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From Saturday, April 14th, 2007 edition of the Cape Breton Post.

Cape Breton Casting getting some interest from local business

Section: Business

By Wes Stewart,
Cape Breton business interests are assessing the feasibility of acquiring the Cape Breton Casting plant in the Northside Industrial Park, the Cape Breton Post has learned.

"We've received no proposals to date," Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation spokesman D.A. Landry said late Friday.

Any proposals received, including those from local interests, if any, will be evaluated by the consultants who will make recommendations to ECBC, Landry said.

Approximately 60 people are employed manufacturing die cast transmission parts for car parts giant Magna International.

Its Magna Powertrain PFC plant is located next door.

Cape Breton Growth Fund took over the operation of the plant in March 2006 when the owners failed to meet the terms and conditions of its contract.

The Crown corporation is committed to operating the plant until July 1.

Ernst & Young has been engaged as outside consultants to formulate an exit strategy.

"We looked for an assessment of the operation and its financial situation and to evaluate the business both as a going concern and as liquidation," he said.

"It has been determined the plant has potential to sell it as a going concern," Landry said.

Ernst & Young is now working on a process to market the plant to people in the automotive industry and investors interested in companies with potential.

It's about time for this, also from Saturday's CBPost.

Councillor pushing for active transportation strategy in CBRM

Section: Cape Breton

By Chris Shannon,
When budget deliberations begin next month, Coun. Ray Paruch is hoping to see funding go toward an active transportation strategy in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Wednesday, Paruch touted the need for a detailed plan at the public services committee - one which considers the municipality's geography as well as its main urban communities and the links between them.

"We'd be looking at an emphasis on sidewalks, tying in public transit with bicycle users," said Paruch, who serves as chair of the active transportation committee.

"You might have somebody in Coxheath or Westmount that may drive a bicycle to a certain spot and have a bicycle rack to put the bicycle on, before getting on public transit to come to work or you may have it just the opposite."

But he said active transportation is more than simply targeting bicycle users.

"Active transportation could be as simple as encouraging people to take strollers with their children to go to Wentworth Park in Sydney.

The active transportation committee is comprised of community groups, police, Velo Cape Breton, the Cape Breton District Health Authority, the provincial government and the CBRM, among others.

In order to develop the comprehensive plan, Paruch said a consulting firm with expertise in the field must be hired. The total cost is estimated at $125,000, but Paruch said about half of that cost could be generated by the vested interest groups with the remainder coming from the municipality.

He doesn't expect he'll face much opposition to the plan when budget talks begin.

"I don't foresee any problems at all."

Claire Detheridge, chair of the public services committee, said the municipality has already received 35 e-mails in favour of active transportation which shows there is support for the plan.

Bell museum plagued by leaky roof

Silver Dart display could solve problem

Section: Front

By Chris Hayes,
Parks Canada is still dealing with a leaky roof at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site three years after the problem was noted in an auditor general's report.

Carol Whitfield, a field unit superintendent based in Cape Breton, said plans exist to fix the roof but the roughly $2-million repair job may not be necessary depending on the activities of a group called the Silver Dart Centennial Association.

Those plans could include a Silver Dart display over one of the areas where the roof is leaking.

"I don't want to be in position where I spend a considerable amount of money on that roof and two years later tear the roof off because we are building an addition that makes that roof unnecessary," she said.

Whitfield noted the leaks are not threatening the displays or artifacts in the Baddeck museum.

"We are trying to find if we can plug where the leak is coming in, patch it, whatever until we know for sure what is going to happen."

Leaks that were associated with snow and ice conditions stopped when the snow and ice melted. Parks Canada is prepared to pay for the roof repairs if necessary, Whitfield said.

Aynsley MacFarlane, site manager at the Bell museum, said a waterproof membrane in the museum roof is breaking down in some exhibit areas but the leaks tend to be in public walk areas between artifacts rather than on the displays themselves.

"If it ever came to a point where it was a threat to any artifact, the artifact would be removed - that's for certain," she said.

The Silver Dart Centennial Association is working on plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the airplane's historic flight over Baddeck Bay on Feb, 23, 1909, which was the first controlled power flight of a British subject (John A.D. McCurdy) in the British Empire.

The airplane was developed under Bell's direction.

Shane MacFarlane, the chairman of the association, confirmed Friday it has been negotiating with Parks Canada about a Silver Dart display which could be located in a section of the museum where the roof is leaking.

The association must raise millions of dollars for that project, he noted.

Auditor general Sheila Fraser noted in a February 2004 report on national parks that the Bell museum was only rated in fair condition in a Parks Canada evaluation in 2002-03.

A fair rating means deterioration of the historic site has to be addressed within three to five years to prevent the permanent loss of elements that show its historical significance, closure to the public or rapid deterioration of the site.

The fair rating for the Bell museum was related to the potential for deterioration of a collection of unique photographs, problems with the roof and humidity problems.

MacFarlane said the photographs have been preserved in digital form and the humidity problems have been addressed.

From Friday, April 13, 2007 Cape Breton Post.

Committee discusses tar ponds projects

Section: Business

By Tanya Collier MacDonald, cape breton post
Members of a newly struck environmental management committee met Thursday to discuss upcoming tar ponds projects and ways to track ongoing success.

The full-day event, which was closed to the public, was held in Membertou, said Ken Swain, project director at Public Works and Government Services Canada. It was one of several monthly meetings the committee has held since it was struck in December.

The committee has eight federal representatives, four provincial representatives and a representative from the Cape Breton District Health Authority. The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency and an independent engineer also attend.

"The purpose of the committee is to ensure that the environmental obligations that the project has are met and to ensure that we keep the recommendations of the review panel in view," said Swain.

In the committee's terms of reference, its purpose is described as offering expert advice on the environmental management of the $400-million cleanup and to guide the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency during the development and implementation of a project environmental management plan.

It's also developing a tracking document to keep tabs on ongoing work.

"It methodically lays out the review panel recommendation from number one to number 55 and governments' response," said Swain. "For the rest of it, it's a work in progress."

The committee will also serve as a forum for information exchange between federal and provincial regulatory agencies and project experts.

tcmacdonald@cbpost.com

Members drawn from number of areas

Sitting committee representatives:

Government of Canada:

1. Public Works and Government Services Canada

2. Health Canada

3. Fisheries and Oceans

4. Environment Canada

5. Transport Canada

6. Natural Resources Canada

7. Cape Breton Development Corporation

8. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation

Province of Nova Scotia:

9. Department of Environment and Labour

10. Department of Health Promotion and Protection

11. Department of Transportation and Public Works

12. Department of Natural Resources

13. Cape Breton District Health Authority

Ex-offico members

14. Independent Engineer

15. Sydney Tar Ponds Agency

Historical society waiting for word on land for museum

Section: Northside/Victoria

The North Sydney Historical Society is waiting for a decision from Cape Breton Regional Municipality council to purchase land for a museum site where the town hall once was located.

Jim Walsh, president of the society, indicated an application is being considered by council and will be decided on during the budget session in two weeks.

At present the museum functions from the basement of the old Bank of Nova Scotia building where the library operates.

The proposed museum site is next door and would be in prime location to take advantage of the half-million annual travellers to and from Newfoundland, as well as providing a well recognized service on the Main Street and supplying a cornerstone to the downtown of North Sydney.

In an effort to provide a new building to house artifacts and cultural themes, the historical society has undertaken to provide a new space for the North Sydney Seniors' Club and is negotiating to bring such groups as Northside artists to the building as a site for display and sales.

"A five-year plan to demonstrate fiscal sustainability for the museum is being developed with professional assistance," Walsh said. "Once the site and plan are approved the society will be negotiating further with Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. for federal funding for construction costs."

The provincial government has made a $100,000 contribution to the museum.

Walsh noted there will be office space available for rent in the proposed quarters, such as for tourism, and this would enhance the building as a community centre in the downtown.