Province gives up on attempt to sell former wind tower plant

Nova Scotia Lands will take over ownership of the former DSME plant in Trenton, one of the largest industrial sites in Atlantic Canada.

After an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer for the large facility which most recently was used to build wind towers, a court-appointed receiver is expected to transfer ownership of DSME Trenton lands to Nova Scotia Lands Incorporated – effective Sept. 7 – and begin the process to auction most of the remaining on-site equipment, the province announced Friday.

“We have made every effort to find a buyer for this site. For more than two years, the receiver has marketed this property internationally, without success,” Business Minister Geoff MacLellan said in announcing the decision. “Now is the time to move forward and begin the next phase, one that will allow Nova Scotia Lands to explore other economic opportunities.”

While their initial hope was to buy a single buyer for the 430,000-square-foot facility that sits on 116 acres of land, MacLellan said the sheer size of the building made it a tough sell.

“When we had conversations with potential buyers, they always were very keen on certain MacLellan Business Minister Geoff MacLellan announced Friday that the province has give up trying to find a buyer for the DSME Trenton property and that ownership will be transferred to Nova Scotia Lands. aspects of the site,” he said in forward. Their tendency in the an interview with The News. But past has been to lease portions he said no one was interested in of land to the private sector, but taking on the entire magnitude he said they will try to choose the of the site and the liability that best option. came with it. Money from the sale of the

That’s why he believes the equipment in the building will transfer of ownership to Nova go to the province, which was a Scotia Lands will be a great fit. shareholder in the DSME facility. Nova Scotia Lands is a Provincial There are some buildings on Crown corporation which as part the property that will likely be of its mandate, remediates and demolished, MacLellan but there redevelops crown-owned properties. are others that he believes, based The corporation has turned on his previous tours of the facility, other industrial sites in Nova Scotia could be repurposed. into areas of economic activity, Residents should expect including Port Mersey Commercial to see activity on the site soon, he Park near Liverpool and Harbourside said. Commercial Park in Trenton Mayor Shannon Sydney, and MacLellan believes MacInnis was disappointed to they can do the same in Trenton hear that no buyer was found. by subdividing the property and “It wasn’t what we were originally either leasing or selling portions hoping for,” he said. to private sector companies. He is hopeful though that Nova

The next steps will involve NS Scotia Lands may be able to make Lands doing an assessment to determine use of the property and bring in the best approach going businesses even if it means selling one building at a time. While it’s not the ideal, anything would be better than nothing at this point, he said.

“We’ll just wait and see how it plays out.”

Pictou Centre MLA Pat Dunn said he too was disappointed at the news, but believes that the receiver did the best job they could of trying to find a buyer.

“It’s very disappointing for me being from Pictou County and knowing the history of the plant and the number of employees that worked there over the years,” he said.

There were many times in the past that the plant, which once built railcars, employed 1,400-1,500 people. At peak production, there was a time that 2,400 people were working there.

“To see the facility in its present form, is kind of heart-wrenching,” he said.

A veteran tax litigator of Caribbean descent has been appointed to Nova Scotia’s Supreme Court, increasing the diversity of the province’s courts.

John Bodurtha was appointed by federal Justice Minister Judy Wilson-Raybould Friday, to replace Justice Glen McDougall.

The appointment brings the total number of black judges in Nova Scotia to six, with five African Nova Scotian judges on the provincial and family courts, and one on the 29-member Supreme Court’s trial division in the 104-member judiciary, including full-time and part-time judges.

The 48-year-old Bodurtha will preside in Halifax, with his appointment effective immediately. Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy said in a news release that he expected Bodurtha’s experience as a tax litigator and member of numerous legal committees TRURO, N.S. – Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer says the province’s fight against Canada’s growing opioid crisis is showing notable progress. would be helpful to the superior court.

“I have no doubt his expertise will prove valuable on this court, and his involvement with the committee work outside the courtroom shows his commitment to an efficient, effective and representative judicial system,” said Kennedy.

A biography provided by the court says Bodurtha was born and raised in Halifax, received his law degree from Dalhousie University and was admitted to the Nova Scotia bar in 1996. He spent a year with Nova Scotia Legal Aid before joining Justice Canada as a tax litigator, and he has served as co-chair of the provincial barristers society’s racial equity committee.

He is on the board of directors for Dalhousie Legal Aid, a board member for Halifax City Soccer Club, and a past member of the board of directors for Phoenix House.

Nova Scotia has been steadily increasing its judicial diversity, as both Ottawa and the province have made appointments to replace retiring judges.

Dr. Robert Strang says the number of overdose deaths in Nova Scotia has remained stable in the past year, which is considered a success in a country where the number of accidental opioid-related deaths continues to rise. Strang says the number of people receiving treatment in Nova Scotia has risen sharply and waiting lists have shrunk.

Between January and August of this year, there were 38 probable or confirmed opioid overdose deaths in the province, a figure that is in line with the average since 2011. Across Canada, there were 3,671 accidental apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017, which represents a 40 per cent increase when compared with the previous year.