry and prose informed by a rich musicality.

Cohen's songs have been famously covered by the great and the good, each version a fascinating attempt to move closer to Cohen's enigmatic muse. From Judy Collins' 'Suzanne' to k.d. lang's seminal rendition of 'Hallelujah', Cohen's songs have travelled as far and wide as their author.

U2, Sting, R.E.M., Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, Johnny Cash, and Neil Diamond are only a few of Leonard's other devotees.

It's estimated that his songbook has been covered more than 1,300 times by other recording artists.

'Not just a pipe dream'

Coal mines possible source of geothermal energy to heat schools, hospitals

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes,


Former coal mines in Cape Breton that are flooded with water warmed by the heat of the earth are being seen as a possible source of geothermal energy to heat buildings like schools or hospitals.

The Cape Breton Development Corporation, which manages the mines, has been consulting with Cape Breton University about the possibility of capturing the heat from the water, which is thought to be in the 9-15 C range.

Collin Harker, a business consultant working with Devco, said the geothermal energy can be captured by bringing mine water to the surface to be run through a heat pump, while taking care because of its corrosive quality to ensure it doesn't enter a building's heat distribution system.

"They are very common," he said. "Air conditioners run on heat pumps. That will take the heat out of the water and transfer it into... the material going through the building."

It may also be possible to capture geothermal energy by immersing heat-capturing technology down into the warm water of coal mine workings.

Devco has also been talking to the Cape Breton District Health Authority about the possibility of using geothermal energy to heat the Glace Bay hospital and to the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board about using it at a new junior high school that is to be built.

Harker was confident there will be an geothermal project underway within a year.

Dean of research Harvey Johnstone said Cape Breton University is making an application to the Atlantic Innovation Fund for a research project that will look at the possibility of using mine water as a renewable source of geothermal energy.

The research would in part look at the key issue of how long it would take to reheat water that is raised to the surface and then returned to the warm depths of the mine.

"We are looking at what is the capacity of the mine system here to recycle," he said.

The university is also hiring a mine water expert for a research chair being funded by Devco.

Johnstone expects to see buildings heated by geothermal energy.

"I really do," he said. "I don't think this is at all pie in the sky."

Energy prices are going through the roof, he noted.

"That's why I think it's not at all just a pipe dream. That's a bit of a pun. I think it is something we are all looking at."

Johnstone noted mine water is being used to heat a building belonging to Ropak Can Am Ltd., a manufacturer of plastic packaging products, in Springhill, N.S.

"If you get to a certain level of efficiency in terms of the components you string together to pull the water out, exchange the heat and then utilize the heat, you can actually get to a status of being a renewable energy," he said. "That's what we are very interested to look at is to put the components together in such a way that we will be actually achieving renewable energy status."

Paul Oldford, facilities management co-ordinator for the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, said the proposal could have potential for a new school in Glace Bay, although there is still a lot of research to be done.

Vice-president Jim Merkley said the Cape Breton District Health Authority is also very curious about the potential of tapping coal mine workings for heat at Glace Bay hospital.

Groups move ahead with plans for heritage fund

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes,


The Old Sydney Society and Whitney Pier Historical Society are moving ahead with plans for a proposed heritage fund to revive neighbourhoods near the Sydney tar ponds.

Don Arseneau, president of the Old Sydney Society, said there have been several replies to an ad in the Cape Breton Post requesting proposals to develop a business plan for the heritage housing revolving fund.

The ad ran May 3 with a May 20 deadline. Arseneau hoped to have the business plan by the end of August.

Funding for the business plan development came from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

The revolving heritage fund would see the purchase of a heritage building which would be rehabilitated and sold on terms that would require the owner to preserve its historic nature. Money from the first sale would be used to repeat the process.

The project is focusing on vacant or at risk historic buildings in the neighbourhoods abutting the Sydney tar ponds.

The request for proposals asks for a detailed, step-by-step business plan including cost information for pilot project properties, labour/contracting requirements, sources of financial support and administrative processes to ensure sustainability.

Arseneau said the society has several leads for the funding to purchase the first building

Hopefully, the project could encourage others to do the same thing, said Arseneau.

"We hope it will spread and infect the whole area to bring about changes."

Tom Urbaniak, a political science professor at Cape Breton University, presented a report on the revolving fund at a meeting of the regional municipality's heritage advisory committee.

The project would be unique in Canada and is based on a revolving heritage project in Charleston, S.C., said Urbaniak.

Fishermen end harbour blockade

Section: Front

By Erin Pottie, Cape Breton Post


Cape Breton boats blocking out-of-province fishermen from their legal catch have returned to shore after a four-day protest over shares of the crab fishery.

Hundreds of supporters, including fellow fishermen, were scattered along the Inverness wharf and others arrived on fishing boats during a rally that ended to the recent blockade.

Four New Brunswick fishing boats were allowed to leave Inverness harbour Sunday at noon after being trapped since Thursday night. Local fishermen who are not allowed to fish nearby crab had planned the blockade to pressure federal fisheries officials into giving them a share of the quota.

"We had a number of extra boats come down last night and help us with the blockade and a few more boats came this morning," said Inverness fisherman Lawrence MacLellan, who called the 20-30 vessels back to shore using his cellphone.

"We're trying to take the high road on this, so as of now, I think we're going to take the blockade down and New Brunswick boats are free to fish. They're welcome to stay in this harbour - there will be nothing done to them. Hopefully in the future we can fish alongside them," he said.

MacLellan estimates the New Brunswick vessels take 500,000 pounds of crab, including crab from waters 19 kilometres off Inverness, along the coast and down toward Cheticamp. Meanwhile the four harbours of Inverness, Mabou, Port Hood and Judique do not have a crab allocation though fishers have been seeking a permit for years.

MacLellan said the group has kept friendly ties with New Brunswick fishers and having met with Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald were told the premier did not support the harbour blockade, but does support the fishery. A meeting with Cape Breton Canso MP Rodger Cuzner was also said to be positive.

"We've got to sit down and start somewhere right - that's the objective. No one was talking to us," said MacLellan. "We want access, we want access into Area 18 and I think it's time that we deserve it because they're sharing everywhere else in Cape Breton."

Four members of the four fishing communities with no crab quota are scheduled sit down with Department of Fisheries and Oceans area manager Helen Kerr today in Antigonish at 3 p.m.

"We're not trying to disrupt their fishery at all," said Mabou fisherman Trevor MacInnis, who was glad the blockade ended without incident. "We feel it's an injustice that's been done to our community, to our side of the island."

MacInnis says the fishermen want a share of crab fishing Area 18 by means of a small or four-trap permit that would amount to approximately 8,000 pounds of crab.

Ned MacDonald, an area councillor and deputy warden for Inverness County, said the fight for crab quota has been ongoing but suggested hard times may have sparked the recent protests.

"It wasn't easy for them, it came out of frustration, but I think they obtained their objective. They got the message out. All they want is fairness and to share in this quota," he said.

"This is one area that does not share in the quota. Every other part of the island is sharing and these fishermen have been fighting this for years."

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Cape Breton Post

Announcement about Advanced Glazing Technologies Ltd. lawsuit expected today

Section: Cape Breton

By Erin Pottie,


An announcement regarding the commencement of legal action with respect to Advanced Glazing Technologies Ltd. is expected today.

Members of the media have been invited to attend a press conference at 2 p.m. at the boardroom of Sampson McDougall Barristers and Solicitors on Wentworth Street.

Conference spokesperson Michelle Milburn would provide no further details about the announcement Monday evening.

"I can't really say any more other than there is sort of going to be more legal-related stuff, but I can't confirm or comment on what that's going to be," she said.

Last November, a wrongful dismissal lawsuit was filed by Cape Breton businessman Doug Milburn against the company he founded in 1995, Advanced Glazings Ltd., in regards to his removal as president and CEO earlier that month.

According to a statement of claim filed at that time, Milburn is seeking damages of one year's wages from Advanced Glazings Ltd. and its holding company Advanced Glazings Technologies Ltd. as well as additional damages based on the actions of company director John Gardner.

Milburn has said he was wrongfully dismissed and/or constructively dismissed from his positions at the company during a telephone conference board meeting Nov. 8.

Milburn says he was a dutiful and loyal employee and during his employment never received a verbal or written warning that his position was in jeopardy. The statement of claim refers to a clause in Milburn's contract saying if he is terminated without cause he will be entitled to an amount equal to 12 months of annual base salary less any money he owes to the company, as well as any accrued and unpaid salary and vacation pay up to the termination date.

After his removal as president and CEO of the company Milburn was offered a position as vice-chairman which he declined.

The two Cape Breton companies filed a statement of defence in Nova Scotia Supreme Court claiming Milburn quit his employment and was not wrongfully dismissed.

Advanced Glazings manufactures a product created by Milburn called Solera, a line of translucent, insulated glass designed to better distribute sunlight entering windows.

CBRM taking stock of heritage buildings

Section: Cape Breton

By Debbie Gwynn, Cape Breton Post


An inventory of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's heritage buildings is well underway.

Heritage researcher Jennifer LeBlanc presented an update of her inventory project at the CBRM's heritage advisory committee meeting.

LeBlanc was hired by the municipality's heritage association to produce a database of the approximately 282 religious structures within the municipality - in particular those built prior to 1914 - with some additional information on renovations that have already been carried out on these structures.

The project will serve as a foundation for a more complex compilation of other heritage properties, both business and residential, which will be added to the database in the future.

Bylaw officer Jamie Gillis spoke to committee members on alternative compliance standards in relation to work being carried out on heritage properties.

Alternative compliance standards allow for a relaxation of the rules in the National Building Code Regulations, where public safety is not compromised.

"You can bend the rules a little, if it's not going to affect how safe we are within the building," said Gillis. "Each building will have to be assessed on its own credentials."

Gillis admitted he has not had a great deal of experience dealing with heritage properties but with the recent designation of Sydney's north end as the second-largest heritage conservation district in the province, that's about to change.

The area is laden with buildings from Sydney's founding. Eight buildings were constructed between 1785 and 1802, with nearly 100 buildings more than a century old.

Among the buildings are Cossitt House on Charlotte Street, the oldest house in the city, and the Esplanade is home to O'Brien House and, next door, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, the oldest church in Cape Breton.

This year's budget for the municipal grant program available for heritage properties, up slightly from last year, is $20,800. To date the committee has received two applications eligible for the maximum amount of $6,000 and two for smaller grants of $4,000 each.

"Assuming that all these projects go ahead, we've pretty well committed almost our whole budget," said Rick McCready, heritage officer.

Cape Breton Fossil Centre hoping to boost visitor numbers

Section: Northside/Victoria

By Chris Shannon, Cape Breton Post


Jim Tobin is hoping for better days ahead for the Cape Breton Fossil Centre.

The museum, which has had financial trouble since it opened in July 2004, is looking to boost its visitor numbers by as many as 2,000 people this season.

Last year approximately 4,700 visitors toured the centre.

"The most special thing is that we're being able to get this chance to reopen again after all of the problems that we've had," said Tobin, president of the Sydney Mines Heritage Society.

"We're going to work extremely hard to make it a good attraction. If a person came in now to look at our guest book, it's phenomenal the things people have said about the fossils and the building."

The fossil centre contains displays of rocks, minerals, coal and fossilized plants that have been identified, catalogued and registered.

The lush green forests of 250 million to 350 million years ago left behind a fossilized treasure trove of large trees known as lepidodendrons and reed-like plants called calamites. Tree ferns were also a plentiful carboniferous plant during the period, with tree heights reaching more than 20 metres and trunks of a metre in diameter.

The 360-square-metre fossil centre, featuring a large exhibit area utilizing natural lighting, a classroom and a lab for visitors to study fossils in a multi-functional setting, cost more than $1.5 million to build.

But problems plaguing the centre in the past have included a dispute over the hiring of a curator, ownership of the fossils and a lack of government funding.

The society received $17,000 from the Community Museum Assistance Program, a provincial grant that will be divided between the centre and the Sydney Mines Heritage Museum next door.

Between the two museums, five students will be employed full-time this year including two students who have a background in university-level geology.

The three other students will work in the heritage museum.

The geology students will work alongside Dr. Stuart Critchley, a geologist from Newfoundland, who has taken on the job of volunteer curator at the fossil museum since 2005.

"(The students) will be doing tours and discuss the fossils with the visitors. They will be doing some lab work with the visitors and they will also go out sometimes on tours with Dr. Critchley," Tobin said.

"The last two years we had a geology student working here. She then finished her studies, graduated and went on to become a geologist in Alberta."

He said being able to attract skilled professionals to work at the museum has made for a more informative experience for visitors.

"It makes it very easy when you have a knowledgeable person like Dr. Critchley, who's thoroughly dedicated to the museum and making sure the museum does things right."

Advertising has been a continuous uphill struggle for the fossil centre. While it secured an ad in this year's Nova Scotia Doers' and Dreamers' guide, the centre mostly draws in crowds by news word of mouth.

Tobin said funding still isn't forthcoming for a sign on the Trans Canada Highway, which would alert tourists coming to and from the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal that the museum is only a five-minute drive away.

The museum doesn't have enough money of its own to pay for a sign that size, he said.

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Some links to videos on the CB Post website

Career Expo 2008

Marc Andre Fleury Day

Ports Master Plan Announcement: 2007

Waves at Louisbourg during Tropical Storm Noel

Building demolition at Phalen Colliery (New Waterford/Lingan)

And from the SYSCO website (the steel company, not the distribution one )
Demolition Video Gallery

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Cape Breton Post

Digging up coal just one idea

Section: Comment


Once upon a time, coal was dug from the ground and burned. That was all there was to do with it. This powered the Industrial Revolution, and incidentally was largely responsible for creating the first industrial economy of Cape Breton and making the Sydney area the most populous part of the island.

Deep mining ended around the turn of the last century, though this may yet prove to be a hiatus rather than an extinction for undersea extraction of coal in conventional form. Xstrata Coal Donkin Ltd. and Nova Scotia-based partner Erdene Gold Inc. are proceeding with further underground work to firm up understanding of geological and geotechnical issues as well as mining conditions in preparation for a decision by the end of this year on whether to proceed with development of a commercial operation at Donkin.

That's the best known of the prospects for extraction of further economic benefit from the potential of the Sydney coalfields. But with the rising world obsession over new forms of energy and cleaner ways of using it, digging and burning coal is no longer the only idea in play.

Even burning coal in the conventional way could spawn a new method of exploiting deep resources through carbon capture and storage. That's a longer term prospect that's being explored in a preliminary way through the Carbon Storage Research Consortium, a modest $5 million program to pull together information to map out the most promising areas in the province for pumping carbon dioxide into the ground. No drilling is planned in this phase but a lot is already known about the coalfields in Cape Breton and northern Nova Scotia, two regions that obviously suggest themselves as possibilities.

Untapped coal seams are good for storing CO2, a greenhouse gas produced in large quantities by coal-fired electricity plants, for example. Cape Breton happens to have three of those - Lingan, Point Aconi and Point Tupper - and they would figure prominently in any serious plan to reduce climate-change emissions in Nova Scotia.

The technology is expensive and controversial. Its potential in Cape Breton may depend on how strongly governments, at both the federal and provincial level, catch the climate-change bug. Nova Scotia's climate-change action plan is supposed to be coming in the fall.

There's also the idea of using the storage of CO2 to help drive the extraction of methane, which is the valuable fuel also known as natural gas, from deep coal seams. All that would entail considerable infrastructure, however. For a touch of the exotic, Collin Harker, a Devco consultant, mentions that in some parts of the world coal itself is being gasified underground.

On a more modest scale, but also more immediately, serious effort is underway to investigate the prospect of using pumped mine water as a source of heat for large buildings such as the Glace Bay hospital or a new high school planned for that former mining town. As deep coal miners have always known, the Earth itself gets warmer the farther down you go.

How much of this will actually happen and when is anyone's guess. But the vast reserve of fossilized sunshine that created the original industrial Cape Breton may yet have something important to say about the future as well.

Advanced Glazings shareholders file lawsuit

Section: Front

By Chris Hayes,


A group of common shareholders of Advanced Glazings Technologies has launched a lawsuit naming two Toronto-based investment funds and a number of former or current directors.

Lawyer Jim Gogan said at a press conference an application was filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court Tuesday alleging the investment funds and directors acted in an oppressive manner against the interests of the 35 common shareholders.

The legal application, which was launched under the Nova Scotia Companies Act, names Toronto-based investment funds Growthworks Canadian Fund, Walsingham Fund and an associated company, Englefield House No. 4 Inc., former directors Alisha Hirsch, John Gardner, Scott Pelton, Vince Mifsud and Tom Saunders, and current director Richard Black.

The Nova Scotia Companies Act deals with the rights and obligations of shareholders and requires that although a group of shareholders may hold voting control of a company they must act with due regard for other shareholders, said Gogan.

"The thrust of our allegation is the common shareholders have been disregarded, their interests have been ignored. Consequently, they have suffered damages as a result of that," said Gogan.

A statement released by Gogan at the press conference said the 35 shareholders feel the investment funds and directors took control of the Cape Breton company through the board of directors and acted recklessly in a way that was against the interests of the common shareholders.

The concerns of the common shareholders also include the firing of the former president, Doug Milburn, for what appeared to them to be personal reasons and without a backup plan, according to the release.

"They then failed to act when the company began to suffer a loss of senior employees. They also attempted to block a shareholder meeting and then ignored resolutions passed at that meeting," the release said.

The allegations against the investment funds and former and current directors have not yet been proven or disproven in a court. The legal documents filed by the common shareholders say the application will be made in court June 4.

Advanced Glazings produces Solera, a line of translucent, insulated glass designed to better distribute sunlight entering windows.

Last year, the company was named in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by Milburn, who invented the energy-efficient glass and founded the firm.

Milburn is also one of the 35 common shareholders in the lawsuit.

In April, the company laid off most of its workforce citing cash flow problems.

Rob Nearing, who replaced Milburn as president, said earlier this month the company has recalled a handful of employees, has some new orders on the books and is talking to potential buyers and investors.

Nearing said Tuesday the lawsuit isn't relevant to the day-to-day operations of the company or his job.

"The good thing is the business is doing very well right now," he said. "The company is in good shape."

Tom Murphy of Sydney, one of the 35 common shareholders who are applicants in the lawsuit, said at the press conference he invested a "significant" amount of his savings in Advanced Glazings because he believed in the company and its product and felt he had an opportunity to make some money.

Murphy said he also believes in investing in local companies.

During the last few years, the future for Advanced Glazings looked brighter as it landed showpiece projects, he said.

Murphy said he couldn't understand the board's decision in the fall to fire Milburn without any replacement plans.

"After that, key employees started to leave and then things, as you know, fell apart," he said.

"The company and the value of our investment has certainly suffered," he said.

Norm Carmichael of Glace Bay, another of the applicants in the lawsuit, said he believed in Advanced Glazings and in supporting a local company when he made his investment.

"But basically, we were in this because we knew the company, we knew the people and we wanted to keep Cape Breton going. I think we all had high expectations but when these big money professional investors from Toronto joined us, we were sorely disappointed.

"Personally, I watched the company suffer under their control and I watched the value of the investment drop to nearly nothing and nobody wants, whether you are retired or not, to throw away money.

"But more important, it is a tragedy for the people who work for the company, for the investors and for the community and that's why I felt I had to join the lawsuit."

The board of Advanced Glazings is down to three people including Milburn, Black and Norton Campbell, the press conference was told.

The release noted businessman Ron Joyce is a sponsoring investor of Walsingham Fund.

Lobster fishermen say Lingan harbour turning into Lingan sandbar

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Sharon Montgomery,


Lobster fishermen say if they don't get help, Lingan harbour will turn into the Lingan sandbar.

Delbert Heinekemp said the harbour is filling with silt, leaving them stranded.

"Its very bad. I hit rock bottom coming in Monday."

He said sand from the Dominion sandbar is being pushed over the channel and the tide is filling in the bay and wharf area. Fishermen are worried about damaging equipment, busting blades and shafts.

"When there is low tide, we are beached. If this keeps up the bay will fill over and the harbour will have to close."

Mark Eyking, MP for Sydney-Victoria, met with the fishermen to discuss the issue.

He said the last time there was any dredging in the area was 1978.

"It is at the point now some are scraping the bottoms of their boats coming in. There is concern over the whole Lingan Bay. If the shifting of sand continues, there is concern Lingan Bay will eventually be blocked off.

"All levels of government have to get involved in a long-term solution here."

Eyking said at one time there was a structure - a wharf and barrier - where Dominion beach meets the channel.

"There was a road across the channel as well, with pillars, which use to help, but it was taken down years ago."

Eyking said the New Waterford Fish and Game Association has also voiced concerned because fish habitat spawn there and Nova Scotia Power is also concern because it has an inlet and outlet at Lingan.

"There is constant maintenance for NSP to keep it clean. Sand is always shifting in the channel, in around the power plant."

Eyking is in the process of contacting the Minister of Fisheries Loyola Hearn.

He said the first step is for an assessment and recommendations by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Eyking said there was a similar problem in Ingonish about six years ago and the government stepped in and provided assistance.

"They had to put a breakwater in."

Robert Kelly, chair of the Lingan Harbour Association, keeps a pleasure craft at the harbour. He believes this is a serious problem.

"It's filling up with sand rapidly. The fishermen are getting stuck coming in the wharf, causing them all kinds of hardships."

Kelly said it is a natural harbour, in use for hundreds of years.

He said at one time they paid a small fee to DFO's small crafts and harbours for its use.

"They did their best to help us whenever they could in the past. They turned the wharf over to us a few years ago."

Fifteen boats use the Lingan harbour, which is adjacent to Dominion beach and the Lingan generating station.

The Cape Breton Post was told by DFO that its personnel are looking into whether or not the department is aware of the problems at Lingan Bay.

If you're into that sort of thing

Indoor car show set for Sunday

Section: Northside/Victoria

Column: Briefly


An indoor car show will be held at the Florence Community Centre, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. All funds go toward the upkeep of the Cape Breton Firefighters' Museum.

It is expected the car show will attract antique and custom cars from around the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Some cars will also be displayed outside the centre.

For more information, call 736-8772.

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Cape Breton Post

Donkin mine project moves ahead with feasibility study

Section: Business

By Erin Pottie,


Developers researching coal potential at the former Donkin mine are moving ahead with a $3-million feasibility study.

Considered an interim step toward opening a large scale underground mining operation, the evaluation will explore coal quality and help establish a potential buyers market.

Ken MacDonald, vice-president business strategy and chief financial officer of Erdene Gold Inc., which partnered with Xstrata Coal Donkin Ltd. in the Donkin Coal Alliance, said the study will establish greater confidence in the project by providing geological, geotechnical and structural information. Coal extracted during the feasibility study will be marketed domestically and internationally to establish a customer base.

In addition, in-seam drilling has been completed and information collection for gas desorption rates and samples for coal quality evaluation are being processed.

"That's what this is leading toward, it is giving us greater confidence to make that full production longwall decision which is the larger scale, 3.5 to 5 million tonne per year operation," MacDonald said.

Assessing the targeted coal resource, found under the Atlantic ocean, makes drilling holes for information expensive. There has only been limited drilling on the site completed by Devco in the late 70s and early 80s. The Cape Breton Development Corp. abandoned the development of the mine in the 1980s, sealed the tunnels and allowed them to flood.

Costs of reopening the mine have been projected at $300 million. Erdene, which has 25 per cent stake in the Donkin Coal Alliance, and Xstrata, which owns the other 75 per cent, have said preliminary studies indicate the mine project will meet the economic returns consistent with earlier projections from November 2007.

The current feasibility study, utilizing a continuous miner, is expected to be completed by year's end. MacDonald said mine production could be possible as early as late 2009, or early 2010.

The targeted harbour seam contains an indicated resource of 101 million tonnes and an inferred resource of 115 million tonnes in the Donkin coal resources block following the dewatering and refurbishment of twin 3.5 kilometre tunnels. The coal has been classified as high volatile-A bituminous, high-sulphur, medium-ash coal.

More golf courses on the island are jumping on the condo/cottage bandwagon

Vacation homes project features variety of options

Section: Business

By Doug MacKenzie,


Cape Breton Resorts announced a new vacation property development Wednesday that will see the construction of full-sized homes, townhouses and condominium-style units at two Cape Breton Island locations.

The project, named Cape Breton Lifestyles, will also feature the sale of building lots and existing cottages at a third site.

"There's a great lifestyle here in Cape Breton and we want to offer a product that lets people from other parts of Canada and around the world come and experience it," said Scott MacAulay, owner of Cape Breton Resorts. "This is also a good alternative for Cape Bretoners living elsewhere who return for regular visits or who plan to retire here."

The vacation homes will be located at Cape Breton Resorts properties in the communities of Ingonish, Baddeck and Dundee, offering purchasers access to existing, high-quality resort facilities. Cottages and building lots are available for sale at Dundee Resort & Golf Club. Construction in Ingonish at the Cape Breton Resorts Glenghorm site has been underway for some time, with the first phase of the development already sold and the second phase being introduced this week. The final component of the Cape Breton Lifestyles project is slated for construction on a 10-acre site bordering the Bell Bay Golf Club property and offering lake access.

"We're really excited about these developments because you're able to own a piece of property on a resort with all kinds of activities which you, your family and your friends can enjoy," said MacAulay. "You can do what you want to do, as opposed to, a lot of cottage owners have to mow their grass, have to do the upkeep, whereas, all of those types of things will be taken care of for you."

At Kildare Landing at Bell Bay, 22 one-storey detached three-bedroom villas with loft or second-storey option and three two-storey units will be available with prices starting at $275,000 and including such perks as a 25-year membership at Bell Bay Golf Club.

Ingonish by the Sea will feature 19 one-storey three-bedroom villas with loft or second-storey option and two two-storey units located on North Bay Beach with prices starting at $270,000. Phase 1 of this plan has already sold out and Phase 2 will be released shortly.

At Dundee, the existing duplex cottage units will be sold at $154,000 plus tax and in Dundee Hills, 11 lots with prices starting at $119,000.

"Things have really evolved and I have seen the demand for this type of ownership," said MacAulay. "We're very pleased with the properties. They are in very good vacation destinations."

Hiring local workers and purchasing supplies from local suppliers is an important part of the project.

"We have already provided employment right here at home for a number of Cape Bretoners who would otherwise have gone to Alberta for work and we will continue to seek out local labour," said MacAulay.

"There's also a strong focus on accessing materials for this project from in and around the communities where the vacation properties will be located."

Different ownership alternatives will be offered for those who are considering purchasing a Cape Breton Lifestyles property, including whole ownership or 'fractional' ownership, which provides a number of weeks of use of a property over the course of a year.

"This is the way resorts are being developed everywhere in Canada and the U.S., with different types of vacation property ownership being offered within a resort," said MacAulay.

The Baddeck and Ingonish properties will also offer purchasers the ability to take part in a 'vacation exchange' system, which provides access to similar quality units elsewhere in the world.

Chamber asks council to drop lawsuit

Issue to be debated at special council meeting Friday

Section: Front

By Tom Ayers,


The Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce appealed to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to drop its lawsuit against the province at a meeting with the mayor and councillors, Wednesday.

Mayor John Morgan said if the lawsuit is not appealed, the municipality will continue to be underfunded by the province and it will bear an enormous debt. At the same time, nothing will be done to resolve the lack of services in the region compared to others in the province.

The closed-door meeting, held in the Cape Breton Partnership boardroom, was indicative of the problem with the chamber's position on the lawsuit, he added.

"Obviously the chamber doesn't want the litigation to proceed, but the reality is if we were to stop, it would result in an enormous burden on the taxpayers . . . absolutely devastating," the mayor said.

"At the end of the day, the important thing is the decision on this ought not to be made in the back rooms. From my perspective, I obviously disagree with their communication that we ought to withdraw."

Morgan said the citizens should have a say on whether the lawsuit is appealed and council will decide at a special meeting Friday morning whether to call for a plebiscite on the issue.

He said the chamber's call to drop the lawsuit would result in the municipality giving up its only bargaining chip, and the chamber position is being promoted by a small group of business people with ties to the provincial Conservative government.

"It's important that their position be vetted fully and publicly through the plebiscite process," said the mayor. "It shouldn't be just the rich elite."

"That's fine," chamber president Owen Fitzgerald said, adding the mayor did not express any concerns about political interference inside the closed-door meeting. "It's a democracy. He can say anything he wants."

The chamber's position that the lawsuit should be dropped was developed after a number of meetings and presentations with lawyers, experts and a committee of chamber members, Fitzgerald said. In the end, the position was approved unanimously by more than 40 members of the chamber's council, he added, not just the executive.

Chamber members include backers of all three political parties, Fitzgerald also said, and the members at Wednesday's meeting were intentionally drawn from various backgrounds in order to avoid politically stacking the odds.

He said the chamber has offered to broker a meeting between the municipality and the province to try to resolve the impasse, and chamber members are taxpayers and have a right to express their wishes to council.

"We agree that they're the elected officials, they're the ones that make the decision. We were just there to present the predominant view of the business community. It's as simple as that.

"We are sincerely trying to reach out our hand and work co-operatively with the municipality, not just the provincial government. It's unfortunate that it becomes an us-and-them situation.

"Although we have a difference of opinion, we all want the same thing. We all want what's best for the community, so we have to find common ground here."

Fitzgerald also said the mayor's comments haven't soured relations with the chamber.

"I think we had an excellent meeting with the council and the mayor."

The chamber and the mayor agreed that there are at least some areas in which the CBRM is being underfunded by the province, but Fitzgerald said the chamber believes that dialogue is the only answer.

"Our point of view is that working together is necessary to build a better economy. It has to get out of the courts before there's dialogue."

Fitzgerald also said political scientists who advocate a third way, starting economic development initiatives that require provincial support while suing the province at the same time, are not being practical.

"In reality, that's not going to happen," he said. "If you're being sued, you're not going to have dialogue."

Morgan said the call for dialogue or negotiations with the province is a "straw man" argument "pretending that there's somebody on the other side ready to negotiate.

"I think they're really putting forward a red herring with that. We've never indicated that we wouldn't talk to the province. In fact, every opportunity we've had to talk to the premier, and others, we've done that.

"The problem is the premier has said he thinks the system is fair."

The meeting was called by the chamber, with a few representatives of the chamber executive and members, and was attended by the mayor and 12 of 16 council members. Councillors Jim MacLeod, Vince Hall, Frank Morrison and Kevin Saccary were not in attendance.

At Friday's meeting, council will review the current status of the lawsuit, which was dismissed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court April 24, and will review the possibility of an appeal. It will also consider a resolution calling for a plebiscite on whether to appeal, to be held in conjunction with the fall municipal elections.

The meeting will be open to the public, the mayor vowed, and Toronto constitutional lawyer Neil Finkelstein will be on hand to present his opinion that the lawsuit is likely to succeed on appeal.

Statistics compiled by CBRM economic development manager John Whalley will also be presented. According to a brief supplied to councillors and media, the statistics show that CBRM's assessment compared to assessment in the rest of the province has dropped 37 per cent over the last 12 years, and its expenditures on a per-dwelling-unit basis were approximately 68 per cent of the average for Class 1 municipalities in Nova Scotia.

That represents a gap of about $1,000 per-dwelling-unit - a gap that has increased over the last decade, according to the brief.

The documents also state that CBRM's taxes are the highest in the province, and that the province has consistently short-changed the municipality by capping the amount of equalization payments, despite recent increases from the federal government.

Cable TV provider Eastlink is expected to televise the meeting live Friday morning, and it may be taped for rebroadcast at a later date.

tayers@cbpost.com

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Council agenda

Cape Breton Regional Municipality will hold a special council meeting in its chambers, second floor, civic centre, starting at 9 a.m. Friday. The agenda includes four items related to the municipality's lawsuit against the province.
Review of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia's decision to dismiss the lawsuit
Review of Toronto constitutional lawyer Neil Finkelstein's opinion on the possibility of an appeal
Review of CBRM's case for better distribution of equalization funds, with data compiled by economic development manager John Whalley
Consideration of a resolution to hold a plebiscite in the fall, asking the yes-or-no question: Should the CBRM proceed with its legal action against the province, if necessary to the Supreme Court of Canada?

School board member reports delay in start of construction of school

Section: Northside/Victoria

By Chris Shannon,


Construction of an elementary school needed to replace two deteriorating schools in North Sydney has been delayed by four months.

The local representative on the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, Charlie Keagan, learned of the news during a school board management committee meeting Tuesday evening.

He said this means students won't be entering a new P-6 school on the former St. Mary's school site in September 2009.

"Now, realistically, it's four months. Four months is not the end of the world," Keagan said. "But when you look at the time factor, you're talking three years and four months. People are going to be totally frustrated, parents particularly, who have their children bussed out to Florence (elementary) while this school was going to be built." Keagan said board members weren't given any reason for the four-month delay.

The Department of Education announced in April 2007 that a new $10-million elementary school would be built in North Sydney, which would replace two aging elementary schools, St. Mary's and St. Joseph's.

Construction was expected to begin sometime this spring, but a call for tenders hasn't happened yet.

Department of Education spokesperson Dan Harrison said Wednesday there has been a delay in completing the design of the school, which will have 14 classrooms, a gymnasium, an art room, a technology room, cafeteria, a family studies room and a library.

"The delay is being caused by a problem with getting the architect able to get the building designed in time and the expectation is that it is going to take longer than we initially planned and that'll then delay the tender and construction," Harrison said.

While Harrison added this is only an early indication and it's "not 100 per cent" certainty that the delay will last a full four months, the department had to be prudent in predicting when construction will go ahead.

"We still intend to undertake construction this year. We have budgeted in excess of $4-million for (this fiscal year) and we hope to get it moving as soon as possible, but if the delay in the design continues, as it looks like it's going to, that'll mean the school won't be completed until the end of the year, rather than September (2009)."

An estimated 148 St. Mary's students and 17 staff have been studying and working out of Florence Elementary School since demolition of St. Mary's began in March.

The board had to undertake extensive renovations to Florence school in order to accommodate the additional students while the new school is under construction.

Keagan said even with the influx of students there, it isn't a crowded school in Florence.

"Let's put it this way, they don't have as much space as they would have had in their own school," he said.

The projected enrolment for the new elementary school will be approximately 280 students.

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Cape Breton Post

No to plebiscite, yes (for now) to appeal.

Council rejects plebscite
Committee to explore possible arbitration with province


Courtesy Cape Breton Post
Neil Finkelstein, lead lawyer with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality lawsuit against the province of Nova Scotia, speaks to Cape Breton Regional Municipality council during a special meeting Friday at the Civic Centre in Sydney. Doug MacKenzie - Cape Breton Post


DOUG MACKENZIE
The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — It took more than six hours of debate and discussion, but in the end nothing has changed in regards to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s lawsuit against the province of Nova Scotia.
The special council meeting was called to deal with the lawsuit — seeking a fair distribution of tax dollars based on a constitutional argument — which was dismissed by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court last month. The main motion, put forward by District 7 Coun. Jim MacLeod, asked for a plebiscite to be held during October’s municipal election so the people could decide on whether an appeal into the decision should go forward.
It was a motion which didn’t garner much support from fellow councillors, who defeated it by a 13-4 count. Voting for the motion were Mayor John Morgan and councillors Jim MacLeod, Vince Hall and Frankie Morrison.
“I was elected to make the hard decisions, not just the easy ones,” said District 16 Coun. Wes Stubbert. “Perhaps we should just abolish the council and have a plebiscite for every decision. We here had a have great difficulty understanding the lawsuit and the general public would have no idea.”
“We’re not looking for anything we don’t deserve and I support the lawsuit, but I am not in favour of a plebiscite,” added District 9 Coun. Tom Wilson. “The responsibility to make the decision is mine and I’m prepared to make the decision.”
But while the councillors chose to make the decision themselves, when the time came, they didn’t, opting instead to support a motion from District 14 Coun. Gordon MacLeod which will allow for a committee to be struck to explore an arbitration process with the province and then report back to council on the feasibility of such a process before a final decision on the lawsuit is made.
“It’s important that at some point in the future it will be back before council and we’ll make the final decision at that time,” said Morgan. “(Council) deserves credit for saying no don’t stop the appeal today, let’s try one more time.”
MacLeod’s motion passed by a 10-7 margin and while District 8 Coun. Ray Paruch would have preferred to have seen the issue resolved Friday, he understood the results.
“With all due respect, I think this is a very, very complex issue, by any stretch of the imagination and with the time limitations that we have between now and the election in October I think it would have been virtually impossible to arrive with adequate information and education for the public,” said Paruch, who voted against both motions. “I commend councillor MacLeod for his foresight and his drive and I think he’s working in the best interests of the people of the municipality.
“The only thing I hope is that we have fertile ground and I’m a little sceptical when I hear examples of trying to arrange meetings with provincial officials in the past and I’m very dubious we can put this together.”
Confusion over the lawsuit, which has cost the municipality $356,686 to date, was evident among the councillors, many who stated they thought the end result of a successful lawsuit would have meant immediate money for the municipality, when in actuality a victory would only give the CBRM a declaration they were not getting their fair share of equalization payments from the province and thus allow them to negotiate from a position of strength for increased payments.
Neil Finklestein, the lead attorney on the suit and one of the top constitutional lawyers in Canada, spent much of the first two hours of the meeting answering questions and explaining why he believes the CBRM has good grounds for appeal.
Finklestein, who wouldn’t give an estimate on the cost of an appeal, said councillors should have been expecting an appeal process since even if the ruling had been in favour of the CBRM it is likely the province would have appealed that result.
The mayor, who has stood behind the suit since the beginning, was disappointed with the failure of the plebiscite motion, but optimistic about the future.
“It’s not obviously the result I would like in the sense that my preference was obviously to have a plebiscite of the citizens,” said Morgan. “On the other hand the action continues to date and really, in essence, what the council decided was what I think is an appropriate process to continue to try to discuss this with the provincial government.
“To explore if there is another alternative . . . which from the beginning right through to the end of this process that is what we want — the provincial government to agree to a process that at the end of the day will get fairness for the citizens of the municipality.”

I'm a little behind, but I'll edit this in for now, and do the rest over the weekend. It explains the NSPC situation a bit more.

Daunting economic assignment starts with bite-size solutions

Section: Weekend Feedback

By Greg MacLeod,


Archbishop Desmond Tutu would love Dannie Hansen. A reporter asked the archbishop what he was going to do about the enormous problems of South Africa. Tutu in turn asked the reporter: "How do you eat an elephant?" The reporter had no answer, so the archbishop said: "One bite at a time."

The problems of Cape Breton are elephantine and impossible for us to solve by any one action. Hansen agrees with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's constitutional legal case but he proposes that we should not count on it (While Pursuing Constitutional Rights, Region Also Needs to Develop Its Plan B, May 12). He outlines a number of projects we could undertake now and calls that Plan B.

Hansen is very right in pointing out we have a variety of provincial and federal bodies that should be working together, regardless of any legal case. Although he lives in Mira, he says that downtown Sydney should be developed as a commercial centre for the region (at present development in downtown Sydney is opposed by some leaders from the other towns). Hansen promotes a united approach, believing that one strong commercial centre will benefit the total municipality.

CBRM councillors could easily make a resolution in favour of such a strategy for economic development. If the councillors are opposed to this, the provincial and federal governments cannot do much to help build an urban core.

Hansen suggests that Cape Breton politicians, regardless of party, should be involved in developing a strategy along with the mayor. Informally, this seems to happen. Conservative MLA Cecil Clarke and Liberal MP Mark Eking seem to work together. I have seen NDP MLA Frank Corbett and Clarke having coffee together in a restaurant; I think they were trying to solve a New Waterford problem.

But there should be systematic meetings. Politicians are elected not to serve the party but to serve the community. I don't know if our voters realize it but we have more power in the provincial legislature than we ever had.

Political scientist Tom Urbaniak, in the context of his Third Way (CBRM Should Sue and Sow, Not Sue and Wait, Letters, May 13), lists practical strategies that could improve our situation. He thinks we should focus on the harbour.

A practical improvement would be to request the province to set up a Crown corporation for the harbour with a director paid by the province, which could keep our harbour on the Halifax radar screen. Halifax and Strait ports have Crown corporations to lead in their development. Why don't we?

I would like to add a few bites to the lists suggested by Hansen and Urbaniak. I think we should have a four-lane, high-speed highway from Sydney through Iona to Port Hawkesbury. If needed, I would agree with a toll to pay for it.

Instead of trades people travelling to Alberta, they could travel to the Strait for work. There will be great developments along the Strait of Canso and that can help CBRM if we are smart. The shortest distance between Sydney and the Strait is through Iona. That was the original plan for the Trans-Canada but politics changed it.

CBRM is allotted about $3.3 million a year. If NSP were taxed like other businesses, we would get $ 11 million in property tax. We lose almost $8 million every year and local property owners must make up for that.

Victoria County has a similar problem. The Wreck Cove hydroelectric plant provides the municipality with $100,000 when the figure should be $300,000.

This is a manifestly unfair to CBRM and Victoria County. The ordinary citizen in Halifax would be able to understand this and I think that they would be sympathetic if it were well explained. The legislature should be able to change this. Would any Cape Breton politician dare refuse support for a provincial bill to correct such inequities?

Both Hansen and Urbaniak propose positive steps that should be taken. There has to be an umbrella body to lead on these initiatives. Hansen suggests that the Cape Breton County Development Authority could lead. It is funded by the province, CBRM and the federal government - our tax dollars; it has developed a number of strategies and it has an excellent website, but strategies are useless and a waste of time unless there are actions to carry them out.

CBCEDA should go on to the next stage and pick from the Hansen-Urbaniak list doable projects that are agreeable to all concerned. Once the partners agree, action should take place, and there should be an annual accounting of who did what and who blocked what.

Greg MacLeod is director of the Tompkins Institute, Cape Breton University.

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Starts for April were up 60% compared to April 2007.
Year to date starts are up 76% compared to 2007 at this time.

Completions for April were up 27% compared to April 2007.
Year to date completions are up 156% compared to 2007 at this time.

Under construction units in April were up 124% compared to April 2007.


By comparison nationally
April starts:
CMA totals up 1.5%
Large Urban Centres and Urban Agglomerations (non CMA greater than 50,000...also CBRM's category) is down 28.7%
Total areas greater than 50,000 down 1.0%

Year to date starts:
CMA totals up 15.9%
Large Urban Centres and Urban Agglomerations down 36.9%
Total areas greater than 50,000 up 11.6%

CBRM has the largest YTD % increase in housing starts in the Large Urban Centres and Urban Agglomerations category. (2nd largest YTD % increase for Total areas greater than 50,000, Barrie=1st)

This is when we start to get into the busier time of year, so the upcoming stats should provide a good indication of how we're faring, though I expect the trend of increase to continue.

I'll catch up on the news stories over the weekend.

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Cape Breton Post

The Giant ready to launch Tuesday

Section: Business

By Tom Ayers, CAPE BRETON POST


Starting a new business in Cape Breton and employing 26 people is a pretty big deal these days. For NewCap Radio, it's Giant.

Sydney's newest radio station, Giant 101.9 FM, begins broadcasting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, after months of preparation.

General manager Dave Newbury said the company has invested in top-of-the-line equipment and research, and has found that listeners in this market want commercial radio to reflect their community through interviews and discussion of events, as well as news.

Along with a 'hits' music format, Giant will provide that kind of programming, he said.

"I think radio news in the traditional sense has always been stiff and formal and separate from the rest of the broadcast," Newbury said, adding that 101.9 FM is "not going to be stiff and formal. It's more about talking about the things that are going on in the community.

"Our research indicated that something the community wanted was news on the weekend, and we'll be providing that, as well. At no time will you hear newscasts that don't originate from our building."

The station's format will include hit songs from the 1980s and '90s, he said, "but predominantly it's going to be newer music. We did a tremendous amount of research here... and this was the format that came back," Newbury said.

The station plans to target the 18-54 age demographic and it will be skewed somewhat toward female listeners.

"What this format should do is provide a radio product that probably a mid-forties mom is going to listen to, but her teenage daughter will probably like, as well," he said.

Listeners have found music already being broadcast at 101.9 FM, which is a licensing requirement, and men have called to say they are enjoying it, too, Newbury added.

The station already employs 26 people full time, plus a stable of youths on a "street team" who will be involved part-time in promotions. Daryl Stevens is program director and Scott Boyd is the news director. The Giant has a four-person newsroom, four salespeople and five on-air personalities. The rest are in production and administration.

Newbury said despite the census data that indicate a declining and aging population in Cape Breton, research shows that there is still a good business climate in Cape Breton and that it is going to get better.

The introduction of big box retail stores and other business expansions bode well for the future, he said.

"This is an area where there's been, I guess, some hard knocks over the years, but I sense some pretty positive things being announced.

"I think the sky's the limit. Once one thing starts, it attracts another. I think you're going to see more and more of it as time goes on, and that's why we came here.

"I just came from Newfoundland and the feeling here is like it was there seven or eight years ago. I think it's exactly what it looks like. It's an economy about to take off."

In July 2007, NewCap Radio and local businessman Barry Martin were both awarded new commercial FM licences by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Since then, NewCap has acquired a 29.9 per cent stake in Martin's new station and both will operate out of a new building on Keltic Drive.

Martin's Q103.5 FM is expected to launch within a couple of weeks of Giant.

NewCap Radio is a wholly owned subsidiary of Newfoundland Capital Corporation, which owns 77 radio stations across Canada.

Council had a good day

Section: Comment



Friday was a good day for regional council even if perennial critics dismiss the outcome of the marathon session as a failure of nerve and a waste of time. Decisive rejection of the proposed plebiscite, by a vote of 13-4, was an unexpected display of self-confidence by a council just five months away from municipal elections. And the stratagem of effectively delaying a final decision on whether to pursue the constitutional case, while once again testing provincial willingness to explore some alternative, was a smarter move than the council may have fully realized.

The plebiscite would have asked voters in the fall whether the Cape Breton Regional Municipality should carry on its legal case, to the Supreme Court of Canada in necessary, claiming that the Nova Scotia government is failing to live up to its commitment on equalization and economic development under Section 36 of the Constitution. The majority of council was correct in seeing this issue as unsuitable for a plebiscite.

While the question can be reduced to yes or no, that simplicity is deceptive. The mayor and council launched this case and can't slough off the responsibility now. For Mayor John Morgan and the other strong advocates for the legal strategy, a decisive win in a plebiscite would have made it easier to keep the next council, and possibly even councils after that, on track to pursue the case to some conclusion. Keeping council together on this through elections is like herding cats, though Morgan was gracious in accepting council's new tack as an "appropriate process."

If this is done right, the Conservative provincial government will be put on the spot to respond in some substantive, convincing way to the overture from council and whatever community allies are brought on board. If the province, under a glare of public attention, fails to muster a credible response to the invitation for some process towards resolution of CBRM's issues, this will undermine completely any further arguments by interest groups or political challengers for negotiation instead of litigation.

Within the 60 days allotted to seek a resolution process, the argument may well come down to whether the province's response is sufficient to justify CBRM dropping the legal case. Vague promises of future discussion won't do it, nor will provincial demands that CBRM drop the case first as a pre-condition to any discussion about alternative process.

There is an opportunity that neither side should take lightly. Whether the province admits it or not, there is risk for itself and other senior governments - including the federal government - in letting the case proceed to a final determination even on the narrow question of whether s.36 in justiciable under the circumstances presented. As Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty regularly demonstrates with his complaints about federal treatment, even a province that doesn't get equalization can be keenly interested in how the system works and what it costs.

Surely none of these governments wants the courts butting in here, even in an abstract way. There's incentive for this province, and other governments in the country, to avoid the possibility that an adverse judgment from their vantage might yet be rendered on s.36.

Every effort should be made to preserve historic church in New Waterford

Section: Comment

Column: Letters to the editor


A group of concerned St. Leonard's parishioners met with the public in late April and presented our brief, Considerations. I explained the "historical and architectural aspects of Mount Carmel Church." I graduated from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, taught Art at Breton Education Centre, and am a watercolourist.

Mount Carmel Church is one of the last historic buildings in New Waterford. Constructed in 1911, it predates the town's 1913 incorporation. A $6,000 Casavant pipe organ was purchased in 1929. Fr. John MacKinnon had it appraised in the early 1980s at approximately $225,000.

In 1935, two paintings were added in the sanctuary: Christ the King and Our Lady. The artist, Guido Nincheri, had been an art professor at the University of Florence, Italy.

In 1933, Pope Pius XI made him a Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester for his art and cited him as a great artist of religious themes.

Nincheri was known as the Canadian Michelangelo.

He used Michelangelo's technique, called fresco, painting directly on wet plaster, making the paintings part of the fabric of the building. These paintings in Mount Carmel are the only works of art painted by Nincheri in Nova Scotia and are of historical as well as artistic importance.

In 1938-39 the 19 stained glass windows were completed by Nincheri who was also considered one of Canada's principal masters of stained glass.

In the late 1980s, Fr. Vern Boutilier had them valued from $50,000 to $70,000 each.

In the 1960s, three paintings in the sanctuary (The Assumption, the Resurrection and the Ascension) were completed by Mario, a Montreal artist.

As they are painted on canvas and glued to the wall, the chance of moving them to another location without damage is slim.

The Trifos report, which evaluated the six churches in New Waterford and area, says the interior of Mount Carmel "is even more impressive than the exterior. It has columns, ornate capitals, coffered ceilings, commemorative stained glass windows, large rose window and a Casavant Freres, 1929, pipe organ; these create a magnificent ecclesiastical interior design.

"The stained glass work and the pipe organ are exemplary pieces of ecclesiastical furnishings. The Roman windows have decorative quatrefoils at their tops, and create an impressive framework for the decorative glass. The architectural quality of the nave ceilings is exceptional in geometry, detailing, and colour accenting; the lofty, soaring arches and vaults create a sense of awe and inspiration in the quality of design and construction."

We thank Trifos for his splendid description of what our forefathers have gifted to us.

Vatican Council II documents on sacred art and sacred furnishings states that "sacred furnishings and works of value are not to be disposed of or destroyed."

Our committee feels that Mount Carmel should not be levelled because these works of art could not be moved successfully.

Every effort should be made to preserve Mount Carmel Church for its historical, architectural and artistic importance to New Waterford and the parish.

Richard Chiasson

New Waterford

St. Andrew's United Church named a municipal heritage property

Section: Front

By Erin Pottie,


St. Andrew's United Church has a new plaque mounted to its red brick entrance.

The structure was unveiled as a municipal heritage property Sunday, after church officials first requested heritage designation in June 2005.

Built in 1911 with bricks from the Mira brickyard, the church replaced a building on Pitt street which had served the congregation since 1888.

"We recognize the heritage and culture and the life of this particular building in the community and we put value on it, in the sense that it's worthwhile protecting and saving," said District 9 Coun. Tom Wilson, chair of the municipal heritage advisory committee.

Building plans for church, located at 40 Bentinck St., were prepared by the architectural firm Curry and Sparling of Toronto, apparently with considerable input from the Rev. John Pringle, who served as pastor at the time.

Both architects were involved in the design of a number of registered heritage properties in Toronto. Samuel Curry is probably best known for his work on the former Bank of Montreal building in Toronto, which is currently part of the Hockey Hall of Fame. William Sparling designed the Toronto Masonic Temple, now home to MTV Canada.

St. Andrew's United Church was built for $62,945 by the Rhodes and Curry Company and includes a pipe organ by the famed Casavant Brothers, purchased in 1910 for $5,595.

"We hope this will be a first step in getting provincial recognition of the building as well," said John Morgan, Mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality. "Certainly if we lose these treasures it will be a tremendous blow to our history."

Still carrying on the tradition of welcoming the Christian community to Sunday services, the building is also a stop for cruise ship visitors who often admire the building, said current pastor Rev. Stephen R. Mills.

"It's still services every week. A smaller congregation, but still lively and children involved; lots of things going on. It's a historic building, but we don't want it to be history."

Plans are in the works to have the building designated as provincial heritage site, which would include an application process similar to the municipal designation. Mayor Morgan said he expects those next steps will be taken in the near future.

Here's the church (image my own)

Councillor says he is determined to see recreational facility built in Dominion

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Sharon Montgomery, Cape Breton Post


Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger is bound and determined to see a recreation facility built in this community.

And the Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillor for District 5 is going after the Cape Breton Development Corp.

"Devco owes this community. I believe Devco should take some responsibility for the community's losses and come back to help."

The community lost their high school and seniors recreational hall in 2002, after subsidence was discovered.

As a result the elementary school students, who used the high school's gymnasium, have since been bused to Bridgeport school for gym classes.

"The students need a gymnasium, the school is not adequate," said Bruckschwaiger.

As well the seniors, whose recreational facility was located in the same general area, lost their building to subsidence the same year.

"Dominion needs and deserves a facility that would house a gymnasium and space for seniors."

He said there is suitable space on the land adjacent to the former high school.

Bruckschwaiger began corresponding with Peter MacKay, minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, a couple of months ago.

In a letter to MacKay, Bruckschwaiger said funds were set aside for the remediation of the former Devco mine sites and Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. is selling off land formerly owned by the Devco and the proceeds are going into ECBC programs.

"Considering that our high school was lost because of undermine workings from former Devco mines I certainly believe that we qualify, considering our loss."

Bruckschwaiger has met with officials from the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board and ECBC.

The emphasis right now is on a plan for the building, he said.

Bruckschwaiger also discussed the issue with local school board member Kevin Ruelland, who has since gone to the school board to have the issue of a gymnasium for the school put on the priority list.

Members of the home and school association are going to the school board to request the gymnasium become the number one priority.

But Bruckschwaiger wants this facility to be more than just a gymnasium.

The project before the school board is a small gymnasium from 6,000-7,000 square feet, at a cost of $1.2 million.

Bruckschwaiger wants to see a larger gymnasium with space for seniors, at a cost of about $1.6 million.

"Money will have to also come from other sources to see this happen, we will need help from the provincial and federal governments.

"We have to get financial consideration from other sources and I believe Devco should be one."

D.A. Landry, spokesperson for ECBC, confirmed officials from the agency have met and had discussions with Bruckschwaiger regarding a building.

"The notion of possibly helping to fund a plan or study has been discussed, we haven't committed to anything at this time."

Landry said an actual commitment will be finalized upon receipt of the estimate of cost to develop the plan.

Bras d'Or to be nominated as a UN biosphere reserve

Section: Northside/Victoria


The Bras d'Or Biosphere Reserve Association is nearing completion of a formal document nominating the Bras d'Or Lake as a biosphere reserve under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Man and the Biosphere program.

The association will submit this 140-page document next month to Canada's Man and the Biosphere Office in Ottawa.

In addition to detailing the lake's unique natural history, the nomination document focuses on the human element of the ecosystem.

Once Canadian officials are satisfied that the project meets the United Nations requirements, they will nominate the Bras d'Or Lake as a UN biosphere reserve.

The final decision on the lake's status will come from the Paris headquarters of UNESCO as early as the fall of 2009.

People who live around the lake will get a chance today to hear a detailed presentation of the reasons for establishing the Bras d'Or and its watershed as a UN biosphere reserve, when the association holds its second annual general meeting at 7 p.m. in the Bras d'Or Community Hall (St. Joseph's Parish) in Little Bras d'Or. The meeting is open to the public.

Following a presentation of the qualities that make the Bras d'Or a candidate for biosphere reserve status, the association will hear from Peter Etheridge, chief executive officer of the Fundy Biosphere Reserve - Canada's newest biosphere reserve.

He will describe the benefits of having a community receive biosphere reserve status.

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Cape Breton Post

Group hopes to have Bras d'Or Lake designated a UN biosphere next year

Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association hosts annual general meeting

Section: Front

By Tom Ayers,


Documents promoting the Bras d'Or Lake as a world-recognized biosphere reserve should be ready early in 2009 and the group behind the effort hopes to have the designation finalized later next year, said Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association chair Teresa MacNeil.

"We're almost ready now," she said after the group's second annual general meeting was held at St. Joseph's Parish Hall in Little Bras d'Or, Monday evening.

A draft of the documents nominating the lake as a biosphere is available on the group's website and 50 copies have been circulated among various interest groups and government agencies and departments, said MacNeil.

The group plans to incorporate comments and suggestions and will produce a final draft shortly, which will then be prepared for submission to the Canadian office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The group also hopes to have federal, provincial and municipal government approvals on the plan before sending it to UNESCO.

Having the Bras d'Or Lake watershed recognized as a biosphere reserve would afford some protection for the core areas within the watershed, and offer opportunities for research funding and sustainable development, including tourism, said group secretary Jim Foulds, a retired Cape Breton University biology professor.

"I just think it is to create amongst ourselves an interest in it and an appreciation of a precious commodity," added MacNeil.

About 30 people attended the annual meeting. One woman, who declined to give her name, expressed concern over the designation, saying it would lead to "zealous ecologists" regulating her farm business and "telling us what we'll have shoved down our throat."

MacNeil said the UN designation comes with no authority, so farmers, forestry workers and mining industry representatives should not worry about new regulations affecting their business.

"It can't happen because there's no power to do so," she said.

Cape Breton University researcher Bruce Hatcher, a member of the biosphere reserve association, agreed.

"It's like being on the dean's list at university," he said. "It means you done good."

However, he added, it makes it easier to apply for research funds for a world-recognized area.

Ken Jardine, an area resident who lives along the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake, said he knew very little about the biosphere plan until he attended the meeting Monday, but was concerned that it might impact him as a landowner.

He said after the meeting he has no concerns about the Bras d'Or being named a biosphere reserve.

"It seems to me this is the ecological equivalent to a Nobel prize," he said. "It's a recognition thing."

Information on the plan, including maps and the draft nomination form, can be found at www.blbra.ca.

And the NIMBYs start on the container terminal (though they seem to have not read anything about it...as usual).

Terminal plan has pros and cons

Section: Comment

Column: Letters to the editor


To say I am very concerned by the announcement of a proposed container terminal in Sydney Harbour would be an extreme understatement. Bigger is not always better; sometimes, as in the case of the Titanic, it just leads to bigger disaster.

The pros and cons of this proposal, as I see them, are as follows:

Pros:

-- it will take away business from the Port of Halifax;

-- Texans will gain from increased rail traffic;

-- missing military toxins may be found in dredging;

-- future oil, easily shipped away, may be found on the island.

Cons:

-- increased risk of environmental disaster (bigger oil spills);

-- increase in harmful drugs and criminal activity;

-- too close to populated areas in case of disease outbreak or terrorist threat;

-- harm to fishery by increased possibility of invasive species.

I also question where potentially toxic sludge dredged from the harbour will be dumped.

Cathy Theriault

Point Edward

I could show how each of her arguments is flawed, but I'll just say this.
It's working in cooperation with Halifax and Melford, we already have ships from all over the world entering the harbour, the dredged material will be used on the terminal site as fill.

[Smevo]

Cape Breton Post

Chamber speaker, president tout economic turnaround

Section: Business

By Tom Ayers, CAPE BRETON POST


Joe Shannon, a well-known Port Hawkesbury businessman and former president of the Cape Breton Development Corporation, says the local economy has undergone a positive change since the closure of the coal mines and the steel plant.

"When we closed the coal mines, I think that on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being successful, the community and the attitude towards success and hopefulness was around a one or one and a half," he said in an interview prior to a speaking engagement at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, Tuesday.

"And I think it's now around six or seven, and that's quite a turnaround."

About 160 people gathered at the convention centre for the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting, and to hear Shannon, the event's guest speaker.

He credited Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. and local business owners with making the transition to a new economy, and doing it rather well.

"The Sydney chamber members and businesses are investing more in their businesses and working harder than ever, but they're having more fun," said Shannon.

"People are working, there's 'help wanted' signs all over. At one time, the biggest single problem in Cape Breton was access to capital. Today, it's access to a skilled workforce."

Shannon said despite the loss of significant numbers of jobs with the closure of the mines and the steel plant about eight years ago, property values have continued to rise and new businesses have been established, "so I think there's a lot of hope for people in Cape Breton."

Chamber president Owen Fitzgerald expanded on the theme of hope for the future, citing a lengthy list of successful chamber projects and new business initiatives in the region.

He said the chamber has taken a stronger leadership role in the community, collaborating with businesses, government agencies and politicians to improve the economy and the community in general.

For example, Fitzgerald said, the chamber helped establish a new Sydney Ports Council and Laurentian Energy has announced the development of a $200-million container terminal for the port.

Fitzgerald said he has already been approached by one young person looking for information on how to get a job at the proposed terminal.

"This guy saw opportunity and this guy saw hope, and that's pretty significant," he said.

Other major developments include the $300-million Louisbourg Resort, $300-million Xstrata Coal Mine proposal at Donkin, $400-million tar ponds cleanup, Devco mine remediation projects, and other multi-million-dollar commercial and retail developments near the Mayflower Mall and in downtown Sydney.

"I think all of that adds up to something like $2 billion in projects," Fitzgerald said.

At its annual general meeting, the chamber also presented former Advanced Glazings president Doug Milburn with its Most Outstanding Chairman award, for his work on the chamber's Council on Innovation, which is exploring new ways to encourage and support innovative business start-ups.

I'm surprised Fitzgerald decided to mention that one person asked him about a potential job at the container terminal.
As for developments, there's most definitely been a turn-around.
As for optimism which you can't measure quantitatively but can sense while in an area, there's been a large turn-around in the area as well.


Had to throw this one in

All evidence suggests legal case is CBRM's only avenue to get taken seriously

Section: Comment

Column: Darrell Kyte

By Darrell Kyte,


Choosing a topic on which to write is one of the many joys of writing columns. Most times a topic comes readily, as was the case with this one.

My fiancée and I were having a vigorous discussion regarding the merits of the "judicial activism" label and of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's legal challenge against the province as we waited to board a flight a week and a half ago. Our conversation was quite spirited, and it inspired this column.

The lead editorials in the National Post and Globe and Mail were the impetus for our discussion. Both the Post and Globe were criticizing the Supreme Court of Canada's recent ruling in a case regarding the youth justice system. The editorials reasoned that the ruling of the court amounted to a judicial step into the policy world.

The editorials acknowledged that the court adopted an overly expansive view of Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to strike down recent amendments to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Section 7 guarantees everyone "the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice."

The court held that subjecting young offenders to adult sentences and allowing their names to be published would violate the principles of fundamental justice.

It is clear the supreme court makes rather broad rulings on many legal questions, the recent ruling on the youth justice system being but one. It seems logical to assume that if CBRM's legal challenge failed at the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal and made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada, it would have a decent shot at succeeding.

CBRM's case is based upon a broad interpretation of Section 36 of the Constitution. Justice John D. Murphy of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled that CBRM's challenge was a policy matter best settled out of court; however, the Supreme Court of Canada may disagree. And, of course, the Supreme Court of Canada is not bound by the decision of any lower court.

We should be reminded, however, as my colleague David Johnson wrote in these pages last week (Political Insights: Regional Politicians Have to Grab Both Horns of Dilemma to Earn Public Support, May 21), that the legal action would take a few years to work its way through the courts.

As a result, he suggested the municipality adopt a two-pronged approach to deal with regional decline: pursue the legal case and champion community development at the same time.

I believe it would be ideal for the municipality to implement a two-pronged approach to deal with regional decline. The municipality has limited means, however, and it would be extremely difficult for it to provide generic services, fight a constitutional battle and champion local initiatives to develop the community.

The near criminal neglect shown by the provincial and federal governments in dealing with the community's decline is the real story. Although the municipality has pleaded its case, neither level of government has acknowledged the grim statistical reality. The merry-go-round of denial is exasperating and troubling.

Rather than acknowledge and address the concerns of CBRM, the province profoundly insulted Cape Bretoners. The Crown attorney in the CBRM case suggested that Cape Bretoners are "hillbillies."

The hillbilly remark was disgraceful, petty, mean-spirited, vindictive and perverse. Make no mistake, when a Crown attorney speaks he or she speaks for the province. The remarks reflect a colonial attitude at odds with democratic governance.

Many suggest dialogue with the province is a viable option. How on earth can you have an honest dialogue and negotiate with a partner who believes you to be a bunch of hillbillies?

I pose this question to the Chamber of Commerce, members of council, MLAs, MPs and any other luminaries who believe dialogue to be a realistic option.

CBRM has attempted to engage the province in a serious dialogue for at least a decade, with little result. I have long supported the legal case because all the evidence suggests it is the only way that CBRM's concerns will be taken seriously.

The lawsuit represents CBRM's last and only bargaining chip in its quest to sustain the viability of the community.

Darrell Kyte teaches political science at Cape Breton University.

I heard a rumour about the "hillbillies" comment, and wish I could know for sure whether it actually happened or not. I'm sure only a minority of mainlanders would actually agree with this tag, but when a Crown Attorney representing The Province uses it, it certainly doesn't help relations any. And it's not some small rural town they're referring to either, it's the second largest municipality in the province, with the fourth largest urban population by StatsCan standards in the Maritimes (fifth in Atlantic Provinces) within a CMA/CA at 78,141. Fredericton is nearest below us with 56,245 and Saint John is nearest above us with 92,722. By Atlantic standards, that's a very significant urban population.


A major hurdle cleared for the new Jr. High in Glace Bay.

'A site has been selected'

New junior high school will be built on Wallace's Road

Section: Front

By Sharon Montgomery, Cape Breton Post


The community's new junior high school will be built on Wallace's Road.

That long-awaited announcement was made by Nova Scotia Education Minister Karen Casey in the legislature in Halifax, Tuesday.

Glace Bay MLA Dave Wilson said he has been waiting to hear those five little words 'a site has been selected' for years.

"I am so happy. It's a question I have been asking the past five years," said the Liberal MLA. "We needed (the school) yesterday. Casey promised the process will now move quickly, will go full steam ahead.

"That to me was the best news I could hear."

Three parcels of adjoining land on Wallace's Road have been purchased for the new junior high school from the Knights of Columbus, Sisters of St. Martha and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Construction of a new junior high in Glace Bay was announced in 2003. The building was originally slated for completion in 2007 and then in 2009, however failure to find an appropriate location along with some financial restrictions delayed the process.

About 20 sites were tested, however many revealed subsidence and undermining problems and eventually the sites were narrowed down to Wallace's Road and one on the Donkin Highway .

Dan Harrison, communication adviser for the Department of Education, said the process can now move forward.

"Our plans show September 2010 as the date the new school will be ready for occupancy," he said.

Harrison said geotechnical and engineering tests that included drilling to the core were conducted on the land and took longer than expected.

"We tried to be extra cautious to make sure it would be a good site for the school."

He said the next step will be the design phase, conducted by an architect and engineering team, then the tendering process.

He said the department has $1.1 million allocated this year for the design and site preparation, which could also include some construction during the April 2008-April 2009 fiscal year.

Construction will take 18 months, he added.

"It is hard to say when an actual shovel will be going in the ground," he added.

[Smevo]

Cape Breton Post

Hawkes community clubendorses recreation centre idea
Section: Comment


The Dominion Community Hawks club is celebrating 20 years of promoting sports, good health and fitness in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. We do this by supporting worthwhile projects with money we raise.

Our main beneficiary over the years was MacDonald High School where we donated well over $100,000 to help teachers, coaches and students maintain programs.

We are very proud of the work we have been able to do. Enabling students to excel in hockey, basketball, badminton and cheerleading, progressing until graduation, is a credit to all involved. We've seen our students taking part in college sports because of the gymnasium we had at the school.

The gym was also used after school hours and was the focal point in our town. At school concerts as many as 500 would come to support our children; tournaments were a highlight which brought parents from all over Nova Scotia; dances were held monthly to help raise revenue to support school activities.

The recreation that took place at the school and gym was an attraction to young families who moved to our community. It was indeed a very sad day when we lost our school. We need recreation facilities more and more to stem the tide of our young people moving away, and to keep them healthy and fit.

All levels of government must act to help communities such as ours with a program to provide the necessary infrastructure so our citizens can enjoy what we need and deserve. The next step is a new recreation centre, and the Dominion Community Hawks Club fully endorses this worthwhile project.

John Stefura Dominion Community Hawks president

Davies won't seek District 2 seat

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford


Bill Davies, who announced in March that he would be seeking the District 2 seat on the Cape Breton Regional Municipality council in the upcoming October election, has dropped out of the race.

Davies, of Glace Bay, said his decision to withdraw is based on health reasons.

"I would like to thank those who supported me and I had a lot of support."

District 2 is currently represented by Kevin Saccary. The district includes the Caledonia and South Street areas of Glace Bay, as well as the communities of Port Caledonia, Donkin, Port Morien, Tower Road, Birch Grove, Broughton, Homeville, Black Brook, South Head and Round Island.

Another site to add to the list to visit while I'm home at the end of the month.

Historical society planning for new museum

Section: Northside/Victoria


The North Sydney Historical Society is currently involved in planning for a new museum on Commercial Street, next to the library.

Plans are to construct the first phase, a showroom for the LaFrance fire engine, during the summer.

Right now a low bed trailer is being constructed for the society and this will enable the fire engine to be transported to various venues and parades throughout Cape Breton.

The museum is open for the summer season. It's located at the rear of the library in the basement. Historical society president Jim Walsh said he was happy to announce the arrival of three summer students - two of whom are funded by a 13-week provincial government grant and one student who is funded through the federal government for an eight-week placement.

The museum's summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and 12-7 p.m. on weekends throughout June. During the months of July and August the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and 12-8 p.m. on weekends.

Signs of the times

Local businesses show their support for QMJHL draft

Section: Sports


Local business owners are showing their support for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Session and Draft by displaying welcome signs in their storefront windows.

"How exciting it is for our community to host the draft," said Marjorie Fougere, president and owner of Finishing Touch Centre and president of the Sydney Downtown Development Association.

"It's a great opportunity to not only showcase our talent, but to also promote our unique downtown. With so much to offer our visitors, they're sure to enjoy our friendliness, our services and our products."

Close to 1,000 participants are expected to attend the draft, being held in Sydney this year, June 4-7.

According to Fougere, the SDDA is helping local companies post welcome signs so draft participants know they're open for business and strong community partners in events such as the draft.

The draft is expected to result in $2 million in spin-offs for the local economy, according to a draft committee release.

"The local businesses have shown their support from day one," said draft committee co-chair Anita DeLazzer.

"The signs they are putting up welcoming draft participants is yet another testament to their community-mindedness and willingness to help out. When the participants see the signs, they'll know Cape Breton is welcoming them into their community and that means a lot."

Draft committee co-chair Donnie Morrison said it's especially important that the players feel comfortable.

"The draft is first and foremost about the players themselves," said Morrison.

"Making them feel welcome and supported during this special time in their lives is important. Feeling welcome wherever they go while in Cape Breton is key to ensuring they have a positive experience - our downtown and local businesses are making sure that happens."

[Smevo]

Cape Breton Post

New Kia building latest example of MacDonald family's confidence in Cape Breton economy

Section: Business

By Doug MacKenzie,


A Cape Breton car dealership will open its first green showroom and service centre, Monday.

MacDonald Auto Group will unveil their new 12,000 square-foot Kia location, built by Silver Grey Building Solutions at an estimated cost of $2 million, which features an energy-efficient structure and in-floor radiant heating.

The site will also house the MacDonald Auto Group central appointments communications centre which will handle all calls concerning service needs, not only for Kia, but the other MacDonald franchises, Lloyd MacDonald Nissan, Breton Toyota and MacDonald Suzuki.

"It's all about customer service for us and we want to be the best at customer service," said 46-year-old son Ron MacDonald, who along with brothers Jim, 51, Chris, 50, and Mark 45, co-own the dealerships. "We needed a new Kia building, but we wanted to be the best at service in the area so we focused on this a lot when we designed the communications centre."

MacDonald said he and his brothers feel the Cape Breton economy has turned a corner, which is why they have continued to enjoy success in the competitive automobile market.

"Cape Breton has turned the corner, at least we think it has," he said. "With the new port coming in and the tar ponds cleanup underway, the future is good for Cape Breton and I don't think there is any question of that."

The MacDonald success has been shared with the community as well, and while a number of their projects are kept quiet, MacDonald said they are proud of their work with Loaves and Fishes.

"The community has been very good to us and so it's important to us to give back," said MacDonald. "And I always make sure I take my kids down so they can appreciate what they have."

With four franchises and 130 employees, MacDonald Auto Group has come a long way from the original Datsun franchise opened by Lloyd MacDonald 40 years ago.

"When Dad started out he took 50 burnt orange Datsun 510s because that's all he could get," said MacDonald, while pointing out his 77-year-old father still comes to work every day at 8 a.m. "He went to the bank and borrowed $300. $100 was for the mortgage on his house, $100 was for the new cars and $100 was for groceries because he had eight kids at the time.

"I never looked at it as how far we would go. We just worked really hard every day and if you put hard work into it, Dad always said rewards would come. We don't look at it like we have to get to a certain point, we just come to work and work hard."

I always thought MacDonald owned more dealers than that. Even still, the family's done extremely well for itself.

Container port proposal driven by credible development partnership

Section: Comment

Column: Letters to the editor


In just a few short months considerable progress has been made in advancing an ambitious development program for Sydney ports. It began with the release of a far-sighted Ports of Sydney Master Plan. A highlight is the announcement of a joint venture between Laurentian Energy and Galaxy SARL to build a $200 million container terminal at Sydport.

Coupled with other significant planned developments, such as the movement of elevated volumes of bulk cargo and passengers, the ports have the potential to sustain the equivalent of about 9,000 jobs yearly - a compelling number.

Over the years the community has seen announcements of big projects come and go without the materialization of promised benefits. So what's different about the proposed container terminal that elevates its chance of success?

A lot, actually. Perhaps the most important distinction is the nature of the joint venture that underpins the project. It's a business relationship based on a carefully considered plan, opportune timing, available equity and a unique project development model.

Galaxy wears several hats in relation to the Sydport container terminal. It comes to the table with a wealth of knowledge, hands-on experience in port development, direct access to investment capital and a strong working relationship with container terminal designers, builders, operators and carriers. All of this is being brought to bear on the project.

The development company that is committed to seeing the project through to completion is energized, deliberate and results-driven.

Galaxy is fuelling the venture in a decidedly pro-active fashion.

We are a proud and enduring community. How we have responded to, and come to the support of, the Ports of Sydney Master Plan speaks to our character. It's very much something that has helped to advance the container terminal project to this stage.

This is an exciting time for us all. Together we can reshape our economic future around the ports.

Norma Boyd

Sydney Marine Group

ECBC mandate under review

Section: Comment


It's sometimes said that the best thing about Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. is the jobs. That means not the jobs it creates through its programs but the 42 jobs in its offices. While that's a valid reason in itself for supporting the agency's continued presence, the argument is also a droll example of how Cape Bretoners often think about government bureaucracy: regardless of what it does, and even if it does nothing, it employs office people and those jobs may as well be here as in Halifax or Moncton.

There's another sense in which the core value of ECBC is in its people, pardon the cliché. Those who've actually worked in economic development know that bringing projects to fruition is a detailed and tedious process built on teamwork and intimate knowledge of available resources and people in their communities. Whatever tweaking is done to ECBC's mandate or programs in the months ahead, the skill and knowledge capacity developed within the agency since its legislative inception in 1987 must be counted as a key asset worth preserving.

The Cape Breton economy has been dying, transitioning or recovering, depending on who's talking, for more than 40 years. ECBC is the successor of Devco's industrial development division, brought into being in 1967 to help develop an alternative to coal mining, which was to be phased out (a job that took more than 30 years, as it turned out). Now, of course, there's furious argument about whether this region is turning the corner or hitting the wall. Whichever it is, the region needs all the capacity it can muster, both public and private, not only money but business development know-how and experience.

ECBC has found itself the centre of controversy the last few years, due in no small part to conflict over governance style and personality originating at the top, as well as political debate not so much about the ECBC's performance as whether this is sufficient as the lead effort of senior government in a region suffering catastrophic economic loss. This period has also seen the expenditure of some $100 million through the Cape Breton Growth Fund, an entity separate from ECBC but closely connected through the person of Rick Beaton, the mercurial chief executive whose often stormy tenure ended last year.

Initial concerns among some business and political people about a major independent review of ECBC's mandate, cost and effectiveness, also looking at the growth fund, should be eased somewhat by the five-year appointment of former Sobeys executive John Lynn of New Glasgow as ECBC chief executive and vice-president. Perhaps more to the point, Marlene Usher, who's been filling in and is a member of the steering committee overseeing the review, due for completion sometime this summer, has said she doesn't expect major changes to result.

A 41-year pedigree, 21 in its current incarnation, can be cited as an indictment of the ECBC experiment. Why, after all, hasn't it managed to solve the Cape Breton puzzle in so much time? On the other hand, that history, spanning economic upheavals in Cape Breton as well as numerous political changes in Ottawa and Halifax, is also proof of how stable and adaptable the Crown agency approach has been here. It's that adaptability that needs to show itself again as ECBC resets its focus as a key player in Cape Breton's economic future.