Post by IAMCAPER on Jan 11, 2007 21:55:59 GMT -4
No subject was off-limits at the inaugural meeting of the Cape Breton Island Provincehood Campaign.
A dozen people gathered at the Baddeck Community Centre Wednesday evening where strip mining concerns, the Constitution, fishing, Fort McMurray, Alta. — even the Turks and Caicos Islands — were among the topics discussed.
The idea of Cape Breton as a separate province has been brought forward numerous times in the island’s history and this latest campaign is being spearheaded by Mabou’s Mark Macneill.
Macneill chaired Wednesday’s meeting and said there will always be critics of the idea of Cape Breton as a province because they think it isn’t realistic. He said his role is to sound a wake-up call to Cape Bretoners that the notion is possible and added he’s in it for the long haul.
“My job is to educate. This is going to take awhile,” he said.
Macneill said a Cape Breton-based government would be more responsive and passionate about the issues facing the island.
Sharon MacLeod, a resident of Boularderie Island who spoke at the meeting about her concerns about strip mining, said change is needed because the provincial government isn’t listening to the people of Cape Breton.
“(I’m) shocked at the state of democracy in Cape Breton. There is none,” she said.
Prior to the meeting, Macneill said he was not discouraged by the small crowd, noting some people had passed along regrets that they couldn’t be at the meeting.He said the Cape Breton Island Provincehood Campaign website, www.provinceofcapebreton.com, is generating lots of discussion and feedback.
A dozen people gathered at the Baddeck Community Centre Wednesday evening where strip mining concerns, the Constitution, fishing, Fort McMurray, Alta. — even the Turks and Caicos Islands — were among the topics discussed.
The idea of Cape Breton as a separate province has been brought forward numerous times in the island’s history and this latest campaign is being spearheaded by Mabou’s Mark Macneill.
Macneill chaired Wednesday’s meeting and said there will always be critics of the idea of Cape Breton as a province because they think it isn’t realistic. He said his role is to sound a wake-up call to Cape Bretoners that the notion is possible and added he’s in it for the long haul.
“My job is to educate. This is going to take awhile,” he said.
Macneill said a Cape Breton-based government would be more responsive and passionate about the issues facing the island.
Sharon MacLeod, a resident of Boularderie Island who spoke at the meeting about her concerns about strip mining, said change is needed because the provincial government isn’t listening to the people of Cape Breton.
“(I’m) shocked at the state of democracy in Cape Breton. There is none,” she said.
Prior to the meeting, Macneill said he was not discouraged by the small crowd, noting some people had passed along regrets that they couldn’t be at the meeting.He said the Cape Breton Island Provincehood Campaign website, www.provinceofcapebreton.com, is generating lots of discussion and feedback.