Letters to the editor
Published Tuesday November 3rd, 2009
How can they sell our utility?
To The Editor:
How can one man decide to sell our public utility?
It still is a public utility, so it should be put to a vote for the people to decide what should happen. Why would any province want to sell their utility to another province? I think this is a bad idea.
Shawn Graham, you seem to be fairly comfortable with making decisions for New Brunswickers without consultation. Cutbacks and decisions in the wrong areas!
Kelly Burns,
Moncton
What planet is premier on?
To The Editor:
Premier Shawn Graham claims the sale of New Brunswick Power's assets to Quebec will be a turning point on New Brunswick's road to self-sufficiency and that we will continue to maintain control over our energy policy.
What planet does Mr. Graham inhabit?
This impossible situation reminds me of the children's Christmas story in which the two main characters agree to be "independent together." And this arrangement was generated in secret after promising the opposite.
The hydroelectric power produced by the flow of New Brunswick's rivers is the soul and blood of New Brunswick. My Tobique is not for sale!
Kem Porter,
Moncton
NB Power deal like an iceberg
To The Editor:
AlantiQue Canada, without any consultative democratic process has just been taken over by Hydro Quebec, the power arm of the self-styled nation state of Quebec.
Power and politics that not only control the energy grid of New Brunswick but will ultimately bring into line Nova Scotia, and P.E.I. in addition to Newfoundland and Labrador already on the hook for James Bay etc.
Hydro Quebec will have access to land, water and future energy resources all beyond the power of the voting public. The Hydro Quebec takeover is not about 'green power' but 'greed power.' How can we say sold down the power line?
Not only has NB Power collapsed like an overweighted tower in an ice storm but the power of democracy in a free vote on this issue was slickly, quickly frozen by the Province of New Brunswick. Many citizens facing an uncertain winter and future with painfully rising energy costs may applaud this sale without considering that this memorandum is somewhat like an iceberg -- nine-tenths hidden with the chance of turning turtle and taking everything with it, including our little ship of state.
Cheryl Feindel,
Dorchester
Premier doesn't keep promises
To The Editor:
Premier Shawn Graham just made a public statement and said, "I can assure you as premier, I am looking out for one thing and one thing only -- what is in the best interest of New Brunswickers." He was referring to NB Power and Quebec.
As an advocate for veterans and seniors, I don't believe one word that he is saying because he does not keep his promises.
Nursing home residents are the most frail, ill, and elderly citizens in our province and Shawn Graham is not looking out for these New Brunswickers.
In 2006, Premier Graham promised that in the fall of 2008, all nursing home residents would receive 3.5 hours of care per day. It is the end of 2009, and the residents still do not have it.
Veronica Ratchford,
Bathurst
Time to take care of nature
To The Editor:
It's hard to imagine a community favouring an artificial pond over a natural river ecosystem that is approximately 130 kilometres long and that has a drainage basin that spans roughly 2,000 kilometres, but that is precisely what an article referred to in a recent edition of the Times & Transcript.
It's an unfortunate loss for the 22 members of the pond's marina, but let's face it, the greater loss is to the hundreds of marine and land species that were, and continue to be, affected by the implementation of an artificial barrier barring the millions of gallons of water that flow through this ecosystem daily. The fact is that this river, which had formerly been navigable to commercial vessels in a not too distant past, took millennia to be formed and mere decades (four and change, to be exact) to be severely handicapped to a point of being nearly unrecognizable.
That anybody would compare the actual location of the causeway to a proposed fictional one downriver near Fox Creek brings up the complete idiocy of the argument that chooses between the lesser of two evils.
Also, it should be noted that the siltation of the river that Mr. Pappas and Mr. Romkey suggest began before the causeway was installed was likely caused by the landfill that Monctonians somehow agreed to locate along the riverfront, a decision that baffles many to this day.
This decision to remove the causeway must be regarded as one in which the benefit will be to the aquatic species, land dwelling animals, and waterfowl that call the river their home, and not the people who have grown comfortable with the idea that their species have neglected their role as stewards of the natural world for far too long.
Felix McLaughlin,
Dieppe
Congratulates entrepreneurs
To The Editor:
A great event for the business community was held last week at the Delta Beauséjour Hotel: The Greater Moncton Excellence Awards.
The Board of Directors of Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. would like to congratulate the downtown entrepreneurs that were honoured during this event.
A number of downtown businesses were honoured for their excellent products, services and customer care.
DMCI congratulates Sequoia Wholesale Foods; winner in the Young Entrepreneur category, Red Ball Internet Inc., winner in the Marketing category and St. James Boutique Hotel, winner in the Innovation category.
DMCI also wants to recognize Pink Sushi, another downtown business that was finalist for an award.
Downtown Moncton is honoured to have such great entrepreneurs and businesses in the heart of our city. It is because of people and businesses like these that Moncton is a great place to live, work and play.
Lawrence Forbes,
President,
Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc.
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Comments (9)
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Yes it is sad for the 22 members of the marina, it also sad for the other 1000 people that use the lake for boating swimming kayaking canoeing snowmobiling and don't forget the Sea Cadets. When there is a fire out of control in your area you would be happy to have this lake so the water boomers could get water to put out the fire. I bet you have never been on the lake. This summer YOUR fire dept. was here with there boat for the first time they could not belive what a nice spot it was.
As for the SILT why don't you go to the Moncton Museum AND LOOK AT THE PICTURES ON THE WALL you can see it was silting in before the Causeway.
By the way Moncton is next to Dieppe
Campbellton was once a shipbuilding centre and its port was host to many ocean-going vessels. Each year dredging was a regular operation on that river to allow these vessels to reach Campbellton; today, it is very difficult for a pleasure craft to navigate to Campbellton!!
Today we can sit back and say what stupidity occurred in placing a dump on the river (as they did in Campbellton also). However, in those days that was accepted practice; doesn't make it right but they had considerably less knowledge then about the ramifications.
Everybody looks at Mt. Rideout as the culprit but if you ask most area residents they would likely not realize all of Moncton's waterfront was developed by "garbage"!! That includes the shore behind the old Co-op, the sports field complex.
Those are the kind of words George Bush used to float when someone disagreed with his policies. I think we're better than that and our arguments don't require hyperbole to be accepted by the general population.
Have we missed the boat?
The NB Tel/Aliant/Bell tower in the center of the city would make an amazing "Giant lighthouse". With an agreement between the province of NB and the good corporate people of Aliant/Bell, very little modifications would be needed for Moncton to have the "Biggest Lighthouse" in Canada / Moncton.
Paint the structure (red/white/blue), a bit of 'lumber' to give a marine effect add 'LED blinking lights' to the top and "Voila.."
We are the 'Hub of the Maritimes'....we have a history of shipbuilding. This would be a good 'fit' for our region....
And the first woman 'Ships Captain' comes from our province.
C'mon George, call Shawn and lets get this thing started.
He actually isn't lying, the Irvings and McCains are New Brunswickers... too bad the rest of us don't count in his eyes.