‘INCREDIBLE PROJECT’ TAKING SHAPE IN DOMINION

I recently attended a meeting of the organizing committee for the Hawks Dream Field in Dominion. While I knew they were renovating the field, I didn’t know much about the plans. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised.

This project is so much more than just a baseball field, although no doubt the field itself will be amazing. The committee has thought of everything. There will be a walking track as well as two courts for bocce ball, a sport commonly played in the Special Olympics. For anyone looking to cool down on a hot summer day, a splash pad takes care of that.

As someone who was born with a physical disability that limited my mobility, and who recently suffered a spinal cord injury which will likely leave me in a wheelchair user for the rest of my life, the key to this project for me is the accessibility features. The baseball field will have recessed bases and a movable pitcher’s mound, removing what is typically a huge barrier for people with mobility issues who want to play the game. The stands for watching baseball will be covered so anyone who struggles with the hot sun will be able to escape that. The walking track will have seating every 30 feet so people can sit as often as necessary. The splash pad will be fully accessible. There will be two fully accessible washrooms, even including adult sized changing tables.

One very cool feature that stuck with me is a canteen window at wheelchair height. There’s so much accessibility it’s amazing.

As I said before, I don’t think there’s anything the committee hasn’t thought of. It’s truly an incredible project in so many ways and I am committed to helping them in any way I can.

While the field is located in Dominion, one thing that has become very clear to me is that this project is not just for residents of Dominion. It will serve the entire island.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Hawks Dream Field when it opens in plenty of time for the 2023 season. Kurtis Deveaux

Glace Bay GOVERNMENT ‘OUT OF TOUCH’ — NDP MLA

Nova Scotia is in the grips of an unprecedented housing crisis, and Cape Breton is no exception. The number of people who need affordable housing is growing just as the number of affordable options is shrinking.

In March of this year, about 20 people were evicted from their apartments in New Waterford because the fire inspector had deemed their building to be unsafe.

Some of the residents of this building were Department of Community Services clients. On April 13, during budget estimates, I asked Minister Karla MacFarlane if her department would take action to ensure that units rented by its clients are safe and properly maintained.

In her response, MacFarlane said “having a home is really at this point in time a luxury.” She went on to say that “at the end of the day, it is the client who determines where they want to live.”

To suggest that people have real choices when it comes to finding an affordable place to live displays just how out of touch the Houston government is with people’s lives.

In Wednesday’s Community Services Committee, I asked again about affordable, non-profit housing in CBRM and got another non-answer from the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Housing is a human right, not a luxury. Everyone deserves housing that is safe and affordable, and the government has its head in the sand if it thinks the problem is going to fix itself.

Kendra Coombes

NDP MLA

Cape Breton Centre — Whitney Pier