New group focusing on economic development

The east coast of Cape Breton is joining forces — and the new group is called the Arc of the East Coast of Cape Breton Alliance.

“It ranges from Port Hawkesbury through Gabarus to Glace Bay,” said Mike Kelloway, chair of bayitforward. “We’ll be looking at short-term goals and longterm goals that are going to change the dynamics of this island in tourism, the economy and the community.

“Groups have emerged from that side of the coast to grow their communities. It’s up to us now to chart our course in terms of development.”

Friends of Gabarus Society held an open house as they attempt to reopen the road from Gabarus to Louisbourg and develop the Fleur-de-Lis Trail to Louisbourg.

Members of bayitfoward, a community development group in Glace Bay, attended the open house.

“It was like looking in a mirror at ourselves in terms of what we are doing for our respective communities,” Kelloway said.

After realizing the two groups had similar goals, a meeting was organized and included members of bayitforward, Friends of Gabarus Society and the Gateways to Opportunity Society in Louisbourg.

John Phalen, manager of economic development for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, was also in attendance along with Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm Beaton. Richmond County expressed interest but did not send representatives.

Kelloway said this group is all about inclusion.

“Our hope is that in subsequent meetings to come we’ll incorporate other communities on the east coast if they’re interested,” he said.

“This is not an old boys network. “We’re more powerful together than we are separate. We’re about seeing the east side of the island developing new assets and doing it together.”

Kelloway said every community has a unique set of goals and each will be looking at what they can do to enhance them however there will be initiatives stretching counties and boundaries.

The organization will focus on issues like telecommunications in rural areas, maximizing the fishery or interesting startups.

“There are a lot of heavy hitters in those groups who are very action oriented,” he said. “We’re about getting action done for the island. It’s going to happen.”

Tim Menk and Gene Kersey, directors of the Friends of Gabarus Society, helped spearhead the new group.

Menk said the group has a clear idea of what they need to be doing and they want to know what other communities have in mind.

He said they want to hold meetings in communities along the coast including Isle Madame.

He said they are already looking into the telecommunications problems in Framboise and Fourchu and it could become their first priority.

“It will be a building process but at the same time we hope to hit the ground running in terms of the (federal) funding that was announced (Thursday) for rural infrastructure,” he said. “We are going to pursue that aggressively and hope to get funding for telecommunications improvements for the Louisbourg-Gabarus reconnection. It makes more sense to do this as a group of coastal communities with common links tied by the highway system which includes the Fleur-de-Lis and Marconi trails.”

Kersey said every community along the coast has an interest and a stake in the success of all the other communities along the coast.

He said they are not competing for scarce resources as much as struggling to find a mechanism to integrate their efforts.