Yarmouth mayor wants fair shake on ferry funding

Mayor hopes Cape Breton rail funding indicates government interest in regional transportation

Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney hopes another provincial subsidy for a railway in Cape Breton is a sign the government is on the right track when it comes to funding essential transportation links. “Two years ago, the government handed over $3 million to keep the American-owned railway open with extra cash to make a transition plan for the future. Today we learned the railway is getting an extra $3.3 million,” said mayor Mooney in a press release on Tuesday. “This is good news for Cape Breton and northern Nova Scotia"

Mooney was pleased that the Province seems to recognize they need to fund transportation infrastructure in areas where the economy is hurting. "I expect this means they will come with cash in hand when a viable ferry operator is found," Mooney added.”  Mooney said he is encouraged by the work of the local Nova Scotia International Ferry Partnership Committee that is helping identify possible ferry operators. The Partnership is led by local businessman Keith Condon and includes experts in tourism, marketing, government relations, international trade and ferry operations, according to Mooney.

“We have been successful in building a new relationship with the provincial government and I understand they have assigned staff to work directly with the International Ferry Partnership Committee,” said Mooney. “This is good news since some provincial cabinet ministers refused to even talk about the ferry when they visited Yarmouth in the past two years.”  Mooney and Yarmouth Liberal MLA Zach Churchill have been openly critical of Economic and Rural Development minister Percy Paris's refusal to commit funds to re-establish a ferry prior to receiving what the minister described as "a viable and sustainable business plan." On his Twitter feed, Churchill asked, "Where was the money when we needed a ferry?" Argyle MLA Chris d'Entremont tweeted that he did not see the logic in the decision to give so much funding to the Cape Breton Railway and not fund a ferry into Yarmouth.

Mooney's comments were provoked by the anouncement Monday that Nova Scotia is giving $3.3 million to the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway for repair work. The provincial government says the money will go to bridge improvements and help prevent railway deterioration and economic development minister Percy Paris said the rail line would be too expensive to operate and maintain without the funding. The funding comes is in addition to $2 million in annual public funding announced last year for capital and maintenance costs for the next three years. Premier Darrell Dexter has previously said he wants the railway, owned by Rail America Inc., to end its dependency on provincial subsidies.

Mooney expressed concern that it might be too late to get a ferry in place for the 2012 tourist season, as did Conlon in a previous interview with SCT. “I have said before that we only have one chance to get this right. We need to make sure we move forward with the best proposal possible. The ferry is a provincial issue and never should have been dropped in the lap of the municipal units to handle all alone," Mooney said.

The mayor remains confident that, if the right proposal is presented to the provincial government, they will "come on board."  “The fact the province continues to fund the American-owned railway in Cape Breton tells me there is money available for essential transportation links."

Mooney says that all he is asking for is a fair shake for the people of Yarmouth. Partnership chair Keith Conlon was unavailable for comment.