20 September 2020

Scotia Rail Development Society Supports Novaporte Campaign, ‘Cape Breton is Ready for Rail’

The Annual General Meeting of the Scotia Rail Development Society, held 20 September, was a worthwhile event with many salient discussion points arising. Most of the past year has been spent working behind the scenes, meeting with and lobbying elected or appointed representatives, and those vying for some of these positions.

Connectivity the key economic contribution of resurrected island rail service

• Cape Breton Post
• 22 Jul 2020
• Dr. Jim Guy is an author and professor emeritus of political science at Cape Breton University. JIM GUY This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. @CapeBretonPost

When the COVID-19 menace finally lifts, where will we be in Cape Breton? The devastating effects of this virus to the island’s economy still have to be calculated and reconciled against whatever resources we have left to muster. Will it be the same ol’, same ol’ for all matters of economic development to move this island forward?

Albert Barbusci, CEO, Sydney Harbour Investment Partners writes: 

The team at Novaporte agrees fully with comments made by J. J. Ruest that terminals on Canada’s east coast are not quite modern enough, or on a scale, to participate fully in the key trade routes compared to the west coast. 

The continued growth of the Port of Halifax and CN’s commitment to rail service is great for all of Nova Scotia. But we think a new deep-water mega port is best positioned for Sydney, NS instead of another province.

Complete grade rail from Truro to Sydney pegged at $130 million

Cape Breton Post / 13 July 2020 / Ted Bartlett, President, Transport Action Atlantic.

CONTRIBUTED There have been no train whistles heard at the Orangedale station in nearly five years.

It’s now been nearly five years since the final whistle sounded at Orangedale, as the Genesee and Wyoming shortline railway company ran its last freight train over the Sydney Subdivision. The rails have continued to rust, ties are deteriorating, and the roadbed is being compromised by unrepaired washouts – despite monthly maintenance payments by Nova Scotia’s taxpayers.