ARICHAT: Richmond Municipal Council approved travel expenses so the warden can attend the international Wind Europe conference.
During the regular monthly meeting on March 27 in Arichat, Warden Amanda Mombourquette said the municipality was invited by the provincial government to be part of the Nova Scotia delegation that will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark for the annual conference which runs from April 25 and 27.
According to its web site, the conference will offer more than 50 sessions and more than 250 speakers across three days. The web site said the conference will look at every aspect of wind energy including supply chains, permitting, grids, sustainability, finance, and resource assessment, with input from those in policy positions, from industry,academia, and more.
Over 490 companies and brands will be taking part across the venue, the conference web site states, which will encompass a cross-section of the entire wind energy value chain, from across Europe and beyond.
With green energy projects by EverWind Fuels and Bear Head Energy focused on European markets, the warden said “the development of these partnerships is extremely important.”
Although the itinerary is not finished, Mombourquette provided council with some of the activities planned by the province, in addition to the conference, such as partnerships around potential investors and port infrastructure development, as well as connecting with industry partners.
Noting that it will cost approximately $5,700 per person to attend the conference, Mombourquette requested pre-approval with the money from next year’s budget. She also proposed that the municipality pay 25 per cent of the cost for their shared economic development officer with the Cape Breton Partnership, which would bring the tab to around $7,200 for air fare, accommodations, meals, and incidentals.
“I think it’s important for us to be represented there as well. There’s been a lot of talk, obviously in our own province but across the country, about us becoming a hub for wind and green energy, and I think for us not to be there is probably a big miss on our part,” said District 3 Councillor Melanie Sampson. “I would also support the funding of our development officer.”
Deputy Warden Brent Sampson agreed.
“I think we should be represented there. If the province is asking us I’d rather have people from the local area there than somebody from Halifax,” he stated.
The warden said the conference is part of her duties as the co-chair of the Strait of Canso Offshore Wind Task Force which now has 30 signatories from all over Cape Breton and eastern Nova Scotia. She said the Richmond County Inshore Fishermen’s Association also wants to be part of the process.
“We have one shot at this industry,” she said.
District 1 Councillor Shawn Samson agreed that the municipality must be represented.
“The time, the money, the effort that we’ve put in the last couple of years with the wind energy, green energy project is immense, so to me this is actually a lost cost to have two very important representatives come from our district to represent us,” District 2 Councillor Michael Diggdon added.
The councillor for district 3 suggested, and council agreed, to a motion to increase the warden’s travel budget for 2023-2024, in accordance with the travel policy.