Better than a poke in the eye Does anyone else find it funny that our globe-trotting, international port promoter may be, even as we speak, sitting in a tree in Florida? I’ve been following Albert Barbusci’s progress in taking over a bankrupt extreme adventure course in Hernando County, Florida, and thisRead More

On January 15, NSBI issued the following press release: Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI) has approved a business development incentive in the form of an innovation rebate for Canadian Maritime Engineering Limited. For over 30 years, the company has serviced a range of marine and industrial companies including machining, mechanical,Read More

Editor’s Note: John Whalley, the former Economic Development Manager of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) is suing the CBRM for constructive dismissal. The case finally came to trial from 20-24 August 2018 and the Spectator was there. We’re presenting our coverage in a series of articles because the trialRead More

Remember I told you about the provincial government subsidizing the wages paid by Marine Recycling Corporation to some of its workers? The Ontario-based shipbreaking company operating out of Sydport is benefiting from a program called New Opportunities for Work (NOW) which, according to the Department of Labour and Advanced TrainingRead More

You’ve got to love the free market. Look at the wonders it produces when simply left to its own devices: an Ontario-based shipbreaking outfit suddenly realizes it should be busting up old naval ships in Sydney harbor, so moves here and starts hiring.   Although, as the Cape Breton Post explainedRead More

Marine Recycling Corporation of Port Colborne, Ontario has landed a third federal government contract to dispose of a ship — this time the HMCS Athabaskan. The Iroquois-class destroyer will join the HMCS Preserver (a naval auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel), the CFAV Quest (a former research vessel) and the MV PrincessRead More

What is it about CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke and December? Does he hear that John Lennon song — And so this is Christmas/And what have you done? — and panic? Does he look at his lists of 200 “positive changes” for the municipality and scream? Because at a time whenRead More

Back in August, I read that Point Edward Marine — a company majority owned by McKeil Marine — was subletting its land in the Sydport Industrial Park to Heddle Marine (another Point Edward Marine partner, in the news lately for its spot of bother with the federal government over theRead More

There I was with my many questions about shipbreaking in Sydney harbor and all I had to do was ask my local member of parliament. That would Mark Eyking, MP for Sydney-Victoria, who invited me to go to Sydport last Friday and take a picture of him standing next toRead More