When you’re living in a troubled economy, there’s nothing more interesting than following the money that influenced that economy’s election results. It’s even more interesting when you’re a failed, former candidate from the 2016 municipal CBRM election, who knows all about the donations (or lack thereof), the paperwork, the expenses,Read More

In putting a timeframe of 1 December 2013 to 29 June 2015 on my access to information request, I’d hoped to cast my net wide enough capture the earliest communications between port promoters Barry Sheehy and Albert Barbusci and CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke, and if I haven’t done so, I thinkRead More

The documents I received last week reveal some very interesting details about the 2015 McKeil deal, which saw the CBRM purchase land in the Sydport Marine Industrial Park to lease to Ontario-based marine services company McKeil Marine. The transaction was a very contentious piece of municipal legerdemain that troubled theRead More

Eureka! As you may recall from Wednesday’s edition, CBRM CAO Marie Walsh assured me I’d be receiving, that very day, the “lion’s share” of the 890 documents I’ve been waiting for as a result of the NS Privacy Commissioner’s ruling on my 2015 FOIPOP request. I received nothing on Wednesday.Read More

The ballots are counted, the verdict is in — and it’s time to wonk-out with the numbers from Saturday’s municipal election in the CBRM! Amanda McDougall won the CBRM mayor’s race on Saturday, with 47.4% of the overall vote (24,319 votes). McDougall carried nine districts — 3, 4, 5, 6,Read More

What, exactly, is the advantage to the broader CBRM of the $100,000 waterfront helipad that officially opened last week? Why, exactly, was it considered such a good use of public money that Mayor Cecil Clarke himself presented the proposal to council (which passed it unanimously)? Breton Air, the helicopter charterRead More

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

Tuesday, September 8, was a rather momentous day — not just the first day back to school after an extended absence for Nova Scotian students but Nomination Day in municipalities across the province! Did you feel the electricity? Qualified candidates had until 5:00 PM yesterday to file their nomination papersRead More

During its May 26 session, the Cape Breton Regional Municipal council approved the Port of Sydney Development Corporation’s “Strategic Plan” and some “non-substantive changes” to its Articles of Association (which, fortunately, were written originally in pencil). Before we discuss the latest developments, a brief history of the Articles of AssociationRead More