March 28, 2006:: Shelburne Youth Centre sale "done deal".  Both Frank Anderson, CEO of the regional development authority and the Nova Scotia-based project developer for the site, say the sale of former Youth Centre, or "boys school", will be finalized shortly. Anderson has been heading up the project to sell the $10 million parcel at the request of Team Shelburne, an amalgam of county politicians and business types.

Team Shelburne chair Paulette Scott is quoted in the Shelburne Coast Guard as saying that the group is "courting buyers by word of mouth", but the developer, who has asked not to be named until the deal closes, informed shelburnecountytoday that everything is in place for the purchase. The developer had, at one time, planned to house an English language school on the site, but has altered those plans. shelburnecountytoday expects the final deal announcement to occur the week of April 3.    

March 27, 2006:: Even stranger bedfellows... The Washington Post and New York Times ran editorials this week decrying the bullying antics of Alaska senator Don Young in his attempt to scuttle the publicly popular Massachusetts Cape Wind offshore energy project. (see links ) Cape Cod Today editor Walter Brooks credits a  shelburnecountytoday story linking Young with Boston-to-Shelburne ferry promoter and Republican money-man, Gene Hartigan, who is one of Young's largest benefactors. "Without that story," says Brooks, "this travesty might have gone unreported." (see story here)

March 27, 2006::  Chris Huskilson and Ralph Tedesco, CEO and COO of Nova Scotia Power Inc, hosted a lunch in Shelburne last week to take the pulse of the business and civic community about the company's renewable energy policy. The working lunch was attended by Warden Paulette Scott, Lockeport Mayor Darian Huskilson, Shelburne Chamber pres Elizabeth Rhuland, Community College dean Mike McGill and reps from The Sou'Wester Wind Field, RDA, Discover Shelburne Tourism and others. The Town of Shelburne was absent from the meeting.

The honchos heard clearly that the attendees wanted NSPI to pursue renewables and that they wanted the power company to support the coming deregulation of renewable energy and wanted them to encourage local and Nova Scotia companies to develop wind farms and other renewable projects. Huskilson assured attendees they would receive overviews of results of other similar community meetings.

March 21, 2006:: Gag order in Shiretown? Shelburne Mayor PG Comeau has apparently taken a page from Prime Minister Harper in forbidding any town employees from speaking to local media.  Employees of the Town of Shelburne are reporting that they are now forbidden by Mayor Comeau to speak with local reporters. When asked questions by Coast Guard reporter Cathy Holmes at the last Council meeting, Comeau replied "no comment." PM Harper has clipped the wings of his cabinet, insisting that they vet any media contacts or public appearances. Can we next expect  Town Councilors to be forbidden from speaking to the press or attending community pot-lucks?

March 21, 2006 2,000% eBay mark-up on Nova Scotia property... Two unlicensed Halifax-based real estate dealers are selling a piece of property described by a local realtor as "700 acres of swampland" on eBay auction site for $1.67 million ($1.4 million US). Property seller "Sport" just raised the selling price by $400,000.    See new eBay website >>>here.  

March 16, 2006:   The RCMP in Nova Scotia has begun an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the recently-cancelled internet auction of a Port Clyde, Shelburne County property assessed at $65,000 being offered at $1.2 million. shelburnecountytoday editor, Timothy Gillespie, filed formal complaints yesterday with RCMP, Nova Scotia Justice department and the eBay online auction company. 
     RCMP investigators visited Gillespie at his offices and interviewed him about circumstances surrounding what is becoming an increasingly bizarre episode. shelburnecountytoday readers visiting the site advised us also that the auction site (see link below) is also advertising illegal moose hunting on the property and touts an international airport with no flights.
    The 700+ acres of what a local real estate agent has described as “swampland” near Clyde River was for sale recently for more than $1 million on the famed eBay auction site. The sale was cancelled suddenly after Gillespie  filed the formal complaints and was contacted by the eBay auctioneeers. 
     The front page of the eBay site, owned by someone calling himself or herself Sport-17068, originally suggested that the property – assessed at $65,000 – was offered to the highest bidder. 
     Hidden deep in the web site and in small print, buyers are advised that any bid will be added to the set price of $1.1 million US, making a bid for $10,000 liable for a $1,270,000 payment! The Antigonish telephone number for the site was answered by someone claiming to represent the property owner, but who would not divulge his name or that of the owner.
     Review of listings in the Nova Scotia Registry of Deeds show the owner to be Carmen Blinn of Antigonish. Blinn is not listed in the Antigonish telephone directory, but is registered as a resident of a luxury suite in Halifax. Ms. Blinn’s telephone in Halifax is answered by the same person who refused to disclose her name previously and who then threatened Gillespie. Other calls to Blinn were not returned.
     In addition to the arguably deceptive presentation on the web site, the site contains protected content and artwork without permission from ShelburneNovaScotia.com, BarringtonMunicpality.com and CatFerry.com in direct violation of Canadian copyright and trademark laws.
     Formal complaints were filed with the RCMP commercial fraud unit, RCMP Antigonish, Nova Scotia Justice departments and eBay. The eBay site lists other complaints of similar practices by this seller and Shelburne County Today readers familiar with eBay practices have referred to the ads in emails as “incredibly misleading,”  and suggested that “It should be illegal to mislead people that way, “ and that it was “an extremely misleading sale”, warning Today readers to “watch that eBay seller.”
     In addition to the RCMP, eBay staff has been in touch with Gillespie to advise him that an investigation of possible fraudulent activity is underway. Despite several requests to the eBay site owners to remove unlawfully-obtained material owned by Shelburne County Today publisher, the material remains online.   Visit the $1 million eBay auction site HERE

March 4, 2006
Indian Gaming Money, Don Young PAC, the U.S Coast Guard and the Boston Ferry
Who says that politics and big business don;t make for strange bed-fellows? Certainly not anyone who looked at the proposed Boston-to-Nova Scotia gambling ferry scheme. Gene Hartigan and Guy Conrad, two Massachusetts political lobbyists working hand-in-hand with Shelburne Mayor P.G. Comeau to bring a gambling and ferry ship operation to this small town, have important friends in high places, including Alaska Congressman Don Young, who is chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which just happens to oversee the budget of the U.S. Coast Guard. >>> full story

    So sue me!

     Shelburne Mayor P.G. Comeau seemed quite pleased to joke about the recent dust-up at Municipal Council between Raymond Davis and Terry MacIntyre, calling it “fisticuffs and rowdyness”. He did not seem to see that the Coast Guard editorial about it was really about the need for councils – including his council - to follow the rules we have all agreed apply to public bodies in Nova Scotia .
     But an even cursory look at some of the behaviour of the Mayor is not a pretty sight. Within just a few months, in a few visits to Council meetings, a review of minutes, agendas and video for past meetings and direct dealings with the Mayor and Town Clerk, it’s pretty clear to me that the sun isn’t shining where it should be.
     A lengthy list would be overkill here, but some points illustrative. Secret, closed-door, meetings are commonplace, the last one being March 1. Special meetings – designed for urgent business only – are consistently used by Council and Port Authority to discuss whatever the Mayor puts on the agenda. Formal and informal requests for simple documents are commonly refused, thwarted or promised and not delivered. Staff is forbidden to contact citizens regarding certain meetings.
     I could go on, and on, but you get the picture. And you see it is not a pretty one. The complicity of Council in most of these matters is, I think, a passive one and not meant to do harm. They may not know better or they may not want to ruffle feathers. But when it comes down to protecting the rights of the citizens they are obliged by law and principle to protect, we all know that being awkward is no justification.
     My experience in civic activism has shown me that, the first light shed on these constant expropriations of the public good is awkward and painful, but often it gets easier after that. For some officials and bureaucrats, it takes a little more effort. I still recall at the Council meeting where Mayor Comeau was questioned by The Coast Guard about why he had secreted an important vote by council deep in the bowels of a committee report. His retort was, “If you don’t like the way I do things, sue me.” H-m-m-m-m-m.   Timothy Gillespie, editor 

Basalt mines, CFAs and pogie... Here comes disaster… (Joyce Case, Shelburne)

Once again we hear rumblings of an impending environmental disaster, soon to rear it's ugly head in Lower Sandy Point , Shelburne County , within a spit of one of the Jewel Harbors of the World. After some investigation, it appears it may be true, or at least pointing that way, as a basalt mine is planned for the area, supported from investors from as far away as Florida . 

Why is this area always considered for the garbage industries?  Are we so economically depressed or so stupid we'd sell our souls for any jobs?  I really hope we're neither and I hope that the various governments in Shelburne County and its people make some serious decisions as to what we're going to do.

We can't have it both ways. Nova Scotia is one of the last remaining areas in North America  that has not been stripped of its oceanfront and lakes, or our breathtaking wilderness. We still have our clean air, and drinkable groundwater. And so.... it is high time we got off our butts and got rid of our passive attitude and actively pursue industries which are clean and harmless to our environment.

We need to stop inviting dirty business in to fill their pockets with our resources and pay the minimum wage for the few jobs they create. When it's all over and done, when the minerals are all gone and the environment is a mess, and these investors are gone, what will be have left ? Nothing!

I can hear people screaming, "but we need jobs".  Right ...so go get one, there's no lack of work for anyone who REALLY wants to work!  Ahhh, I can hear it now, “but I don't want my kids and grandchildren moving away to get good jobs. No, I want them to stay here and work for minimum wage... so they'll end up with the same tunnel vision and narrow mindedness I have, and maybe, if they’re lucky, after awhile they'll be able to draw unemployment, have a few kids for child support cheques and then they'll only have to look for jobs that don't quite give them enough hours so they lose their unemployment!

Don't you ever wonder why the "non-residents" or the "Canadians from away" who have bought property here, are the first to rear their heads in opposition to this sort of thing? Maybe they know something we don't, like what this crap is all about!

Maybe these people are getting away from what we're headed for. Maybe their knowledge level is a little more broadened than yours? So I'll tell you what we need. We need to get a plan or zoning approved in Shelburne Municipality to protect the fragility of what we have and we need to start immediately.
Joyce Case Harlow
Shelburne , Nova Scotia