Columns and Letters

Letter: Too shy to come out and thank Neil Livingston

Dear Editor:

    I was somewhat confused by your line that “Neal Livingstone is to Inverness as Donald Trump is to Mongolia” until I learned that they love The Trumps in Mongolia!
    Donald Jr. and his son Donnie just returned from a private vacation there. He tweeted, “the scenery was actually outdone by the genuine warmth and kindness of the people.”
    Last month, in Washington D.C., the visiting president of Mongolia gifted President Trump’s youngest son Barron a Mongolian pony which President Trump promptly named ‘Victory.’
    After reading about the Inverness sewage problems and the hurried pledges to get them fixed, I now understand your veiled praises for Mr. Livingstone.
    The local environmentalist knew three years ago of potential problems with Cabot’s planned construction of nine high-end private villas near to the outflow pipe.
    Neal told me recently that he reported a strong odour coming in from the shore to county staff in 2016.
    It appears that it wasn’t until after the court case that Cabot decided to relocate the villas downwind to their Cliffs property. If they hadn’t, imagine the stink when owners of multi-million-dollar villas couldn’t enjoy the sunsets from their decks because of the…you get it.
    Had you interviewed Neal; he would have told you this. His number is in the phone book. Look under Inverness.
    In your editorial about the airport controversy, you were coy by labelling folks who voiced concerns as ‘haters.’ Many people would indeed hate to hear those loud cargo planes and private jets coming in low over the two successful golf courses and the new course under construction.
    Tourists and residents alike enjoy the peace and quiet. An airport sure would have changed that.
    I infer from your comments that you’re thankful the politicians listened to reason. From both an environmental and fiscal perspective they obviously felt that an airport here is not a good idea.
    Governments funding a new airport for private jets with one or two passengers on board when there’s already one down the road would be noticed by young voters across the land who are already stressing over climate change.
    You know the saying: ‘the opposition would have made hay over this.’
    Your ‘haters’ seem to have used a simple message along the lines of “Think Globally, Act Locally.” The good folks in government apparently got the message loud and clear and acted accordingly.   
    Which brings us back to the topic of that airport proposal. Newspaper reporters don’t usually print stories without first reading the actual documents in question, right?
    In the interest of fair and unbiased reporting it’s important that you print The Oran’s un-redacted copy of the Cape Breton Island Airport Proposal so your readers can learn how an airport would “improve their quality of life.”  
    Folks obviously needed more to go on than predictions about “getting lobster and crab to market faster or having the luxury of booking a business or vacation flight without driving to Halifax and having to pay parking for a week.”
    Until you mentioned this, I’ll bet no one knew there’d be free parking at the proposed Inverness Airport.
    Print your copy and we’ll go from there.
    Haters and lovers alike enjoy your always keen insight, even if you are too shy to come right out and thank Neal Livingstone.

Michael Ojoleck,
Judique

 

 


Oran Dan - The Inverness Oran - www.invernessoran.ca

The Inverness Oran
15767 Central Avenue. P.O. Box 100
Inverness, Nova Scotia. B0E 1N0
Tel.: 1 (902) 258-2253. Fax: 1 (902) 258-2632
Email: [email protected]