District 10 includes Dominion, plus parts of Gardiner Mines, Glace Bay, Grand Lake Road and Reserve Mines. I know I have already drawn this comparison (see: District 12) but District 10 is also shaped like a bat. (Or maybe I really do have a Halloween obsession.) The district is homeRead More

District 11 encompasses the former town of New Waterford plus all or part of the communities of Lingan, Gardiner Mines, New Victoria, River Ryan, Scotchtown and Victoria Mines It’s shaped kind of like a bloated Florida. There is no incumbent is this race, not because the former councilor decided toRead More

Catch 22 “There was only one catch, and that was Catch-22.” Did you happen to watch the CBC-sponsored CBRM mayoral candidates’ debate on Wednesday night? I watched the whole thing and, given my obsession with all things port, was struck by Mayor Cecil Clarke’s assertion that the province was preparedRead...

District 2 consists of most of the former town of North Sydney, plus all or part of Bras d’Or, Dalem Lake, Florence, Georges River, Groves Point, Hillside Boularderie, Little Bras d’Or, Mill Creek, Millville, Southside Boularderie, Point Aconi and Upper North Sydney. It is, like most CBRM districts, very oddlyRead More

Hired guns CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke’s executive assistant Mark Bettens (he of the exorbitant travel expenses) and spokesperson Sheilah MacDonald have taken paid vacation to work on Clarke’s re-election campaign. I confirmed this with CAO Marie Walsh this week. There’s nothing to stop them doing this — other than theRead...

Debate debacle I tried to watch the Ripple FX TV mayoral debate (by which I mean, the video of it the morning after the actual debate) but couldn’t get past the first few minutes during which both Mayor Cecil Clarke and candidate Chris Abbass were KICKED OUT. Clarke, who wantedRead More

Beggaring belief So, it’s done — Albert Barbusci of Sydney Harbour Investment Partners (SHIP) has completed his work and all that stands between the Port of Sydney and a multi-million dollar terminal for ultra-large container vessels is our decrepit railway. Barbusci told the Cape Breton Post‘s David Jala (who describedRead More

District 3 includes Eskasoni First Nation as well as all or parts of Balls Creek, Barrachois, Beaver Cove, Beechmont, Benacadie, Blackett’s Lake, Boisdale, Castle Bay, Christmas Island, Coxheath, East Bay, Edwardsville, Georges River, Gillis Lake, Grand Narrows, Ironville, Islandview, Leitches Creek, Long Island, MacAdam’s Lake, North West Arm, Northside EastRead More

District 6 is located almost entirely within the former city of Sydney — including the neighborhoods of Ashby and the Southend —  but also encompasses a section of Grand Lake Road. It’s shaped sort of like a single-cup coffee filter. (I’ve just realized that I’m probably telling you more aboutRead More

District 12 covers part of Sydney (chiefly the Whitney Pier area) and all or part of South Bar, Lingan Road, Grand Lake Road and Victoria Mines. It is totally shaped like a bat: Since time immemorial, by which I mean, since amalgamation, the district has been represented chiefly by JimRead More