CBRM committee overseeing port development rarely met, lacks records

Depending on who's being asked, a Cape Breton Regional Municipality committee that's supposed to oversee a proposed container terminal development has either met within the last couple of months or sometime in 2022.

There's no written record of it ever having met and no one can say who chairs the committee, whose details are as murky as the future of the Sydney Harbour terminal — the project it's meant to champion.

One of its members, Coun. Eldon MacDonald, said he couldn't provide a lot of information about the committee or its meetings.

"I'm going to suggest it's probably a year and a half or possibly more, but we didn't meet very often," he said.

The committee was struck in 2021 while council was considering a contract extension with Sydney Harbour Investment Partners, or SHIP, and now known as Novaporte.

Coun. Eldon MacDonald says he can't recall for sure, but he believes the committee did not meet to discuss the developer's switch from a container terminal to offshore wind. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

Several councillors had complained about a lack of information coming to council from the developer, and it was suggested a committee might be easier to assemble for a meeting with company CEO Albert Barbusci.

But MacDonald said CBRM has instead "gone back to that format of getting updates at council."

Novaporte pursuing other options

Last month, Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger expressed concerns that Novaporte has switched its focus to offshore wind turbine marshalling, especially since the contract with CBRM is specifically for a container terminal and not for any other business venture.

MacDonald said he couldn't recall whether Barbusci brought the offshore wind idea to the steering committee or to council as a whole.

"It's been so long since the steering committee has really met as a steering committee that I don't think we've met since the wind opportunity presented itself," he said. "If we have, then I stand to be corrected."

He said there had been talk of having the container terminal contract amended to include offshore wind development, but "where that is, I couldn't speak to that."

Mayor Amanda McDougall said recently that the steering committee met with Barbusci a couple of months ago, so everyone was aware of his plans to pursue offshore wind turbine marshalling.

Coun. Lorne Green agrees with Coun. Eldon MacDonald, saying the steering committee has not met in at least 18 months and says he's not the chair and doesn't know who is. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

Coun. Lorne Green, who's on the committee, said he didn't think that meeting took place.

"Unless it's an email that I missed or overlooked, but not to my knowledge, no, we haven't met," he said.

"We get emails from SHIP, as council as a whole, on updates that are going on. That would be about the only updates we are receiving."

Information on port 'sparse,' says councillor

Green said he could not recall when the committee met last, but it was at least 18 months ago.

He also said the information coming from the port developer has been "sparse."

"It's a concern, obviously, because we've got an agreement with [an] individual to get a container terminal happening at Sydney Harbour and it doesn't seem to be happening."

Green could not speculate on why the committee hasn't met lately, saying he's not the chair and couldn't say who is.

MacDonald said no one was ever named chair.

The committee's third member, Coun. Steve Gillespie, said in an email he wasn't sure if there were any minutes from meetings "or if the group is even a committee or just an advisory group."

No record of meeting minutes

According to the minutes of a June 2021 council meeting, the "CBRM Steering Committee of Sydney Harbour Investment Partners" was created "to assist in the advocacy and the work required to move the project forward."

However, there is no record of any committee meetings or minutes, according to the clerk's office, despite requirements in the Municipal Government Act for meeting dates to be listed publicly and minutes kept, even if the meetings are held behind closed doors.

CBRM clerk Christa Dicks, left, is seen with Mayor Amanda McDougall. Dicks says her office was never asked to set up steering committee meetings or take minutes for them. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

Clerk Christa Dicks said there is no record of the steering committee's work because her office "has not been engaged for involvement."

The contract to develop CBRM's land in Sydney Harbour is up in November.

MacDonald said he has no problem with the switch in focus to offshore wind turbine marshalling, because it would require a wharf and infrastructure beneficial for a container terminal.

At that point, a terminal would just require a rail line — something MacDonald said he thinks is still possible, even though the provincial government has ended a subsidy intended to keep the existing rail line in place.

Green said without that subsidy, it's an open question whether a container terminal project will ever come to CBRM.

However, both he and MacDonald said if the land can be used for offshore wind marshalling, they're comfortable with a new council deciding on a contract extension or a new contract with Novaporte after this fall's municipal elections.

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