Rants & Raves
We discuss the Donkin mine, Gabarus-to-Louisbourg highway and more
RAVE: For rational thinking. Credit local MPs Rodger Cuzner and Mark Eyking for offering level-headed responses last week to criticisms from a Cape Breton environment group and national Green Party leader Elizabeth May regarding the reopening of the Donkin coal mine. As Cuzner says in a perfect world everyone would have solar panels and energy would be generated by windmills. And, it says here, the quicker we get there the better. But, fact is, there is still a huge demand for traditional fuels and fossil fuels. There is also the possibility that Donkin coal could be used by Nova Scotia Power to help meet our domestic energy needs, negating our need to import coal from South America. We think there’s some green energy value in that, not to mention the jobs and economic spin-offs the mine offers. Eyking also pointed out the folly of reserving coal for national emergencies, as has been suggested by the Margaree Environmental Association, as it takes years to set up a mine and open it. Plus, we ask, what company would invest in such an operation?
RANT: For huge eyesores. CBRM has earned praise in this space for its successful efforts to reduce the number of derelict properties in the past few years. But most of those have been small demolition jobs. Somewhere in the $2,500 range. Ultimately, council is going to have to start addressing the issue of demolishing larger buildings such as the one that once served as home to Harvest House on Main Street in Glace Bay. These jobs will cost taxpayers somewhere in the neighbourhood of $40,000-$60,000, a huge chunk of the annual municipal $120,000 budget to deal with demolitions although some or all of the cost can be recouped via a tax lien on the property. We know budgets are tight but we encourage council to continue being proactive when it comes to removing eyesores - large and small.
RAVE: For community initiative. Sydney’s Bill Fiander warrants high praise for efforts (nearly 1,000 people have signed his online petition) to encourage the various levels of government to consider the benefits of building a 17-kilometre stretch of coast highway that would directly connect Gabarus with Louisbourg. The job would not come cheap with a 2008 survey indicating it would cost $20 million to reopen the road. How much does that translate to today? $25 million? More? And we would need to know more in terms of the economic spin-offs this project is likely to generate before giving it a thumbs up. After all, there are other big projects lobbying for public funds too and final funding decisions will probably come down to what will deliver the most bang for the buck. That said we support Fiander’s goal to at least get this project to the table.