Official Sydney and Area Projects Thread

[Smevo]

CBRM Meetings Weekly Schedule
CBRM Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw (including North End Sydney Secondary Planning Strategy and North End Viewplanes)
CBRM Active Transportation Plan
CBRM Integrated Community Sustainability Plan

Sydney (Central CBRM) Projects Map
North Sydney-Sydney Mines (Northside) Projects Map
*Thanks to myles_malley for hosting them.

2006 CENSUS
Cape Breton Economic Region: 142,298

CBRM CA: 105,928

CBRM CSD: 102,250

CBRM Urban Areas:
Sydney - 33,012
Glace Bay - 19,968
Sydney Mines (Northside) - 15,500
New Waterford - 9,661



Photos by myself unless credited. Satellite photos created by myself using Google Satellite Imagery.

URBAN CBRM

Red = old city/town limits (except Sydney Mines and Dominion = Green)
Blue = Suburban spillover


RESIDENTIAL

Harbourstone Residence
Under Construction

Bing.com Maps

Google Streetview
I can't make out the rendering on the sign, but the new building is likely to be very similar to the existing ones.

Vista Heights Senior Complex Renovations
Under Construction


Google Streetview

Northside Guest Home Expansion
Under Construction


Google Streetview

Affordable Housing, Sydney Mines
Approved

New Deal Development
20 units
Not sure where on Pitt St it's going.

Spanish Gates
Proposed

Harbour Royale Developments
Trifos Consulting
7 storeys
44 - Condo Units
124 - Hotel Rooms
Rumoured Parking Garage
Currently awaiting approval (since 2006) and facing opposition from the Northend residents. Also has to negotiate around newly imposed viewplanes.

Whitney Pier Affordable Housing
Proposed

New Dawn Development
Remediation Underway


COMMERCIAL

Membertou Hotel - Hampton by Hilton
Under Construction

Bing.com Maps
Membertou Developments
Size currently unknown.

YMCA Renovations
Under Construction



Trifos Consulting

Chandler's Renovations
Under Construction

purpose unknown, possibly offices


Mayflower Mall Renovations
Under Construction


High Peak Development
Mall Website
Since Spring 2007
Expanded:
Music World (closed after Christmas 2007)
Rolling Phones (Aliant)
Mark's Work Wearhouse
Smart Set
Tip Top Tailors
City Streets

New Stores:
Ricki's
Sport Chek
Winners
Future Shop
Fairweather
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Michael's
Urban Planet
East Side Mario's
Telus Mobility
Alia N TanJay
Laura Canada
Olsen Europe
Samuel & Co.
Sports Fanatic
Stokes (coming soon)
Jacob (coming soon)
(locals, if there's an error or I'm missing something, please let me know)


SPAR Rd Power Centre
Under Construction

High Peak Development
Unshaded Building = Home Depot completed 2005
Purple = Wal Mart completed 2006
Red = Canadian Tire completed 2006
Blue = future expansion, second phase under construction
Large area recently cleared in next phase. Costco rumours continue to circulate, however, nothing official announced yet.
Grand Plan for Phase 1 (ie- "Near Future" Plan)
Garth Wilson Ave (main road for Phase 2)


Microtel Inns
Approved


Mayflower Mall Annex
Under Construction

High Peak Development

Northside Downs Renovations
Approved


Fitness Centre
Under Construction

Formerly rumored to be site of new Shoppers Drug Mart

Sydney Shopping Centre Renovations
Under Construction

Google Streetview

Centre 200 Renovations
Under Construction
Press Boxes, Video Scoreboard, and Expanded Capacity to 5,000 among renovation projects. Many of these are expected to be ready for the new QMJHL season.

Planet Space Launch Pad
Proposed
Recent article suggests project is still alive and kicking, and that the site in Alder Point was chosen.

The Keg Steakhouse
Rumoured
Rumours have it opening in the old Joe's Warehouse location, however, building is not officially for sale so this remains nothing more than a rumour at this point in time.


INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT


Membertou Health Centre
Proposed
Would go somewhere on newly completed access road.

Membertou Band Office
Proposed
Would go somewhere on newly completed access road.

NSCC Marconi Campus Addition
Approved

Bing.com Maps
$6M two story LEED certified addition.

Boardwalk Extension
Under Construction

CBRM
Part of plan to connect Boardwalk to Wentworth Park and potentially Rotary Park and the Baille Ard Trail.

Northside Elementary
Under Construction


Northside Public Works Building, Northside Industrial Park
Approved

CBRM

Cape Breton Regional Hospital Renovations
Under Construction

Renal Dialysis Unit Expansion (completed 2009)
Cancer Unit (completed 2010)
Pain, Heart, and Respiratory Therapy Clinics and Sleep Lab (completed 2010)

Wentworth Park Renovations
Under Construction

CBRM
Blue = Phase 1, completed 2007

Red = Phase 2, Under Construction


Munro Park Renovations
Approved


Google Streetview
CBRM

Renwick Brook Park Renovations
Under Construction


CBRM

CBU Residence and Dining Hall
Under Construction


Sydney Airport Improvements
Approved

New apron panels and upgraded runway lighting

Oceanview Jr. High, Glace Bay
Approved


Route 4 upgrades
Under Construction


(Don't worry, we were stopped and waiting for the pilot vehicle)
When upgraded or replaced, Route 4 will become Hwy 104 and replace 105 as the Trans Canada Highway on Cape Breton Island.

Sydney Harbour Dredging Project
Proposed

Sydney Marine Group
Part of Atlantic Gateway Initiative. Would create a channel 9km long and 17m deep. Tender awarded and funding committed by NSPC ($1M), CBRM ($2M), Provincial Government ($15.2M). Waiting for decision from Federal Government which is being asked to commit $19M to the project because it is a federal harbour. Aside from the container terminal proposal, other major rumoured developments with publicly stated interest in the area can only go ahead with a dredged access channel.

Marine Atlantic Ferry Terminal Renovations
Approved
Renovations to existing facilities and a new terminal in North Sydney beside Commercial Street which will have access to downtown North Sydney.

Port to Port Highway and Corridor
Proposed

CBRM
Proposal to link Sydney Sea Port facilities with Sydney Airport. Would be controlled access highway. Master plan is to create a business corridor along highway and open up new development land.

Highway 125 (Sydney By-Pass) twinning
Under Construction
- Coxheath to Balls Creek announced 2006
Approved
- Sydney River to Grand Lake Road announced 2007, expected design phase 2010.

- blue, already twinned
- green, Coxheath to Balls Creek, relatively light traffic compared to rest of highway
- red, Sydney River to Grand Lake Road, busiest two-lane highway in province

Highway 125 sections awaiting twinning (Video from July 2008):
• Video Link
Driver: Smevo
Video: S.B.
Photos from July 2009
Phase 1:

Phase 2:



Louisbourg to Gabarus Highway
Proposed

Would follow route of old dirt road, land annexed in 1960's by Parks Canada for Louisbourg National Historic Site.



INDUSTRIAL

Harbourside Commercial and Light Industrial Park
Under Construction


Google Streetview
New Sports Facility Approved on site
Overpass Removal and new Surface Street Network Rumoured

Donkin Mine
Proposed

XStrata
Erdene Gold
Undergoing Environmental and Sustainability Assessments.

Sydport Container Terminal
Proposed


Sydney Marine Group
Capacity of 500,000 TECUs
$200M proposal, fully private money.

Fertilizer Manufacturing Plant
Rumoured
Bankok Company
Site unknown, but interested in "Sydney area".

Shipbuilding Facility
Rumoured
Daewoo Shipping
Interesting in locating facility on Sydney Harbour, though nothing concrete yet. Would need at least 14m depth in harbour, so dredging is a prerequisite.



POWER PROJECTS

Lingan Power Plant Environmental Refit
Approved


Lake Uist Wind and Hydro Generating Project
Proposed

Luciano Lisi
44-Wind Turbines
Pump water from Lake Uist to holding tank to be released during peak demand times.
Undergoing environmental assessment. Facing lots of opposition from locals and Fish and Game association.



WATER PROJECTS

Northside Water Supply Treatment Facility
Approved

CBRM

Louisbourg Water Supply Treatment Facility
Approved
CBRM
Site unknown


REMEDIATION PROJECTS

Princess Mine Remediation
Under Construction


Tar Ponds Cleanup and Solidification
Under Construction


Google Streetview

Coke Ovens Site Remediation
Under Construction

Google Streetview

Victoria Junction Wash Plant Remediation
Under Construction




COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Northside Civic Centre
Under Construction


Google Streetview

North Sydney Historical Society
Under Construction


Google Streetview

Donkin Community Centre
Approved



GOLF AND RESORT PROJECTS

Louisbourg Golf Resort, Spa and Upscale Subdivision
Under Construction

2-18 hole courses (Architect - Nick Faldo)
400 home subdivision prices ranging $400,000 to $1,000,000
Cape Breton Island Developments



MIXED USE

The Village by CBU
Proposed

Site Plan
Signs are down and no news from this development in over a year. Likely a dead proposal, so I will remove it if there is no news in 6 months or at the time of the next main page update, whichever comes later.

Completed projects in last 5 years
arranged by year (note- completed projects relating to the CBRH, SPAR Rd Power Centre and Mayflower Mall appear in their own section).
2006
The Wentworth Condos, Kings Rd - 4 floors (2006)
Coxheath Interchange Hwy 125 (Exit 5A - 2006)
2007
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre (~2007)
DFO Westmount (2007)
Health Park at CBRH - 5 floors (2007)
Lingan Wind Farm (2007)
Sydney Waste Water Treatment Facility (2007)
2008
Atlantic CAT Rentals, Balls Creek (2008)
Kia Auto Mall, Grand Lake Rd (2008)
Flavors Restaurant (2008)
Delta Exterior Renovations (2008)
Protocase, Harbourside (2008)
Stirling Pharma (formerly Keata), Northside Industrial Park (2008)
New Waterford Water Supply Treatment Facility (2008)
Glace Bay Skate Park (2008)
2009
The Lakes Golf Course, Ben Eion (2009)
EHS Headquarters, George St (2009)
Kenny's Pizza DT Location, Townsend St (2009)
Lawton's and Medical Centre, George St - 2 floors (2009)
Riverview Rural High School Renovations (2009?)
Sydney Academy Renovations (2009?)
2010
Vogue Office Building, Charlotte St - 3 floors (2010)
CB Health and Recreation Complex, CBU (2010)
Membertou Access Rd (2010)
Membertou Business Centre (2010)
Alexadra Street Roundabout (2010)
Dominion Waste Water Treatment Facility (2010)

If anyone notices any errors in location or info, let me know and I'll fix it.

I'll post more updates as they come.

[bluenoser]

That's great - thanks Smevo! I'm very interested in the goings-on of Sydney and Cape Breton.

I think I'm two for two now in delegating thread starts, ha... all about delegation... btw, I'm 'Black Slacks' on SSC in case it wasn't obvious...

What's the status of the Health Park? Also, did you say the Dorchester had been advertising occupancy for sometime in 1 - 2 years? That'd be pretty sweet.

[Smevo]

Health Park looked complete when I went past it over Christmas break, but I didn't get a close up look to see if it was open or not yet. I'll try to get pictures in March when I get home next.

And, yes, the Dorchester was advertising for occupancy in 1-2 years, but most likely he'll wait until spring to break ground. That's generally when things start to get done in Sydney.

PS - I realized you were Black Slacks when I went back and checked the Dartmouth Crossing thread after posting this one.

Originally posted in Cape Breton Post, Sept. 29, 2006

Big changes in store for mall
Mayflower Mall adding stores and square footage

By Wes Stewart
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — Major retailers Winners, Future Shop and Sport Chek will open stores in the Mayflower Mall in November 2007 as part of a $10-million mall expansion.

It will transform the 120,000-square-foot space that housed the Wal-Mart store for up to 13 new national retailers that have expressed an interest in the Mayflower Mall, Luc Corneli said Thursday.

Corneli, vice-president of property management and leasing for Toronto-based Burnac Corp., said large format retailers such as Winners have been interested in the Sydney market for quite some time.

Burnac carried out a major retail expansion over the past two years by opening land on the new Sydney Port Access Road for its “big box” concept that saw Home Depot, Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart open new stores.

Burnac will also begin building the Mayflower Annex, an 18,000-square-foot strip mall next to Home Depot to house six retailers on the SPAR.

“These three major stores will have an impact on the island in a positive way for the consumer as well as the retailer because it is going to keep people closer to their home spending,” said Mayflower Mall manager Paul Carrigan.

The Mayflower Mall Annex will have the premises ready for the new retailers to do their work by March.

“We are hoping to break ground in the spring and it could be a fall opening.”

Mayflower Mall opened in Sydney 26 years ago and employs 800 people.

“We have stores in this mall that lead the company in sales. As a matter of fact, we are consistently above the national average in total retail sales,” Carrigan said.

Cape Breton Partnership CEO Bruce Meloney said it is obvious the three companies think there is money to be made in Cape Breton.

“It means maybe people from this area will stay at home and shop here, they won’t have to go to Halifax.”

It will also help to draw people from other areas of the island.


“I think they will attract more business than they will take away.”

The downtown development association views the expansion of retail space as a positive move for the area.

President Marjorie Fougere, who owns Finishing Touch, said independent business owners don’t have the buying clout of the large retailers and that’s a concern.

“On the other side you have to look at what it is bringing into the economy. There will be more jobs and competition is often healthy because it all make us straighten up and fly.”

This was originally posted by skyscraper_1 in the SSC thread

Here is an article that appeared in the chronical herald at the end of 2006.

CAPE BRETON MYSTERY PROJECT

Rick Beaton, vice-president of Enterprise Cape Breton, says there will be an announcement of "major, major importance to Nova Scotia" in the new year.

Mr. Beaton said the backers of the privately funded megaproject have not yet picked a site on the Island, but are returning for the fifth time to "talk to people and doing tours." He earmarked February as the potential date.

"These people are very real. I’m very happy. I think we are going to have good things happening early in the new year," he said, hinting the project was bigger than the Louisbourg announcement and will require skilled labour during the construction phase and offer jobs that would pay in the $70,000 range once completed.
--------------------------
So keep on the lookout for this announcement everyone!

So first one to hear this announcement, post it here.

This was originally posted by bluenoser's alter-ego on the SSC thread

Ray of hope shines on North Sydney centre
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 | 10:26 AM AT
CBC News

The push is on to raise $1.5 million the community needs to build a new civic centre in Sydney's northside.

More than 700 people packed into the North Sydney Firemen’s Club Tuesday night to hear the latest news from the Northside Civic Centre Society.

Last week, the federal and provincial governments withdrew their offer of $3 million, saying the society had not met its deadline to raise funds to contribute toward the $9-million project.

Since then, project organizers have been scrambling to secure money and government support.

Now there is a ray of hope.

Cecil Clarke, the MLA for the area, said government funding would be available if the community can secure $1.5 million by the end of April.

"The only way that the infrastructure can be triggered right now is with a letter of guarantee or guarantees to do that," he told the crowd.

The community has already raised more than $900,000 and many people at the meeting urged others to continue to donate.

Civic centre society chair Leo Steele was handed several cheques after the meeting. He said he's confident the community can meet its requirement and predicted they'll break ground within three or four months.

Hugh Toner of George's River said he's pleased the community is working together.

"It's looking like it's going to work itself out the way it should," he said. "We needed you guys to stand forward and say I'm on board and I'm hearing that tonight."

[bluenoser]

NASA signs agreement to share information with Canadian spacecraft project

Published: Thursday, February 1, 2007 | 5:34 PM ET
Canadian Press: MICHAEL TUTTON

HALIFAX (CP) - NASA is acknowledging that a Canadian-designed spacecraft is a "potentially viable idea" to carry passengers and cargo from a Cape Breton launch pad to its international space station.

The space agency issued a release Thursday saying it has signed an agreement with PlanetSpace Inc. to share some technical information as the firm attempts to develop a rocketship in the next three years.

The agreement provides no cash to PlanetSpace, unlike an arrangement with two U.S.-based companies that have access to $500 million in funding.

However, the news release states the space agency "will share information that will help the companies understand projected requirements for space station crew and cargo transportation vehicles."

....

The designer said he's expecting the first milestone in the project would come next year, when the Silver Dart will take off from a Nova Scotia launch pad and fly through the atmosphere at an altitude of about 6,500 metres.

"By the end of 2008 we will put the Silver Dart on top of our rocket booster and fly it 4,000 miles," said Sheerin.

By the end of 2009, the goal is to send the spacecraft, named after an early airplane tested in Cape Breton, into orbit.

Eventually, the company says it wants to launch commercial customers into space and expects to create 5,000 "space tourists" over five years.

....

Kathuria said the firm is going to request land be contributed by Nova Scotia Business Inc., the province's economic development agency.

"We're in discussions for a signficant piece of land in the Cape Breton area," said Kathuria.

"We haven't bought any land. I think that would be part of the contribution of Nova Scotia to the project."

Neither executive was able to provide a precise location for the launch pad site.

A spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia agency, Sarah Levy, said she has no comment on whether the land will be provided.


http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/070201/t020115A.html

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by bluenoser

NASA signs agreement to share information with Canadian spacecraft project

Published: Thursday, February 1, 2007 | 5:34 PM ET
Canadian Press: MICHAEL TUTTON

HALIFAX (CP) - NASA is acknowledging that a Canadian-designed spacecraft is a "potentially viable idea" to carry passengers and cargo from a Cape Breton launch pad to its international space station.

The space agency issued a release Thursday saying it has signed an agreement with PlanetSpace Inc. to share some technical information as the firm attempts to develop a rocketship in the next three years.

The agreement provides no cash to PlanetSpace, unlike an arrangement with two U.S.-based companies that have access to $500 million in funding.

However, the news release states the space agency "will share information that will help the companies understand projected requirements for space station crew and cargo transportation vehicles."

....

The designer said he's expecting the first milestone in the project would come next year, when the Silver Dart will take off from a Nova Scotia launch pad and fly through the atmosphere at an altitude of about 6,500 metres.

"By the end of 2008 we will put the Silver Dart on top of our rocket booster and fly it 4,000 miles," said Sheerin.

By the end of 2009, the goal is to send the spacecraft, named after an early airplane tested in Cape Breton, into orbit.

Eventually, the company says it wants to launch commercial customers into space and expects to create 5,000 "space tourists" over five years.

....

Kathuria said the firm is going to request land be contributed by Nova Scotia Business Inc., the province's economic development agency.

"We're in discussions for a signficant piece of land in the Cape Breton area," said Kathuria.

"We haven't bought any land. I think that would be part of the contribution of Nova Scotia to the project."

Neither executive was able to provide a precise location for the launch pad site.

A spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia agency, Sarah Levy, said she has no comment on whether the land will be provided.


http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/070201/t020115A.html

I remember back a few months ago when almost everyone thought this was one giant joke. This is sure showing them. It seems people around here have no faith of great things happening in this province. Whenever something thats actually good comes up, a lot of people pass it off as "too good to be true". Great article.

[Smevo]

I'm not sure if they're still hoping for the land in Alder Pt. That was the early rumour. There's 300 acres there which is the amount they were reportedly hoping for, easy to develop good highway access, and it's in a location where the ship would very quickly be over water where it could shed components or in case of tragedy. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Smevo]

The Louisbourg resort would be going somewhere in the area of the orange box on this satellite shot...2 golf courses and up to 400 luxury homes on 1,000 hectares of land. Louisbourg's population was barely over 1,000 people in the '01 census.

[Smevo]

Here's the NASA agreement from today's Cape Breton Post, I think this one is more detailed.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Closer to liftoff
PlanetSpace lands agreement with NASA that brings it one giant leap closer to building an orbital launch pad in Cape Breton

By By Tanya Collier MacDonald
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — PlanetSpace has landed an agreement with NASA that brings it one giant leap closer to building an orbital launch pad in Cape Breton.

“This is a major milestone,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, chairman of PlanetSpace. “It’s actually the final milestone that the company had to complete to go ahead with the plan for Cape Breton and Nova Scotia.”

The pact will have NASA steering PlanetSpace into a position to compete for the agency’s commercial crew and cargo program.

The agreement to share information will help the company better understand the agency’s requirements for space station crew, cargo, launch vehicles and spacecraft.

PlanetSpace will work to develop and demonstrate its vehicle capabilities as well as systems and operations needed to transport crews and cargo to and from a low-Earth orbit destination. As the demonstration unfolds, NASA will acknowledge the company’s accomplishments.

“Not only is this very important for the company, this is very important for the entire nation of Canada,” said Kathuria. “This will give Canada a manned space program. Only three other nations have that right now: Russia, U.S. and China.”

The company hasn’t selected a final launch site but has narrowed the choice to three parcels of land in Cape Breton. Negotiations are continuing with the province and a decision is expected soon.

PlanetSpace CEO Geoff Sheerin said favourable flight corridors and ranges providing the company with the most latitude are among the deciding factors.

“We have been onsite,” he said.
“I’ve stood on the land and looked out over the water and saw the surrounding area and transportation capabilities for those sites.”

The rocket to be launched is the Silver Dart. It’s designed to function as either a manned or unmanned spacecraft and is stable in flight from mach 22 (22 time the speed of sound) to O and has a glide range of 25,000 miles. An all-metal thermal protection system allows for all-weather flying.

The first demonstration flight is planned for December 2009.

[Smevo]

Not directly related to projects, but good to see the area land more direct flights. They seem to be the new trend with the Sydney Airport finally.

From Cape Breton Post.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Airport gets accustomed to customs

By By Tanya Collier MacDonald
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — The creation of direct flights between Sydney and Cuba is raising a slight customs hurdle for Sunwing Vacations and the Sydney Airport Authority.

For the first time, the airport must prepare for returning passengers to clear customs, as required when a flight from another country lands in Canada. Sunwing, the airport and Canada Border Services Agency are discussing those needs.

The airport’s chief executive officer, Larry MacPherson, said planes carrying about 160 passengers will land at Sydney Airport from Holguin, Cuba, each flight day around 3 p.m. It’s expected that a portion of the airport will be secured to carry out customs requirements.

The airport has access to two customs officers, based in Sydney, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. If passenger levels require additional staff, the airline or the airport will pay the extra expense. They’re also billed for any overtime.

“We’re dealing with customs now on this whole issue,” said MacPherson. “It falls on the airports and airlines to say ‘How do we go about achieving this objective of having flights out of Sydney to Cuba?’ How does that affect the packaging, and how does it affect the airport in relation to revenue they’re receiving?”

MacPherson said the cost of providing customs officers for international travellers is an issue that’s currently popping up at regional airports across Canada. Larger airports have free access to customs officers but regional airports are required to pay.

Jennifer Morrison, spokesperson at the Canada Border Services Agency, said no official request for additional customs officers has been made by the Sydney airport or Sunwing Vacations.


“The carrier has to make an official request even when it’s within our hours of service,” she said. “We have to know where this aircraft is coming from, we need to have the advanced passenger list and we need to have the amount of officers needed to clear a flight.”

If there aren’t enough officers, passing through customs will be delayed. Morrison said customs officers can refuse overtime.

“We want to do what we can to work co-operatively with the airport authorities but at the same time it’s really important that we have the information so we can make the most prepared and best decisions.”

[Smevo]

Still playing catch up. This is the first I've heard of this.

Cape Breton Post

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Road to renewable energy may run through Cape Breton

By By Laura Jean Grant
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — The director of an alternative energy enterprise feels there’s a number of ideal locations in Cape Breton where the technology could be successful.

Stefanos Horianopoulos is director of Kinergypower, a company which has patented a device that essentially captures the kinetic energy from vehicles in motion and converts it to electricity.

Based in Welland, Ont., Horianopoulos has been spending some time in Cape Breton over the holidays with his wife, Sydney native Malena MacSween, and her family.

Horianopoulos and his brother, Dimitrios, invented Kinergypower in 2003, after experimenting with ways to harness energy from motor vehicle traffic. They came up with a way to transfer energy from the wheels of cars to a device to create energy through the use of hydraulic pistons. The system of hydraulic pistons can be installed either above or below the road and the vehicle doesn’t feel anything.

He noted Kinergypower is the cheapest way to generate energy and it’s emission-free.

“In essence we recycle energy,” he said.

As an example of how much power the system can generate, he said 30,000 cars travelling daily over a two-mile stretch of road with some 40,000 pistons would provide enough energy for approximately 20,000 homes.

Horianopoulos said with the patent in place and the prototype and scientific data to back them up, the company is eager to begin putting the technology into practice.

“We’re at the stage that we’re ready to apply the technology,” he said. “We’re looking to do a larger, major project.”

Horianopoulos said the Kinergypower systems can be installed on roadways, drive-thrus, shopping centres — anywhere there’s a regular flow of traffic.

Some areas in Cape Breton which he feels would be good locations for such technology include the Canso Causeway, local shopping malls and the Marine Atlantic ferry site in North Sydney. Horianopoulos said the volume of traffic at the ferry site makes it an “ideal situation to harvest energy.”

He added the manufacturing and installation process could also generate local employment.

In order to make the technology a reality in locations across the country, Horianopoulos said the company will need businesses and government to come on board as partners in various projects.


He said the concept is generating lots of interest, noting Welland city council has approved a system be installed along one road which will power the city’s street lights. That project is currently awaiting funding approval.

For more information on Kinergypower, visit www.kinergypower.com.

[Smevo]

Cape Breton Post

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

And the survey says ...
Mayor looking forward to what census holds for Cape Breton

By By Chris Shannon
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — For John Morgan, the health of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is measured by the numbers.

“The progress of Cape Breton and its people in the regional municipality (is) based on statistical information about whether or not we are progressing or not,” said the CBRM mayor.

“What is most important to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t judge the last year or the year before or even next year based on any individual anecdotal event.”

In a recent year-end interview, Morgan, who has led the province’s second-largest municipality for the last six years, said the most important event of the last year wasn’t the $300-million resort and golf course proposed for Grand Lake, the steps made in reopening the Donkin mine or American-Canadian company PlanetSpace’s plans to build a launch pad in Alder Point by 2009 to supply the International Space Station.

He said the event that meant the most to the CBRM in 2006, in his eyes, was the census taken in May.

Information from that national snapshot, which will tell us, among other things, how many we number, where we’re moving and what regions of the country are suffering from population loss, will be released in the next few months.

Morgan is looking forward to what the census holds for Cape Breton.

“There’s a great debate continuing on whether we’ve turned the corner economically or does the region, in fact, face enormous challenges that require aggressive interventions and changes by the provincial and federal governments.”

The CBRM made a large step forward in its equalization battle with the province in late May.

Documentation for its legal action was finally filed with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia after more than two years of sometimes raucous debate among councillors and provincial politicians.

It’s unlikely the issue will be resolved in the upcoming year. The CBRM is arguing the municipality has been consistently short-changed $20-million annually by the province since municipal amalgamation in 1995. The province has yet to file papers in its defence.

“(The legal action) is about whether the provincial and federal governments get to simply turn their backs on the region and allow it to die.

“They are, in effect, putting a pillow over the head of the entire region by simply spending virtually all of the economic development funding in Halifax.”

Councillors and the mayor have been fighting with the province over other issues this year as well.

The most prominent remains the battle over strip mining. The latest volley was lobbed by the CBRM only weeks ago when an amendment to the municipality’s land-use bylaw passed council. It attempts to make it tougher, if not impossible, for strip mining operations to set up shop here.


However, there is little optimism that the department in charge, Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, will approve the bylaw amendment.

Morgan said it’s likely the province will ignore any attempts to stop the practice because of its “lack of concern for the environment in Cape Breton.”

An Antigonish-based company, Pioneer Coal Ltd., secured a coal lease in Point Aconi earlier in the year. The province has placed a three year moratorium on other possible strip mining leases in Cape Breton — a move some say is tied to the success or failure of the Pioneer Coal lease.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Is the answer blowin' in the wind?
Nova Scotia Power turns to private sector to supply renewable energy

With energy prices soaring, colder weather on the way and environmental issues at the forefront, the Cape Breton Post takes a look at alternative energy sources and some energy-saving ideas this week. Today, in part four of a five-part series, reporter Tanya Collier MacDonald looks at renewable energy.



By Tanya Collier MacDonald

Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — Independent power producers looking to give Nova Scotia Power Inc. an extra boost can start proposing renewable energy options in January.

The power company wants to supply 40,000 homes across the province with energy from sources such as wind, solar, hydro and biomass. The plan is to add 130 megawatts of renewable energy to transmission lines across the province by the end of 2009.

Interested vendors will be invited to outline their project and how they plan to connect to the grid, said NSPI spokeperson Glennie Langille.

“We suspect that most of that will be wind,” she said. “But we also expect to get some projects that would be biomass and small hydro.”

The process would be similar to steps taken in 2005 by Cape Breton Power Ltd. when it signed an agreement with NSPI to purchase enough energy from seven wind turbines to supply 6,000 homes. The wind farm is located next to the power company’s generating station in Lingan.

Cape Breton Power Ltd. finished setting up its turbines Wednesday, just in time for Nova Scotia Power’s second phase of renewable energy.

Luciano Lisi, chief financial officer at the wind farm, said knowing the company can compete for additional projects is welcome news. The island company will start to prepare its proposal as soon as technical information is released.

Lisi said a second wind farm on the island will be assessed.


Langille said the power company has tried to have a renewable energy project from one side of the province to the other.

“We’re in a place that has a pretty good wind resource,” she said. “The way to make that resource work the best, in terms of wind, is to have it right across the province. That way you can take best advantage. You’re looking for a nice spread over the province.”

This is an old story, the site is currently under construction.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Pharmaceutical manufacturing plant expected to open in Northside Industrial Park in June

By Wes Stewart

Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY MINES — Work is progressing on the Keata Pharma $12.5-million pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the Northside Industrial Park.

“The electrical and mechanical sub-contracts are underway, those are the two major remaining contracts,” said company president Bernie Boudreau.

Construction is taking longer than expected on the 45,000-square-foot plant, due in part to design changes made by the company to accommodate some product opportunities and a need to reorder equipment.

“We kind of hoped to have it done by the end of the year, (but) that’s not the case,” said Boudreau.

He expected the plant to be completed some time in June, but that could be subject to change with production soon after.

“We would like to get it done, obviously as quickly as we can.”

The first class of 16 graduates of the one-year co-operative biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology certificate program at Cape Breton University are now employed.

“We’ve hired 15 of the 16 graduates, the bulk of them working at our (pharmaceutical) plant in Perth, Ont.

“The idea is to get them as much experience as we can before the Cape Breton plant opens.”

Some graduates on consulting assignments from a Cape Breton base of operations are working in Boston, Atlanta and Toronto.

A second certificate course will start in January at CBU and there are a few seats available, Boudreau said.

Persons who may be interested in the certificate course and who hold a science degree should call Kelly Unsworth at the local office before the deadline.

Boudreau said the plant will make two types of products — solid dose (tablets) of various kinds and over the counter private label products — once they get the establishment licence from Health Canada.

In addition they will make generic products — drugs that have come off patent — for a company that may be interested in marketing them.

Boudreau said when they begin making product for export to the United States in 2008, the plant will employ 165 people.

Enterprise Cape Breton Corp.
contributed $6.25 million in repayable loans, Nova Scotia Business Inc. is helping in new job creation with a $3.6-million payroll rebate to be paid over five years toward the project.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Health Park opens next to regional hospital
Two complexes connected by 180-foot pedway

By Wes Stewart

Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — A major office development has opened to create rental space for health professionals, specialists and businesses next to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.

Health Park is connected to the hospital by way of a 180-foot pedway in what developer Wayne Weatherbee anticipates will encourage more developments in the health-related services on land he acquired in 1992.

“This pedway connected to the main floor of the regional hospital is very important to (the delivery of) health-care services,” said the Sydney businessman.

Weatherbee believes it is a first in Atlantic Canada where the public sector is joined with the private sector building to amalgamate services under one roof.

The 84,000-square-foot, five-level building is already 70 per cent occupied, he said.

Health Park, part of Kolara Investments Ltd. which is owned by Weatherbee, is a $15-million development that includes doctors offices, a pharmacy, hearing aid centre, uniform shop, Tim Hortons and Subway outlets. Some space is already occupied with the rest of the tenants to be up and running before year end.

The lower level will accommodate a new geriatrics department for the region.

The Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech clinic is now in operation and features new diagnostic equipment to test the hearing of newborn babies, he said.

The fully air-conditioned building is equipped with two elevators and specialists will be housed on the third and fourth floors.

When fully operational, the development should create up to 200 jobs and be open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight.


Health Park also has parking spaces for 500 vehicles which will be subject to the same $2 fee as the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in accordance with an agreement with the hospital authority, Weatherbee said.

There is space available for general practitioners and specialists in the remaining 30 per cent of the building yet to be rented.

Health-related services are being targeted but other businesses can be accommodated as well, he pointed out.

Weatherbee owns Sydney Memorial Chapel funeral home and the Senators Place office building in Glace Bay.

Alright, that's all the updates I have for now.

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Today's CB Post:

Saturday, February 3, 2007

More land destined for business park

By Wes Stewart
the Cape Breton Post

“There is a lot going on but it’s in the planning and doing the inside work,” said Sysco president John Traves, as they gear up for the long-term hunt for tenants and people to purchase the land on the site of the former steel plant.

Traves said the province has had a lot of interest in the property.

“Our focus is to complete the wind up of Sydney Environmental Resources Ltd. and the reorganization of the two companies for the Department of Transportation and Public Works.

“We’ve got to dispose of SERL’s assets, wind up its operations and at the same these two companies — Nova Scotia Lands Inc. and Harbourside Business Park — are being started up by the Department of Transportation and Public Works.”

At the moment officials are surveying and transferring land that is ready for the commercial tenants in Harbourside Business Park which should be up and running April 1, he said.

“We are always open to expressions of interest, we have people here who will show what we have to offer in the way of the site.”

Most of the older buildings on the former steel plant site are essentially leased to tenants.

“The next step is to show people the advantages of the site and its location to see if we can spark some interest in new construction,” Traves added.


Nova Scotia Lands Inc., a subsidiary of Harbourside Business Park, has a pool of remediation expertise in place to manage other cleanup projects at other sites. As the site is remediated it will be absorbed into the business park to be sold and developed, he said.

Phases 2 and 3 under remediation.

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Today's CB Post

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Bed time for nursing home
Northside Guest Home can acquire acre of land from Munro Park in exchange for funding improvements

By Chris Shannon
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — The Northside Guest Home will be able to acquire one acre of land from Munro Park in exchange for funding some improvements to the North Sydney green space, including a revamped boardwalk.

Monday’s decision by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s corporate services committee came as a relief to the nursing home board’s vice-chair Karen Ralph.

“We’re very happy with the way the process has gone and we look to move forward with the additional beds,” she said, following the committee’s unanimous vote to allow a piece of the 11-acre park to be used in its proposed expansion of 39 beds.

The request for the long-term-care beds by the Northside Guest Home came as part of an announcement by the Department of Health in early 2006. The nursing home’s expansion is not related to the provincial government’s decision last Thursday to add another 832 long-term-care beds into the health-care system.

It was an allotment of 100 beds, in which 64 of the beds were designated as Level 2 nursing home and respite care for facilities in Sydney, Glace Bay or North Sydney.

Although the municipality is onboard with the estimated $7-9-million project, it’s far from a done deal, Ralph said.

“We’re going through the criteria of that process to add 39 beds to our guest home. We’re waiting for a decision from the Department of Health.”

It’s unclear when the province will arrive at a decision of which facilities receive the beds but Ralph expects it could come within the next two months. It would allow the nursing home to break ground this year.

Monday’s vote to permit the project to go ahead came after weeks of attempting to reach a compromise between the Northside Guest Home and the Friends of the Waterfront Society committee.

At a corporate services committee meeting Jan. 8, Friends of the Waterfront spokesperson Mike MacNeil said there was no room to negotiate because they feared the atmosphere of the park would be lost if the development went ahead on municipally owned park land.

“It’s designed just to suit themselves and it shouldn’t happen,” MacNeil said at the time of the volunteer nursing home board.

The issue created a controversy in the community and resulted in people writing about 20 letters to the editor of this newspaper, both for and against the proposal.

North Sydney Coun. Gordon MacLeod was initially against the plan to expand because of a deal made with the former town of North Sydney in 1995 to stop the nursing home from encroaching on Munro Park.

However, shortly after the Jan. 8 meeting MacLeod developed a plan in partnership with the Friends of the Waterfront and municipal staff.

He said there were two compelling reasons to allow the expansion to proceed — one being the Northside Guest Home is the only facility on the Northside to qualify for an expansion in this phase of the province’s plan for more long-term-care beds; and the second is the plan will make Munro Park a better recreation space.


The two-storey complex, with 43,000 square feet of space, could also create 72 permanent full-time positions.

During Monday’s meeting, MacLeod said his plan received a “strong consensus” from both groups.

“I think we developed a plan that meets both needs (of Munro Park and the Northside Guest Home),” he told the committee.

The property, which is appraised at $50,000, will be deemed as surplus to the CBRM and sold to the nursing home as long as several conditions are met.

Those include the relocation of a portion of the boardwalk, rebuilding a mini soccer field in a new location, paving Munro Park’s parking lot and council passing an amendment to the municipal planning strategy that will allow for this development on park land.

Council will also instruct the CBRM planning advisory committee to carry out the necessary public participation process.

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From Today's Cape Breton Post

Friday, February 9, 2007

Wasted space
Engineering firm studying what can be done with Sydney tar ponds and coke ovens sites

By Tanya Collier MacDonald
the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — Ways to utilize the city’s waste sites once they’re capped is part of a $200,000 study analysing future uses of the properties and what role they’ll play in other plans.

The engineering firm CBCL is conducting the study on behalf of five stakeholders, which includes the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The goal is to forward recommendations by early summer.

“In its simplest form, it’s about how do we improve the transportation network,” said John Whalley, the municipality’s economic development manager. “In a more complicated form, it’s about trying to figure out if we can achieve a phased business park connecting the waterfront to the airport and university.”

The vision for the corridor starts at Harbourside Business Park built on the former Sysco site, flows to an area for light industrial use and ends with a technology park near Cape Breton University and Sydney airport. The study will determine if there is merit in developing infrastructure needed to support such an initiative. If there is merit, the next step would be to identify the role a remediated Sydney tar ponds and coke ovens sites will play, said Whalley.

“This is why it was so important for us to understand what could be done on the remediated properties,” said Whalley. “Do we have to avoid the remediated properties, or can they be used? If they can be used, to what standard can they be used? Can you put buildings on them? Could you put a road near the properties or through the properties?”

The answers to those questions won’t be available until further testing is conducted on the solidification and stabilization technology picked to manage the contaminated waste.

“We’re hoping CBCL will provide those answers,” said Whalley.

CBCL, in partnership with Earth Tech, is also working on a detailed engineering design for the cleanup. As well, it’s working with Xstrata Coal to determine the feasibility of opening Donkin mine.

“(CBCL) has to understand what (Sydney harbour) can do and understand the remediation work, not only on the tar ponds and coke ovens sites, but also the Devco sites located within the corridor,” he said.

Once CBCL collects data, a steering committee heading the future site use plan will start envisioning workshops and other exercises to help formulate recommendations. Then a feasibility study will be done on the proposed business corridor.

Whalley said the study is in advance of any funding commitments from government. The municipality is hoping a portion of the $400 million the province and Ottawa allocated for the project will be directed to future site use.

“It’s not quite clear how much money, if any, is dedicated to future site use,” he said.

A recommendation from a joint review panel assessing the remediation project called for government to fund a plan but not to finance that plan.


Whalley said once a feasibility study is complete, the committee will work to determine where the money will come from.

“A big part of that will have to come from the municipal capital budget, but hopefully the provincial and federal governments will also be willing to contribute.”

He’s also hoping the Atlantic Gateway Strategy, which is focused on the Port of Halifax and the Strait of Canso Superport, will make room for the Port of Sydney.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency, Nova Scotia Lands Corp., Public Works and Government Services of Canada, Cape Breton Development Corp. and the municipality shared the study’s cost.

I wanted to see just how much land it would cover, so here's a rough idea with an explanation below the pic.


Top of the picture is North.
Alright, the yellow lines outline Downtown Sydney (DT), Cape Breton University (CBU) and the Sydney Airport (cleverly labeled Airport ).
The red is Muggah Creek, also known as the Tar Ponds. That is the area to be capped.
The green area to the West of Victoria Rd (Hwy 28) is what is currently being developed into Harbourside Commercial Park, with the green area to the East of Victoria Rd being the old Coke Ovens site which is undergoing remediation and will be turned over to the commercial park afterwards.
Here's where it gets tricky. When I read they wanted to connect it to CBU and the airport, I got curious what route they'd take and here's what I came up with.
There are two possible routes, (1) the blue area and (2) the yellow area. Each one runs into its own problems.

Route 1:
Between the lakes is dense forest which is a wildlife haven. Using this route would force a lot of wildlife including foxes, coyotes, etc to compete with the expanding park. The area outlined in white is where you'd possibly run into NIMBY problems as it would almost literally be in their backyards.

Route 2:
Limited room and possible conflict with Victoria Jct Coal Processing facility (area in between routes 1 and 2, East of the lake). Again with this route, the area outlined in white would be NIMBY problems.

The areas outlined in black are golf courses, so the park would have to go around these.
The area outlined in red is the correctional centre, so you don't want to move too close to that.

The third option would be to cross Grand Lake Rd beside the Mayflower Mall and go around growing subdivisions and an active (expanding) cemetery. Crossing Grand Lake Rd beside the Mayflower Mall would be quite difficult, however, because Burnac (owners of the mall and Spar Rd shopping district) plan to connect the shopping district (read: power centre) to the mall in that area, and possibly acquire the vacant land near the mall if they don't own it already for future expansion of the shopping district.

Any way you cut it, it's an ambitious plan that will take many years to reach CBU and the airport, unless they decide to grow in "nodes" and start a "node" soon between CBU and the airport.

[Smevo]

Today's CB Post

Monday, February 12, 2007

Lake Ainslie area could be site for oil drilling program

By By Wes Stewart
the Cape Breton Post

By Wes Stewart

Cape Breton Post

LAKE AINSLIE — Soil tests and seismic exploration to be conducted this year will determine the best locations for an oil drilling program in the Lake Ainslie area.

PetroWorth Resources Inc., Calgary, has commissioned consulting geoscientists W.G. Shaw and Associates of Antigonish to do an evaluation of the geological and geophysical components on 383,000 acres of land it holds exploration and development rights near Lake Ainslie.

Shaw and Associates surveyed the area in 2004 and concluded it has geology similar to the McCully and Stoney Creek fields near Moncton, N.B.

PetroWorth Resources is a junior oil exploration company with extensive onshore properties in eastern Canada.

President Neil Mednick said Shaw’s previous work came to the conclusion this could very well be a hydrocarbon-bearing area.

“They believe at this stage the geological structure is very similar to the structure at Stoney Creek.”

That field that has produced about 800,000 barrels of oil and about 30 billion cubic feet of gas to date, he said.

The Ainslie block has a whole number of oil seeps on the property.

“It’s an indication of hydrocarbons and oil, the question is how is it sitting — in reservoirs or inordinately fractured and hard to produce, and those are the kinds of things we need to find out,” Mednick said.

Shaw will do follow-up work to their earlier study.


“We expect those results to be pretty positive,” and will follow with an extensive 2-D seismic project on the property.

“Depending on the seismic results we would expect and hope to engage in an exploration drilling program.

“If we hit we will be very happy,” Mednick said.

The area has been explored for years but modern exploration methods will allow them to more accurately pinpoint where the pools might be, he said.

Not sure whether I like it or not, mostly depends on where it sits.

[Smevo]

I thought about making this it's own thread, but I decided to tuck it in here instead. I'll move it if requested though.

From Today's CB Post

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Glenora thinks twice about Glen Breton Ice
Demand forces Cape Breton distillery to release second limited bottling of world’s first single malt whisky aged in an ice wine barrel

By Nancy King
the Cape Breton Post

GLENVILLE — The Glenora Distillery is releasing a second limited bottling of its Glen Breton Ice, after an initial release virtually sold out within two weeks.

The product, the world’s first single malt whisky aged in an ice wine barrel, will be available at selected Nova Scotia Liquor Commission retail outlets.

Glenora president Lauchie MacLean said 60 cases have been set aside for sale in Nova Scotia. Some will also be shipped to Poland and Belgium, initially, with orders pending for the United States and Sweden. The Inverness County company also expects to be shipping to Asia by April.

“It’s been phenomenal, we haven’t been able to keep up to it,” MacLean said, of the demand inspired by the initial release at the end of last year. “Jost Wineries, who we’re dealing with, is trying to age more product so we can have access to more casks.”

The strong favourable response within the province caught MacLean a bit off guard. He noted it is an expensive product, retailing for $49.95 for a 250-millimetre bottle.

“The price point is not for the faint of heart,” he said. “It’s expensive but it’s extremely rare . . . The proof will be in the pudding if the buyers who bought it once will buy it a second or third time, then we’ll really know if we have a winning product.”

Once Glen Breton Ice is introduced into a market, the intention is to be able to continue to regularly offer the product in that market, MacLean noted.

While its flagship product Glen Breton Rare is already a unique product by virtue of being the only single malt whisky distilled in the country, Glenora was encouraged to try something uniquely Canadian by an Asian client. Canada is world-renowned for its ice wines.

“The people over there were saying we should come up with something maybe even more unique because Canadian single malt whisky is not known on its own. But what else is Canada known for? We’re known for ice wine, so we said ‘Hey, we’ll try some of this product,’” MacLean said.
“Lo and behold, local markets are soaking it up even before we can get it to overseas markets.”

Glenora is also working on other new products, but isn’t prepared to release any details, he said.

The distillery also recently won the first battle in a trademark dispute, when the Canadian Trademark Commission rejected a challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association of Glasgow, Scotland, against its right to use the term glen in the name of its Glen Breton Rare. The Scotch association has indicated it will appeal the ruling.

The Glenora Distillery is located in Glenville, Inverness County, along Route 19, between the communities of Inverness and Mabou. It also operates an inn and chalets, pub and restaurant and runs tours during the tourism season.

Since price was brought up in the article, for those who don't know, Glen Breton Rare (which is quite successful and very good "on the rocks" ) sells for roughly $80/750ml and is available in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick at least, not sure where else it's shipped (it's relatively new to New Brunswick). Anyway, not trying to sell product, just thought the article might be worth posting since it's business related to Cape Breton.

[bluenoser]

Wow, I didn't realise that Glen Breton was so uptown ($80/bottle!). Great for them, though, with all of the international business.

Anyway, here's some more CBRM news...

Municipality takes swipe at rundown Cape Breton buildings
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 | 11:36 AM AT
CBC News

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality hopes hundreds of derelict buildings will disappear under new rules designed to clean up unsightly properties.

Regional council passed a motion Tuesday night that would give the municipality the authority to fine property owners if they don't fix up their rundown buildings within a certain time.

It also recommends demolition in some cases.

Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger said he put forward the motion to bring in tougher rules because too many people are sealing derelict buildings with plywood and walking away, leaving neighbours concerned about their safety.

"They're 10 feet away from properties and people are living in fear," he said. "When they go to bed, they don't know if the place is going to be burned down."

People are also worried that these buildings could become homes for drug dealers and other criminals, several councillors said.

Under the current bylaw, the municipality has little authority over abandoned buildings if they're deemed structurally sound. Owners can avoid fixing them for years with no penalty.

There are as many as 300 vacant buildings in the municipality, said bylaw enforcement manager Rick Fraser, and the proposed rules would give the municipality greater power to act.

"We will be able to either fine that individual if they continue to board it up and not make some kind of attempt to bring it back into standard, or we can seek some kind of restitution to have the building demolished," Fraser said.

The new bylaw could be in place by the summer.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...-derelict.html

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Today's CBPost

Last updated at 12:38 PM on 21/02/07

Resort developers plan to market island worldwide print this article


The Cape Breton Post

By Wes Stewart

Cape Breton Post



LOUISBOURG — The developers of the $300-million Louisbourg Resort Golf and Spa are marketing Cape Breton attractions as selling features for their development.

Christian Reinisch, managing director, Cape Breton Islands Developers Inc., said Tuesday the luxury resort is just one integral part in their marketing strategy.

The 18-hole, Nick Faldo-designed golf course, The Fortress, will draw buyers to the resort, but the golfing experience of the Highland Links or Dundee courses, the Cabot Trail, Fortress Louisbourg and the Highlands National Park will help sell Cape Breton as a destination, he added.

“That’s the important thing because there are so many things to do and see, we need to promote the whole island, not just our resort.”

The company announced in September it had purchased 1,000 hectares of land around Grand Lake and will build up to 800 luxury homes, two golf courses and a European-style spa.

Partner Henric Bauermeister said they originally planned a spring 2007 announcement of the development, but keen interest encouraged them to move ahead earlier.

Four luxury homes are already under construction, roads are being built and the company is talking to engineers about municipal water and sewer to the site.

They are waiting for a break in the cold weather to resume construction.

Reinisch said he has had huge local interest in the resort relative to future jobs.

“There are quite a few interested in the style of homes we are building and potentially purchasing there.”

The company is preparing a marketing strategy for the spring and already 24 homes have been sold. The homes range in price up to $1 million.

“Our strategy is to get a few more sales and, to reach our goals for the year, we will have 40-50 homes under construction.”

They want to have 12 at least ready by late summer, “so people can see it, can touch it and feel it,” said Henrich Bauermeister.

Construction of the golf course will start this summer and completion is expected in two years.

“We will have around 400 homes built between 2007 and 2011, a conference centre, restaurants, certainly a clubhouse for the golf courses, recreation facilities, a beach house and an international spa,” Bauermeister said.

Reinisch described the spa as more of a “well-being centre” with a pool, saunas, fitness centre in more of the European-style, that would draw an international clientele.

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Planet Space update. From Thursday's CBPost.

Last updated at 11:52 PM on 21/02/07

PlanetSpace chair says deal is imminent

BY TANYA COLLIER MACDONALD
The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — PlanetSpace expects to sign a deal with the provincial government by June, giving them Crown land to build an orbital launch pad in Cape Breton.

“I think we’re 60 to 90 days before we come to a final agreement,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, chairman of PlanetSpace, based in Chicago, Ill.

The space company is considering three parcels of land and has its engineering teams analysing the properties to identify one that offers the best trajectory, launch capabilities and is most suitable for Canada’s first manned-space program.

“They’re going to spend the next 45 days looking at the different pieces of land and try to evaluate them and come to some objective criteria,” he said.

Kathuria was in Toronto on Wednesday to meet with PlanetSpace board members, partner Geoff Sheerin from Canadian Arrow, and staff from Nova Scotia Business Inc.

“We spent the whole day together going through the details,” he said. “It was to ensure that everyone is on the same page.”

PlanetSpace announced in early February it signed a space-act agreement with NASA giving the company the ability to move forward with its orbital and sub-orbital plan. Now they’re working to meet criteria outlined in that agreement.

“There are several milestones,” said Kathuria. “We’re about 90 per cent done with our first milestone and (it’s) not due for another quarter.”

The agreement has NASA helping PlanetSpace become a better competitor in the agency’s upcoming Commercial Crew and Cargo program.

The agreement to share information helps the company better understand the agency’s requirements for space station crew, cargo transportation, launch vehicles and spacecraft and NASA human rating criteria.

PlanetSpace will work to develop and demonstrate its vehicle capabilities as well as systems and operations needed to transport crews and cargo to and from a low-Earth orbit destination. As the demonstration unfolds, NASA will acknowledge the company’s accomplishments.

The rocket to be launched is PlanetSpace’s Silver Dart.

The first demonstration flight is planned for December 2009.

[Smevo]

Doubtful to be a large project, but still government construction.

Monday's CBPost.

Fisheries and Oceans starts construction of new building

Section: Cape Breton

Column: Briefly

Fisheries and Oceans has started construction of a new fisheries building on Rudderham Road.

Eastern Nova Scotia area director Gus van Helvoort said Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearne will be announcing details of the expansion soon.

Fisheries and Oceans now occupies space in the Canadian Coast Guard College and the new building is being constructed on the corner of their property.

Van Helvoort pointed out the college will require more training space as the department ramps up to meet a growing demand for skilled staff as more and more people retire.

Just basic highway twinning, but it's a step in a larger highway project that will mean better access to and from the island.

Also from Monday's CBPost.

Highway 125 getting twinned

Section: Cape Breton

Five years after it was first announced, a project to twin a five-kilometre section of Highway 125 got the green light Saturday.

Angus MacIsaac, provincial Minister of Transportation and Public Works, and MP Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, were in New Glasgow to announce that the two levels of government will provide a total of $32 million for three highway twinning projects in Nova Scotia.

The province will contribute $17 million while the federal government will provide $15 million to twin sections of Highway 104 on the mainland and a section of Highway 125 in Cape Breton, from Balls Creek to Sydney River.

The twinning of the section of Highway 125 was first announced in 2002. Some work - including new lanes around the new Coxheath interchange, widening the Sydney River Bridge and the construction of ramps - has been completed but the actual twinning had been delayed until a funding arrangement could be worked out.

At Saturday's announcement, MacIsaac said work on the projects should move forward quickly.

"With much of the planning work already completed for these sections of highways 104 and 125, the province will be ready to call tenders to begin the improvements as early as fall 2007," he said, adding, "This substantial investment in our roads will mean safer and faster travel for many Nova Scotians."

MacKay described highways 104 and 125 as key transportation corridors that connect Nova Scotians to the rest of Canada.

"Canada's government is committed to ensuring the safety of Canadians and the efficient movement of goods along this important highway system," he said.

The investment will also see a 3.6-kilometre section of Highway 104 twinned from east of New Glasgow to east of Sutherlands River. Work has also begun to twin an eight-kilometre section of Highway 104 between New Glasgow and Pine Tree Road.