Donation celebrates Maritime Link completion

Emera NL, contractors, unions donate $40,000 to local community groups

Industry and labour groups involved in the construction of the Maritime Link have joined forces to provide $40,000 in financial support to four local community groups.

Cahill, Northern Canada Constructors Ltd., International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ Local 1928, Cape Breton Island Building and Construction Trades Council, the Nova Scotia Construction Labour Relations Association and Emera Newfoundland and Labrador made the presentation in Sydney on Thursday.

The money will be shared equally among the Adopt-aFamily program, Loaves and Fishes Society, Cape Breton Transition House and Feed Nova Scotia.

“Supporting communities where we live and work has always been important to Emera NL during construction of the Maritime Link project,” Emera NL president and CEO Rick Janega said in a release.

“We are very proud to continue our union and contractor partnerships to help those in need as we complete project construction. It’s our way of saying thank you to the communities that helped us achieve this significant milestone.”

Electricity flowed through the Maritime Link for the first time on Monday. The two, 170-kilometre undersea cables link the power supply from Newfoundland to mainland North America by coming ashore in Point Aconi.

The $1.6-billion project is part of the larger $12.7-billion Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project, which has faced many delays and remains under construction in Labrador, with an anticipated operational date of mid-2020.

The Maritime Link, which will provide 500 megawatts of electricity, was both on time and on budget.

Jim Sponagle, business manager of IBEW Local 1928, said he was grateful to give back to a community that’s given “so much to me over the years.”

Jack Wall, president of the Cape Breton Island Building and Construction Trades Council, said working in conjunction with contractors and Emera, the unions have developed a good working relationship.

“This work kept a lot of families together since people were able to work from home and for every hour they worked, they and the contractors have contributed back to the community,” he said.

The Maritime Link will go into commercial operation on Jan. 1.