Note: Area AccuWeather, school closings, road conditions and airport info [including arrivals and delays] are on the home page. * * * * * We at Coast-FM spoke extensively with Mayor Mooney. "This decision by the Minister of Economic Development, Percy Paris, is impossible to comprehend," Mayor Mooney said. "Greg Kerr [MP for West Nova] and I met with Mr. Paris this afternoon [Feb. 4th.] and asked him to reconsider his decision. 'It is not up for discussion,' he told us. We further asked him to phone Peter MacKay, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to discuss the possibility of finding a way out of this mess. Mr. Paris refused to do so, saying it was a 'closed matter.'"
Coast Comment: The decision by the Provincial Government on December 15 to stop subsidizing this ferry is, in our opinion, a huge, major mistake which will have horrible consequences for Yarmouth and the entire region, including all of Nova Scotia. Immediately it will terminate the employment of 500 - what will it cost to keep them on unemployment? What will it cost the Yarmouth area in diminished retail sales because 500 people do not have a full salary? How many more people will this affect? Will car dealers suffer? Of course they will. Will clothing and hardware stores and restaurants not feel this decision? Of course they will. Will businesses in Shelburne, Barrington Passage, Liverpool, Bridgewater, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Chester and every place inbetween not feel the pinch of 76,000 people not coming to Nova Scotia? Of course they will. Will crime increase in the Yarmouth area? Mayor Mooney told us the head of the local RCMP already has expressed that concern to him. The amount of the losses will far exceed the amount necessary to subsidize this run. "And, the Mayor continued, "already, the effects of this are starting: the Rodd Grand Hotel has already appealed its tax assessment - this is just the beginning of this financial disaster." "The Provincial Government kicked in $6.85 million to create fifty jobs at the Shelburne Shipyard. We have no problem with that. But extropolate that out to save 500 jobs here, and it translates into $68.5 million - keeping The Cat on track will cost only $6.5 million per year, less than a tenth of that. This just doesn't add up," Mayor Mooney said. "From Maine to Yarmouth is a sea highway - the provincial government builds highways to transport our people, goods and products. But," as Mayor Mooney stated, "this ocean highway doesn't have to be plowed, salted, paved or maintained in any fashion whatsoever. And, it's incredibly safe," he added. "The Cat has been part of this community for over a decade - Yarmouth needs this ferry, Nova Scotia needs this ferry. This just isn't a 'Yarmouth problem.'" This is what Vernon Oickle, editor of The Bridgewater Bulletin and The Progress Enterprise said in an editorial on January 5th. of this year: "How much subsidy is too much? The answer to that question is, potentially, millions and millions of dollars and, considering the negative impact this decision will have on the region's tourism industry and, in turn, the area's overall economy, it's a reasonable assertion to suggest that this is the NDP government's first major gaff since taking office last June. We think Mr. Oickle 'nailed it.' Coast-FM hopes there's more than one life left in this Cat, because this ferry is a huge link to the prosperity of tourism on the South Shore. Because this decision will adversely affect everyone in Nova Scotia, we strongly suggest you contact your local chamber of commerce, mayor, tourism bureau. We highly doubt Mr. Paris will reverse his decision, BUT we think it can be over-ruled from the federal level. According to the CJLS website, Brett Evans, president of the Nova Scotia branch of the Customs and Immigation union says the withdrawal of service may endanger Port of Entry status for Yarmouth. Jeannie Baldwin, Regional Executive Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada says this assault on a quality public service could have devastating implications for the workers, their families and their community. One other note....Mayor Mooney brought up a very salient point: "Under the Premiership of Robert Stanfield, a division separate from the government, called Industrial Estates, was set up to encourage business to come to Nova Scotia. This is how Michelin Tire came to the province, setting up three major plants here. Industrial Estates was composed of brilliant people who came from the business world, ones who knew business and who could speak with their counter-parts from other parts of the world." We hear Mayor Mooney loud and clear on this - Nova Scotia needs this kind of agency back so Nova Scotia can compete on the world market for these companies that give so much to our communities. Mr. Paris clearly does not get the big picture, and one can only imagine what will happen should he represent this province in negotiations with a major corporation such as Ford, Michelin, or another of their stature. Update: On Sunday morning, Feb. 7, Mayor Mooney appeared on local CJLS's open-line show - there are always two sides to a story, but it appears when there's a decision this stupid, there is only one side - no one phoned in for support of the government's position on this move. Go to CJLS' Archives to hear the entire show. Mayor Mooney told Coast-FM: "The lines were lit up - we could have gone for another 14 hours!" [Note: So many requests for airtime by local people to get their views across were received that CJLS will be devoting another hour to this topic next Sunday {Feb. 14th.} at 9 a.m. Thanks to the people at CJLS for airing this show, and in supporting this story]. Update, Feb. 8: Mayor Mooney told Coast-FM tonight that he now has the support of 55 mayors from all the towns in Nova Scotia, as well as the heads of UNSM - The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities. Coast-FM will be contacting Darrell Dexter and Percy Paris for their response to this ground-swell developing against their party's move. Mayor Mooney met with Premier Dexter Tuesday night in Saint John at the Federal Atlantic Conservative Caucus, and told him that "if the ... government thinks people will give up on the ferry issue, they're sorely mistaken." If you'd like to help with the 'ferry fight,' please contact CAT CENTRAL at 902-742-7159. Here's a typical response to this situation from a man on Cape Cod.... Update, Feb. 14: CJLS ran their 'Weekender' show again this morning, featuring more talk on the ferry issue. One caller [and the only one in favour of this decision in the last two Sunday shows] said that it was a 'wise decision' to cut the Cat, because it 'lost money.' With all due respect to the caller, she simply had no idea what she was talking about. Yes, the ship itself does lose money, hence the need for the subsidy. BUT - and this 'But' is as tall as the CN Tower - The Cat brings in $33 million in revenue to Nova Scotia, and its termination of service will cost the province another $30-40 million in money that will be lost to UIC benefits, an erosion of the local tax base, increase in crime, etc. etc. A video was produced yesterday in support of the Cat, but sadly, that will not sway the feds to over-ride the Dexter government's decision. What will is the huge economic devastation that will occur with the removal of this ferry service. However, the video accurately points out the passion locals have on this issue, and their desperation over this heinous decision by Mr. Paris. Another caller suggested that union members affected by this move stop paying their dues and instead kick that money into a fund to help keep the ferry running. One other said that a fund should be set up for the same reason. This is an intense issue, and to quote Mayor Mooney, 'It is the most important issue facing Nova Scotia today.' Mayor Mooney is dead on the mark. 'We will fight to the end,' Mayor Mooney added. News also in that a Florida consortium is looking at establishing a Maine-Yarmouth link. Where the port would be in Maine is not yet clear, nor is there any commitment from the Florida group. They have said, however, that a catamaran type hull is the wrong type of hull for the crossing, and that they would be looking at a mono-hull. Obviously, more to come. And in a late development, Premier Darrell Dexter told Gary Nickerson of CJLS news, that the ferry issue is a 'closed matter.' And in a meeting with Nova Scotia's finance minister Friday night, Mayor Mooney was told the same thing - 'It's a dead issue.' Update, Feb. 28: Coast Comment:
For local news, go here - South Shore Now
Yahoo Google
Below are links to major financial and news TV networks:
CBC CTV Global TSN ABC CBS CNBC CNN ESPN Fox NBC PBS BBC
Sky-News-Britain Fox Business News ITN - Britain
Below are links to major North American news and financial papers:
Frank Magazine, Halifax
Bloomberg-New York Globe&Mail Wall Street Journal Barron's Financial Post USA Today
newsmax.com
Please note: We want to thank Lighthouse Publishing for allowing us to establish links to their site. They are a first class organization, have been around for over 100 years, have won numerous awards, and have served this community in an outstanding, unbiased and accurate fashion. Thanks to everyone there.
We make no pretense at being a full service news organization. That won't happen until we get on the air. But we try to touch on local issues, and we have tried, because of the importance of the Cat story [directly below] , to give you an in-depth look at the issues surrounding this story. Thanks.
"Percy continues to scramble around on this one trying to find an out - he's the guy that's supposed to promote and support our economy and tourism industry. I know he knows in his heart that he has royally messed up his first test of competency. It's time he steps aside and let someone else pick up the pieces!" - Chris d'Entremont, MLA for Argyle.
"The ferry link between Yarmouth and the New England States has been in place for over 110 years and is an absolute essential for the economic health of our region"- Yarmouth Development Corp. in a story, March 4.
Will they kill The Cat? Hopefully not, especially if the people of South-Western Nova Scotia have anything to do about it. For the unitiated, 'The Cat' is the high speed [55 mph - 88 kph] ferry that in summer travels between Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. It is a major conduit for tourists coming into Nova Scotia.
February 3rd., about 250 Canadian Auto Workers demonstrated in Halifax to protest the government's cancellation of the service. Phil Mooney, the mayor of Yarmouth, said, in essence, 'We have no train here, no bus, no airplane, and now they want to take our ferry away.'
Immediately lost are 120 full- and part-time jobs created by the ferry service. Such a drastic job loss will have far-reaching implications for the economy. But the losses don't end there. Without the ferry service bringing the thousands of tourists to the region, there will be further residual damage as tourism-based businesses such as accommodations, campgrounds, restaurants and other attractions will be seriously and irrevocably damaged by the loss of revenues.
With the ferry service gone, watch for more business closures and loss of jobs as the ripple effects of this bad decision spread throughout the region. How major the impact remains to be seen, but it only stands to reason that the removal of some 75,000 to 100,000 paying customers annually looms heavily over an already struggling tourism industry.
This could be the death knoll for tourism in the area. We would like to know in making this decision what studies the government undertook to determine the fallout? Were there any public consultations? Did the government pursue other options? Is the government prepared to deal with the resulting economic crisis in the region? The government will argue that they did give due diligence to this process, but on the surface it seems just the opposite is true.
Money is short. The province is in a financial crisis. Tough decisions have to be made. We get all that. However, we don't expect a government to balance the budget on the backs of hard-working Nova Scotians with little hope of finding alternate employment in an already economically depressed region. Instead, we expect government to cut other expensive programs such as some of the silly marketing schemes that have been tried throughout the years.
Governments have a responsibility to maintain infrastructure and it can be argued that, although the ferry service was operated by a privately run company, that service is a vital and important link in this province's transportation, tourism and overall economic infrastructure. Surely that must be worth $6 million."
Update, Feb. 11: The first casualty in the Yarmouth area regarding Mr. Paris' decision is Captain Kelly's. "This was the hardest decision of my life," Brian Rodney said, referring to closing his bar/restaurant which had been open for over 20 years. "We have to lay off nine people - they are all I can think about." Coast-FM continues to work with Mayor Mooney and Gary Nickerson of CJLS, Yarmouth in an effort to get this crazy decision rescinded.
Update, Feb. 12: News today that a U.S. air carrier might be seeking a route from New England to Yarmouth. This would guarantee Yarmouth continued status as a 'port of entry,' good news for an area brought to its knees by the Paris decision. For further details, go to the CJLS site....
Update, Feb. 15: The video came out today! Here it is....And Twin Cities Air Services announced today that it will be flying between Yarmouth and Auburn, Maine, probably four times a week starting in March. This will preserve some jobs for Canadian Border Services.
Update, Feb. 18: We contacted Pam Birdsall, NDP MLA for the South Shore, expressing our concern over this cancellation. This is her response:
"I think that Minister Paris' decision, in consultation with the Department of Economic development staff and Department of Tourism staff, and the owners of Bay Ferries was a timely one. I think there should be a ferry in Yarmouth, one that people can afford to use, one that has schedules that benefit Yarmouth, and one that has a commercial component.
"The owners of Bay Ferries knew that they could not continue as they had with rising operation costs and fewer passengers using the service. The provincial government is working with the federal government to see if there can be help from that area. I think there should be a federal component with international travel. The ACOA report is being fast tracked right now and hopefully a solution for this summer will be found. That is what we are working toward."
We have known Pam for over 30 years, and she is a good, compassionate person. We thank her for responding, and hope that her party will work with the feds to get this done. We understand that a commercial component is always part of any business decision, and we don't necessarily have a problem with the cancellation of this service, but rather its cancellation before an alternative, viable one can replace it.
Update, Feb. 24: Mayor Mooney announced today that several local businesses and the municipalities of Yarmouth, Clare and Argyle have come up with $2.5-3 million to keep the ferry in service. Their proposal is being made to Premier Dexter. More, from the CJLS news-site....
And here's where the math says that The Cat has to be reinstated: Mayor Mooney and his associates have put together $2.5-3 million to give to the Province. The Province is going to have to pay Bay Ferries a $3 million cancellation fee. If they do not do that, it will have to pay Bay Ferries a $6 million subsidy. BUT, if they receive the $3 million from the Yarmouth group, then the Province will only have to subsidize it $3 million. The Province will be out $3 million either way - the huge difference of course, is that by keeping the ferry running, UIC benefits will not have to be made, a tax base won't erode in Yarmouth and adjacent counties, AND, a tremendous economic disaster will have been squashed. The Premier has NO CHOICE but to keep the Cat running. Whether the ferry is cancelled or is kept running, the Province will be out the exact same amount either way - this is truly a 'no-brainer.'
Update, Feb. 25: Premier Dexter says 'No' to the offer from the Yarmouth based group, saying 'We will not visit the issue again.' This decision made absolutely no sense in the first place, and even less with the subsidy being halved to equal the termination fee. It is difficult for us to comprehend any logic in this matter, and our hearts go out to those thousands who will be horribly affected by this insensitive ruling. Here's the latest from CJLS.
"The NDP plan [is] to make life better for today’s families...."– NDP campaign promise, 2009
What should have been added to this promise is the following: "...Except for Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens and other areas that will be devastated by shutting off funding for the Cat." While we are not anxious to be polarizing or get political on this site, this decision is just simply so bad it wouldn't matter who made it, from what party, we would take the same stand.
Danny Morton, General Manager, White Point Beach Lodge, Liverpool told us this: "What people have to understand today, is that we have to compete globally to get people to come here, and the government's role is to make it easier, not more difficult for them to do so. Many of our guests come from Ontario and the States, and they have used the Cat. Until an alternative can be found, we can pretty much assume a percentage of those people will not becoming here any more. We are a year 'round business, but this decision certainly will have a negative effect on us."
On February 25, Premier Dexter announced a $20 million dollar loan to Halifax Shipyards, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Irving Oil Corp. We have enormous respect for the Irvings, they are truly one of the world's great success stories. However, if there is anyone who does not need to borrow money, it is the Irving Corp. They could come off as real heroes if instead of taking $20 million, they take $17 million, and fund the Cat for a year.
"We must continue to embark on opportunities for economic growth," said Economic and Rural Development Minister Percy Paris. "Investments like this bring significant benefits to the province and move us another step closer to our goal of economic sustainability and prosperity." This is the same Percy Paris who will not discuss his decision regarding the Cat, even though now with the infusion of $3 million from the Yarmouth group, it will cost the Province nothing to keep it going another year. Well, that's not true - it will cost the Province $33 million in lost tourism revenue, and tens of millions that will vaporize in other areas.
And Andy Baxter, the NDP candidate for West Nova said: "The ongoing local anger over the cancellation of a subsidy for the Cat ferry are giving [me] second thoughts about carrying the party’s banner. It seems like there’s just one thing after the other, and I don’t know whether I actually want to run for this group or not," he said. Go here for the full story in today's Herald.
Update: March 5: $203 million has been allocated in the budget just handed down for other ferry services in the Atlantic region, but the Cat is not mentioned. Unless a miracle can come in at the last minute, it appears on the surface that this will be a dead issue.
Last night, United States Consul General Anton Smith [Mr. Smith is based in Halifax] spoke to the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce. He expressed ties with the consul that go back to 1830, and thoughts of establishing a pre-clearance unit for U.S. Border Protection in Yarmouth. This, of course, would be dependent on an international ferry existence, but this would add additional revenue coming into the area, of course. At the end of his talk, most of the time was devoted to discussing the ferry issue, and he said he would be happy to lead a delegation down to Maine and do whatever possible to get the Cat on track for this summer's run.
Meantime, Conservative MP Peter MacKay has said 'there is no more money for the Cat.' In the event one might think we have been down on the NDP over this issue [We have been and are], the Federal Government's stance on this issue is equally terrible. We at Coast-FM - and those in the Yarmouth area - have been hoping that the Feds would see the falacy of the Provincial position. This is just a really bad decision.
$3 million dollars - the amount needed from someone to keep the ferry running - is three-one hundreths of one percent of the CBC's annual budget, projected to be this year, at $1.3 billion. We have no axe to grind with the CBC, but cutting their budget - or that of another government run entity - by 3/100s of one percent to save this ferry - and 500 jobs, and the economic prosperity of an entire region - has to be done. We have to think that the Canadian Federal Government could find $3 million in all its money it doles out across the country. Put another way, the extra $3 million is only another one and one half percent that could - and should - have been added to the allocation for ferries for Atlantic Canada. By the way, this works out to about a dollar for every citizen in Atlantic Canada.
Again - and we hate to be redundant - but the loss to the area will be 20-30 times greater than the $3 million being sought.
However, don't count the people of South-western Nova Scotia out yet, because there is rumor of another battle getting ready to be waged - 'We're not finished yet,' Mayor Mooney told us this morning. 'We have been formulating a 'Plan B.'"
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Classic Boat Festival no more...Bridgewater Theatre to start live entertainment soon... Lifestyle Centre to cost $42 mil - that is if one ice rink is not iced....
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As you probably know by now, Acadia Broadcasting has been approved by the CRTC for a second license for the Bridgewater area, a station that will feature a country format, due on the air sometime this year. Many have written saying, ‘Nice try, sorry it didn’t work’; ‘Great work, Jim, too bad...'; ‘Well, you gave it a shot.’ Folks, we are just beginning.
We have received emails wondering where the application process is. It is CRTC policy that once a license is granted to a local area, no other applicant may apply until a year after the new station is on the air. While it is predicted that Acadia's new station should be on by mid-2010, then that time-line puts us at mid-2011.
But, from the outset two things were made clear. One, we could have cared less if a country station got on the air – that is not our market. And, two, we wanted to establish an easy-listening station, the format of which is non-existent on the South Shore. Frankly, it would have been a real surprise had the Acadia application not been approved. They have been running radio stations for a long time, and have a proven track record. Their application for the second license was professionally and intelligently formulated; and they showed the CRTC there would be a need for a country format in the area. And because the CRTC had not yet received an application from us, there was no real reason not to give Acadia the go-ahead.
While it would have been nice to have had an application in sooner than later, I felt it was better to do it correctly, rather than go in after-wards and second guess our own work. The CRTC does not – justifiably – like this. Because of prior frequency agreements with other stations, we had difficulty finding the right frequency and transmitter site. Fortunately, that is behind us.
Our goal has not wavered: we want to establish a world-class easy-listening radio station that will fill a void on the South Shore, and once on a North American satellite, will promote our part of the world as a wonderful tourist destination, and a great place to live.
Our resolve has always been to give you the best, most professional sounding radio station you will ever hear. And we continue to move only in that direction.
Coast-FM is far from done, and in fact, is further along on its way to reality than ever before. But, we need your support to show that you really want this to happen. E-Mail us at coastfmns@yahoo.com to see how you might help. The South Shore needs a daily independent news voice. It needs an easy-listening station, one that will promote the area 24/7 and serve the wants of a major part of the population which has here-to-fore been completely ignored. It needs a venue for businesses to advertise on who currently do not have an outlet that serves their needs. Coast-FM will do all this – and more.
We see the South Shore as a flourishing, thriving market, bereft of a diversity in broadcast news and a more mature, adult format. Coast-FM will fill these voids handsomely.
In summary, this is what this radio station will do for the South Shore:
1. Provide a unique programming format found nowhere else;
2. Offer an independent radio news source vastly different from one controlled by a corporation in another province, and one accountable only to you, the people;
3. Provide jobs; and opportunities for local businesses to advertise in a different format, to reach a new demographic;
4. Offer benefits and opportunities to local musicians [see 'About Us'];
5. Assist in charitable causes [see 'About Us,' and 'News' on Haiti directly above];
6. Offer scholarships to sons and daughters of fallen Canadian service personnel [see 'About Us'];
7. Bring awareness to those who know nothing about the area to millions around North America and the world, thereby increasing tourism revenues; Coast-FM will do this 24/7 in a way never done before. No one can deny what an enormous boost this will be to the tourist industry, undeniably the #1 importer of funds into South Shore.This will give businesses an advertising venue that does not currently exist, and enable them to grow and prosper. This will be good for everyone. As businesses expand and do better, they hire more people, increase the local tax base, and cause a bigger awareness in the minds of outsiders to come visit.
8. Offer a web-site, seen around the globe, with all kinds of links to fabulous places, events and stopping points around the South Shore. What we now have featured is only a small percentage of what's to come.
Even if you do not like the format of this radio station, any entity which can offer the above can't be bad for the area. And this is far more important than whether or not someone likes Sinatra or the Beatles.
We are moving ahead, and many thanks to those of you who have offered such kind words.
Jim, Jannie, and Kelly Ernst. March 8, 2010