Sparks fly over safety in downtown Sydney during mayoral debate

The candidates for mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality debated topics including taxes, housing and economic development on Tuesday, but the biggest sparks came during a discussion on safety in downtown Sydney.

Kevin MacEachern got things started, saying the Ally Centre's harm reduction facility should not be downtown.

Former mayor Cecil Clarke said the Ally Centre on Prince Street and the shelter for homeless people on Townsend Street should both be moved to new, more appropriate locations.

"People are feeling unsafe in downtown Sydney," he said, adding seniors, youths, newcomers and tourists are feeling scared. "We have a problem," he said.

Rankin MacSween, who ran twice against Clarke, said it reminded him of how Membertou First Nation was moved off of Sydney harbour.

"A hundred years ago, we moved Membertou ... from Kings Road," he said.

"That was shameful. That was tragic and I would hope that in respect to the Ally Centre, which we're scapegoating here, we can do better than that."

Former mayor Cecil Clarke says the Ally Centre on Prince Street and the shelter for homeless people on Townsend Street should both be moved to new, more appropriate locations. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

MacSween is the retired CEO of New Dawn Enterprises, which has partnered with the Ally Centre to build housing downtown to help vulnerable people.

Joe Ward, a first-time candidate for mayor of CBRM, said the issue does not have to be divisive.

"Human dignity and public safety are not mutually exclusive," he said. "We could build a new facility."

Ward suggested a new building could be purpose-built to house people and provide social services.

More than 500 people attended the debate at Centre 200 in Sydney, hosted by CBC Cape Breton.

All nine candidates were prepared to debate, but Vince Hall had a medical emergency and was taken out by first responders before the event started.

Rankin MacSween says the Ally Centre is being made a scapegoat for safety concerns in downtown Sydney, which he likened to the relocation of Membertou First Nation decades ago. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

The candidates all called for lower taxes, with Donnie Bacich offering taxpayers a rebate in the first year of up to $1,000, depending on their property tax bill.

James Edwards, who was first elected to council in 2020 and spent the last two years as deputy mayor, said in addition to lower taxes, people want good police and fire service, infrastructure and jobs so they can stay home in CBRM.

Many candidates called for increased equalization grants from the province to provide tax relief, which Archie MacKinnon insisted he would successfully negotiate.

But MacKinnon said if he couldn't get more money from the province, he has been working on a plan.

James Edwards says in addition to lower taxes, people want good police and fire services as well as community infrastructure. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

"We've got the Cape Breton Autonomy group that wants to hold a plebiscite," he said.

"If the provincial government doesn't want to give us equalization money, we'll hold a plebiscite and maybe we'll just leave the province of Nova Scotia."

MacKinnon also called out Clarke for raising the mayor's salary and doing nothing about the high tax rate, saying if elected mayor, he would take a pay cut of $25,000.

Clarke said he was attacking the issues, not other candidates.

Carla George appealed to voters to change things up and also took a shot at Clarke's record.

Archie MacKinnon says if the province won't give CBRM more equalization money, the municipality should secede from Nova Scotia. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

"You had eight years. You didn't do it then. I don't know why anybody thinks you're going to do it now."

After the debate, voter Karen Blair said she found it useful.

"I have to confess I'm still not totally decided on who I'll vote for, but I did learn quite a bit," she said.

Blair said the candidates covered topics she's interested in, including housing, poverty and the need for a new central library.

Debate helped narrow choice

Brian Bonnar said he wanted to hear more from candidates about areas including North Sydney, Sydney Mines and rural areas.

"Nobody's talking about the Northside and what they can do for us over there," he said. "Everything is all about Sydney."

Carla George took a shot at former mayor Cecil Clarke's record, saying he had eight years to get things done and wasn't able to do it. (Tom Ayers/CBC)

Christine Bonnar said the debate helped her narrow down her choice to two candidates.

"They touched on a lot of things that I was thinking about and I was hoping they were going to talk about," she said.

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