Sydney Developments

[Smevo]

Yeah, and what's even more sad is that if X-proposal gets cut down to 10 stories in Halifax, which wouldn't even be noticed on the skyline (depending on placement), it would still be taller than the Spanish Gates complex. He was planning the hotel/mixed use anyway and probably would have waited until after the condos were done to seek council approval, but I guess he figured his best bet was to get them both done now with a "compromise". Oh well, maybe he'll plan something tall for beside Cambridge Suites as the city picks up. There shouldn't be much NIMBYism at all for that lot. It's too bad he didn't save his hotel for there.

[Smevo]

Couldn't get onto the forum last night, but I posted this on SSP last night so I'm going to copy it here as well for those few not on both forums.

Forgot to add a rumoured piece of the Spanish Gates (the Dorcester) proposal. Apparently it's also going to include a parking garage, which isn't surprising considering the extra parking the development itself will need along with the fact that it's taking up parking spaces for workers in two of Chernin's office buildings across the street.

Here are a couple more letters to the editor about it. I'm strongly considering writing one of my own within the next week.

Cape Breton Post
Comment, Saturday, March 25, 2006, p. A8

Letters

Proposed high-rise would merely add to ugly streetscape

I am concerned that Councillor Tom Wilson and landowner Mary Chernin are attempting to strike down two of the six sight lines that the municipal planning department has proposed to protect the waterview and streetscapes in Sydney's North End.

If Coun. Wilson and Mr. Chernin have their way, we will lose yet another large chunk of waterfront that rightfully belongs to all of Sydney, and in this case is part of the integrity of our North End.

The six sight lines are excellent city planning. They must be protected through bylaw to stop developers from filling their pockets on the backs of all us.

I urge regional council to look closely at this proposal for a high-rise on our waterfront. This project would block two of the sight lines and look like an ugly blob sticking out of the North End. The North End is an underprotected and priceless area of Sydney that continues to suffer from a lack of tender loving care from council.

The addition of a high rise on the water will serve to further ghettoize the battered North End.

The award for ugliest streetscape in Sydney goes to that part of the Esplanade between Cambridge Suites and the Delta Hotel. Don't let Mr. Chernin produce more of the same because he is unwilling to produce a plan that leaves the sight lines intact.

I challenge Coun. Wilson and Mr. Chernin to ensure that this land becomes the site of a development that enhances the North End and invites us all to the waterfront. It's doable.

Cape Breton Post
Comment, Saturday, March 11, 2006, p. A8

Letter from the editor

Proposed waterfront project provokes differing viewpoints

Fred Jackson

This is not New York City or Toronto, but the potential of Cape Breton ports, particularly Sydney's, could open the gate to economic prosperity in a community that has depended on waterways for centuries. However, the view of the Sydney waterfront is so valuable it has spun controversy among developers and historic preservation buffs that has landed in the hands of regional council.

Those interested in preserving the character of Sydney's north end are concerned about a proposed $46 million development that would accommodate condominiums, a hotel, commercial and retail space.

One stumbling block is the view of the harbour from six vantage points. The project would be located across the street from Commerce Tower, between the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club and the Sydney Pavilion.

Adoption of six view planes would prevent any commercial development from blocking the harbour view no matter how beneficial to the economy, says municipal planner Rick McCready. Economic development manager John Whalley spoke out against obstructing the view of the harbour.

Mayor John Morgan suggested more information is needed on the proposal, which is only a conceptual drawing at this point, before the committee could vote on how many view planes should be protected.

It amazes me that an economic development officer would make the statement Whalley did.

On Friday I had a phone chat with Philip Lopate, a prominent New York author who has written a fascinating book about waterfront development. In his book, Waterfront: A Journey Around Manhattan, Lopate looks at how New York's waterfront developed.

He calls the waterfront "the key to New York's destiny" and suggests some ideas for future waterfront development.

During our conversation he made it clear that he is not against waterfront development. "There has to be mixed uses," he said. "Sure we have to pay tribute to heritage but ports are valuable and [a port] just can't be defined as purely recreation."

When I finished the telephone conversation with Lopate I looked out my office window and my first glimpse was the Commerce office tower, blocking my view of the harbour. It's all about your vantage point, but let's use common sense. Sydney is mostly on a flat plane near the harbour; this is not like Halifax Harbour, with the view from Citadel Hill.

Many community leaders across North America point out the potential economic benefits of developing waterways. The potential is almost limitless.

There's no question that developer Marty Chernin and other business people have made a statement with their proposal about the future of the city.

Also at stake are short- and long-range employment opportunities and taxes our municipality can use.

An attractive development that can showcase Sydney's historic north end will put added value on the homes and businesses in the area. It will also engage further development downtown, especially near the fire station, which has plenty of potential and space, complementing the beautiful Wentworth condos that were just constructed.

Let's have the best of both worlds.

Smallest population

This week I received plenty of responses about last week's column. Although some enjoyed my views there were a couple of buddies who pointed out an error.

Last week, while making a couple of points and using analogies, I praised the gold medal efforts of the Brad Gushue's rink from Newfoundland and Labrador.

With a population of only 500,000 people, Newfoundland has enjoyed a lot of success on the national and world stage in many sports.

I also said that now that Premier Rodney MacDonald is in the driver's seat in Nova Scotia and that his government should take a close look at Canada's gold medal performance by this country's smallest population. Folks, I certainly know that Newfoundland is not the province with the smallest population (Prince Edward Island is), and many times I have preached to colleagues never to box yourself in on such a claim but instead say "one of" when describing individuals, places and things in superlatives. Shame on me.

In fact, Prince Edward Island has also enjoyed enormous success on the Olympic stage.

P.E.I. had two islanders competing in the 2006 Olympic Games: bobsledder Heather Moyse and NHL star Brad Richards represented our sister province. That says a lot about Atlantic Canada.

Farside of me

A person's character will always reach town before the person arrives. And do not judge the book by the cover.

Famous quotation

Charity and personal force are the only investments worth anything.

Another thing of note about the "viewplanes", the two "viewplanes" that would be destroyed by this project are 1) from Commerce Tower and 2) from behind Harbour Place...both buildings developed by Mr. Chernin, one being home to his own office.

[Smevo]

Figured I might as well take a page out of JoeyV's book and post an updated breakdown for the CBRM CA from the 2006 census.

CA
Population - 105,928
Area - 2,470.57
Density - 42.9

Urban Population - 78,131
Area Covered by Urban Areas - 135.88
Average Density in Urban Areas - 575
% Urban by Population - 73.8
% Urban by Area - 5.5

Former City and Towns
Had to use the UA stats for this.
Sydney
Population - 33,012
Area - 51.45
Density - 641.63
Glace Bay
Population - 19,968
Area - 35.15
Density - 568.08
North Sydney/Sydney Mines
Population - 15,500
Area - 28.47
Density - 544.43
New Waterford
Population - 9,661
Area - 20.81
Density - 464.25

[Smevo]

I'll edit this when the full story comes out. Another hurdle cleared for the Donkin mine.

This is from CBPost Online's Latest News section, and should appear in tomorrow's CBPost.

NEWS News RSS Feed
Last updated at 1:52 PM on 29/03/07

Development of the Donkin coal mine has passed another hurdle

The Cape Breton Post

Legislation was introduced today that will establish a legal framework for the opening of the Donkin mine. It will also provide project developers with predictability from regulators.

“This act provides certainty to workers, Nova Scotians, Xstrata Donkin Coal Development Alliance, and our federal colleagues that we are committed to operating a safe and efficient mine,” said Labour Minister Mark Parent. “It provides clarity and consistency when dealing with regulators. That's good for safety and good for economic development.”

Nova Scotia and the federal government both claim jurisdiction over the coal at Donkin, but Parent said the two sides have put that question aside and focused on what’s required to operate a safe and efficient mine.

Two shafts were dug at Donkin by in the 1980s but they were never opened.

Consultations will be held in April to seek comments on the specifics of the changes and how to best regulate the mine. Changes will be made through regulation or, if necessary, by amending the legislation in the fall.

Details in Friday's Cape Breton Post.

Here's the full story from the Friday, March 30 edition of the Cape Breton Post.

Proposed legislation examines undersea coal mining

Donkin project manager calls it a 'positive step'

Section: Front

By Wes Stewart, Cape Breton Post
Federal and provincial departments will hold consultation sessions here in mid-April on a proposed act to regulate undersea coal mining.

The provincial department of Environment and Labour and Natural Resources Canada will accept presentations from Xstrata Donkin Coal Development Alliance and selected groups on the specifics of the proposed Act to Facilitate the Effective Regulation of an Undersea Coal Mine, introduced in the Legislature, Thursday.

Environment and Labour Minister Mark Parent said both governments have put aside the ownership question and focused on what's required for a safe and efficient mine.

The legislation must be passed by both levels of government.

"It's a positive step forward, certainly it will only help to promote our own strong health and safety performance on site," Donkin mine project manager Darren Nicholls said. "We will be working with one regulator and that removes any confusion and gives us good regulatory certainty."

Both the federal and provincial governments claim ownership of offshore resources and that's been the behind-the-scenes debate since the interest in developing the Donkin mine began, said Bob Burchell, the United Mineworkers District 26 administrator.

New health and safety regulations introduced by the province and any legislation in the federal guidelines that improve mining practices and safety will be mirrored in the new legislation, said Burchell.

"We are comfortable with it being under Nova Scotia regulations as long as the department is staffed with people who are competent to oversee that those regulations," he added.

Burchell said representatives of the four unions that represented the former Devco workers along with representatives from First Nations, Xstrata Coal, the chamber of commerce and local fishermen's groups have been invited to comment at the public consultation sessions, April 17-18 at the Cape Breton Miners' Museum. It will be presided over by Environment and Labour Department and Natural Resources Canada officials.

The new act addresses union demands for training and functions of joint occupational health and safety committees as well as an improved appeal process, Burchell said.

The proposed act mirrors existing federal and provincial laws, to the extent possible, in the areas of labour, occupational health and safety, mineral and petroleum development. These will be incorporated into federal law in place of the Canada Labour Code for the purpose of the mine and be administered by the province.

Licensing of coal and coal-gas operations would be as described in the province's Mineral Resources Act and the Petroleum Resources Act. Royalties for coal and coal gas will flow to the province.

The Canadian Human Rights Act will apply to the Donkin project. Xstrata is spending $15 million studying the feasibility of opening a four- to five-million -tonne a year coal mine.

[Smevo]

I've got a couple of new things for this update, all on the small side of things. However, there have been some recommendations by the Planning Advisory Committee for CBD zones that, if accepted and adopted by the CBRM, would make the area more attractive for developers. Unfortunately, it was posted in an ad for the public hearings, so if an actual story comes out about it, I'll post it then, but it involved the potential to waive some guidelines such as traffic-impact studies and the like on a case-by-case basis.

From Wednesday, April 4th Cape Breton Post.

CBRM to lease property in bid to move garbage

Section: Cape Breton

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality's corporate services committee has given its approval to an agreement to lease Sysco's rail hardening building to be used as a transfer station to send trash by rail to a Guysborough County landfill.

At its meeting Monday, the committee authorized Mayor John Morgan and the municipal clerk to execute the lease as soon as possible.

Under the 10-year lease, the CBRM will pay annual rent of $133,045 - monthly installments of $11,087.

"I think they're ripping us off," said Coun. Wes Stubbert.

In December 2005, council gave final approval to a plan to transport 40,000 tonnes of solid waste a year by rail.

At that time, the total operating costs to ship the garbage by rail to Havre Boucher, Antigonish County, and then have it transported by truck the rest of the way - 40 kilometres - to the second generation landfill in Lincolnville, Guysborough County, was estimated at $2.3 million a year.

Craft, design centre officials expect new home to lead to success

Section: Cape Breton

By Nancy King,
A new larger location should allow the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design to boost its profile among visitors to the island and better serve artists and craftspeople, its executive director says.

The centre is planning to move into its new digs - with entrances on the Esplanade and Charlotte Street - possibly by the end of the month.

Carol Beaton has been visiting island municipalities updating them on the project, and appeared Monday in front of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's corporate services committee. While the centre is physically located in Sydney, its mandate is to serve all of Cape Breton Island and it offers some of its programming in communities such as Port Hawkesbury and Inverness.

Its current location, on the second floor of the Lyceum, is not optimal, Beaton noted. It's inaccessible, is away from the downtown core, has no permanent gallery space and inadequate program space. There are also lighting, heating and ventilation issues.

"We are literally bursting at the seams," she said.

About eight years ago, the centre's board of directors decided it was important to relocate, and establish a properly equipped studio, meeting space and expanded library.

The more central location will allow it to be a vital addition to the cultural infrastructure within the CBRM and Cape Breton as a whole, Beaton said.

The Esplanade section of the building will house much of the centre's programming, while the Charlotte Street level will house the permanent gallery space, administration and meeting rooms.

Beaton noted they hope to increasingly involve more youth in programming and work more closely with local fine arts teachers. They also have a goal of offering ongoing programming and increasing offerings in services and programs.

The centre works closely with the tourism sector, including Destination Cape Breton and the Sydney Ports Corp. Beaton said they have attempted to lure visitors to the Lyceum through measures including distributing a walking map, but the more visible location will make that task easier.

"When visitors are coming to our island, they are looking for that cultural component," she said.

The project was announced in November 1995. At that time Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. indicated it would contribute $1.25 million.

The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design is a satellite of the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design. It has both recreational and professional members.

Double take for school board

Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board members told that Glace Bay and Northside will get new schools at same time

Section: News

By Sharon Montgomery,
Two new schools will now be built in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality at the same time.

Members of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board were told during a meeting Monday night that a junior high school in Glace Bay and a Primary-Grade 6 school on the Northside will both be built in 2009.

"It's a compromise and a good one," said board member Myrtle Campbell.

Board superintendent Ed Davis went to Halifax on the board's behalf, said Campbell.

The provincial government budget released last month made no mention of funding for the Glace Bay school, which was at the top of the board's priority list, while money was set aside for the Northside facility.

"He spoke to the Department of Education staff and anyone else he could speak to, including politicians."

Campbell said it was decided money in this year's budget will now be used to buy the Northside site and fund the design for both schools.

Subsidence has been an issue in Glace Bay as officials seek a location for the new school. Provincial officials said earlier the Glace Bay school wasn't in this year's budget because a site hadn't been chosen.

Glace Bay MLA Dave Wilson said as a result of an agreement between the school board and the Department of Education, the design work and site selection will be done by the end of the 2008 school year and tenders for both projects will be called in the spring of 2009.

"Construction of both schools will be completed by the end of 2009."

The Liberal MLA wanted construction to begin this year.

"I am not going to stand in the way of two schools being built in Cape Breton, though," he said. "If the school board is happy with this, that is fine with me. My goal was to get the Glace Bay school back on the construction list. The minister (Karen Casey) has agreed and I will hold her to that.

"I'm not disappointed, but I am going to keep an eye on it."

Kevin Finch, spokesperson for the Department of Education, would only say a proposal is on the table regarding the two Cape Breton schools.

"We are waiting for correspondence from the board. On all our projects, we take our lead from the board."

Finch said the board originally asked for the two schools to be built at the same time so this restriction was placed on the project.

When a suitable site had not been found for the Glace Bay school, the restriction was lifted and preliminary work began on the Northside school.

"If they are looking to have this (restriction) put back on, it is something we can look at honouring."

An announcement for the building of two new schools to open in 2007 was made four years ago. The project was delayed and the opening date was pushed back to 2009.

CBRM moves step closer to helping museum project

Request for funding will be considered

Section: Northside/Victoria

By Nancy King,
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality's corporate services committee has referred a request to support a proposed museum development here to budget deliberations.

The North Sydney Historical Society, a non-profit organization, wants to construct a museum in downtown North Sydney at an estimated cost of $500,000.

The proposed site is the former town hall location. The North Sydney Credit Union purchased the land from the former town and it is now surplus to its needs.

The province has indicated it will provide a $100,000 contribution. Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. indicated it wouldn't commit to the project until a feasibility study was completed, something it agreed to fund. In order to move that process forward, the society was asking the CBRM to come onboard.

Deputy Mayor Gordon MacLeod had proposed the CBRM commit $45,000 to the project, which could be used to purchase the land, conditional on the museum being viable and that both other levels of government commit to the project.

"It's an enhancement to the downtown . . . it's something good for all of the CBRM," MacLeod said.

The project proposal drafted in 2005 notes the building could also house a satellite tourism information centre, providing a necessary service to visitors, and the museum would also benefit from increased traffic as a result.

Committee chair Kevin Saccary suggested referring the matter to budget talks, which is the normal process for such requests, but MacLeod responded "there's a timeline here" and the group wanted to see the feasibility study proceed as quickly as possible.

"I see a floodgates issue if we open the door," Mayor John Morgan said.

The committee agreed to follow the standard process.

CBRM council approves deal to sell Balls Creek school property to New Deal Development

Non-profit organization pays $1 for site

Section: Northside/Victoria

By Nancy King,
Cape Breton Regional Municipality council will be asked to give final approval to a plan to sell the former Balls Creek school property to New Deal Development, after the proposal was approved by its corporate services committee Monday.

The committee agreed to sell the property, located at 167 Campbell Rd., for a dollar following a public hearing. The non-profit organization plans to operate a multi-use facility there, which would include a child-care facility, seniors day program and a community and recreation meeting facility.

The assessed value of the property is listed as $545,500.

The property went through the municipality's community-based property procedure and the only letter of interest was received from New Deal.

Gordon Sampson of North Sydney, a new member of the New Deal board, told the hearing the group has a proven track record in these sorts of projects.

"I have every confidence when New Deal takes over this project . . . that it will be a very successful venture," he said.

In a report to the committee, planner Ken Smith noted a report on the demolition of the school in Catalone - a building only about half as big as Balls Creek - indicated it cost $68,000 to tear down. It suggested a cost of $80,000 to demolish the Balls Creek school is not an unreasonable estimate.

Smith's report also indicated it is questionable a profit could be made if the building is demolished and the land sold on the open market.

"Very often we end up tearing down these buildings because no one wants them," Coun. Wes Stubbert noted.

Incorporated in 1983, New Deal's mission as a non-profit organization is to contribute to the life of the greater Northside community in the creation of initiatives and enhance people's capacity to bring about productive social, cultural, economic and environmental change.

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From Thursday, April 5th Cape Breton Post

Island to get more nursing home beds

Provincial health minister makes announcement in North Sydney

Section: Northside/Victoria

By Julie Collins, Cape Breton Post
Seniors in Cape Breton will have access to 64 more nursing home beds.

Nova Scotia Health Minister Chris d'Entremont made the announcement to a packed house at the Clansman in North Sydney, Wednesday.

The Northside Community Guest Home Society was awarded 39 nursing home beds. My Cape Breton Home for Seniors was awarded 13 residential care facility beds for Sydney and 12 for North Sydney.

These 64 beds are part of 125 new beds previously planned for Cape Breton.

"Many seniors want to live in their homes as long as possible," d'Entremont said. "But should they need additional help, they want to know it's there and they want to find it in a place that they can call home. We are building a long-term care system that meets the needs and reflects the values of Nova Scotians.

"As part of Continuing Care, we are also doing more home care and more training for continuing-care assistants because we know we are going to need a lot of those workers."

Through the Continuing Care Strategy, Cape Breton will also receive another 88 new beds from a total of 832 that will be built by 2010. This brings the total of new long-term care beds for Cape Breton to 213.

"Work around where these new beds will be located is now complete. Our decision-making process is based on evidence and on the ground information from the District Health Authorities," he said. "The department looked at critical data including the number of people waiting for long-term beds at home and in hospital, population trends, the health of our seniors and the current demand for and supply of services."

Cape Breton North MLA Cecil Clarke said the number of new beds for the Northside with Wednesday's announcement is 64.

"This is significant when you consider a care facility can proceed with 36 beds," Clarke said. "This is about quality care for our citizens at a time in their lives when they need it the most."

Cape Breton Regional Municipality council is expected to make a final decision later this month on the sale of a parcel of land for the expansion of the Northside Community Guest Home to accommodate the 39 additional beds.

The Continuing Care Strategy is a 10-year plan to enhance and expand Nova Scotia's continuing-care system.

"This is certainly a great day for seniors," said Sherry MacNeil of My Cape Breton Home for Seniors. "We will be placing 13 beds in Sydney and 12 in North Sydney and will be able to provide quality care in a home-like setting."

Rev. Karen Ralph, vice-chair of the Northside Community Guest Home Society, said the society looks forward to bringing new elements to health care.

"We are looking at expanding our role in the community, which includes a unit for younger members of the community who have debilitating illnesses," Ralph said. "We're grateful to the staff for their support, the board for years of hard work and government for recognizing the need."

From Saturday, April 7th Cape Breton Post

Financing in place for new school in Waycobah

Section: Cape Breton

By Laura Jean Grant, cape breton post
Construction of a new school for the Waycobah First Nation is expected to begin this spring.

The federal government, through Indian and Northern Affairs Development, announced a $7.5 million contribution over two years to the Mi'kmaw Kina'matenewey for the construction of two new First Nations schools - one in Shubenacadie and one in Waycobah.

The Mi'kmaw Kina'matenewey is an organization that oversees education in 10 Mi'kmaq communities in Nova Scotia and over the last several years all member communities have pooled money to raise about $9 million for the two new schools. That, combined with the federal government's contribution, will pay for the bulk of the construction costs and any additional costs will be the responsibility of the individual communities.

In making the announcement, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Affairs Development Jim Prentice said the $7.5 million is part of a national $50 million investment in school infrastructure projects across Canada. He said the government is committed to addressing education needs in First Nations communities.

"We will continue to work in partnership with First Nations and provinces to ensure an effective education system in which First Nations people can excel," he said in a release.

The new school in Waycobah will accommodate Grades Primary to 12 and will provide modern facilities and learning technologies to the approximately 400 students in the community. It will also have space for community services and gatherings.

Waycobah Chief Morley Googoo is thrilled the project is moving ahead.

"We are very encouraged and excited with the movement that has taken place on the new school which will be located within the heart of our community," he said. "The new school will provide a great learning environment for our future leaders."

Googoo said the new school also demonstrates what can be accomplished when First Nations communities partner with one another and with other levels of government.

This is a comment from the editor placed in the Saturday, April 7th Cape Breton Post

School tinkering strikes nerves

Section: Comment

The governing Tories warned in advance of the spring provincial budget that finances were tight and some promises and commitments would have to be deferred. But when the budget came down on March 23 it wasn't immediately apparent where all the trimming had been done.

Pharmacare coverage for working families was one obvious deferral, and the finance department came out with a list that named some others, such as a healthy living tax incentive and a new disability allowance. This things rarely grab attention, however. Some are of interest only to small groups, while in other cases the government is not taking away something that was eagerly anticipated or generally known.

An obvious exception is the deferral of school projects, which came to light only some days later within the affected jurisdictions. The government should ask itself whether this piecemeal trickle of bad news and negative reaction in the wake of a budget makes good politics. It would be smarter to spell out explicitly everything that's being deferred and why.

The two flashpoints have been Middleton, which sent six busloads of students to Halifax to protest against the delay in construction of a promised gym, and Cape Breton where government intentions on both new school construction and renovation projects have the affected communities stirred up.

In both Middleton and Glace Bay, what got people rattled was not simply that the projects weren't funded but that the omissions seemed to say there was no longer any firm commitment. Education Minister Karen Casey tried to mollify Middleton by committing in writing to tender that project in February 2008.

The department did somewhat the same thing by agreeing to recouple the Northside Elementary School and Glace Bay junior high - two promised new schools that the school board has been trying to move in tandem. Only the Northside school was named in the $58.5 million capital plan for the province but now they're rejoined with a renewed commitment that students will be in the new schools in fall 2009.

In such a controversy, people look to riding maps for a political explanation and very often they think they see it. Cape Breton North is held by a Tory and Glace Bay by a Liberal. The government's explanation is that the Glace Bay school was left aside because of difficulties finding a suitable site. Whatever the truth, people are apt to conclude that while being on the right side of politics may not guarantee a school when you want it, it can't hurt.

The tinkering with the capital list is no cause to man the barricades but it does reinforce the caution that while a government announcement is a step up from a political promise, multi-year announcements in particular have to be taken with a grain of salt as well. And in some instances, such as the second consecutive deferral in completion of the Riverview Rural High School entrance project, government seems to be perversely flaunting some sort of wonky element in its own way of doing things.

Our front-page photo last Saturday of Riverview principal Betty Crosby looking down from the walkway to nowhere serves as a satiric comment about how government plans and builds. We're wondering how she got up there and whether she ever got down.

Hole on Dominion Street has been filled

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Sharon Montgomery, Cape Breton Post
A bootleg mine under Dominion Street is now a part of history.

Sean MacLellan, engineer technologist with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, said the hole has been filled in and the road was reopened Wednesday evening.

He said minor cleanups were done Thursday, but the road remained open.

Over the next while - as the weather and ground conditions permit - workers will continue with minor repairs to homeowners' properties, such as driveway and yard work.

He said as well the road will be maintained with gravel until asphalt is available later this spring.

MacLellan said the bootleg mine under the road was bigger than they had initially believed. It was about 25 feet deep.

"We found a small tunnel and two rooms (where coal was dug out)."

He said the road right-a-way is about 66 feet. About 60 per cent of the bootleg mine was under the pavement section of the road. It is estimated there was anywhere from 15-18 feet of ground cover above the mine.

"We really appreciate the patience of the public," said MacLellan, adding they received no complaints while the work was being done.

The sinkhole was discovered on Bernie Burt's property at 123 Dominion St., March 7. After the top was lifted by an excavator March 14, it was discovered to be 15 feet deep and part of an old bootleg mine that continued into several 'rooms' under the road.

Burt has since had the hole on his property filled and CBRM public works officials decided for safety reasons to begin road repair work immediately.

From Monday, April 9th Cape Breton Post

Province preparing for tourism season

Section: Our community

By Matthew Daye,
Spring is starting to make itself known which is a sign this year's tourist season will soon be upon the many businesses and attractions around the island.

Debbie MacKinnon from Knotty Pine Cottages located on Smokey's Mountain, which was hit hard this passing winter by the closing of the Cape Smokey ski hill, is worried for this summer as well.

"We've been a little slow getting our reservations for the summer so far," she said. "I don't know if it has to do with the gas prices or whatever it is. I really don't know."

Adele Poirier from Nova Scotia Tourism said the province has been holding its own the last few years, but the way tourism works is changing.

More and more people are making reservations at the last minute and using the Internet to plan their trips and because of this the province is changing its procedures.

"We have a new tourism plan that takes us in some new directions. It's called new realities, new directions," she said.

It involves three strategies.

The first is called Gateway, which involves focusing on areas that have direct flights to Nova Scotia. It's to appeal to travellers who want to spend their time at the destination, not just getting to it.

"People don't pack up the station wagon with the family dog and drive for two weeks anymore," she said.

The second is called Core Experiences, which is to build up the locations that exist.

The third strategy, called Courtship, is to take advantage of the Internet. Part of this strategy uses Google Earth with special plaid place markers.

This way prospective tourists can see possible destinations, with the bird's-eye view the program offers, but also with pictures and possibly video in the near future.

"As far as we know and as far as Google knows, we're the first to use Google Earth in this way," she said.

That strategy will also continue to update and explore new uses for the website, including letting people buy their whole vacation online.

Despite these new initiatives there may still be some problems with the upcoming season.

Gas prices, competition with other destinations, and the new passport regulations involving the United States, are the main concerns this year.

Donny MacLellan, a travel agent with Maritime Travel, says the determining factor for this tourism season is simple.

"If the weather stays nice, the people stay longer," MacLellan said. "If the weather gets bad they pack up and go."

This is from Wednesday, April 11th CBPost online.

Work about to resume on multi-use trail
BY NANCY KING
The Cape Breton Post

By Nancy King

Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — The effort to develop a multi-use trail between Port Hastings and Inverness is about to resume.

The 92-kilometre project — a venture of the Cape Breton Island Pathways Association and Inverness County Trails Federation — began last fall is part of the TransCanada Trail project. The intention is to bring it up to a multi-use, four-season standard. The second phase of the project will involve identifying a route for the trail from Inverness to North Sydney.

To date, more than 7.4 kilometres of ditching and 4.7 kilometres of grubbing have been completed from Troy Beach to Dunmore Road, 22 culverts have been installed, 57 kilometres of right-of-way has been cut and 40 kilometres chipped.

“Everything is going as planned and on schedule so far, we’d like to see the snow disappear so we can get some frost out of the ground and resume some construction work,” noted CBIPA co-ordinator Darrell Taylor.

As the season for increased trail use approaches, officials are warning users that heavy equipment will be performing work on it and sections may be closed at any time, without notice. Bridges may also be closed from time to time to allow for maintenance and upgrades. Users are asked to use extra caution, remain on the trail and adhere to safety signage.

“There will be a considerable amount of heavy equipment on the trail,” Taylor said. “There will also be materials being spread on the trail because some of these sections are low and they have to be built up to alleviate water problems.”

There will also be more chipping and right-of-way cutting over the next four months, he added.

Taylor said the group may have a report completed on the Inverness to North Sydney route over the next few weeks, and then it can begin to look at construction requirements and funding partners.

CBIPA and Inverness County Trails Federation have partnered with 28 corporations, organizations and government agencies on the project. To date, about $1.2 million of the $1.9 million project cost has been raised, and Taylor said the groups are still looking for additional partners to fund the remainder.

“We still have some partners to find to come onboard, but we’re in the process of trying to look at partners and avenues,” he said.

The trail is expected to be an attraction for not only Cape Bretoners but visitors to the island.

“In rural Cape Breton, we don’t have a lot of recreational assets to use, this one is definitely significant because it’s a multi-use trail that we can use all four seasons,” he said.

As well as this.
It really is an eyesore that should've been torn down long ago, but as long as it's torn down soon, with the current upswing in interest in the Sydney area, this land will be prime for a hotel or apartment development, and is directly beside Cabot House, Sydney's tallest building at 18 stories and a mixed use of commercial/office (first 3 floors) and apartments (other 15 floors).

No firm date set for demolition of former Keddy’s Motor Inn
CAPE BRETON POST STAFF
The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — A firm date to knock down the former Keddy’s Motor Inn on Kings Road hasn’t been pinned down, but the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s bylaws and buildings manager said it’ll likely happen later this spring.

Rick Fraser said the municipality has been working with a representative of the property’s owner, businessman Hugh Lynch, on dismantling the building.

“We’ve met with the contractor and we’ve gone over his criteria for demolishing the property and what we would expect to see as part of that demolition,” Fraser said Tuesday.

He said some final details have to be reviewed before the building is torn down.

“But it looks like the owner is taking steps to do the demolition on his own.

“It would be prudent on us to watch what the owner is going to do to ensure that the property is (demolished) correctly.”

About three-quarters of the building has structural problems and is full of mould, Fraser said.

The asking price for the former motel, seen as an eyesore by some residents over the years, is $495,000. It’s been vacant for the last 10 years.

[Smevo]

From Saturday, April 14th, 2007 edition of the Cape Breton Post.

Cape Breton Casting getting some interest from local business

Section: Business

By Wes Stewart,
Cape Breton business interests are assessing the feasibility of acquiring the Cape Breton Casting plant in the Northside Industrial Park, the Cape Breton Post has learned.

"We've received no proposals to date," Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation spokesman D.A. Landry said late Friday.

Any proposals received, including those from local interests, if any, will be evaluated by the consultants who will make recommendations to ECBC, Landry said.

Approximately 60 people are employed manufacturing die cast transmission parts for car parts giant Magna International.

Its Magna Powertrain PFC plant is located next door.

Cape Breton Growth Fund took over the operation of the plant in March 2006 when the owners failed to meet the terms and conditions of its contract.

The Crown corporation is committed to operating the plant until July 1.

Ernst & Young has been engaged as outside consultants to formulate an exit strategy.

"We looked for an assessment of the operation and its financial situation and to evaluate the business both as a going concern and as liquidation," he said.

"It has been determined the plant has potential to sell it as a going concern," Landry said.

Ernst & Young is now working on a process to market the plant to people in the automotive industry and investors interested in companies with potential.

It's about time for this, also from Saturday's CBPost.

Councillor pushing for active transportation strategy in CBRM

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Shannon,
When budget deliberations begin next month, Coun. Ray Paruch is hoping to see funding go toward an active transportation strategy in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Wednesday, Paruch touted the need for a detailed plan at the public services committee - one which considers the municipality's geography as well as its main urban communities and the links between them.

"We'd be looking at an emphasis on sidewalks, tying in public transit with bicycle users," said Paruch, who serves as chair of the active transportation committee.

"You might have somebody in Coxheath or Westmount that may drive a bicycle to a certain spot and have a bicycle rack to put the bicycle on, before getting on public transit to come to work or you may have it just the opposite."

But he said active transportation is more than simply targeting bicycle users.

"Active transportation could be as simple as encouraging people to take strollers with their children to go to Wentworth Park in Sydney.

The active transportation committee is comprised of community groups, police, Velo Cape Breton, the Cape Breton District Health Authority, the provincial government and the CBRM, among others.

In order to develop the comprehensive plan, Paruch said a consulting firm with expertise in the field must be hired. The total cost is estimated at $125,000, but Paruch said about half of that cost could be generated by the vested interest groups with the remainder coming from the municipality.

He doesn't expect he'll face much opposition to the plan when budget talks begin.

"I don't foresee any problems at all."

Claire Detheridge, chair of the public services committee, said the municipality has already received 35 e-mails in favour of active transportation which shows there is support for the plan.

Bell museum plagued by leaky roof

Silver Dart display could solve problem

Section: Front

By Chris Hayes,
Parks Canada is still dealing with a leaky roof at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site three years after the problem was noted in an auditor general's report.

Carol Whitfield, a field unit superintendent based in Cape Breton, said plans exist to fix the roof but the roughly $2-million repair job may not be necessary depending on the activities of a group called the Silver Dart Centennial Association.

Those plans could include a Silver Dart display over one of the areas where the roof is leaking.

"I don't want to be in position where I spend a considerable amount of money on that roof and two years later tear the roof off because we are building an addition that makes that roof unnecessary," she said.

Whitfield noted the leaks are not threatening the displays or artifacts in the Baddeck museum.

"We are trying to find if we can plug where the leak is coming in, patch it, whatever until we know for sure what is going to happen."

Leaks that were associated with snow and ice conditions stopped when the snow and ice melted. Parks Canada is prepared to pay for the roof repairs if necessary, Whitfield said.

Aynsley MacFarlane, site manager at the Bell museum, said a waterproof membrane in the museum roof is breaking down in some exhibit areas but the leaks tend to be in public walk areas between artifacts rather than on the displays themselves.

"If it ever came to a point where it was a threat to any artifact, the artifact would be removed - that's for certain," she said.

The Silver Dart Centennial Association is working on plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the airplane's historic flight over Baddeck Bay on Feb, 23, 1909, which was the first controlled power flight of a British subject (John A.D. McCurdy) in the British Empire.

The airplane was developed under Bell's direction.

Shane MacFarlane, the chairman of the association, confirmed Friday it has been negotiating with Parks Canada about a Silver Dart display which could be located in a section of the museum where the roof is leaking.

The association must raise millions of dollars for that project, he noted.

Auditor general Sheila Fraser noted in a February 2004 report on national parks that the Bell museum was only rated in fair condition in a Parks Canada evaluation in 2002-03.

A fair rating means deterioration of the historic site has to be addressed within three to five years to prevent the permanent loss of elements that show its historical significance, closure to the public or rapid deterioration of the site.

The fair rating for the Bell museum was related to the potential for deterioration of a collection of unique photographs, problems with the roof and humidity problems.

MacFarlane said the photographs have been preserved in digital form and the humidity problems have been addressed.

From Friday, April 13, 2007 Cape Breton Post.

Committee discusses tar ponds projects

Section: Business

By Tanya Collier MacDonald, cape breton post
Members of a newly struck environmental management committee met Thursday to discuss upcoming tar ponds projects and ways to track ongoing success.

The full-day event, which was closed to the public, was held in Membertou, said Ken Swain, project director at Public Works and Government Services Canada. It was one of several monthly meetings the committee has held since it was struck in December.

The committee has eight federal representatives, four provincial representatives and a representative from the Cape Breton District Health Authority. The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency and an independent engineer also attend.

"The purpose of the committee is to ensure that the environmental obligations that the project has are met and to ensure that we keep the recommendations of the review panel in view," said Swain.

In the committee's terms of reference, its purpose is described as offering expert advice on the environmental management of the $400-million cleanup and to guide the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency during the development and implementation of a project environmental management plan.

It's also developing a tracking document to keep tabs on ongoing work.

"It methodically lays out the review panel recommendation from number one to number 55 and governments' response," said Swain. "For the rest of it, it's a work in progress."

The committee will also serve as a forum for information exchange between federal and provincial regulatory agencies and project experts.

tcmacdonald@cbpost.com

Members drawn from number of areas

Sitting committee representatives:

Government of Canada:

1. Public Works and Government Services Canada

2. Health Canada

3. Fisheries and Oceans

4. Environment Canada

5. Transport Canada

6. Natural Resources Canada

7. Cape Breton Development Corporation

8. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation

Province of Nova Scotia:

9. Department of Environment and Labour

10. Department of Health Promotion and Protection

11. Department of Transportation and Public Works

12. Department of Natural Resources

13. Cape Breton District Health Authority

Ex-offico members

14. Independent Engineer

15. Sydney Tar Ponds Agency

Historical society waiting for word on land for museum

Section: Northside/Victoria

The North Sydney Historical Society is waiting for a decision from Cape Breton Regional Municipality council to purchase land for a museum site where the town hall once was located.

Jim Walsh, president of the society, indicated an application is being considered by council and will be decided on during the budget session in two weeks.

At present the museum functions from the basement of the old Bank of Nova Scotia building where the library operates.

The proposed museum site is next door and would be in prime location to take advantage of the half-million annual travellers to and from Newfoundland, as well as providing a well recognized service on the Main Street and supplying a cornerstone to the downtown of North Sydney.

In an effort to provide a new building to house artifacts and cultural themes, the historical society has undertaken to provide a new space for the North Sydney Seniors' Club and is negotiating to bring such groups as Northside artists to the building as a site for display and sales.

"A five-year plan to demonstrate fiscal sustainability for the museum is being developed with professional assistance," Walsh said. "Once the site and plan are approved the society will be negotiating further with Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. for federal funding for construction costs."

The provincial government has made a $100,000 contribution to the museum.

Walsh noted there will be office space available for rent in the proposed quarters, such as for tourism, and this would enhance the building as a community centre in the downtown.

[Smevo]

From the Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Spring is here, cruise ships not far behind

Should be another good year for visits

Section: Business

By Matthew Daye,
The ice is almost gone and the weather is starting to improve, which means cruise ships will soon be arriving in Sydney harbour.

Marketing manager Bernadette MacNeil, of Sydney Ports Corp., said Cape Breton is in for another good year for cruise ship visits.

"It's very comparable to 2006 and we're happy with that."

Last year, more than 46,000 cruise ship passengers stopped in Sydney harbour. This year, almost 49,000 passengers will be making the trip.

"A second vessel from Holland America (is coming) which indicates that they're filling their ships to allow for that second vessel to come in," noted MacNeil.

Norwegian Cruise Lines is also returning with Norwegian Dawn.

"We have the Grand Princess, which carries 2,600 passengers, coming in several times to Sydney and we're very pleased about that."

MacNeil said Cape Breton offers something special to cruise ship passengers.

"We have such tremendous choices in the way of excursions with the Fortress of Louisbourg and the Bell museum and the miners' museum."

MacNeil asked that people who want to see the cruise ships when they arrive in port follow safety rules.

"Park your car somewhere else and walk down. The code that's imposed upon us is that we can't allow unauthorized vehicles on our dockside," she said. "But we do try to encourage our public to come down here. We want them to interact with our passengers."

Sobeys closing its Mayflower Mall store

Two retailers expected to occupy building

Section: Cape Breton

By Tanya Collier MacDonald,
Sobeys is closing the doors on its Mayflower Mall location May 5, a decision its landlord knew was imminent.

The Canadian grocery chain began to meet with each of its 63 affected employees Monday to offer them a job at one of its remaining five locations in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality - Sydney, Sydney River, New Waterford, Glace Bay and North Sydney.

"We're working with them to ensure a smooth transition," said Jill Thomas Myrick, director of communications and corporate affairs at Sobeys. "We will be offering an extensive severance package to those employees who would not be accepting positions within the company."

The closure is a "business decision" that follows an extensive and careful review of the company's operations in the local area.

Thomas Myrick declined to give a specific reason for the closure and wouldn't comment on the profitability of the location, which opened in January 1991.

"We don't discuss or disclose details of the profits of any one particular store," she said.

The grocery chain doesn't plan to reopen, she added.

Luc Corneli, vice-president of leasing at the Burnac Corp., said the commercial real estate company was aware Sobeys wasn't going to renew its lease.

"We've been working on a redevelopment strategy," said Corneli.

It's anticipated two major retailers will occupy nearly all of the building's 51,000 square feet of space.

Corneli said the final details are still being worked out but an announcement can be expected as early as the end of May.

[Smevo]

Another step in the Undersea Mining bill, which will affect Donkin.

From Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Cape Breton Post.

New bill will regulate undersea mining

Public given chance to voice opinion in Glace Bay

Section: Business

By Wes Stewart,
The public had the chance Tuesday to voice its opinion on proposed legislation to regulate undersea coal mining as its relates to the Donkin mine.

The consultations at the Cape Breton Miners' Museum, and a final round in Halifax Thursday, will hear from Donkin residents, unions, Xstrata Coal, employee and employer groups and fishermen on proposed legislation that mirrors federal and existing laws in the areas of labour, occupational health and safety, mineral and petroleum development.

It's unlikely the legislation will be presented to Parliament much before the fall at the earliest, said Robert Lomas, director, special projects division, minerals and metals sector, Natural Resources Canada.

The legislation also must be enacted by the provincial government, which will act as regulator and collect the royalties from the mine's coal and coal-gas operations.

Donkin Coal Alliance, a consortium of Xstrata Coal of Australia and Erdene Gold, Dartmouth, is spending $15 million draining the flooded mine tunnels and testing the coal to assess the feasibility of opening the mine over the next year.

Representatives of Environment and Labour and Natural Resources Canada presided over the sessions.

Lomas said once they hear from the community they will discuss with the province whether they need to make any changes to the proposals the governments made to the regulatory regime.

"I think what we will end up with is likely provincial in terms of resource development, tailored a little bit slightly to reflect some of the things in the Canada Labour Code provincial regulations with some amendments," Lomas said.

Xstrata needs that clarity of one regulator in order to go ahead and develop a project plan, he suggested.

The Halifax session will discuss the jurisdictional overlap with the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board in terms of extracting coal bed methane.

"We will make sure that authority is actually removed from the board so there is one regulator in terms of the province and the coal mines," Lomas said.

"We want to make sure everything is covered off and who we go to if we have a problem," said presenter Hugh Kennedy, chair of the Xstrata Donkin community liaison committee.

The community of 1,200 people supports the development of the mine, because "obviously, economically we need it," Kennedy said.

At the same time, people are concerned about the impact the mine will have on the environment, road safety and the fishery, he said.

Riverview student wants minister to explain why renovations have been halted

Section: Cape Breton

By Tanya Collier MacDonald,
A student leader at Riverview Rural High School has a simple question for the province's education minister.

"What happened?"

John MacLellan, student council co-president at the Coxheath school, said students want answers from Education Minister Karen Casey.

"Where did the money go? Was the planning poor? I'd be interested in what she had to say," he continued.

MacLellan said students are frustrated that government funding for a scheduled renovation was put on hold for a second budget year.

"I'm guessing the money was needed somewhere else," said MacLellan

The school started work on a contemporary entranceway to replace its original doorway, which dates back to the 1950s. Along with giving the school a modern twist, the project was supposed to give students space for their music and drama programs and a stage the school currently lacks.

Peter McLaughlin, a department spokesperson, said Casey has two days tentatively set aside the first week in May to tour Cape Breton schools. It's unknown which schools she'll be visiting, he said.

"It's not like (the school) is asking for enough money to build a new school," MacLellan wrote in an open letter to the minister. "We just want enough to finish the part that has already been started. Minister Casey, you could take a lesson from the students at RHS and complete the goals that you and your department set out to achieve."

MacLellan said students have collected more than 3,000 signatures on a petition asking for funding to complete the job.

Scheduled renovations at Sydney Academy were also put on hold this fiscal year.

The provincial government has allocated $58.5 million for improved school infrastructure over the upcoming fiscal year. The money is being shared among 11 schools.

In a small caption underneath a photo, the paper mentioned a moving company taking furniture out of the old Keddy's in preparation for its demolition. Still no official word on when it will happen, but that's definitely a good sign.

[Smevo]

There's a gap here created by my twice-weekly trips to Saint John, but I'll try to fill in the gap later by browsing the pdf files and reporting on updates. Until then, here's some to catch up.

From Thursday, April 26, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Farmers' markets group wants to grow industry

Section: Business

By Chris Hayes,
Farmers' markets in Nova Scotia are working on a growth strategy for a sector that already contributes almost $63 million to the provincial economy.

A group called the Farmers' Markets of Nova Scotia Co-operative was in Sydney Wednesday for the first of a series of brain-storming sessions with vendors and customers.

Co-ordinator Don Black said that session - which was hosted by the Cape Breton Farmers' Co-operative - was the first of five that will tap into the issues and concerns of all 10 farmers' markets in the Nova Scotia co-operative.

Farmers' markets have seen growing demand for their fresh produce, raising big questions about how to supply that demand, he said.

"The rate of growth of our markets is being driven by hugely increasing consumer demand for healthy food, to know where the food comes from and to get some reconnection with the reality of food as opposed to buying it in packages," he said.

"We have, as far as we know, as many producers as are interested and able to come to farmers' markets, they are already there. We have to find a whole new range of producers."

A study for the provincial co-operative estimated the impact of the farmers' market sector in 2004 was almost $63 million, taking direct sales at the markets and indirect sales at other nearby stores into account, he said.

Black said the goal of the strategy, which will be developed during the remainder of 2007, will be to identify roadblocks, like lack of labour or investment money.

Service Canada has provided funding for a resource person to help develop expansion strategies.

The Cape Breton Farmers' Market has grown in the last five years from a summer-only market attracting some 200 people on Saturdays to a year-round indoor market (at the Sydney Marine Terminal) that had over 1,000 customers on many Saturdays last fall, according to a release.

The market averaged 600 customers during the winter season.

Fifteen vendors take part during the winter months but another 10-15 show up during the summer and fall, said Sharon MacDonald, a director of the co-operative.

Customers like the freshness of the produce, which contributes to its nutritional value, she said.

"We have a lot of regulars and it is a joy to see them every week and it's not the same if they don't show up for some reason."

Products for sale at the Cape Breton market range from fresh produce to eggs, baked goods, jams and jellies and crafts.

Charles MacDonald, the president of the co-operative, said some ideas he heard at Wednesday's get-together included providing entertainment or guest speakers to attract more consumers and greater use of greenhouses to expand the availability of fresh produce throughout the year.

And people complain Cape Breton has too much power in the provincial legislature.

Students want to teach province a lesson

Sydney Academy students march to demand much-needed renovations

Section: Front

By Chris hayes,
Sydney Academy students chanting "broken promises broken school" marched to the Provincial Building Wednesday to protest delays in much-needed renovations at the school.

About 120 students lined up on the sidewalk in front of the building during the noon hour waving protest signs and cheering passing cars that honked their horns in support.

Grade 12 student Liam Gillis, who helped organize the protest, said they wanted to send a message to Education Minister Karen Casey.

"We want to make a statement obviously and some sort of visual statement we think is what's needed in order for the government to completely understand how passionate we are about the situation," he said.

"There is a general feeling in the student body that we need to have government give us these renovations."

Students at both Sydney Academy and Riverview Rural High School in Coxheath were frustrated when the Education Department postponed scheduled renovations at the high schools for the second year in a row.

The province had planned renovations at Sydney Academy that included an addition to the building to house changing rooms, showers and a music room.

"We are a school of almost 800 with no shower and changing facilities for the gym," said Sydney Academy principal Kevin Deveaux in an interview before the protest started. "That's desperate."

"The music room is in an area that is totally inappropriate. The room is too small. It doesn't have the height, it doesn't have the practice area . . . and it is in a venty, drafty damp basement."

Sydney Academy's plumbing, heating and ventilation problems are not being repaired either, he said.

"We had two more plumbing problems just in these past two days," he said.

Casey has agreed to visit Sydney Academy on May 3 to talk to students about the delayed renovations.

The minister has also agreed to visit Riverview High School on May 2.

Riverview students are frustrated by another year of delay in the completion of renovations to their high school.

The school started work on a new entranceway but that project remains unfinished. Along with giving the school a modern twist, the project was supposed to give students space for their music and drama programs and a stage the school currently lacks.

School principal Betty Crosby said renovation requirements for the school also include the library, art classrooms, labs and lockers in the phys-ed room.

Renovations at Riverview and Sydney Academy were omitted from the provincial government's spending plans for the next fiscal year.

Instead, the $58.5 million for school infrastructure will be spent on 11 other schools.

From Friday, April 27, 2007 Cape Breton Post

African Nova Scotians now have access to office in Cape Breton

Section: Business

By Nancy King,
African Nova Scotians in Cape Breton now have local access to services with the official opening of the first regional office of African Nova Scotian Affairs in Sydney Thursday.

Premier Rodney MacDonald and African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister Barry Barnet were on hand for an open house at the office, located on the fifth floor of Commerce Tower in Sydney.

The office is staffed by a community development officer, program administration officer and secretary.

"(It) will provide an excellent opportunity for people to have direct access to government services and access to the resources that we have not only in these offices but in Halifax as well," Barnet said.

It will offer an opportunity for people to have their voices reflected in government decisions, he said, adding the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs works with all other government departments.

More than a year of planning went into opening the Cape Breton regional office. Sydney was chosen for the first regional office because of its distance from Halifax, Barnet said.

"It is a move to get more services out to the rural parts of Nova Scotia," MacDonald said. "It's been a long-standing issue here in Sydney and for Cape Breton Island to see more government services."

The province indicated four years ago it would set up a a cabinet level office for African Nova Scotians as a link between government and the community. The Halifax office opened in fall 2005.

"I think it's rather exciting to have an office finally open here that will be of service especially to the black community . . . but also the community at large," said Sydney resident Clotilda Yakimchuk. "I think it's one of the examples of when government decentralizes some of the services."

Discussions with an eye toward establishing additional regional satellite offices are continuing.

The Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs is mandated to assist, support and enhance the delivery of services to African Nova Scotians and serve as a partner in achieving self-reliance and sustainability for African Nova Scotian communities.

On the other extreme of complaints, we have the mayor of the CBRM, though this one is mild.

Province hands out money for recreation facilities

Bulk of $504,000 for Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Shannon,
The province doled out slightly more than a half-million dollars Thursday for upgrades to recreation facilities across Cape Breton.

Known as recreation facility development grants, the $504,000 will be used to build and renovate existing community centres, halls and baseball fields, construction of a skateboard park and equestrian facility as well as money to support trail development.

"We are competing against an increasing obesity rate, high levels of inactivity, chronic disease and many other compelling priorities. It's a competition we must win," the Minister of Health Promotion and Protection Barry Barnet told a group of funding recipients at Silicon Island overlooking Wentworth Park in Sydney, which itself received $96,000 for upgrades.

"These funds will assist 14 different organizations with the goal of helping this community become more physically active."

The funding is part of the annual $3-million provincewide grant program. It provides up to one-third of capital costs to organizations and then those groups are responsible for raising the remainder.

The bulk of the money in Thursday's announcement went to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. It received $389,000 and Mayor John Morgan welcomed the funds.

However he said the provincial funding system isn't fair, noting the Halifax Regional Municipality is given more recreation funding even though its recreational capital budget is 50 times the size of the CBRM's budget.

"I think it's important to keep in mind . . . we really do need fair funding so that we can do the things and make the facilities available for the public to ensure they have an opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle," the mayor said.

Grants through the recreation facility development program are provided based on criteria, such as community need and benefits, the level of planning and preparation, sustainability and other funding commitments.

From Saturday, April 28, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Demolition of Keddy's building will take a few more weeks

Section: Business

By Wes Stewart, Cape Breton Post
It will take another two weeks to complete the demolition and clean up of the accommodations section of Keddy's Motor Inn on Kings Road.

"We have 165- rooms down and about 30- units left" to be demolished in the modular constructed multi-storey building, said site foreman John MacDonald, Paul MacDonald Trucking, Birch Grove.

"It was a big building and it's getting cleaned up pretty good, he said.

The demolished building is being trucked to the municipal landfill.

Handymen got a lot of pink insulation, plywood and two-by-four's, a lot of good lumber salvaged by local people, MacDonald said.

The remaining section marked for demolition will be down in a week and it will take another week to complete the fine clean up.

"We got to go around to the fences, neighbours yards and do hand picking because we have to leave it clean," MacDonald said.

Group seeks UN recognition for Bras d'Or Lakes, watershed

Section: Cape Breton

By Wes Stewart, cape breton post
The inaugural annual public meeting of a volunteer group seeking United Nations recognition for the Bras d'Or Lake and its watershed will be held Monday.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the St. Peter's fire hall.

The Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association wants the lake and its watershed to join more than 500 special places designated as world biosphere reserves.

Guest speaker Bob Maher, Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association chairperson, will talk about the UN's world biosphere program, which showcases places where residents promote economic and human development in harmony with nature.

Canada has 13 world biosphere reserves, including one that encompasses most of southwest Nova Scotia.

Many groups already promote more sustainable activities and a greater understanding of the lake's ecosystem, Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Association interim chairperson Teresa MacNeil said in a release.

This designation will support these initiatives, as well as new ones, enhance tourism and increase the recognition that this place is a good place to live, work and visit, she added.

"World biosphere reserves are places where people try to live in harmony with the natural world, balancing the needs of humans with the needs of the environment," MacNeil said.

Jim Foulds, retired Cape Breton University biology professor who serves as the association's interim secretary, stressed that biosphere reserves are not a new level of bureaucracy, do not involve any new regulations, and do not limit the rights of individuals.

"They focus on three functions - the conservation of natural resources in areas that are already protected; economic development that is ecologically sustainable; and increasing an area's capacity for research, monitoring and education."

The meeting will elect a slate of officers and provide an update on its activities to date. It's a chance for residents to become members and volunteer time and expertise for this important initiative, Foulds said.

[Smevo]

From Tuesday, May 1, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Cape Breton Castings attracting interest

Local businessmen kicking plant's tires

Section: Business

By Wes Stewart,
A group of local businessmen headed by Jim Kehoe of Joneljim Concrete Construction will make a proposal for the troubled Cape Breton Casting plant.

Kehoe confirmed Monday a proposal is being prepared in time for Friday's deadline for submissions of interest in the die-cast manufacturer.

He declined to say too much about the proposal until it has been submitted, but suffice to say it will involve eight to 10 unnamed local people.

"We don't know how many (people) will be putting a proposal in, we don't know if we will win or not but we have confidence that we have a good bid."

The players involved in this bid have been successful people in the community, he said.

Ernst & Young, the agent for the plant's owner Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. and the plant, has been getting moderate to high interest in the business, said manager Mat Harris.

Casting is in a good position for a sale with the benefit of a sole source customer next door. The company makes aluminum die-cast parts for Tesma PFC, a subsidiary for auto parts giant Magna International.

"With a couple of changes that we have identified, the Casting plant could be financially attractive," Harris said. ECBC has set early July as the deadline to firm up a buyer or failing that to dispose of the assets.

Hope floats

Eyking appeals to minister of transport for help with Sydney harbour 'eyesore'

Section: News

By Greg McNeil,
There is renewed hope something will be done with the derelict vessel in Sydney harbour after the issue was floated in the House of Commons, Monday.

Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking used his members statement prior to question period to address the Cape Ann III which is partially submerged near the Keltic Drive bridge.

"Mr. Speaker, despite all these positive results, Sydney harbour also has an eyesore that has potential danger," Eyking said in Parliament.

"At the end of the harbour is a rusted out derelict vessel named the Cape Ann III. Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the minister of transport to become a friend of Sydney harbour and order the removal of this vessel immediately."

Reached Monday afternoon, Eyking said his statement on the 175-foot derelict stern trawler received a quick response from Minister of Transport Lawrence Cannon.

"He looked over at me and waved me over after (question period). He said 'What can I do to help with this situation?' I said 'You have to order your department to remove it. It is a simple as that.' He said he is going to look into it."

Eyking described his statement as a "polite way" to ask Cannon to "be a friend of Sydney harbour."

"I was fortunate enough to have (the statement) right before question period started, so the prime minister and everybody was in the house."

The local MP also used his floor time to talk about positive developments in the Sydney area - a harbour cleanup, new sewage treatment plant, the Wentworth Park makeover, boardwalks, and the tar ponds cleanup.

The Sydney Port Authority's investment in the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion, the Steve Kavanaugh Stage and the giant fiddle were also included in his one-minute statement.

"There were two things I was trying to achieve. One was to recognize what a great job being done in Sydney harbour the last six or seven years. But at the end of the harbour we have this vessel that is a big eyesore and a danger."

[Smevo]

From the Thursday, May 3, 2007 Cape Breton Post.

There's good news at the very end of this article...I'll italicize it to highlight it.

'New' Sysco scrapyard to be environmentally assessed

Section: Cape Breton

By Wes Stewart,
The new scrapyard on the former steel plant property to be remediated is not really new.

Nova Scotia Lands Inc. has called for proposals from companies interested in doing a Phase 2 environmental site assessment of the 'new' scrapyard area, the deadline is Tuesday.

The 'new' scrapyard designation identifies the one located on the west side of the steel plant from the 'old' scrapyard that dates to the early 1900s when the plant was built.

"It was put there in 1989 to support the modernized mill and that is what people reference as the new scrapyard," Nova Scotia Lands Inc. chief operating officer Joel MacLean said this week. The recently established Crown corporation manages the cleanup of provincially owned sites for the provincial Transportation and Public Works Department.

Nova Scotia Lands has been systematically ordering environmental assessments to assess areas that need to be remediated.

"It involves test pits, drilling bore holes and monitoring wells."

About 85 per cent of the former steel plant property has been done, the next step is to do the scrapyard, he said.

"That has to be done prior to opening the site (for development) to find out what contaminants we have."

The scrapyard stored the scrap metal used to charge the electric arc furnace.

"We don't expect any real issues in that area but one never knows," MacLean said.

So far the only significant hydrocarbon contamination is under an old tank farm in the north end of the 455-acre site now being remediated by Hazco. Isolated areas where a tank might have leaked oil have been identified, contaminated soil removed and treated at the Hazco remediation location.

So far 50-acres including some former buildings from the steelmaking operations have been developed into Harbourside Commercial Park.

The fence separating the commercial park from areas of the property yet to be remediated will be relocated to the north as land becomes available for development, he said.

MacLean said two roads located near the Cape Breton Regional Municipality garbage transfer station, the former head hardening building, will be extended this year.

"We plan to extend a road past that building to the west and open a section for commercial and light industrial."

Nova Scotia Lands is getting inquiries almost daily about the availability of space, most of the office space is occupied by a dozen tenants.

"We've had people looking at property, but we haven't signed anybody to a commitment of a new building yet, but we are expecting that to happen."

One eight-bay building adjacent to the head hardening building is available, he said.

Not-so-quick fix back on

Education minister announces upgrades to Sydney Academy and Riverview will proceed this year; sites still needed for new schools in Glace Bay, Northside

Section: Front

By Nancy King,
Before a handful of students, parents and administrators, Education Minister Karen Casey announced upgrades to Sydney Academy and Riverview high schools will proceed this year.

Construction of new schools in Glace Bay and on the Northside will proceed once appropriate sites are found and the design process is completed, she added.

Casey is touring a number of Cape Breton schools and updating them on their capital construction projects. She visited École NDA in Cheticamp Wednesday and will visit Sydney Academy, Glace Bay High and St. Mary's Elementary today.

Tenders have been called for the Riverview Rural High School work, which is expected to cost just over $1 million, Casey said.

When asked whether the dollars for the Riverview project in Coxheath were there all along, the minister responded there is a total capital budget "and there is some flexibility within that budget . . . we looked at the cost of that tender and we have the dollars to cover that cost."

When the Riverview and Sydney Academy projects did not appear to be included in the spring budget, students organized protests and petitions calling for the work to get back on track.

Casey said that did not influence the government's decision.

"That did not drive our decision but it certainly was a good experience for them and if they want to feel that they made a difference, then I hope they do," she said.

Upgrades to Riverview began in 2004, as part of a $7.1 million multi-year project. Now a new entrance will be completed, with a new music room, drama space and air-handling unit added.

Other phases will proceed as money becomes available, Casey said.

"It may not be all you wanted, but it's what we can do at this point in time," she said to her audience at Riverview.

Grade 12 student Hannah Buhariwalla noted 3,500 signatures were quickly collected on a petition in support of the project, which she believes helped gained the minister's attention.

I'm in the school play and I'm part of the music program so it really would have helped for me, but I'm glad that it's going to happen for students coming in the future.

She added she's glad the work will proceed even if she won't be there to enjoy the results.

"I'm in the school play and I'm part of the music program so it really would have helped for me, but I'm glad that it's going to happen for students coming in the future," Buhariwalla said.

Casey noted the school capital construction list was compiled in 2003, listing 12 new schools and 45 renovation projects, many of which were to proceed in phases as funds became available and so that students wouldn't be disrupted.

"You're one of 57 communities," she said. "Having said that, to you, you're the most important community and I understand that."

Riverview principal Betty Crosby said she thinks the students that mobilized to fight for the projects learned an important lesson.

"I think that if people sit quietly and don't enter into the process at all that change doesn't take place," she said.

At Sydney Academy, new change rooms and a music room will be built this year, the final phase of a $8.28-million project.

Touristy, but nonetheless good for the village.

New business opens in Port Morien

Tea room, gift shop, guest suites part of enterprise

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Sharon Montgomery,
Dock Y'ur Dory and check out a new business in the village.

A century-old house in the village is now home to Dock Y'ur Dory, a new business which includes a tea room, gift shop and guest suites, all reflecting the uniqueness of Port Morien.

The owners of the new business are Port Morien native Calvin Thomas and Debbie Teakles, formerly of Moncton.

"I grew up in Port Morien," said Thomas. "I wanted something that reflected the flavour of the village, something that didn't duplicate anything, something that was our own."

Thomas, who is also a member of the Cape Breton Regional Police/RCMP integrated traffic unit, said the concept for the business originated about three years ago.

They purchased a house built in 1867, on a 64-foot cliff and for the next two and half years, created their dream.

"We basically gutted the house and added on a 44-foot two-floor expansion."

The tea room features old-fashioned tables right out of your grandmother's kitchen as well as theme nooks, including a 6.5-pound lobster preserved inside a glass table.

"My brother caught that last year the last day of lobster season," Thomas added.

Two days before opening they invited friends, community members and business people to taste test the menu which features such goodies as pan-fried potatoes, fish chowder and the catch of the day.

"A man came up to me with a concerned look on his face and said, 'Everything was great, but there was one problem,'" Teakles said. "He said, 'The bowl is too narrow at the bottom, I couldn't get my tongue all the way down to finish licking the dish.'"

Opening day they didn't miss a single Kodak moment.

"We took a picture of the open sign and our first customers, Stan and Carol Munroe."

The gift shop spans four rooms and two floors. Customers can purchase such things as vintage purses and linens, hand-made jewelry and specialty teas.

A fish lamp and a peacock picture made of shells are among the hundreds of yard sale or auction treasures which can be found throughout Dock Y'ur Dory, which already employs eight.

"There are many gift ideas. Although we look forward to tourists, our main focus is the community."

The guest suites, accessible from outside, have private balconies overlooking the ocean and fishing boats.

Business hours are Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday to Sunday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Teakles said word of their business has already spread.

"Someone from Australia e-mailed us the day before we opened, said our place had been recommended and wanted us to send them (information)."

[Smevo]

A couple more small things today.

From Tuesday, May 8, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Glace Bay skateboarders can expect to be using new park next month: official

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Sharon Montgomery,
If you are anxious to do some fancy skateboarding in this community - dust off your board.

Angus MacDougall, acting chair of the Glace Bay and Area Skateboard Park Society, said the park should open in June.

The blueprints for the skateboard park have been completed and Latimer General Contracting Ltd. of Sydney is the contractor.

"The ground has been tested for the weight of the ramps and everything is a go. Construction will be starting in about two weeks."

The lot, on the corner of Official Row and Union Street, was leased to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality by a local businessman for $1 a year.

"This is a great area, it is open and easy to patrol."

MacDougall, who is also chair of the St. Anne's parish pastoral council, said work on this project has been ongoing for two years.

A recreation development grant of $46,000, announced recently by Health Promotion and Protection Minister Barry Barnet, provided the last bit of money needed to get the shovel in the ground. This was one of 14 grants announced for recreation facilities across Cape Breton.

MacDougall said about $120,000 was needed for the skateboard park project.

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality contributed $30,000, St. Anne's parish $25,000 and the East Cape Breton County Health Board donated $1,800.

MacDougall said they now have about $100,000 of the $120,000 needed.

"We shouldn't have much problem raising the rest. This $46,000 really helped, put us over the top."

The park was designed by Spectrum Skate Park Creations in Vancouver and will include two concrete bowls above ground, one three feet deep, the other five feet deep.

District 3 Coun. Lee McNeil has been working on the project since she was elected in 2004. It was a long process of paperwork and finding funding.

"Kids are even stopping me on the streets asking when their park is coming. I am excited for them. It is going to give them something to do."

As well she said it will get the skateborders out of the corridor of the downtown, where they can interfere with shoppers or be in conflict with traffic.

"One young fellow wanted to know if I wanted to learn how to skateboard. I told him I'd need medical insurance first."

McNeil said a meeting will be called to form a committee which will oversee the park.

"We want a lot of youth on it, it is their park, let them have their hands on it, give them responsibility."

Tenders sought for sewer project

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Sharon Montgomery,
Anyone wondering when work will begin on the community's sewer project should take a close look at today's edition of the Cape Breton Post.

Coun. Jim MacLeod said things are staring to roll.

"They are calling for tenders - it will be in the Post (today). I am very pleased we are this far in the process."

MacLeod has been receiving numerous calls questioning the status of the project.

Tenders will close May 18.

After a successful bidder is chosen, municipal officials will be able to get a handle on when construction will start and when it will be completed, he added.

The project includes construction of a small diameter sewer for about 60 residences on Brown's Road Extension, Burke's Road and New Waterford Highway, as well as Sydney Street in Reserve Mines.

The cost of the project is estimated at $700,000-$900,000 and all three levels of government are contributing one-third.

MacLeod said he and Donna MacRury, chair of the citizens committee, have been working aggressively toward the sewage treatment project.

"Kevin MacDonald, director of engineering (for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality), has also been very involved," said MacLeod.

The small diameter sewer project focuses on an alternative method of collection, but it is not a new technology, said MacLeod.

"It has been tried, tested and proven very successful. Residents will have no problems, no backups, no blockages."

[Smevo]

These updates are from the Wednesday, May 9, 2007 Cape Breton Post.

This has the potential of becoming problematic.

Plenty of interest in parcel of land

CBRM councillors question value of 25-acre site near Membertou

Section: Business

By Chris Shannon, Cape Breton Post
A 25-acre parcel of land situated between George and Alexandra streets is garnering much attention from regional councillors and the Membertou First Nation.

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality owns the land and was expected to declare it surplus to the needs of the municipality at Monday's corporate services committee meeting.

Councillors then began to question the possible value the land may have if Membertou builds a major development on the property.

Membertou has shown interest in acquiring the property and that had Coun. Wes Stubbert seeing red.

"I'm solidly opposed to declaring this land surplus," Stubbert said.

"I have no problem with developments at Membertou but we have to protect CBRM property."

In correspondence sent by Membertou's senior advisor Dan Christmas to the CBRM's planning department in April, Christmas stated the parcel of land would be used as a future commercial site.

Christmas couldn't be immediately reached for further comment, Tuesday.

The land is currently zoned residential and would need an amendment to the municipality's planning strategy before a commercial development could go ahead.

While the exact nature of a future development wasn't disclosed by Membertou, a list was provided that included the possibility of constructing anything from a garment manufacturer, an apartment building, a call centre or an office building, said municipal planner Ken Smith.

He told the committee that if the First Nation bought the property and successfully changed its jurisdiction to federal native reserve land, municipal taxation and development controls would not apply.

That's the worry of several regional councillors. The committee supported a motion that would negotiate the possibility of a lease option with Membertou after consultation with the business community.

"To blindly declare this surplus without knowing what will be put there, that's not moving along carefully," Coun. Tom Wilson said during the meeting.

But Coun. Esmond Marshall, who's Cape Breton's first Mi'kmaq municipal councillor, was appalled at the committee's reluctance to sell land to Membertou.

"How come 25 acres can't be sold to Membertou? They're moving on up," he said.

"I'm tired of hearing, 'These people are taking our land.' I'm tired of it. Who was here first?"

Just let Membertou buy the land, they have more potential of developing it than if the CBRM waited for independent developers.

Closure of St. Peters Canal extended until June 1

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes, Cape Breton Post
St. Peters Canal won't open for boats until June 1 this year while Parks Canada finishes a repair job.

Parks Canada had planned to reopen the canal, which connects the Bras d'Or Lakes and Atlantic Ocean at St. Peters, by May 15.

Tom Meagher, a Parks Canada spokesman, said while St. Peters Canal averages about 1,100 to 1,200 boats a year, few show up between May 15 and June 1.

The agency has issued a notice of the delay through the Canadian Coast Guard.

Meagher said Parks Canada had to repair cracks within the joints of the steel lock gates which had been causing operational problems and threatened to render the lock unable to operate.

"Several times last summer we had difficulty getting gates open and had to be partially operational and at one time non-operational until we had a tide swing and could get a little assistance getting the gates open," Meagher said.

"That was going to get worse so it's something we had to do."

Meagher said while the canal was empty of water, Parks Canada also did some concrete repairs, renewed the corrosion protection system, painted the steel lock gates and switched to an environmental friendly hydraulic fluid.

"The hydraulic system and the gates are all controlled by hydraulics, had a petroleum-based hydraulic fluid in them and of course that has environmental concerns whenever there could be a spill or a leak so we are switching all that to a vegetable-based hydraulic fluid.

"Not that we anticipate any leaks or spills but if they do happen, the environmental impact would be substantially less."

Boats travelling by water have to use entrances at Big Bras d'Or or Little Bras d'Or to travel between the lake and ocean while the canal is closed.

Canal users are encouraged to contact the lock office at 902-535-2118 to get current information.

I'm happy to see this story.

Next phase of Wentworth Park renovation to begin mid-summer

CBRM will spend $700,000 on project

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes, Cape Breton Post
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality will spend about $700,000 on the next phase of renovations at Wentworth Park.

Coun. Ray Paruch, a spokesman for the Wentworth Park Society, said this stage of the project will begin at Bentinck Street and head west to include areas around the two ponds on either sides of the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia rail bridge.

"We are going to totally revamp and renovate that whole rail bridge," he said. "You are going to see a lot of improvements with that."

Paruch said the highlights will include an entranceway on George Street, construction of tranquil areas, internal park walkways, landscaping, lighting and wheelchair accessibility.

He hopes to see this stage of renovations begin by mid-summer although it still awaits a review by federal and provincial authorities.

The project shows teamwork and co-operation involving volunteers on the park society and resource people in the community including some at Cape Breton University, he said.

It also shows co-operation between the three levels of government, said the regional councillor.

"There's not a lot of that around."

During a first phase of the park renovations, there was extensive renovation to the lower pond part of the park including landscaping, new fountains, a gazebo and a tunnel running under Kings Road and eventually to the Sydney boardwalk.

Engineering plans are being developed for the bandshell and area which will be renovated in a final phase of the project although those plans no longer include an earlier proposal for a freshwater interpretive centre called a fluvarium.

The park renovations have been a big hit with Sydney residents, Paruch said.

"People seem to be really pleased."

There'll be more in tomorrow's paper.

Coal company holding open house

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

Officials from Xstrata Coal Donkin Management and CBCL Ltd. will hold an open house 2-4 and 6-9 p.m., today at the Donkin fire hall.

This is one of several open houses planned as part of the ongoing consultation with the community on the progress of the proposed Donkin mine.

Different aspects of the project will be discussed and residents will be given a chance to comment or ask questions on the project.

Thursday, another open house will be held from 2-4 and 6-9 p.m. at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.

Columbus Club working on plans for housing complex

Section: Glace Bay/New Waterford

By Julie Collins, cape breton post
The Columbus Club, under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus in North Sydney, is working on plans for an 18-unit affordable housing complex.

The Nova Scotia Housing Development Corp., in partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing, is seeking proposals for the development of new modest rental units.

The program provides a one-time limited capital cost contribution to reduce the development costs of new housing units in the form of a forgivable loan.

The proposed complex would be located on property across the street from the KOC hall owned by the Columbus Club and would include two handicapped-accessible units.

The land for a portion of the building has been surveyed. If the club is successful in obtaining the funding, a request will go to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality for an additional piece of land to accommodate the remainder of the building.

A committee has been working for several months with Cape Breton Regional Municipality planning officials on the project. It is believed this is the first venture of its kind for any KOC in the Maritimes.

"We've had excellent co-operation with CBRM officials," said Dave Tobin, a member of the planning committee.

"A key fellow in all of this planning is fellow club member Lawrence Shebib, who has dedicated an enormous amount of time to this project."

The other committee members are Robert Parsons, John Parsons, Alistar MacIsaac and Paul Perry.

Committee member Robert Parsons added the club is waiting for word from Canada Mortgage and Housing on the status of the one-time grant.

"This proposal has received an excellent response from councillors, businesses and private citizens," Parsons said. "If we are successful in obtaining the necessary funding, we could get through the zoning process without too much difficulty and hopefully be under construction by early June. Our tenants could be in their new units by December."

The Columbus Club is a not-for-profit group. The rental proceeds would go to the maintenance of the building.

"Anybody that qualifies for modest housing would be considered, regardless of denomination," Parsons said.

"If we are successful in getting this project off the ground, there could be others in the future."

[Smevo]

These are from Thursday, May 10, 2007 Cape Breton Post

It's not development, but it's good news that shows you can have a successful business headquartered in Sydney.

AG Research named as this year's winner of provincial business award

Section: Business

AG Research Inc. of Sydney has been named this year's recipient of the Export Growth through Partnership Award. Nova Scotia Business Inc. and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency have chosen AG Research as this year's winner in recognition of its outstanding export achievements and contribution to Nova Scotia's economy.

AG Research Inc. was founded in 1991 and has grown to be the largest independent software solution provider in Nova Scotia. With offices in Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, Halifax, Bermuda, and the UK, AG Research plans to open another Caribbean office, in Trinidad, within the next year.

The awards ceremony was held at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax and the award was presented to Eric Whyte, CEO.

"AG Research has been blessed with an extraordinary team of professionals who have never shied away from opportunities. I am particularly proud of our international partners, especially ILLUMAT of Trinidad, who are working with us globally," said Whyte, of Boularderie.

AG Research Inc. attained Microsoft gold certification in March 2007, placing it in an elite group of leading software companies in Canada, the only one outside of Metro Halifax.

The company currently employs 40 staff and expects rapid growth in the near future.

Donkin Update!

Moving Donkin coal by truck not acceptable to residents

Company officials listen to various concerns

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes,
Donkin, a small coastal community in eastern Cape Breton, has some big concerns about a $300-million coal mine project that is being explored by its new neighbour, international mining giant Xstrata Coal.

Local residents at an open house in Donkin Wednesday had concerns about how Xstrata and its partner, Erdene Gold Inc. of Dartmouth, would transport up to five million tonnes of coal out of the community to world markets, if the project gets a green light.

Hugh Kennedy, head of a local community liaison committee, said residents are dead set against trucking.

"We don't support trucking whatsoever," Kennedy said firmly. "There is just too much damage to the roads and the community."

Fishermen and other residents in Donkin and nearby Port Morien and Port Caledonia also have some concerns about the environmental impact of two other options, moving the coal by rail or constructing a pier at the mine site to ship it to market.

"Obviously, we have environmental concerns on both and we have community concerns, so we have to work through those," Kennedy said.

Darren Nicholls, the project manager, said Wednesday the company has not yet made up its mind about how it will transport the coal but has definitely heard the community's concerns about trucking.

The company hoped to hear from people at the open house about the issue, he said.

Donkin Coal Alliance, the company formed by Xstrata and Erdene Gold, is spending $15 million draining the flooded mine tunnels and testing the coal to assess the feasibility of opening the mine.

The company is 2,000 metres down into the mine and has about another 1,700 to go to get to the coal face where it can get a close-up look at the coal seam, Nicholls said.

It is close to the feasibility side of the project, he said.

"We are expecting to move and are still on track for a decision point on a yes or no by the middle of 2008."

Kennedy said people in Donkin see the mine project as a rebirth for the community and that so far, the company has been getting it right when it comes to answering their concerns.

Bruce Howie, the local fire chief and a member of the liaison committee, agreed, noting local fishermen were reassured by the answers they received from the company about how it is dealing with some 350 million litres of water being pumped out of the abandoned mine.

Fishermen have lots of questions about construction of a pier, he added.

"They might not be happy over it if they do put the big pier out there," he said. "That is going to be a big issue I would say."

Howie expressed confidence the company will come up with an acceptable solution, however.

Nicholls said their tests show better than required levels of iron, zinc and sediments by the time the water that is being pumped from the mine passes through settling ponds out to the ocean.

Open houses will also be held today from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.

Trucking will destroy the already bad highway, but the other two options shouldn't cause too much trouble.

[Smevo]

Sorry for another gap in posts...there are pertinent stories in this gap too that I have to go back and find, as well as stories from the first gap as well. A result of going to SJ twice a week I'm afraid. Anyway, here's the updates I'm able to give you for now.

From Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Keddy's Motor Inn demolition finishes up

Remaining steel-framed structure may yet face wrecking ball

Section: Business

The company demolishing the former Keddy's Motor Inn has completed its work.

John MacDonald said he understands a decision may be made this week on whether the remaining steel-framed section of the building will face the wrecking ball or remain intact for potential buyers.

"From what I understand there are a couple of prospective buyers that are interested in a development there. I guess the word will be coming Friday whether they will want those units that are standing; if not, they will be going too."

MacDonald's company, John MacDonald Trucking, Birch Grove, was contracted to demolish the modular-constructed 200-room wooden section of the sprawling Kings Road multi-storey motel that closed a decade ago.

MacDonald, who is foreman for the demolition, said they finished cleaning up the three back sections of the building last week. Subsequently, the owner ordered the wings fronting Kings Road and the original motor inn, a 50-foot wide wooden section, removed.

All that is left is a steel structure with metal siding, housing the pool and a ballroom that's on the second floor. If that's to go it will involve the use of a crane, MacDonald noted.

Debris was trucked to the municipal landfill.

Council considering $112.5M budget

Tax rate unchanged; revenues will increase

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes,
Council in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is poring over a proposed $112.5-million budget that if approved, would include additional tax revenues in spite of a freeze on residential rates.

Finance director Marie Walsh started the day-long budget session Tuesday by walking council through a proposed 2007-08 operating budget in which the total tax revenue rises to $73.9 million.

Taxpayers would contribute another $1.5 million because of assessment increases of 1.8 per cent in the total value of commercial property and 3.8 per cent in the total value of residential property.

If a residential property owner's assessment increases, so will the taxes they pay.

The municipality will also collect about $1.7 million in taxes on new commercial and residential growth and raise commercial rates to shift $2 million of the business occupancy tax which is being phased out in Nova Scotia on to the commercial tax rates.

Coun. Wes Stubbert said assessment increases, which are calculated by the provincial government, have raised the total tax revenues for the municipality by $7.6 million in three years taking 2007-08 into account.

"How long do you think homeowners can absorb that?" he asked.

Stubbert argued council should cut back on money it gives to organizations in the community, like a $1.5-million contribution to the $10-million expansion of the Cape Breton YMCA, as well as community pools, rinks, boardwalks and concerts.

"We can't afford to do it," he said in an interview outside the council chambers.

Coun. Ray Paruch was concerned by the $13 million in new borrowing in a proposed $29.3-million capital budget. Paruch said it contradicts a policy in the municipality to borrow money for projects that are cost-shared with the federal and provincial governments.

"What we are doing here now, and what we are going to continue to do . . . is to saddle the taxpayers, the children, the sons and daughters of the taxpayers of today, we are going to saddle them with huge amounts of debt," he said in an interview.

Chief administrative officer Jerry Ryan said the municipality has to borrow to do capital improvements.

The $29-million capital budget includes dollars for large cost-shared projects, improvements to the Sydney Ports Access Road, rehabilitation of collector and arterial roads and a general capital program for curb and gutter work throughout the municipality.

The budget presentation showed the municipality is receiving $16.7 million from the provincial equalization program.

Walsh told council the municipality's equalization program entitlement increased by $2 million but its actual grant is down by $956,915.

The proposed budget doesn't include money to cover training and education costs for council members. In March, council voted to rescind councillors' use of the professional development fund after a controversy surrounding tuition and hotel bills charged to the fund by Coun. Vince Hall.

Council will get back to its budget deliberations today.

[Smevo]

From Thursday, May 24, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Mayflower Mall welcomes new tenants

Section: News

By Wes Stewart,
The opening of Sport Chek this week signals the roll out of seven additional retail outlets in coming months at an expanded Mayflower Mall.

The 20,000-square-foot sporting goods store is located near the mall entrance in space formerly leased to Wal-Mart.

The mall's owner, Toronto-based Burnac Corp., is spending $10 million to covert the 120,000-square-foot space for retailers Sport Chek, Future Shop, due to open in late July, and the Winners retail outlet, which will be ready Sept. 20.

Five smaller stores - Ricki's (June 11), Fairweather (August), an expanded Music World in July, and The Rolling Phones to open by August - will be located in the renovated space, said mall manager Paul Carrigan.

Burnac is also sectioning off the former Sobeys store, located next to the main mall to meet demand from retailers interested in locating in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

The work will begin in September to divide the 51,000 square feet to be used by three unnamed retailers.

"The way things are going now I would say it's quite possible in the future there could be a link or at least another building in between (the mall and the former Sobeys store)," Carrigan said.

Those clothing and other retail outlets will open in the spring of 2008, he said.

Sobeys, an anchor tenant, closed its store next to the mall earlier in the month.

Burnac carried out a major retail expansion over the past two years by opening land on the new Sydney Ports Access Road for its "big box" concept that includes Home Depot, Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart.

Carrigan said the Mayflower Mall has become a model to those malls that are losing their Wal-Mart store.

"Our leasing department is talking to developers all the time about how we did it.

"We are very proactive and were well aware eventually Wal-Mart would be leaving," he said.

The mall has been in Sydney for 26 years and employs 800 people.

[Smevo]

From Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Council approves funding for active transportation plan

Greener spaces, healthier population among benefits

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Hayes, Cape Breton Post
Council has given the green light to an active transportation plan for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Cyclist Andre Gallant says a $75,000 contribution approved by council last week will pay off in a lot of ways.

"Greener spaces, cleaner air, reduced motor vehicle traffic, which will lead to reduced road maintenance costs, a healthier population (and) friendlier neighbourhoods," he said.

Gallant, vice-president of the cycling group Velo Cape Breton and a member of the municipality's active transportation committee, said the plan will also mean more recreational opportunities and make the area a nicer place to live.

"We want to attract people," he said. "We want to keep people. We are losing population."

The provincial government is also kicking in $15,000 and other agencies have been asked to contribute, he said. Velo Cape Breton is contributing $250.

Malcolm Gillis, of the municipality's planning department, hopes to issue a request for proposals for the plan this summer, looking for a consultant to hold a series of wide-ranging public sessions and to write the plan.

"This is a daunting task and nobody here at the CBRM has either the time or the expertise to do a bang-up job on this," he said.

Gillis noted the plan has to be a regional strategy taking in a number of communities unlike active transportation plans for areas like Moncton.

Council will be asked to adopt the plan, he said.

Gallant congratulated council for finding the $75,000 contribution in what was a tough budget year.

"It just demonstrates great leadership that they are looking long-term because the benefits are going to take years to accrue," he said.

"It is going to take time to do the plan and it is going to take multiple years to implement the plan fully.

"Some of the stuff is many years off."

The plan in a general way will identify active transportation (walking, running, cycling, skateboarding) opportunities and needs and a way of connecting neighbourhoods for the activities. Gallant suggested there could be some kind of park or public area on the former Sydney steel plant site eventually.

"How do we make that accessible to people from Whitney Pier without having to drive a car there?" he asked. "How do we make it accessible to the people from downtown Sydney? How do we connect that to the Green Link plan that is going on for Rotary Park?"

The plan could find its way into municipal bylaws, zoning permits and public works budgets with recommendations, for example, about improving sidewalks, he said.

[Smevo]

This will be in tomorrow's post, but I'll be away, so here's what's out so far from the Cape Breton Post Online.

News RSS Feed
Last updated at 11:03 AM on 01/06/07

Port Hastings candy shop on track for June opening: owner
Breaking News
The Cape Breton Post

PORT HASTINGS - The owners of a shop being billed as Canada’s largest confectionery store are hoping it will open its doors this month.

The Candy Shop is planning a grand reopening at its new location at the former Smitty’s restaurant in Port Hastings, overlooking the Canso Causeway at the entrance to Cape Breton.

“We don’t own the building yet, and so we have to wait for the people who are fixing the thing to finish putting the roof on before we can actually start, and we don’t have a date for that,” said Charles Bosdet, who owns the business along with his wife, Peggy Ann.

The shop will be located just above the Port Hastings visitor information centre, the busiest site of its kind in the province.

Read the full story in Saturday’s Cape Breton Post.

These are from the Friday, June 1, 2007 Cape Breton Post

Cambridge Suites earns tourism award

Section: Business

By Chris Hayes,
Cambridge Suites Hotel has received a tourism award recognizing the professionalism of its employees.

Cathy Burt, the Sydney hotel's human resources manager, said the Cambridge Suites was one of only six hotel properties in Nova Scotia to have received the National Business Recognition Award for Professional Certification.

The award is presented by the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council which is the human resources division of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia.

It recognizes that the Cambridge Suites has met national criteria for implementing professional certification for employees, including front desk clerks, room attendants, food and beverage servers and other positions. The award signifies 86 per cent of employees have achieved national certification, the highest tourism credential available for employees in Canada, Burt said.

Burt noted the hotel has received the award for four years in a row.

Hotel employees must pass exams to receive the certifications that are based on study guides provided by the tourism industry group. They are also evaluated by tourism officials acting as mystery guests.

Burt said employee expertise is an important part of the hotel and tourism industry.

"When people hear that your hotel is investing that amount of time and money in the employees so they can give the best service they can, I think that speaks high volumes to the guests. I am hoping it does,"

Hotel guests filling out comment cards consistently rate service standards at over 94 per cent, Burt noted.

Lisa Dahr, manager of professional development for the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council, said the award was created about five years ago for operators who were obviously investing in their workforce.

Dahr said she would like to see more Cape Breton employers receive the award.

"You could do some good marketing around that if you have good creative marketing," she said.

The hotel also noted employees including line cooks in Goody's Café, the sales manager, human resource manager, assistant general manager, maintenance manager and evening manager have also received other certifications within their professions.

While many tourism businesses are struggling with high turnover rates, the hotel maintains a higher than average industry rate of staff retention, Burt noted.

In December, 2006, Cambridge Suites Hotel, Sydney was also presented the Tourism Industry of Nova Scotia's Crystal Award - Human Resources Leadership Award.

CBRM getting greener with construction of water treatment plants

Deadline for completion is April of 2008

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Shannon,
The construction of the community's water treatment plant is just one piece of the puzzle that's being developed to make the Cape Breton Regional Municipality a greener place.

Under provincial legislation, municipalities across the province are required to meet the guidelines of the Nova Scotia Water Protection Strategy by April, 2008.

Louisbourg is one of three remaining facilities which must be built to ensure the CBRM has fully treated water supplies, which meet the highest standards.

The other two facilities are in New Waterford, which is about one-third complete, and North Sydney which won't be tendered for construction until the fall.

CBRM utilities manager Mike MacKeigan said the municipality is not only keen to improve the quality of its water, but how much of it residents use.

"We're trying to do things like water conservation," MacKeigan said.

"We've got a fairly aggressive leak detection program in place and we're always tightening the system up so we can get as low as we possibly can in terms of the demand."

He said the Louisbourg plant is estimated to cost $7.5 million and service about 500 of the village's residents. The New Waterford facility, at a cost of $11 million, will be ready for commissioning by next spring, and the Northside plant based in North Sydney, has an estimated cost of $14 million, servicing as many as 18,000 residents.

In Sydney, there were $1.5 million in upgrades to the water treatment facility to accommodate residents from Sydney River, Westmount and Coxheath, who were connected to the Sydney wellfields water supply.

On average, 3.2 million gallons of water are used each day by about 28,000 customers in the Sydney area. At peak periods 3.6 million gallons are used.

"It was minor upgrades to the filtration system . . . so the filters can run for longer periods of time before they need backwashing. It was all done as a means to economize the amount of water that's being used."

The Department of Environment and Labour is fully aware of the CBRM's construction schedule for these facilities and MacKeigan acknowledges the municipality won't make next April's deadline.

"They don't appear to be concerned that we're not going to meet the April, 2008 timetable. They've indicated their support for what we're doing. They're pleased that we are moving forward with all of our plants and everything on our go-forward plan."

Municipalities such as Halifax have asked the department for an extension to the deadline because more work needs to be completed.

The new guidelines were released back in 2002, giving municipalities six years to comply with the regulations. The legislation was developed after seven people died in Walkerton, Ont., in 2000 after drinking water contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

And the biggie is back again...

PlanetSpace evaluating two launch sites

Chairman says talks with province going well; project on schedule

Section: Front

By Tanya Collier MacDonald,
PlanetSpace will pick the site for its orbital launch pad by the end of July, says the company chairman.

"Everything is going really well with our discussions with the province of Nova Scotia," said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria. "We've settled on two launch sites and we're evaluating them."

Kathuria declined to identify where the sites are but did confirm both are located on the island. Original reports had the launch site near Alder Point, a small rural community outside Bras d'Or. The final decision must be made soon so the company can meet milestones set out in a Space Act agreement it signed with NASA in February.

Kathuria said the U.S.-based company, which has its corporate offices in Chicago, Ill., is gearing up for operations. Its sub-orbital manufacturing facilities are running in Ohio and it has nearly completed a full-scale engineering mock-up of its rocket ship, the Silver Dart.

As soon as the location is finalized, PlanetSpace will open an office here within 60 days, he said.

"We'll be spending a lot of time between Cape Breton and Chicago," he said.

The proposed site will be similar to the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska, he continued.

"If you actually look at Kodiak launch sites and see launches, you probably can't tell if it's Cape Breton or Alaska."

In an economic impact document prepared for the Alaska centre, it's reported the complex produces 45 direct and 72 indirect jobs in Kodiak. Its employees are among the highest paid workers in the community, with average monthly earnings of $5,120.

The centre used local vendors for about 25 per cent of its purchases of goods and services, spreading about $6.7 million among 82 Kodiak-area businesses in 2005.

It spent another $7 million with other Alaska vendors that year, with portions flowing to the Kodiak economy. Its launch customers spent about $1.9 million on travel and hospitality during launch operations, including 480 trips to Kodiak and 7,000 room nights. Overall, the impact on Kodiak was about $24 million.

Kathuria said PlanetSpace is working to launch a demonstration cargo spacecraft to low-earth orbit from Cape Breton by December 2009.

"The entire spacecraft needs to be completed, tested and flown, but from Cape Breton's point of view, we have to complete an entire launch site well before then," said Kathuria. The launch site will take under one year to complete.

"You'd probably see orbital launches out of Cape Breton, sub-orbital space tourism, manufacturing and (research and development) of some core parts of the space craft," he said.

"It'll be fascinating."

That's all for now...I have a brief vacation from my SJ trips, so hopefully I'll be able to catch up and fill in the gaps within the next 2 weeks.

[KevD]

Smevo, you sure provide a lot of information. I'm not even sure if it all has anything to do with development, but whatever. I would never have time to read all of this. Holy shit haha.