What concerns me the most about this proposed Muskrat Falls, Lower Churchill deal is:
((( "Taking away wealth for future generations" of Labradorians )))
#1. The complete removal of the Hydro Power that could drive future industries in Labrador. I'm refering to Industries that would supply long term employment for the children, that I suspect our Premier, Kathy Dunderdale will be speaking with Feburary 25,2011 in Upper Lake Melville Schools. How does she feel about that?
#2. The further pollution of Labrador's rivers and streams from Mercury. There are people in Labrador that blame the damming of the rivers for the Upper Churchill Power caused the disappearance of the Cod Fish in the Sabdwich Bay area back in the 60's and early 70's.
We know that this PC Government as helped to build roads and hospitals etc. for us and we do appreciate this. In fact they may have done more for Labrador than any previous Nfld Government. What this tells me is that the PC's have learned from us that they cannot continue to take, take, take, the resourses from this BigLand without giving something back. I call it buttering us up so that they can take the Motherload. The very Power that could drive Labrador's future. Does giving us a few things that others in this province have enjoyed for decades justify this action? No way jose! I think not!
Showing posts with label "Trans Labrador Highway". Show all posts
Showing posts with label "Trans Labrador Highway". Show all posts
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Without Notice
I like the way that the Conservatives are going around the country and handing out funding left and right without contacting the provinces first.
Seems to me that in the past the feds gave money to the provinces and the provinces used it as they seen fit and took credit for federal money instead of Ottawa getting the credit. Now the provinces must prioritize their projects and submit proposals to Ottawa before they can be approved. That way Ottawa gets to know what the money is actually being used for.
When the late Lawrence O'Brien was in Ottawa, God rest his soul; he was a good man, I mentioned to him and his assistant Max Butler many times that there must be a way to get money for Labrador without the Provincial government taking it and using it out on the island most of the time, leaving us the scraps. There must be a way Ottawa could help us with our military base in Goose Bay. Regarding the base, Lawrence once told me that it was the government, it was DND who was the problem. So I said to him, are you telling me that DND tells the government what to do; something like a military state, he said, "in a way".
Now the feds should find a way to push this province into fast tracking the Trans Labrador Highway, especially the section between Lab West and Happy Valley Goose Bay. That section simply because it is 30 years or more overdue.
It isn't to difficult to put that highway on the fast track. Just put construction workers on the Lab West and the Lake Melville ends and construction crews in Churchill Falls working towards those two ends. By doing so it will not take 5 years to finish as the time frame now stands.
The people of these large Labrador communities have waited far to long for an highway for trade and for the safe movement of our citizens to visit family and friends.
Seems to me that in the past the feds gave money to the provinces and the provinces used it as they seen fit and took credit for federal money instead of Ottawa getting the credit. Now the provinces must prioritize their projects and submit proposals to Ottawa before they can be approved. That way Ottawa gets to know what the money is actually being used for.
When the late Lawrence O'Brien was in Ottawa, God rest his soul; he was a good man, I mentioned to him and his assistant Max Butler many times that there must be a way to get money for Labrador without the Provincial government taking it and using it out on the island most of the time, leaving us the scraps. There must be a way Ottawa could help us with our military base in Goose Bay. Regarding the base, Lawrence once told me that it was the government, it was DND who was the problem. So I said to him, are you telling me that DND tells the government what to do; something like a military state, he said, "in a way".
Now the feds should find a way to push this province into fast tracking the Trans Labrador Highway, especially the section between Lab West and Happy Valley Goose Bay. That section simply because it is 30 years or more overdue.
It isn't to difficult to put that highway on the fast track. Just put construction workers on the Lab West and the Lake Melville ends and construction crews in Churchill Falls working towards those two ends. By doing so it will not take 5 years to finish as the time frame now stands.
The people of these large Labrador communities have waited far to long for an highway for trade and for the safe movement of our citizens to visit family and friends.
Monday, July 2, 2007
The truth may set us free on the TLH
So, is this the proof that there was never a plan sent to Ottawa for the Trans-Labrador Highway by the Williams Government.
Personally, at this point in time, I do not give a damn who gets the job to develop a business plan for the Trans Labrador Highway or where this company is located.
Just get it done yesterday. Get contractors working on the Lab City end, the Goose Bay end and in Churchill Falls, working towards both ends. Its 30 years or more overdue already.
Hickey Defends Hiring of Mainland Firm July 2, 2007 VOCM
The provincial government is defending its decision to go with an out-of-province company on a transportation contract. Liberal transportation critic Eddie Joyce blasted the Williams government for selecting a New Brunswick company to develop a business plan for the Trans Labrador Highway. Transportation and Works Minister John Hickey says the consulting firm was hired because of their expertise. He says the provincial government wants to make sure they meet all the requirements for cost sharing programs outlined by Ottawa. Hickey says they felt it necessary to secure the services of Geoplan Opus because of their experience in the area. Hickey says the opposition is being hypocritical, as they have also been using the services of the company since 2002.
Personally, at this point in time, I do not give a damn who gets the job to develop a business plan for the Trans Labrador Highway or where this company is located.
Just get it done yesterday. Get contractors working on the Lab City end, the Goose Bay end and in Churchill Falls, working towards both ends. Its 30 years or more overdue already.
Hickey Defends Hiring of Mainland Firm July 2, 2007 VOCM
The provincial government is defending its decision to go with an out-of-province company on a transportation contract. Liberal transportation critic Eddie Joyce blasted the Williams government for selecting a New Brunswick company to develop a business plan for the Trans Labrador Highway. Transportation and Works Minister John Hickey says the consulting firm was hired because of their expertise. He says the provincial government wants to make sure they meet all the requirements for cost sharing programs outlined by Ottawa. Hickey says they felt it necessary to secure the services of Geoplan Opus because of their experience in the area. Hickey says the opposition is being hypocritical, as they have also been using the services of the company since 2002.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Cheap *Seal*
_______________________________________From John Hickey's campaign phamplet in 2003
"I will work to have the Trans Labrador Highway paved at a rate of 100 kilometres per year, this will ensure a finished road, up to national highway standards, from North West River to the Quebec-Labrador border. Fifteen kilometres of "cheap seal" is not enough."
A great idea John and we should go even farther by doing it for the long haul. Make it last for many, many years by protecting the pavement with Chip Seal, now thats the way chip seal is supposed to be used. Its for sealing pavement, not replacing it.
"I will work to have the Trans Labrador Highway paved at a rate of 100 kilometres per year, this will ensure a finished road, up to national highway standards, from North West River to the Quebec-Labrador border. Fifteen kilometres of "cheap seal" is not enough."
A great idea John and we should go even farther by doing it for the long haul. Make it last for many, many years by protecting the pavement with Chip Seal, now thats the way chip seal is supposed to be used. Its for sealing pavement, not replacing it.
To me, this would be the intellegent way to complete the Trans Labrador Highway, but what do I know.
In the scheme of things the extra cost for chip sealing the Asphalt would amount to Peanuts from Labrador's huge wealth of Natural Resources and would definitely save money in the long run.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
They come down here
Danny Williams on CBC Radio News Thursday morning April 19,2007 said something like this:
They come down here and give us $2 million here and $5 million there and think it's fantastic.
Certainly when he said this he was referring to the Federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty and the equalization situation. I guess that Flaherty got back at Williams because Williams complained so much about the first formula on equalization from their recent budget which would have given Newfoundland an extra $5.6 billion ($24.1 billion instead of Danny's amount of $28 billion). So Flaherty came up with a new formula which gave Newfoundland a billion dollars less then the the previous equalization deal and Atlantic Accord. Maybe that was the result of Danny biting the hands that partially feeds Newfoundland (Ottawa).
Anyway, after hearing Williams today, something instantly occurred to me. He could have been talking about Labrador being neglected, when he said those things about the Feds. So Danny I will rephrase your words now to our way of thinking.
___________________Labrador___________________
They come down here (Labrador) and give us $2 million here, $5 million there, poor-man pavement here and Polluting Diesel Power there for Labrador Coastal Communities and think it's fantastic.
They come down here and give us $2 million here and $5 million there and think it's fantastic.
Certainly when he said this he was referring to the Federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty and the equalization situation. I guess that Flaherty got back at Williams because Williams complained so much about the first formula on equalization from their recent budget which would have given Newfoundland an extra $5.6 billion ($24.1 billion instead of Danny's amount of $28 billion). So Flaherty came up with a new formula which gave Newfoundland a billion dollars less then the the previous equalization deal and Atlantic Accord. Maybe that was the result of Danny biting the hands that partially feeds Newfoundland (Ottawa).
Anyway, after hearing Williams today, something instantly occurred to me. He could have been talking about Labrador being neglected, when he said those things about the Feds. So Danny I will rephrase your words now to our way of thinking.
___________________Labrador___________________
They come down here (Labrador) and give us $2 million here, $5 million there, poor-man pavement here and Polluting Diesel Power there for Labrador Coastal Communities and think it's fantastic.
The little money they give us is probably all Federal Money, maybe some of it from the $98 million Labrador Transportation Fund, but they pretend it's Newfoundland money.
These peanuts will cost us the Lower Churchill River and Labrador will obtain less then fifty permanent jobs over the long term and no guaranteed Hydro Power for us. Labrador's children will still have to chase Newfoundlanders to Alberta and Ontario for work although Labrador has (had) enormous amount of wealth in it's natural resources.
Hydro says that Labrador will get all the power it needs but government will make sure that we will not need any large amount hydro power. They will do that by putting barriers in place to prevent industries from developing fully in the BigLand.
i.e. 5 Wing Goose Bay a few years ago, when they needed more power and government said that they couldn't afford to upgrade the power line to upper Churchill although government has received billions of dollars since 1971 from that power source. The conquences of that was that the base had to use Diesel power from the emergency back-up generators in Happy Valley Goose Bay to supply their needs.
Newfoundland will get some of our Lower Churchill Power though. We certainly don't know how much but we do know what NL Hydro said at a meeting April 16, 2007 in Happy Valley Goose Bay, "Newfoundland will get 250 mega watts to replace the Diesel Power Generators in Hollyrood."
i.e. 5 Wing Goose Bay a few years ago, when they needed more power and government said that they couldn't afford to upgrade the power line to upper Churchill although government has received billions of dollars since 1971 from that power source. The conquences of that was that the base had to use Diesel power from the emergency back-up generators in Happy Valley Goose Bay to supply their needs.
Newfoundland will get some of our Lower Churchill Power though. We certainly don't know how much but we do know what NL Hydro said at a meeting April 16, 2007 in Happy Valley Goose Bay, "Newfoundland will get 250 mega watts to replace the Diesel Power Generators in Hollyrood."
Hum! They will build a power line from Lower Churchill to Hollyrood, Newfoundland, but not to Labrador coastal communities. Figure that one out. I guess they care less about Fossil Fuel usage and green house gases in Labrador then they do in Newfoundland. Are they saying to themselves, the hell with the Labrador's Environment, we'll take care of Newfoundland's.
People of Labrador should keep in mind that this provincial government will rake in Billion, upon Billions of dollars between 2015 until eternity from Lower Churchill Power. That means to put Hydro Power lines to Labrador coastal communities would be peanuts in comparison.
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