A reader isn’t happy about the proposed NSCC move to the Sydney waterfront.

As reported/asserted by our own Cape Breton Post, the CBC, the Sydney Waterfront District and our duly elected MLAs under the flag of the Liberal Party, one thing is clear. If you repeat something enough, it becomes true.

This will happen under the guise of progress while being put on the backs of taxpayers, as the Liberals move forward with the possible relocation of the Nova Scotia Community College Marconi Campus to the downtown Sydney waterfront as if it already has determined a positive result.

If you are wondering where I am coming from, just look at any post or article put out about the topic. The bias couldn’t be more saturated in these statements, unless they started capitalizing and bolding keywords such as ‘excited,’ ‘important relocation,’ ‘great project,’ ‘exciting time’ and ‘economic driver.’

Again, all of this is going to be a good case study of putting the cart before the horse in terms of political grandstanding, should it fail.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) document was written by bureaucrats who live within the confines of reality and not on the whiff of a possible future electoral win. I really think this move isn’t being promoted out of practicality, but the Liberal Party is doing nothing more than licking its wounds, preparing for the next election.

Premier Stephen McNeil did say the last election result was “a message for all of us” in regards to Cape Breton, and the response seems to be nothing more than the party is learning from its mistakes, sort of. Should the assessment regarding the campus move result in a negative final determination, well, their hands are clean and I am sure they will say something along the lines of “we tried.”

Still, I think McNeil would have done himself a favour by focusing on education and health care as these matter much more to the average Cape Bretoner than relocating a college campus for the sake of a few business owners who want this because it’s a chance to land a few more student dollars.

Don’t get me wrong. I realize people are still bitter because Cape Breton University didn’t originally wind up in Sydney or Glace Bay, but they are crying over spilled milk and many years have transpired since that “accident” occurred.

The RFP actually states almost the direct opposite of what the politicians are saying about the current campus, which is located next to Cape Breton University. For instance, one of the good things it says is that the NSCC campus is only 10 kilometres from Sydney Harbour. The RFP also notes that a “new trades wing (27,000 square feet)” was added not more than seven years ago. That, I bet, has most definitely paid for itself in this short time.

In terms of targeted consultation, I would be interested to hear a direct response from the new CBU president on this topic. The actual business owners and residents of the area aren’t even considered under the RFP, since it does only state analyzing ‘impacts affecting post-secondary students.’

Furthermore, this government states it will ‘identify potential uses for the current Marconi campus once the new campus downtown has been constructed …’ so depending on how quickly market conditions change we could end up with an abandoned campus that isn’t falling apart for a brand new one which may only have a negligible impact on the economy.

Talk about progress.