June 17,2010

Dredging delegation gets hearing but no money from feds

The Canadian Press

— A delegation of Cape Breton politicians seeking funding from Ottawa for the dredging of Sydney harbour came away from a meeting with federal ministers with a promise to stay in touch but no commitments of money.

The group, led by Nova Scotia Deputy Premier Frank Corbett, which included local MLAs from all three parties and Mayor John Morgan, of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, spent about an hour Thursday afternoon meeting with National Revenue Minister Keith Ashfield, who is also the minister for ACOA, and Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who is also the minister responsible for Nova Scotia.

“I’m not overjoyed, but I think it was a very worthwhile meeting, projects like this are often done in inches and feet, not by miles,” Corbett said, in an interview via cellphone.

He said they made their case to the ministers about the importance of dredging the harbour’s access channel, calling it an economic game-changer that has united support from all sectors of the community.

“We’re going to be calling them and meeting with them as best as we can,” he said, adding Ottawa should be aware that time is of the essence.

MacKay was quite knowledgeable about the project, Corbett said. Ashfield was to a lesser degree, but he had been fully briefed, he added.

The contractor has said the project’s price tag could rise, the farther into the winter the work is pushed. Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking raised the issue again in question period Thursday.

“Time is of the essence,” he said. “If the federal government continues to delay, the contractor’s going to pull anchor and move on. So I’m asking the minister, once again, when will this government commit to dredging Sydney harbour?”

Cape Breton-Canso MP Rodger Cuzner rose and said there’s been no voice in the federal government on the file.

“Where’s it tied up, either the prime minister’s not listening or you’re not speaking, one or the other. He (Eyking) did his job, you do yours,” Cuzner said.

Layoffs to affect not only Cape Breton, but entire country: Eyking

Cape Breton Post March 22, 2010

SYDNEY — Liberal MP Mark Eyking and local union leaders want government to know that the layoff of close to 150 workers from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada case processing centre in Sydney will not only affect the local economy, but the process across the country.

“The problem we see here, and this is from other MPs from across the country, if they lay off these 150 people, we’re going to go right back to where we were a couple of years ago where the backlog and the timing is going to take longer for these people coming to this country,” said Eyking.

Eyking met with Wilfred MacKinnon, president of Local 80226 of the Canada Employment Immigration Union, and other union representatives at the Sydney-Victoria MP’s offices on Kings Road, Saturday, to discuss a plan of action to fight the layoffs.

“There are MPs across the country that will find out they’ll have a backlog of all their applications,” said Eyking. “We’re going to send a letter to the chair of the Citizenship and Immigration committee and we want to have a meeting that’s going to present not only the job we do here in Cape Breton, but also getting witnesses there to explain what’s going to happen when this process goes backwards.”

MP to continue the fight to preserve rural mail delivery

BY JULIE COLLINS The Cape Breton Post

MILLVILLE — Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking vows to continue efforts to protect rural post offices and fight to restore rural roadside service that has been lost in some areas of Cape Breton.

“According to Canada Post, every rural mailbox in Canada will eventually be reviewed,” Eyking said. “Canada Post’s concern is for the safety of the drivers who deliver the rural mail. You would think that if there is a problem with a rural mailbox, it could be easily solved by contacting the homeowner.”

Eyking accompanied a number of Canada Post officials Friday on a review of mailboxes along the Mill Creek Road.

“Most of the mailboxes on the road are considered safe, although some could require minor adjustments. There are some mailboxes that can’t be moved or changed, just because of their location, but that is only with a few.” Eyking said there are about 2,600 rural mailboxes in his riding, adding that he hasn’t heard of any complaints from the drivers.

“Canada Post is saying that this review is to ensure rural mailboxes are safe and those that aren’t, adjustments are made to ensure they are,” Eyking said. “Canada Post has to be flexible because, in some cases, the homeowner has no choice where they locate their mailbox.”

Eyking added that rural Canadians, including those in Cape Breton, have made it clear they don’t want the loss of rural mailboxes and also want the closure of rural post offices to stop.

According to Canada Post’s website, approximately 843,000 Canadian residential addresses are served by rural mailboxes, representing about six per cent of the corporation’s 14 million points of delivery.

Funding in place for $12M CB civic centre

By Julie Collins, The Cape Breton Post

Finally the Northside community will get its long-awaited civic centre. And no two people could be more happy about that than Cape Breton North MLA Cecil Clarke and Leo Steele, chair of the Northside Civic Centre Committee.

To a packed lecture theatre at Memorial Composite High School in Sydney Mines, Steele was quick to point out the determination and tenacity of not only the board, but the community and project supporters who were critical in keeping the project alive the past 10 years. The initial proposal for a new recreational facility for the Northside was unveiled at Memorial High in June 1999.

“We never gave up, even though there were times when it didn’t seem that we would succeed,” Steele said. “The board certainly did its part, but we wouldn’t have been anywhere without the rallies and those people, businesses and corporations that have and continue to contribute. It wasn’t just the adults, but the youth of the community, who want and need this facility.”

Peter MacKay, minister of national defence and minister of the Atlantic Gateway, joined Clarke, Steele and Cape Breton Regional Mayor John Morgan in announcing the $12-million project Thursday. The federal government, through Enterprise Cape Breton Corp., will provide $4 million. The province will invest $4 from its B-FIT (Building Facilities and Infrastructure Together) program. The Cape Breton Regional Municipality will contribute $2.5 million and the community has raised $1.5 million in cash and pledges for the project.

The Northside Civic Centre, which will replace the aging North Sydney Community Forum, will feature an NHL-sized area with seating for 800 spectators. It will also sport a walking track around the perimeter of the building. The facility will also have multipurpose rooms, kitchen facilities and office space. The centre will be built on land off King Street that has been cleared and has been deeded to the society.

Clarke, who is also the justice minister, said the project is the result of many people working together. “This is for the betterment of all citizens,” Clarke said. “It is timely that we move forward on this project now in a time of economic uncertainty where the construction will help create and maintain job opportunities on the Northside.”

Mayor Morgan referred to the project as a remarkable achievement. “Our council unanimously identified one project to submit to the Build Canada Fund, it (civic centre) had that level of importance, not only to the Northside councillors, but for all of council and the community.”

The board has set September 2010 for an opening and plan to push the project along as quickly as possible.

“I’m really proud, proud of the community and how it continued to rally around this project,” said society chairman Leo Steele. “We are going to get everything the community wanted, the walking track, the ice surface, community meeting rooms, it is going to something really special.”

Steele referred to important corporate donations, but also to those individuals who have been keeping their pledges, bringing the total amount of community funds in the bank to about $830,000. “It’s a great day for the Northside and for Cape Breton,” said Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking. “To see the three levels of government involved and community on board with fundraising shows a great spirit of co-operation. It will be good to see construction begin.”

Auto workers seek answers on retraining, EI eligibility

March 19, 2009

BY JULIE COLLINS The Cape Breton Post

NORTH SYDNEY — Employees at a Northside car parts plant who know their jobs are gone are now faced with uncertainty about retraining opportunities and eligibility for Employment Insurance benefits. More than 100 workers, some of whom have already been laid off, met Wednesday at noon with Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking and Cape Breton-Canso MP Rodger Cuzner.

June Power, an employee of Precision Fine Components who helped organize the meeting, said morale at PFC is at an all-time low.

“Homes are up for sale, cars are being returned, mortgages are being refinanced and even our children are feeling the stress of what we’re experiencing,” she said. “The workers aren’t being laid off in large numbers, it’s being done just below the radar so it isn’t news-breaking.”

She said Wednesday’s session wasn’t to discuss keeping the plant open. “Magna corporate decided to move the contracts, our jobs to Ontario and close PFC, only Magna can reverse that decision. For 2008, the payroll for PFC was $17 million, Cape Breton Castings was $2.5 million. These closures are going to have a crippling effect on the local economy.”

Although the main focus of the meeting was on retraining, the workers stressed the need to attract new manufacturing to the area has to continue.

“There are 300 workers at our plant and another 100 next door who are looking for training, who want to stay in Cape Breton, but aren’t getting any help,” said worker Troy Glogowski. “Where is the help and when are we going to get it?

Referring to the fact that Cape Breton was first to be hit with closures in the automotive downturn, Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking said what is in place with respect to retraining and Employment Insurance benefits isn’t working.

He said the rules with respect to retraining eligibility and EI have to change. “We have to take care of the workers first and then work at either getting those automotive jobs back or bring in other industry. The bottom line is there aren’t other jobs for them to go, every province is faced with the same problems,” Eyking said. “This is something that has to be looked at nationally. Other countries are going to step up to the plate and make those changes and they’ll have those jobs.”

Along with establishing a committee to work on the issues, Eyking suggested having a delegation of workers go before the Industry Committee in Ottawa to give a first-hand account of the problems facing auto workers.

Cape Breton Canso MP Rodger Cuzner said the law that states a person can’t receive EI benefits if they are a recipient of a severance package has to change. Cuzner, who chaired an all party committee that looked at a variety of different issues around EI, said one of the strongest recommendations that wasn’t acted upon, was that severance pays should be separate from qualifications for EI.

“We are faced with this again and both Mark and I will push for changes,” Cuzner said. “What we are trying to do today is provide some immediate relief to the workers.” A large delegation of regional councillors, including Clarence Prince, Gordon MacLeod and Wes Stubbert, who represent the Northside, were in attendance, along with member of the business community.

MP calls for long-term solution in Eskasoni

Monday, January 9, 2009

Erin Pottie- Cape Breton Post

ESKASONI — A federal representative from Cape Breton says a long-term solution is needed for an empty crisis centre in Eskasoni. Mark Eyking, Liberal MP for Sydney-Victoria, met to discuss plans with the chief and staff of the First Nation community, Saturday.

Eyking will present the band’s proposal to Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Chuck Strahl when he arrives in Ottawa today. Eyking said the band has done its homework and is in dire need of funding for a suicide prevention strategy.

Eyking also plans to invite Strahl to visit Eskasoni — Atlantic Canada’s largest First Nation community — and said he will open talks with Health Canada for further investment. Eskasoni is currently seeking a three-year pilot project slated at just over $2 million. It would include three to four regular staff at a centre, which exists but has no operating money. Eyking said service providers are hoping to raise one-third of the cost in the community, leaving behind a $1.4-million shortfall.

“The province is going to step up to the plate, not on a big scale, you know it could be $150,000 to $200,000 that they’re talking right now,” Eyking said. “It looks like they’re going to need at least $400,000 a year from the federal government.”

Eyking toured Eskasoni’s cultural building where a temporary crisis centre is being manned by volunteers. He also visited their youth-at-risk building that was completed and abandoned in 2007. “I’ve seen the situation that they’re facing. I’ve seen that this is only short-term that they need long-term and better facilities,” Eyking said. “They’re going to need a facility, not only for intervention but also so when somebody is in crisis, say a youth is in crisis they have a place to stay.”

Volunteers from across the Maritimes have answered more than 150 phone calls from across Cape Breton. Five of those calls were considered critical and life-saving. “They have a building in place. It’s a good building, it’s fairly new, it’s in a good location. It’s right next to the health centre and the RCMP facilities,” said Eyking. “With the situation as big as this is, when you’re dealing with lives ... I think this is a fair ask from the community. We’re losing lives here and it seems like the community is doing their best now to help people that are in dire straits.”

Four young people have committed suicide in Eskasoni in just over a month. As many have died from drug-and alcohol-related deaths since early 2008. Officials from both Indian and Northern Affairs and Health Canada will visit Cape Breton on Wednesday for a meeting with community leaders and service providers. Chief Charlie Dennis is expected to sign an agreement with Health Canada giving Eskasoni $10,000 for short-term counselling.

Devil in budget details

January 28, 2008 TOM AYERS

The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — Early reviews on the federal budget are mixed, and while most local observers can see important measures that could benefit Cape Breton, all agree the devil is in the details. Mark Eyking, Liberal MP for Sydney-Victoria, said Tuesday that some of the announcements sounded good, but there wasn’t enough detail to determine the impact on Cape Breton.

He said while he suspected the budget will pass, the party’s position would become clearer after caucus meetings Tuesday and today. “On the surface, the budget looks very good,” said Eyking. “When you look into the details, I have a lot of concerns. “I think most of our caucus is mixed on this. Right now I’m going into the meeting and we’re going to get into it and raise these concerns.”

Eyking supplied the finance minister with a lengthy list of items during pre-budget consultations, including measures for municipal and provincial infrastructure, the Atlantic Gateway program, employment insurance reform and increased funding for training and income security, university research and post-secondary education, the Canadian Coast Guard, arts and culture, tourism, health care and First Nations.

He said the budget contained several provisions that match local priorities, but some didn’t go far enough and others aren’t readily apparent. For example, Eyking proposed a bill that would reduce the wait time for employment insurance benefits. While that measure isn’t in the budget, benefits will be extended by five weeks. However, whether anyone in Cape Breton will be able to take advantage of that remains to be seen, he said

. The budget includes $75 million for Parks Canada and $500 million for recreation centre construction or maintenance, but Eyking said the local effect of that money is difficult to predict. “That’s not much money,” he said of the new Parks Canada funding. “It’s like the money for recreation; it sounds like a lot, but not when you spread it out across the country.”

Local MPs Eyking, Cuzner react to throne speech

JOHN MCNEIL AND TOM AYERS The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — Cape Breton’s Liberal members of Parliament are looking forward to a better spirit of co-operation in the new session of parliament that opened with the Conservative government’s speech from the throne, Wednesday. However, they say opposition support for the government’s coming agenda will depend on the details.

Mark Eyking, Liberal MP for Sydney-Victoria, says his party will support the throne speech in the interest of co-operation. “We are going to try to work with this government,” said Eyking, who on Wednesday morning was elected caucus chair for Nova Scotia. “On all sides in the House there is a sense of working together.”

Eyking said the government’s pledge to help families in difficult economic times raises two issues. “First, we want to know where the government intends to cut, and that will be something we will be watching very closely. Second, the government has not been using infrastructure as a tool. There needs to be more flexibility with municipalities on infrastructure and it needs to happen as soon as possible.”

Eyking said he would also like more details on how the government intends to support the auto industry. As the new opposition critic for the Canadian International Development Agency, Eyking said he is disappointed that the only mention of aid in the throne speech was in the form of democracy promotion, which he said will not help with the current famine in the horn of Africa. Cape Breton-Canso MP Rodger Cuzner said the government’s economic plans will be key in coming months.

“They’ve hinted they believe they may go into deficit, and we certainly believe they will . . . just because they’ve emptied the cupboard over the last two years,” said Cuzner. He said that the prime minister, Conservative house leader and others in government are starting to show a more co-operative side. The opposition Liberals will respond in kind if the policies are “right-minded,” Cuzner added. “We just can’t offer a blank cheque.” DFO minister ‘playing petty politics’ by moving vessel

The Cape Breton Post Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearn’s effort to “set the record straight” about why he moved the Cap Percé was nothing short of dishonest and disrespectful to the people of Cape Breton (Lots of Little Boats Available for Training at Coast Guard College, Letters, May 16).

Unfortunately, the minister’s misguided actions do not match his words. Last year he moved two ice-breakers, the Louis St. Laurent and Terry Fox, from Halifax to his own back yard. Now he intends to downgrade the Canadian Coast Guard College by moving the Cap Percé to Quebec.

He says it’s because more Coast Guard presence is needed there but his own officials were not able to explain to reporters why this was the case or exactly where the Cap Percé was being moved. And he says it won’t have any impact on the college. Well, maybe he can explain why the Nova Scotia premier wrote to the prime minister to express his concern about the “detrimental impact” this move would have on the college.

This minister seems to think we should be happy he’s leaving two 13-metre lifeboats, which are 30 years old, in Sydney while he moves the 14-metre Cap Percé, christened in 2005 as a training vessel for the school, out of our province.

Here is some advice to the minister: stop playing petty politics with the Coast Guard and return the Cap Percé to Sydney. Mark Eyking, MP Sydney-Victoria;

Cape Breton Post Comment, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, p. A6

Letters to the editor

MPs showed support for ports by bringing senator to visit

It was obvious from Senator Terry Mercer’s remarks while in Sydney that both Rodger Cuzner (Cape Breton-Canso) and Mark Eyking (Sydney Victoria) played an important role in having him take a closer look at the Ports of Sydney (Senator Backs Away from Controversy Over Ports, March 29). For this we are grateful.

By his own admission, Sen. Mercer found his time in Sydney to be revealing. The ports' important and significant potential is now more apparent, and it has been indicated that this will highlighted in the forthcoming report on containerization by the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications

We intend to maintain contact with Sen. Mercer on the Ports of Sydney going forward and would appreciate the continued support of the two island MPs on this matter. We thank them for their ongoing interest in the development of the Ports of Sydney.

Owen Fitzgerald president, Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce

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