Up in the air
Cabot Links co-founder tells Inverness council when airport application could be resubmitted
PORT HOOD — It’s too early to say when an application to obtain federal and provincial funding to build an airport in Inverness could be resubmitted, the co-founder of Cabot Links says.
Ben Cowan-Dewar appeared at a committee-of-the-whole meeting of Inverness municipal council in Port Hood on Thursday to update council on developments at the business, including the proposed airport tha sparked widespread public debate after the proposal was made public in June.
That project was recently shelved by federal Rural Economic Development Minister Bernadette Jordan, who indicated the proponent needed to better demonstrate how the project would respond to Cape Breton’s needs.
“We’re digesting it and, I think, thinking about what that looks like,” Cowan-Dewar told council. I don’t have an immediate plan to resubmit.”
He later told reporters they will “continue to think about paths forward to create commercial air access for western Cape Breton Island.”
Cowan-Dewar wouldn’t provide a likely timetable for resubmitting an application but said any submission would be made after October’s federal election.
The proposal called for the $18-million seasonal airport to be constructed exclusively with federal and provincial dollars.
The project sparked vocal opposition from the Town of Port Hawkesbury, in particular, which feared the impact on the existing Allan J. MacEachen Airport, which it owns and is located just outside the town in Port Hastings.
Cowan-Dewar told council he’s been involved with the effort to develop Inverness as a golf destination for 15 years, and the discussion around the airport proposal dates back 11 years to the tenure of former Inverness councillor the late Ned MacDonald, with the facility to be located in Strathlorne. There had been a subsequent proposal to construct the facility at the Margaree airport, with the municipality as a partner, but the council ended up reversing its position on partnering on that project about four years ago, citing the financial commitment involved.
While the municipality wasn’t being asked to contribute financially to the current proposal, some members of council said they wished that more information had been offered to them about the project.
“Where is the plan?” asked Deputy Warden Alfred Poirier. “It is the same situation as we had in Margaree, we never had a … very dependable accounting plan that we did see.”
He added he wants to see how the airport could benefit the north and south of the county, not only central Inverness.
Several members of council stated they would like an opportunity for everyone — from federal, provincial and municipal officials and others with a stake in the project — have the chance to come together and discuss it.
“I think Ben agreed that there was some lack of consulting and collaboration involved in a project that’s as big as this, and really needs to have an islandwide approach, so I think Ben did a good job of just listening and then I think he now has the ball in his court and we are ready to be partners on that consultation,” said Coun. Jim Mustard, who represents the community of Inverness.
Warden Betty Ann MacQuarrie said there seems to be an appetite to get all island municipalities together to collaborate on a strategy. She did say she was disappointed the review of the proposal was cancelled before the municipality got information that it needed before taking a position on it.
Cabot has brought an increased tax base, tourism and more businesses to Inverness, MacQuarrie said.
John Dowling, who represents the Port Hastings area on Inverness council, said he still wants to hear more details about the Inverness proposal and still wants the meeting that council originally requested, with all of the stakeholders involved, to take place.
“If he wants to really support Inverness County, let’s talk about Inverness County as a whole, not just the airport for Cabot,” Dowling said.
After speaking with reporters, Cowan-Dewar was confronted by Inverness resident Anton Selkowitz, who called Cabot Links to task for not constructing a beach path that was an original condition of the land transfer and the $1-per-round royalty it pays to the Inverness Development Association. While the golf courses have brought wealth to the community, he argued the benefits aren’t being enjoyed by everyone.
“You have not been fair to the town of Inverness, and you have not been respectful to the town of Inverness,” he said.