CCN Back Issues Vol 3 Issue 4

The village of Pugwash, located in northern Nova Scotia on the Northumberland Strait, is trying to save its wharf. Transport Canada has opened the process to download the ownership and responsibility for the facility. That means that proposals are being accepted from any party interested in taking over the wharf.

According to Kathy Langille, who represents that area on Cumberland County Municipal Council, the village is concerned about being allowed continued access to the wharf for both residents and other businesses, and that new owners will continue to maintain the wharf in good condition.

The primary user of the wharf is the Canadian Salt Company, which ships 400,000 tonnes of locally- mined salt from the wharf each year. Langille says the concern is that if the salt company purchases the wharf, what happens to it when the mine eventually closes? The village is also concerned an outside interest could purchase the wharf and close it off completely.

Upkeep is an issue as well, since the wharf can be seen from the main highway past the village, and is a focal point for both residents and tourists and it would be unacceptable to the village to have the facility fall into unsightly disrepair. Just down the highway, in the community of Wallace, a couple of dozen lobster fishermen who use the community wharf were told by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans recently that their only option in keeping their wharf open was to form a harbour authority and take it over themselves. Limited funding over the next few years has been promised for expenses and upkeep, but after that, the costs will fall to the users.

These stories are repeating themselves all over the province. With DFO Small Craft Harbours' plan to divest itself of wharves, and Transport Canada doing the same, communities are scrambling to preserve their facilities. A Maritimes-wide Harbour Authority Advisory Council was established last year. Caroline Norwood is the member from Westport, on Digby Neck. She represents about 20 ports in her area.

Norwood says the council acts as a clearinghouse for problems and information between the DFO and harbour authorities, and ensures concerns on both sides are addressed by the other. She stresses that the council is independent of DFO. Some of the issues being looked at now by the council include disposal of hazardous waste, like oil and oil filters. Environmental concerns dictate that these items be properly disposed of, but it is a costly problem. Harbour authorities want help dealing with this problem. Currently, a DFO engineer is looking into the problem.

Also, says Norwood, many of the harbour authorities now in place were hastily organized, and don't have the necessary skills or experience in wharf management that they now need. The council has asked DFO to provide help to these groups to learn how to deal with the administration of their wharves. The council has also made the problem of funding one of its priorities. Norwood says harbour authorities, in many cases, are facing decreasing funding from DFO for their wharf expenses, which increases the burden on users.

Norwood says in her home port the 28 fishers who use the facility have to pay $1,000 each, but she says $28,000 "doesn't get much work done." The council meets again in February, and members have been holding regional meetings to find out what issues people in their areas want dealt with.

Communities will continue to struggle with this issue, and to vie for dwindling federal dollars to maintain what facilities they have left. At a recent CCN meeting, Arthur Bull, who works with the Digby Neck Community Development Association, said the wharf issue is "the ultimate divide and conquer," because it will pit community against community in competition for funding. CCN members agreed that wharves are part of the infrastructure that makes up the core of coastal communities. Action must be taken collectively to make sure communities do not clash over this issue, and that the government is not permitted to take away the basic structures that have for so long been the highways to the seas in Nova Scotia.

For more information on the Harbour Authority Advisory Council, call Small Craft Harbours at 1-800- 983-6161.

Abandoned Base Gives Birth To Thriving Community

Ferguson and her partner Ken Brown were one of the many families who took advantage of a housing sale last summer. They, like many other couples, felt that a four bedroom, two storey home with a view of the Annapolis Basin, was a steal at $39,900.

The homes are located at the former CFB Cornwallis in the Annapolis Valley. When the base shut down in 1994, 1,000 jobs were lost and 246 housing units were left vacant. A group was established by the Department of National Defence (DND) to decide what to do with the housing units on the base, and its numerous other buildings and facilities.

That group has become the Cornwallis Park Development Agency, an organization with a mandate to take the assets of the former base and convert them to be used in community economic development initiatives for the area. Developers Galbraith and Associates of Kelowna, BC bought the housing complex and sold off the units at low prices after repairs and improvements were made to the homes. Now the Development Agency is working to attract businesses and new development to Cornwallis Park.

DND set up a $7.5 million operating fund through Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), with $6 million earmarked for demolition if the buildings couldn't be utilized. That demolition fund is now being used as capital to help get the new community up and running. Agency General Manager Tom Bell says the goal is to have the community self-sustaining at the end of it's funding, which is in about four years. Bell says the park is well on its way to becoming self- sufficient. Right now about half of its capital is coming from its own revenues, such as building rentals, sale of some assets, and charges for shared services.

The park is home to the Pearson International Peacekeeping Centre, which purchased nine buildings and 25 acres of land in a 10 year deal that guarantees the centre will maintain a certain level of employment or forfeit the property. Each summer, about 1200 cadets invade the community at Camp Acadia. That space is rented from the Agency.

The recent big news for the area was the announcement that Shaw Wood Industries Ltd. is building a furniture manufacturing plant at the former base, creating 125 full time, permanent jobs at the plant and numerous spin-offs in the forestry and transportation industries.

Bell says the deal came together after the Ikea furniture manufacturer did some testing and found local white pine to be suited to their standards and needs. Ikea made the deal with Shaw to manufacture ready- to-assemble furniture for sale in Ikea's stores in Canada and the US. The development agency was contacted by the Shaw Group to find out if the park could accommodate the new plant. Construction began in December.

Several other businesses occupy the former military buildings, and some new facilities have been built in the village. Bell says over 270 people are employed in the Park, a figure he says is good considering winter is usually a slow employment period.

"It's getting very positive in the area. There was tremendous disappointment in the surrounding communities when the base closed. People believed the place would just be bulldozed," says Bell.

Although the community is in its infancy, Ferguson and Brown both agree the sense of neighbourhood and camaraderie is already firmly in place. It wasn't easy to find the perfect house, says Brown. When he visited the community last spring intent on buying a home, there were line-ups to view houses, and by the time he and Ferguson made the decision to buy, many homes had already been sold and he was lucky to find a house that fit their needs.

The couple knows a number of homes that were purchased by people in British Columbia over the phone, sight unseen. A residents' association has been set up, and deals with issues such as approving exterior changes to houses, and finding a permanent home for a community centre. The group currently rents space from the seasonal military museum, and hopes to have its own quarters this summer. There are plenty of activities to keep residents busy, if they chose to participate, says Ferguson. Card parties, craft and exercise classes, and community suppers abound.

For both Ferguson, a Nova Scotia native, and Brown, who actually went through basic training years ago at the base, Cornwallis Park feels like home, and they are very happy with their decision to become part of this growing community.

Black Harbour Takes Hubbards To Hollywood

Communities in Action

That's Hubbards' golden hour, when this small St. Margaret's Bay community has its chance to shine across the country on CBC television, as the setting for the popular drama series "Black Harbour." Local residents, many who have worked directly or indirectly on the production, love to watch each new episode of the unfolding drama, tuned in to see if their neighbors, or a favorite local spot, will be in that night's show.

Jackie Dunsworth owns the Trellis Café, a local lunch spot. She says that having a professional filming crew in town six or seven months of the year does create a stir, especially among outsiders who come to the area to star-gaze.

"It's nice that people are coming in, people from all over," she says. Dunsworth may see more visitors than other businesses in Hubbards, because people hoping for their "big Hollywood break" come in to drop off their resumes at the Trellis Cafe. Dunsworth has an "in" - her brother works in casting for the program at his Halifax office.

Spinoffs for the town have been welcome. Dunsworth says she can't put an exact figure to the increase in business, but she knows that local eateries, gas stations, gift shops, bed- and-breakfasts, and other services, enjoy a brisk business while the production crew is in town. Filming ended in mid- December, and crews are expected back sometime in July.

And the show that has given a new identity to Hubbards has also breathed new life into a former naval radio station at nearby Mill Cove. Mike Montgomery of the Mill Cove Park Development Agency, says production has taken over a number of warehouses and buildings on the former base. Soundstages have been created for Black Harbour's interior shots, and other buildings have been leased for office space.

He says the Hollywood invasion has been a tremendous shot in the arm for the area. The production has a $12 million budget, and employs 110 people, with a good chunk of that creating direct cash flow and employment for Hubbards. But he cautions that the community cannot rest on its laurels, and that future development has to be carefully worked towards.

Montgomery says that although Hubbards has proven it can successfully host a series production, it will be hard to compete with huge facilities now available in the Halifax area, such as the Electropolis Motion Picture Studio which officially opened Jan. 17. "We will certainly face a major crossroads when Black Harbour finally leaves," he says.

That's why, although the area is basking in the spinoffs and jobs created by the production, the development agency is busy looking at ways of taking advantage of the legacy of Black Harbour. Montgomery says things like a higher provincial profile, increased tourism, a new sense of community , can be turned into possibilities for future development.

Montgomery says ideas such as ecotourism and finding ways of attracting new residents willing to commute to Halifax, are some of the options being looked at.

But economics and employment levels aside, it is refreshing and kind of exciting to watch a professionally-produced drama where people go to Truro for business meetings and to Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth for an afternoon of shopping.

No Fish? No Forests? No Future???

Concern grows over the future of forestry:

Ask the President of the 2400-member Forest Growers Joint Ventures Association about the current state of forestry in this province, and he'll likely reduce the problems to a single word - money.

John Roblee, who manages his own 400 acre woodlot in the Oxford area of northern Nova Scotia, says the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is not spending enough on promoting and enforcing sustainable forestry practices. And still with the money theme, Roblee points to woodlot owners who know that it is more lucrative to simply clearcut an area than to practice sustainable forestry management.

Put the two components of this industry together, he says, and the future of forestry in Nova Scotia is seriously threatened. "We will be like the cod fishery if we don't see a major turnaround."

Roblee represents about 1200 woodlot owners in the province, with a total of about 1.5 million acres of forest land. Members of the association practice sustainable forestry management, taking care to ensure the resource can replenish itself and is properly replaced after harvesting. The association is funded by its members, based on a percentage of each company's sales.

A major problem the association is fighting is that there are no rules or regulations governing forestry management in this province. "We need some serious leadership in this province" to keep the industry on track, said Roblee. While the DNR is having to deal with their own cutbacks and budget reductions, Roblee said it is ludicrous that only $4.4 million out of a $51 million annual budget is being spent on silviculture.

And the double hit to woodlot owners is that not only is the majority of the department's budget going to salaries and operations, but woodlot owners are saddled with heavy taxation and allowed few tax breaks, especially compared to other industries.

Roblee cites 1996 figures listing Nova Scotia forestry as a $1.4 billion industry, generating a tax revenue of nearly $200 million, and he wonders why more of that money can't be put back into one of this province's most valuable natural resources. He has appealed to federal finance minister Paul Martin several times to either channel more funding into silviculture and conservation programs, or to relieve the tax burden on woodlot owners.

Roblee said if he sells any of his woodlands, he has to pay a 42 per cent capital gains tax on the full sale price. But if, on the other hand, he decides to manage that land and has to put in a culvert and driveway to access his woodlot, he is not permitted to write off any of that expense.

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy published a report in 1997 called "Private Woodlot Management in the Maritimes." That report recommends federal and provincial tax concessions to private woodlot owners, allowing them to be considered small business owners. The belief is that tax breaks will lessen the financial burden and encourage woodlot owners to manage their resource in a sustainable manner.

The report also predicts a grave future for the industry if conservation steps aren't taken. "In many areas...private woodlot owners are under such enormous pressure that current rates of harvesting are unsustainable. This means that meeting the present demand from the region's forestry sector will seriously compromise the ability of Maritime communities to remain viable in the long term."

Roblee predicts that if there is not a major industry turnaround within five years, many of the province's 300 saw mills will be in danger of closing. The effect of this loss of employment in rural areas will be devastating, much like the downsizing of the fishery has affected coastal communities, said Roblee.

For many woodlot owners, forestry has been a way of life for generations, with land being passed down through the family. People don't want to sell out and retrain for some other type of work, he said. "Forestry is an 80-year commitment," he said, "but is it being done?" he questions.

He said most people don't see the clearcuts left by large companies, because they have buffer zones around them to keep the areas hidden from public view. Roblee says it is time for the industry as a whole to come together and take action to save the province's forests. He points to the devastating effects disease has had on trees. He says the white marked Tusket moth has destroyed 40,000 acres of trees last summer, and another half million acres are in danger this year of infestation.

The industry must manage all aspects of forestry, he says, not just the lumber market. "It's not just the trees. It's wildlife, the environment, the people. Management has to be the right thing for the future."

Ian Millar works for the Canadian Forestry Service, the federal department that is primarily responsible for research. He says the issue of forestry management is a complex one, because woodlot owners are protective of their rights to do what they want with their own land. And many don't want to be saddled with the costs associated with forestry conservation practices.

But Millar says communication among woodlot owners could go a long way to easing the situation. He says if they would get together as an industry and talk with their neighbours and other woodlot owners about what they are doing, maybe compromises could be made among each other that would help ensure that Nova Scotia's forestry resource will continue to thrive.

CCN Members Participate In Creation
of Global Fisheries Organization

For those of us who are used to working in the diverse and sometimes divided world of fishermen's organizations in Nova Scotia, it may be hard to imagine the formation of a global coalition that unites small scale inshore fishermen and their communities around the world. However, this is exactly what happened last November in New Delhi, India at the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fishworkers.

The Forum (or WFF) brought together more than 150 fish harvesters' representatives from 32 countries, for a week-long working session. The WFF not only established a world organization, but it also created a charter with comprehensive objectives including the creation of an international fishing day.

The event was jointly hosted by the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) and the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters (CCPFH). The NFF represents more than 2 million fisher people and organizations in India. It has led the struggle on key issues supporting coastal communities, including a successful campaign against government policies which allowed factory trawlers in Indian waters.

Many readers will remember Thomas Kocherry, head of the NFF, who was a guest speaker at the CCN Annual General Big Event last October. Kocherry was elected as General Coordinator of the WFF.

The forum was a follow- up to a 1995 meeting in Quebec City. That meeting was in response to a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) symposium that did not include the topic of fishing. A strongly-worded statement was issued from the Quebec meeting:
"We, the representatives of small scale fish harvesters from North America, South America, Africa and Asia, express deep concern over the reckless plunder of the seas by the industrialized fleets of the world, leading to a substantial depletion of fish stocks and endangering the food security for millions of people."

The New Delhi forum achieved these goals, and more, in a week of intense working sessions. Leading researchers presented papers on relevant topics, followed by small group sessions which answered key questions set out by the steering committee. The results of these discussions were pulled together into a set of common resolutions.

The resolutions were ratified by the larger group, and brought together to form an "Interim Charter for the Operation of the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fishworkers." Among the many objectives of the WFF, are pledges to protect and strengthen fishing communities and member organizations, and to recognize and enhance the role women play in the fishing economy.

One event being planned by the WFF is World Fisheries Day, to be held Nov. 22. This will be an opportunity for fishermen's organizations and their coastal communities in Nova Scotia to demonstrate their solidarity in this international movement.

To meet with fishermen and fishers' organizations from around the world who were dealing with so many of the same issues we are, often under much more adverse conditions, was a great inspiration to Canadian delegates.

Fishers' associations and others representing small scale fish harvesters, and other fisheries-related organizations, can become members of the WFF by contacting the CCPFH in Ottawa. Agreement Forms are available by calling (613) 235-3474, or faxing (613) 231-4313.

Women's FishNet Representative - Report From India

I was a Canadian delegate representing Nova Scotia Women's FishNet, at the historic World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (WFF) in New Delhi, India in November.

The forum brought together people from 32 countries to work together to establish an organization that is mandated with conservation of the fishery resources and to save our coastal communities. I was one of 32 participants chosen to go on an Exposure Trip to three fishing villages on the west coast of India.

One major difference I saw was between the size of our fishing communities and theirs. India has millions of fish harvesters and fish workers. In this I see more hope for our own small scale fishing people to organize. We would have the support of fishing people around the world in our struggle against greed and corporate monopoly of our fishery resources.

I represented the WFF along with delegates from Britain and Pakistan to pay respects to the eldest fisherman at the village of Cuffe Parade, Colaba. Shri Krishna, Vithal Dhanu, is 80 years of age, and shows an obvious strength of character and a true burning fire in his soul for social justice.

He truly imparted a clear message - delivered with his fist raised into the air while shouting "United, United, United!" - that the key component of attaining social justice is to stand united. He asked me about the education level of our small- scale fishing people, and if we had homes to live in. Later, we were shown the waterfront he had fought to save from development, to preserve the last point of access fishers have to the fishing grounds. He won that battle, but the fishing people have yet to acquire quality living conditions.

Many participants of the WFF marched to the parliament in New Delhi where the Prime Minister was presented with a Memorandum about the new organization, describing its goals, and expressing appreciation for the Indian government's response against the entry of large fishing vessels through joint ventures, and problems with aquaculture harming the fishery.

India's fishing people have no wharves, no shelter for their boats from the destructive monsoon winds. But worse than this is the pollution of the water that is caused by corporate greed and lack of accountability.

Hundreds of Canadian coastal communities have lost, and are losing their wharves as the federal government relinquishes responsibility for this infrastructure crucial to the survival of those communities.

India's fishing people live in poverty, their coastal access to bays and the ocean limited by cities and sky scrapers. Coastal people of Canada - beware. Our coast is being developed and bought up by foreign investors. Many of India's fishing people live in makeshift homes with no facilities. Some may say our fishing people have homes and do not face the poverty of India's fishers.

But what has happened to our small-scale and artisanal fishing people who have been forced out of the fishery in the past six years? How many have suffered family breakdowns, lost their homes, or been forced to move to a city and are now street people, or are now depending on income support programs, alcohol, drugs, and gambling machines? What is the social cost of developing a Canadian industrial fishing fleet?

The fishing people of India treated us as honoured guests. These kind and generous people gave us gifts of their culture, fed and entertained us, and showed us we share common concerns.

India has taken a leadership role along with the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters in uniting fishing people world wide in a collective effort to bring accountability and responsibility from governments for our natural resources and our coastal people.

I learned about the struggles of India's fishing people, their accomplishments, our differences and our similarities. I bring a strong message from India that needs to be heard by Canadian fishing people: We must unite as never before, not only across our great nation, but globally.

Nova Scotia Links with Sri Lanka

Nova Scotia has a long history of linking with coastal communities around the world. Institutions like the international coastal research network at Dalhousie and the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University have been in this kind of work for years. That history is being continued in a project which is now underway. A collaboration between Atlantic Canadian and Sri Lankan organizations has been developed that will address issues of poverty and inequity in the small scale fisheries sector.

This project began in Delhi at the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers, when representatives from both countries got together to talk about common issues and strategies. This discussion will continue with a two-week consultation in Sri Lanka in February which will work on the design of a long-term collaboration, as well as dealing with some of the key shared issues.

The results of this consultation will be made widely available through the Coastal Communities Network to ensure a strong participation from Nova Scotian coastal communities in this exciting project.

Regions Gearing Up for Community Economic Development Project

Donna Crozier, of project co-ordinator GTA Consultants of Halifax, says the concept has been embraced by the 13 regions across the province. Organizers have been found in each area to put together regional seminars that will involve local CED activists, such as community leaders, community groups, members of the clergy, unions, etc., and Regional Development Authority representatives.

Crozier says ideas were shared at a training session for regional co-ordinators held Jan. 14 in Truro, and she found participants are very experienced and knowledgeable in CED. "These are highly skilled people," says Crozier. "They are helping each other, sharing ideas on what does and doesn't work in this kind of project."

Oona Landry is the co-ordinator for the Antigonish region. She says people interested in CED in her area are hoping for a specific result from this project. "We're hoping that in the process of listing our strengths and weaknesses, that we will be able to identify gaps in our strengths, and then find out how we can fill those gaps."

The regional seminars, to be held before late March, will determine the current state of CED in each area, and identify needs and ideas for sustainable development, building on current strengths and assets of each community. A report will be written by each regional co- ordinator following the seminars. GTA will hold a debriefing session with the co-ordinators to draw all the ideas together in preparation for the provincial conference, set for May 8-10 at White Point Beach Resort.

The goals of the provincial event include the sharing of information among coastal and rural communities on ideas and problems; networking with government representatives on how government and communities can best work together; and to lay the foundation for an ongoing process of sustainable CED for Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities. Planning is well underway for the provincial event. An agenda is being developed and potential guest speakers are being identified.

The project is the result of a 1996 study, commissioned by a steering committee of community development-minded groups, including CCN, that identified the need for a grassroots, province-wide effort by communities to ensure their own survival into the future.

Crozier says the regional co-ordinators have told her that many of the issues and problems identified in that study, conducted a year and a half ago, are just as important to communities today, and in some cases, more critical than ever.

For more information on the project, contact GTA Consultants at (Tel)425- 2199, or (Fax)492-0223.

Region	Regional Coordinator	Seminar Date
Cape Breton	New Dawn Enterprises	Mar. 6/7
Strait-Highlands	Development Isle Madame	Feb. 20/21
Guysborough	Port Bickerton Development Association	Feb. 6/7
Antigonish	Antigonish Women's Resource Centre in cooperation with Antigonish RDA	Feb. 27/28
Pictou	Pictou County Women's Centre	Feb. 28
Colchester	CORDA and NSCC CED Centre	Feb. 28
Cumberland	River Hebert and Joggins Devopment Association	Mar. 20/21
Halifax County	Halifax RDA	Feb 28 & Mar 14
Hants/Kings	Mary DesRoches/Jennifer Rennison	Mar. 19/20
Digby/Annapolis	Western Valley RDA	Mar. 6/7
Yarmouth	South West Shore Development	Mar. 13/14
Shelburne	Shelburne County Learning	Mar. 20/21
Lunenburg/Queens	Lunenburg/Queens RDA	Mar. 6/7

Global Treaty Seen as Threat to Canadian Standards

Canada faces May signing deadline:

In Ottawa, the SubCommittee on Trade and Investment held hearings on the MAI in November. During those hearings, former Liberal Cabinet Minister Paul Hellyer called the MAI "the most frightening proposition to face the Canadian people in my lifetime."

Opponents to the proposal say it is the ultimate free trade deal, and in a worst-case scenario would mean companies coming to Canada would not have to adhere to our labour, safety, and environmental standards, which are quite strict compared to many other nations.

Hellyer also spoke in December at the Dalhousie law school, during an event organized by the Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group (NSPIRG). The NSPIRG is rallying public support for their lobby against the proposed trade agreement, because of its potential to create a lower standard of regulations under which foreign investors would have to operate.

The NSPIRG is also concerned about the lack of government disclosure and lack of public democratic debate about the treaty. The agreement would eliminate any so-called discrimination against foreign countries investing in Canada, and eliminate any performance requirements on those companies.

The MAI has been under negotiation since 1995 by member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is only now becoming public as groups are realizing its potential to deregulate trade and investment between nations. A deadline of May, 1998 has been set for Canada's decision on signing the agreement.

Jennifer Reynolds, spokesperson for NSPIRG says an area like the Maritimes is particularly vulnerable to the possible negative impacts of the MAI, because of our dependency on resource- based industries.

"If you take the Sable gas development as an example," she says, "under the MAI, any provisions that would make the Sable Gas project attractive to Nova Scotia, such as the percentage of the workforce on the project required to be Nova Scotians, would not be enforceable ."

She says the MAI seems to encourage foreign investors to operate in an "in-and-out" manner, exploiting natural resources and then leaving with little thought to the future of the area.

Under the MAI, disputes involving the actions of a foreign investor in Canada would be dealt with by a three-member arbitration panel, in proceedings closed to the public. As well, once the agreement is signed, countries are locked in for five years, and corporations that have invested within those five years are protected by the MAI for 15 years, no matter what the consequences.

NSPIRG is working with a nation-wide lobby effort to push for a one-year moratorium by the Canadian government on MAI negotiations, to allow the agreement to be properly assessed, and get public input on Canada's participation in such a deal.

For more information, contact Antoni Wysocki at NSPIRG (Tel) 423-2365 or
e-mail: nspirg@is2.dal.ca for information on upcoming events.

The Voice of Experience

I have read your article of the Sable Gas development and the excitement about potential employment opportunities for the building of the pipelines (Vol. 3, Issue 3, Dec. 1997).

When a person has worked around the pipelines in Alberta and seen firsthand how work is done there, other than some power saw work done for right-of-way clearing and a few labourers and few operators for the machines, little employment will be used from Nova Scotia.

The clearing of right-of-ways for the pipelines will be put up for tender and contractors who already have their crews won't be hiring many extra workers. Most operators will be coming with the machines being used on the pipelines. They will be needed for their experience. Pipes will be welded together by mechanical welders in most cases.

The businesses that will benefit the most will be the ones involved in food, lodging and transportation. These pipelines will be built very quickly. Depending on the size of operation, the main company will use, five to 10 miles of pipeline can be dug in one day. This sounds unbelievable. The only thing that slows them down is rock and rivers. The gas plant is going to be the only long term employment and that won't be too awfully many. The biggest employment at any one time will be for the construction of the gas plant.

I wish I were wrong about stating these things, but find out from our western provinces for yourself. I would like to see much employment for these areas of, up until now, no foreseeable future, but they shouldn't get their hopes up too high until they know all the truthful facts first.

(Editor's note: Mr. MacDonald worked on the Alberta pipelines from 1980-84, then returned to Nova Scotia and has worked in the forestry and construction sectors here.)

Retirement Means Community Activism
for Sister Virginia

Part of the mandate of the Sisters of Charity of Mounty Saint Vincent is to address unjust social structures. A situation Sister Virginia found intolerable in her new home community of Chezzetcook, located just outside Dartmouth on the Eastern Shore, was the unchecked pollution contaminating the water in the harbour.

The pollution killed a flourishing clam harvesting industry there, as well as made the picturesque area unusable for recreation. So after reading about a call for volunteers, Sister Virginia joined forces with the local Regional Development Authority (RDA), and is presently treasurer of the West Chezzetcook Harbour Revitalization Association.

The harbour has been closed to clam harvesting since 1988, shutting down an industry that could be supporting 60 families. The goal of the revitalization project is to clean up the harbour area to a point where it will again support a clam industry and lend itself to recreational development.

A number of steps have been taken towards that goal. With government funding help, an environmental technician was hired, who removed salt hay, a grass that inhibits clam growth, and then placed baby clams in the sand to grow. The association has also hired an engineering firm to study the pollution problem and develop solutions. One of the causes of the pollution is the clay-like soil that stops local septic systems from performing properly, allowing some waste to drain into the harbour.

Sister has high praise for the Halifax RDA, which she says does wonderful work in the community. Other government departments have been helpful also, she says, although she is aware of the increasing downloading of responsibilities from the government onto communities. However, Sister Virginia is willing to accept that challenge and feels she has the backing of the community.

"The people here want to help. They want their harbour cleaned up. It's just a matter of getting the motion going that will get results."

As Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) outreach worker for the Halifax RDA, Norma Richardson has seen Sister Virginia in action. "She is working hard on this project to make it happen. She is definitely one of the driving forces behind this. It's the dedication of people like Sister that makes community development projects work," says Richardson.

Sister has big plans for her small community. She would like to see the clam industry back in full swing, which she hopes could lead to jobs that would encourage young people to stay in the area. She is also hoping to find a way to market the pesky but plentiful salt hay that has been taking over the clam flats.

Her concern for the local ecosystem, the economy, and most especially for the people in her community, all keep Sister Virginia very busy in her retirement.

Fishing Interests Send Message to Ottawa

Back in November, a select group of players in the fishing industry had an opportunity to speak before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Hearings were held in Sambro and Shelburne Nov.29.

The all-party committee, consisting of MPs from across the country, chaired by George Baker, invited representatives from fishers' associations, processors, and fishermen themselves, to talk about the problems they are facing with DFO management, and the impacts of science on the industry.

A common theme heard throughout the day was the growing burden on fishermen to finance their own industry. Ronnie Newell of the South West Fishermen's Quota Group pleaded for a reduction in fees being placed on fishermen. More fees combined with quota reductions, he said "is going to be a disaster for many."

Newell said a proposal to put observers on small inshore handlining and longlining vessels, at the expense of fishermen, "is getting just a little bit silly and we'll fight it to the end."

Brian Giroux of the Scotia Fundy Mobile Gear Fishermen's Association, told the committee he wants to see a cumulative impact study on the effects these rising fees have on fishermen.

The science of the fishing industry came under scrutiny. In a written submission to the committee, Carl Sollows, now retired from the Industrial Development Branch of DFO, said the department's claim that fish stocks have dwindled to tiny proportions is completely off the mark. "Nothing could be farther from the truth," he writes. "There are, I suggest, enough fish out there to give every licensed fisherman on the east coast who is willing to work a decent living."

He says that forcing small independent fishermen out of the industry, which has been DFO's plan for years, is not the answer to the problem, rather, the catch capacity of the present fleet must be reduced, a feat that will require co-operation on both sides.

In a recent interview Sollows said that one major issue not being addressed is the role ocean bottom plant and fish life play in the ecosystem, and how much damage is being done by draggers to these areas. He accused the DFO of overstepping their mandate under the Fisheries Act, by actively working in what he calls "social engineering," in an effort to force small inshore fishermen out of the industry, and thereby closing down many coastal communities.

Several speakers in Shelburne had praise for the scientists they deal with. Giroux said he has seen no evidence of political manipulation of scientific data by government, and added that his group has worked closely with the science branch to increase the scope of stock surveys.

Jean-Guy d'Entremont of Inshore Fisheries Ltd. of Pubnico, said scientists should be praised rather than criticized, because they provide much-needed information to the industry. "We would embrace more science. It is our gauge to determine if we are catching the right amount of fish."

Evan Walters of the Scotia Fundy Inshore Fisheries Association criticized a management system in which fishermen do more and more work to help with conservation measures, but have to pay more and more to be able to fish. He said funding is also the problem facing fisheries science. Walters said the science system in Nova Scotia is excellent, but underfunded, which prevents scientists from being able to properly predict fish stock status.

Community based co-management of the fishery was another common theme.Lawrence Outhouse of Tiverton presented CCN's policy paper on co- management to the hearing in Sambro. Several other speakers agreed that communities must be able to have some control over their fisheries for the industry to be successful.

Committee member Gary Lunn (Reform, BC) said that seeing the unique problems facing fishermen in many diverse communities has convinced him that "more control must go to the communities." He added that he has become unpopular in certain circles in his home province for being outspoken with his belief that "those who live closest to the resource must manage it."

A number of speakers addressed the more human aspect of fisheries management. Shelburne County deputy warden Paulette Scott told the committee that with approximately 2000 people receiving benefits from the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) in her county alone, the end of that program will mean a further burden on municipal assistance programs, since out-of-work fishers will have no alternative employment. Scott, the wife of a fisherman, emphasized that people in small coastal communities want to work.

Mary DesRoches spoke at the Sambro session, on behalf of Nova Scotia's Women's FishNet. She told the committee that stress on families is on the increase. "Fear and uncertainty about what is to come adds an enormous amount of stress in every fishing family dependent on a small-scale fishery," she said. DFO's new management policies of placing more and more responsibilities on fishers is adversely affecting their families, since in many cases it is the wife left to do tremendous amounts of paperwork and book keeping, even if she also has a job outside the home and looks after the house and children.

Women are also active in their local fisheries organizations, which she said adds "responsibilities and more unpaid work for women who are organizing, developing, writing and presenting fisheries management plans for their communities and attending the numerous meetings to keep their fishermen and communities informed."

Several speakers asked the committee to recommend license buy- back and retirement programs that would allow fishers to leave the industry with dignity.

Committee Chairman George Baker answered criticisms of having the hearings on the first Saturday of the winter lobster fishing season, which automatically excluded many fishermen from attending. Baker said the committee had a very limited time frame for this round of meetings, and hoped to return to Atlantic Canada after hearings on the west coast in January.

Other submissions were made to the committee. On Oct. 30 last year, Jeff Brownstein of Local 6, Maritime Fishermen's Union (MFU) addressed the committee during a video conference between Sydney and Ottawa. Brownstein criticized the government's efforts to force small-scale fishermen out of the industry in a misguided attempt to reduce pressure on the fishery. "We need our representatives in government to look at the facts that fleets were built, and the large plants to accompany them, in a manner that could not be sustainable. And this was done by our own government."

He said DFO's efforts should go towards reducing the larger mobile vessels and retiring their individual transferrable quotas. "Do not blame the smaller, multi-species, and hence, more cost-efficient vessels for the damage done by the bigger boats, and by corporations who do not have the same stake in sustaining the resource that communities of fishermen and women have."

Brownstein called on the government to accept their responsibility towards TAGS recipients, and to provide a fair license buy- back program to allow fishers to retire, and get the bigger groundfish specialists out of the industry.

As to the impact the committee will have on the government with its recommendations, MP Gary Lunn said in Shelburne that the committee's report will "rock the establishment." "If the five political party representatives present a unanimous report to the government, they HAVE to listen to us."

Group Acting To Ensure Fishery And Fishers Are Protected In New Act

The Model Fisheries Act:

The Canadian Environmental Defence Fund (CEDF) is a national, non-profit organization which provides fund-raising assistance and legal, scientific, planning and engineering expertise to citizens' groups pursuing nationally significant environmental law cases.

These groups have organized around issues such as opposition to the fixed link to PEI, low-level military flying in Labrador, and the Oldman River dam. Often, these CEDF-assisted groups are working to force the government to follow its own environmental legislation. Part of the CEDF mandate is to give citizens access to the protection of Canadian fisheries.

The Model Fisheries Act(MFA) is a dynamic project being spearheaded by the CEDF. The purpose of the project is to address the inadequacies of the current Fisheries Act that threaten the viability of many of Canada's coastal communities.

On October 3, 1996, then Fisheries Minister Fred Mifflin introduced Bill C-62 to Parliament. The Bill represented a major overhaul of the Fisheries Act. Many of the changes in the amendments were highly criticized by the CEDF, fishers and environmentalists across the country. The Bill never made it past second reading and died on the order paper during the last federal election.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Bill was that it included amendments which paved the way for privatization of Canada's fisheries, which would favour large corporate- based fishers at the expense of the small-scale fishers.

The current Fisheries Minister, David Anderson, has announced amendments to the Fisheries Act to be introduced in February. It is unclear at this point whether the amendments will include any improvements over the last round.

The CEDF recognizes that fundamental changes in the management of Canada's fisheries are needed if the resource is to be sustained for the generations to come. The MFA is grounded in five main principles which will help to achieve this goal:

For more information, contact Carol Lynn Wallace at the CEDF at:
(ph)(416) 323- 9521,
(fax) (416) 323-9301,
or by e-mail at:
ecocl@interlog.com

With CCN's community economic development project well underway, Dear Cod was asked to define CED. Here is one definition, from "Counting Women In - Community Economic Development."

In Nova Scotia and across Canada, the short- term pursuit of profits and jobs has created a cycle of "boom and bust." Now many communities are finding out that the "boom" periods are shorter and farther apart.

CED is different. It focuses on the long-term sustainability of communities by balancing social and economic development. CED is about creating enterprises from within the community. Businesses that grow out of communities and belong to them are more concerned with the quality of life of community members, and people have more direct input into the decisions they make.

In traditional economic development, making money is the "bottom line." In CED, people talk about a "multiple bottom line" where people, community, culture and the environment are all important business considerations.

Coastal Communities News is published bi-monthly by the Coastal Communities Network, a non-profit society registered in the province of Nova Scotia.

Coastal Communities News is made possible by the generous efforts of many volunteers, and by financial contributions from Human Resources Development Canada, and by donations and in-kind contributions from the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Culture, as well as from member groups and organizations.

We welcome all articles and submissions, from individuals and groups, with content in keeping with the role and nature of this magazine. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Except where additional credit has been given, all articles are prepared by the Editor and Editorial Board.

Our Mission Statement

The Coastal Communities Network is a volunteer association of organizations whose mission is to provide a forum to encourage dialogue, share information, and create strategies and actions that promote the survival and development of Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities.

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

CCN is made up of organizations rooted in Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities, and it is the diversity of its membership that gives it strength. Your organization, and your community, can help CCN determine its direction and strengthen its voice still further. Join the Coastal Communities Network today.

— by participating in regular monthly meetings of the CCN membership. These are held in Truro (usually on the first Tuesday of each month), and allow representatives from member organizations to review what is happening in coastal communities across the province, plan actions on issues of common concern, and review progress on CCN-sponsored projects;

— by getting on our mailing list to receive regular copies of Coastal Communities News. Send us your name and address by mail or fax, or call us directly;

— by contributing written articles to Coastal Communities News, and so letting everyone know what's happening in your community;

— by taking part in CCN workshops and information sessions. Special events like this are held on topics of importance to coastal communities (for example, community economic development, co- management in the fishery, etc);

— by inquiring about CCN's resource library, which includes information, reports, and studies on topics that affect the future and sustainability of coastal communities.

CCN Coordinator:
PO Box 1613
Pictou, N.S. B0K 1H0
Phone:(902)485-4754 Fax:(902)445-7134
e-mail:coastalnet@ns.sympatico.ca

CCN Communications Office:
Phone: (902) 445-7168
Fax: (902) 445-7134
e-mail:ccnews@ns.sympatico.ca

Highways To The Sea Up For Sale

First toll roads, now toll wharves?

Abandoned Base Gives Birth To Thriving Community

Black Harbour Takes Hubbards To Hollywood

Communities in Action

No Fish? No Forests? No Future???

Concern grows over the future of forestry:

CCN Members Participate In Creation
of Global Fisheries Organization

Women's FishNet Representative - Report From India

Nova Scotia Links with Sri Lanka

Regions Gearing Up for Community Economic Development Project

Global Treaty Seen as Threat to Canadian Standards

Canada faces May signing deadline:

The Voice of Experience

Retirement Means Community Activism
for Sister Virginia

Fishing Interests Send Message to Ottawa

Group Acting To Ensure Fishery And Fishers Are Protected In New Act

The Model Fisheries Act:

With CCN's community economic development project well underway, Dear Cod was asked to define CED. Here is one definition, from "Counting Women In - Community Economic Development."

Coastal Communities News

Join the Coastal Communities Network

Our Mission Statement

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

How to Become Involved
in the Coastal Communities Network

Highways To The Sea Up For Sale

First toll roads, now toll wharves?

Abandoned Base Gives Birth To Thriving Community

Black Harbour Takes Hubbards To Hollywood

Communities in Action

No Fish? No Forests? No Future???

Concern grows over the future of forestry:

CCN Members Participate In Creation of Global Fisheries Organization

Women's FishNet Representative - Report From India

Nova Scotia Links with Sri Lanka

Regions Gearing Up for Community Economic Development Project

Global Treaty Seen as Threat to Canadian Standards

Canada faces May signing deadline:

The Voice of Experience

Retirement Means Community Activism for Sister Virginia

Fishing Interests Send Message to Ottawa

Group Acting To Ensure Fishery And Fishers Are Protected In New Act

The Model Fisheries Act:

With CCN's community economic development project well underway, Dear Cod was asked to define CED. Here is one definition, from "Counting Women In - Community Economic Development."

Coastal Communities News

Join the Coastal Communities Network

Our Mission Statement

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

How to Become Involved in the Coastal Communities Network

CCN Members Participate In Creation
of Global Fisheries Organization

Retirement Means Community Activism
for Sister Virginia

How to Become Involved
in the Coastal Communities Network