Protesting new projects old hat in Cape Breton

Thirty years ago I bought a piece of property on South St. in Glace Bay, formally known as the old South St School. At that time I saw a demand for seniors’ housing.

When I bought it I decided to build seven duplexes. I applied for re-zoning and the next thing I knew there were some residents that had a petition to stop the project. After two meetings with counsel, then mayor Bruce Clark held the vote and it passed.

Years later, some of the same people that protested the project were only too happy to have their parents move in. The town of Glace Bay got the extra revenue and also got a vacant lot cleaned up.

Here we are 30 years later with the Cape Breton mentality to protest anything that will help with employment still on display.

1.Shipping our garbage off the Island which costs taxpayers money they don’t have.

2.Donkin Mine - Kameron Coal: Every time you turn around, they are protesting this industry which is creating good paying jobs.

3.The rock quarry on Kelly’s Mountain where again people are protesting.

The straw that breaks the camel’s back is protesting the proposed RV park and campground in Big Pond Centre. Here is a gentleman who is coming in here to create work in Cape Breton yet we complain that our young people have to move away to get work.

Two weeks ago in the Cape Breton Post there was an article from one of the First Nations chiefs which indicated their community was living in poverty. My dear friends, either we start looking at some of these projects or we will all be living in poverty.

And we wonder why there are no doctors coming to Cape Breton. Nobody wants to live in a welfare community. Tom Kennedy CBRM