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News Release
For immediate releases
October 22, 1999
SYDNEY, N.S. -- The Province of Nova Scotia announced today a $12-million
contribution to an economic strategy designed to help Cape Breton Island
communities adjust to the downsizing of the coal mining industry. The Province's
commitment is in addition to the $68-million package announced by the Government
of Canada in January 1999.
Each level of government is accountable for
its own contribution but together they will work with the community to develop
an economic plan for Cape Breton Island. The federal and provincial governments
also jointly announced the names of the panel members who will lead a public
consultation process for the development of the economic strategy.
Michael Kelly, Principal of the Marconi Campus of the Nova Scotia
Community College, will chair the panel. Other panel members include: Wilfred
MacNeil, Director of Planning, Partnerships and School-Community Relations with
the Strait Regional School Board; Sister Peggy Butts, C.N.D., Coordinator for
Social Justice for the Catholic Diocese of Antigonish; David Nicholson, former
President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Enterprise Cape
Breton Corporation (ECBC); Rick Beaton, Vice-President, Enterprise Cape Breton
Corporation (ECBC); C. George Miller, a former assistant Deputy Minister of
Natural Resources Canada and a Past President of the Mining Association of
Canada; and Robert L. (Bob) Mac Eachern, President, Mac Eachern Broadcasting
Ltd.
The consultation process, led by the seven-member panel, is
scheduled to begin within the next 10 days. It will encourage Cape Breton Island
residents to put forth creative and innovative ideas for economic renewal. The
panel will prepare a report on the input received, hold follow-up public
sessions to review and finalize the report, and submit their findings to federal
and provincial government officials who will use the information as a basis for
working with the community to design the program elements of the strategy.
This first step in the process is being announced jointly by the
Honorable Bernie Boudreau, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister
responsible for Nova Scotia, on behalf of the Government of Canada, and by the
Honorable Gordon Balser, Minister of Economic Development for the Province of
Nova Scotia.
The federal and provincial governments want to work in
partnership with communities to help the Cape Breton Island economy adjust to
the changes in the coal industry, and to build a more diversified economy for
the future, Senator Boudreau said. The economic adjustment package is intended
to do that.
However, the best solutions to Cape Breton's challenges will
come from Cape Bretoners themselves, he added. The public consultation process
will bring together their views on economic renewal and will contribute to the
long-term success of this initiative. I encourage everyone to participate in
this process.
Minister Balser commented, The provincial government is
very pleased to make this $12-million contribution to increase the amount of
the economic adjustment fund - this will give Cape Bretoners the opportunity to
leverage even greater benefit toward the revitalization of their economy. We
need a new approach to Cape Breton's economic problems and that is best done at
the community level with those who have the biggest stake in seeing their
economy grow.
The panel expects to gather ideas and input from a wide
cross-section of community stakeholders including municipal governments,
business representatives, community groups, labor representatives, First Nations
communities, academics, youth, and any other groups and individuals who wish to
participate.
People who wish to contribute to this process have a choice
of three options - a series of public consultation sessions to be held at
various locations across Cape Breton Island, a written submission by mail or
email, or through a public web site. The public sessions are as follows:
Monday, November 1 |
New Waterford, BEC, AV room |
7:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, November 2 |
*Sydney Mines, St. Piux X Parish Hall |
7:00 p.m. |
Wednesday, November 3 |
*Arichat, La Picasse |
7:00 p.m. |
Thursday, November 4 |
*Chéticamp, Centre Acadien |
7:00 p.m. |
Monday, November 8 |
Glace Bay, Bayplex |
7:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, November 9 |
Ingonish, Ski Cape Smokey |
2:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, November 9 |
Baddeck, Community Centre |
7:00 p.m. |
Wednesday, November 10 |
Port Hawkesbury, SAERC |
7:00 p.m. | Groups and
individuals who prefer to make a contribution to the process in writing may send
their submissions to: Consultation Process, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation,
P.O. Box 1750, Sydney, N.S., B1P 6T7, or by email to consultations@ecbc.ca, or
through a public web site (www.ecbc.ca/consultations).
D.A. Landry Acting
Vice-President Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation dlandry@ecbc.ca (902)
564-3617
Paul MacEachern Nova Scotia Petroleum Directorate (902)
424-2288
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