I have yet to hear from those who have written letters and are behind the scenes of this anti initiative what each of the organizations should do to make up for the $2.5 million ($125,000 per year over the next 20 years).
I guess they are ok with the Mabou Arena closing. They must be. They are obviously ok with Mabou Development not having $50,000 per year to leverage for community projects. I guess they don’t think the Mabou Gaelic and Historical Society of Strathspey Performing Arts Centre deserve to each have $12,500 per year which could go to programs for youth and help keep the heat/lights on in the years ahead.
Lord knows that costs are not going down. Imagine, West Mabou Hall could provide a year round, weekly dance with free admission (yes, free) to our communities with the funding they receive from Cabot Golf. What a potential benefit to our young families and seniors this would be. We need to be creative and look at the possibilities that this new development can provide rather than to just be against it.
Simply put, it seems to many that those against this potential world class development don’t care whether you have these opportunities. They don’t care if you need to pay more out of your pocket, or if you need to go away for work and be separated from your family.
Make no mistake about it, by not supporting our organizations with this annual funding, the money needed for these organizations will come out of our pockets, and they know it. Why would they want to do this to those just getting by who are the most vulnerable in our society. It just doesn’t make sense. It is, as many people are saying, selfish.
There is balance to all of this. The Government of Nova Scotia has all the tools to make this development a reality in a responsible ecological manner. They can hold Cabot to account and help grow our communities. In fact, our MLA Allan MacMaster, Premier Tim Houston, and our provincial government have a responsibility to do so.
Angus MacDonald
Blackstone