Statement made on 16 June 2010 by Senator Jane Cordy
Hon. Jane Cordy:
Honourable senators, last week it came to light that the government had decided that 206 of Nova Scotia's lighthouses had been deemed surplus. Does this mean that these lighthouses will be left to rot if ownership of the lighthouse structures is not transferred to a private owner or to a community group?
On Friday, I heard Minister Shea on CBC radio announcing this issue. I was more confused when she finished explaining about the lighthouse fiasco than when she started. This government is spending millions of dollars claiming to promote Canada at the G8 and G20 summit meetings with the construction of fake lakes and fake lighthouses. However, at the same time, they have decided to rid themselves of any responsibility toward maintaining the real lighthouses along our real coastlines.
Many small communities rely on these historic structures for much needed tourism dollars during the short tourism season. To say that dumping the lighthouses is a great opportunity for those communities is an insult. In this struggling economy and with decreasing populations in those small coastal communities, how does this government justify stating this is a good thing for those communities? This is nothing but the downloading and dumping of the responsibilities of the federal government.
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