Sod turning Wednesday for logistics park for proposed terminal

Officials are tight lipped over the details of a sod turning event on Wednesday related to a planned logistics park that will be adjacent to the proposed container terminal site at Sydney harbour.

The Assembly of Mi’kmaq Chiefs will host the sod turning event, according to a press release issued on behalf of the assembly from Membertou Chief Terry Paul and Chief Leroy Denny of Eskasoni.

A spokesperson for Membertou said Paul would only be speaking on the sod turning event on Wednesday.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Cecil Clarke and several councillors are also scheduled to attend.

A spokesperson for the CBRM deferred calls for comment ‘on the importance and meaning of the event’ to Membertou First Nation.

The spokesperson for Membertou said 13 Mi’kmaq chiefs will be in attendance, as will Geoff MacLellan, the MLA for Glace Bay and Derek Mombourquette, the MLA for SydneyWhitney Pier.

Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking and other dignitaries have also been invited.

A press release for the event included a map of the proposed logistics park site where the press conference will be held.

Harbor Port Development Partners and the port of Sydney dubbed the area Novazone when the site and the proposed terminal were named back in February.

Novaporte is the name they had given to the proposed terminal.