Recent NewsPost, ECBC don’t fully understand New Dawn’s mission, motives
By Darrell Kyte, Cape Breton Post January 11, 2012
“Storm in the port” is how the Cape Breton Post characterized its series examining port development that ran in late December. That series clearly laid out the opposing positions of Enterprise Cape Breton Corp. and New Dawn Enterprises with respect to port development in Sydney. The opposing viewpoints of New Dawn and ECBC certainly merit the storm metaphor.
It is the position of New Dawn president Rankin MacSween that ECBC has not aggressively marketed a local container terminal. MacSween indicated that the lack of effort in marketing the local terminal is a result of pressure felt by ECBC CEO John Lynn to back a container terminal in Melford, Guysborough County.
In an interview with the Post, Lynn suggested that ECBC will advocate strongly for the development of a container terminal if a private-sector company comes along. He said that the global recession places “great stress on a business case in respect of an ocean container terminal.” As a result, Lynn suggested there are many other opportunities for development the in region.
The Post said in its Dec. 30 editorial (New Dawn versus ECBC) that “Lynn makes sound arguments in the face of MacSween’s occasional allusions of conspiratorial machinations at ECBC.” The editorial further went on to suggest that New Dawn does not speak on behalf of “the community.” The Post said: “Indeed, ECBC, as a Crown corporation, is arguably answerable to all taxpayers, whereas New Dawn is only answerable to those with an interest in it.”
It is beneath the Post to accuse MacSween of making “occasional allusions of conspiratorial machinations at ECBC.” New Dawn is an internationally respected community development organization that has always worked in the best interest of the community. To suggest New Dawn is only answerable to those with an interest in it shows a lack of understanding regarding New Dawn’s mission. It is the “community” that has an interest in New Dawn.
The Post concluded the editorial by advocating that Lynn be more open to media interviews. The Post also suggested Lynn can be “gruff,” but indicated the important issue is openness. In this case, I do not think that gruffness can be separated from accessibility. One would expect someone with a gruff personality to be less accessible than someone with an amicable personality. The head of a Crown corporation that, in the words of the Post, is “arguably answerable to all taxpayers” should be amicable and open.
ECBC executive director Marlene Usher has questioned New Dawn’s motives. The Post reported her saying: “The people that have been commenting on the marketing (of the port) are the people, are a group, that have a vested interest in the greenfield.” As with the Post, Usher displays a poor understanding of New Dawn’s mission. New Dawn seeks to build community capacity, not to line its own pockets. The people with a vested interest in the greenfield site are the citizens of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
New Dawn wants the CBRM council to lead a community-based review of ECBC, and CBRM Mayor John Morgan has suggested council would be willing to hear New Dawn’s proposal to conduct such a review. New Dawn always believed that the region must be developed “with” the community rather than “for” the community. New Dawn’s vision is a “self-reliant people in a vibrant community.” Advocating for local control of port development is absolutely consistent with that vision. New Dawn believes the process should be more open and transparent, and New Dawn should be given credit for focusing on the procedure.
Of the need for having an open process, MacSween said: “One of the things that’s gotta be a bedrock of this issue, of the process here, is the whole business of transparency, the whole process of being open, the whole process of being explicit.” The fact that ECBC has had to deny hijacking port development is evidence that the process has not been open.
MacSween suggested that discussing the container terminal in the local business community has become a taboo subject. The local business community should show the same courage as New Dawn and openly discuss port development. Limiting discussion on such an important issue does the community a disservice. It is the community that must lead development if we are to truly become a “self-reliant people in a vibrant community.”
Darrell Kyte is an instructor in political science at Cape Breton University.