Why is Nova Scotia so poor? Why can’t we be a have province? Have we ever been a have province? The answer to the previous question is yes: when there were plentiful fish and coal was king, and trees were plenty…Could we be a have province again? Suggestions are welcomed. —Tired of the SOSO (same old same old)
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2014.
A HAVE-NOT PROVINCE
“Why is Nova Scotia so poor? Why can’t we be a have province? Have we ever been a have province? The answer to the previous question is yes.” Tired of the SOSO
But there are two “previous questions.” While the answer “yes” might be applicable to the second previous question, it is an incoherent response to the first previous question. The question then arises as to which previous question is to take precedence. No guidelines are provided. We just don’t know.
Such confusion points to the real reason why Nova Scotia is so poor. The reason is conceptual rather than simply the absence of natural resources. That is why Nova Scotia is a have-not province.
New Avatar Alert! A 19th. Century Spanish Sword
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
One of the reasons is certain people are against developing our natural resources such as gold and uranium of which we have large deposits. Another is high taxes, fees and red tape people have to go through to open businesses. And let’s not forget the high cost of electricity.
Nova Scotia was a wealthy province but with the introduction of the National Policy and railway it was more feasible to center industry in the Ontario region. Trains travel with goods from both the east and west to the center of the country. With this came jobs and our people left to find work. Industrialization SOSO, was in our history lesson one afternoon in 8th grade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3I4JQzzk_Q
The key to a stronger economy comes from revenue coming into this province from other locations, and some sort of product, resource, service or commodity leaving.
Starting another union to battle an existing employer may be a good idea but it isn’t an answer to strengthening the economy.
Here’s a hint, 650 MILLION + a year in tax money to pay for welfare/assistance services
& another 600 MILLION PLUS is used to pay the bankers …interest on our Provincial debt.
The first I can understand, I might like to think it could be reviewed , cuts could be made….but the 2nd one is just inexcusable .-period-
over a billion dollars a year of tax revenue, before 1 dollar can be used for anything else that is needed to run this dump.
The beginning of then end for NS was during Buchanans reign of fiscal terror, he was so intent in keeping his hometown,unionized, deadbeats supposedly in work at the steel plant or in the pits by shipping gazillions of dollars across the causeway to Sydney.
To return to some semblance of normalcy, down with the causeway.
We’re poor because we’re trying to save our land (parks/lighthouses/etc) rather than rape the shit out of it for a short term econo-boost to then be left with nothing but wasteland, polluted lakes, and decay.
Our tourism ad should be “NS, fun to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there”.
you know zZz …if the video’s on how chernobyl is a wasteland are anything to go by ….a little bit of rape/destruction could be viewed as a good thing ~;p
Hey, enough with the negativity. Once Herr Dexters MustHave Falls and Ships Might Start Here begin we will be rolling in moolah. The money poured into the fish farms will add to the coffers and lets not forget Be Bold, the tourists will be quite happy to overpay to come to Nova Scrotum on the ferry from Yarmouth.
Our only hope is for Quebecistan to adopt us when they become a new country and magically find a money tree.
One of the main reasons why the economy is slower in N.S than most of the rest of the country is because the St Lawrence seaway gets a much higher proportion of shipping than Halifax. Halifax could get more of it but every time the federal government suggests sending more shipping to Halifax Montreal and Toronto won’t allow it, and they have more voters. Cargo could just as easily be trained from our port to New York, Virginia or anywhere else on this side of the continent without loss. Welcome to regional desparity caused by the people who have it wanting even more than they can already share.
Dan, your opnion smells of ‘Ottawa’s charity is the only way to make things better in Halifax’
For gods sake, man, this is a port city, if you want more ships then build a business model that moves/transports/sells product then get on your cellphone and order some ships. Ottawa doesn’t impede the flow of ships, man.
Dan, when I worked (hardee har har) I worked for one of the longest calling shipping lines that call at the port of Halifax. The port and rail companies have tried multiple methods of increasing business, all failed. Boston feeder vessel, bankrupted, CN dedicated trains, not enough containers to make it valid.
We tried using a vessel from Europe to Montreal, with the extended transit time and increased usage of pilots and tugs, fees for ice breaking, this too died on the vine.
The long promised, but no action, Super Port that is ‘supposed’ to be built and operating in Canso, not a sod has been turned because it isn’t viable.
The transit time of a container from Halifax to Montreal and Toronto, with security inspections etc added on, is actually slower than the train to same places during WW 2. It can take 7 days to get a container from Halifax to inland, the same time it takes a container vessel to sail from Barcelona to Halifax.
At least the Port Authority have stopped using their tired selling point, closest port to Europe and the other lemon, we will benefit from the over capacity in Vancouver as cargo is diverted here.
CN have reduced the frequency of their container trains, because there just isn’t the business. It’s cheaper and easier for Montreal and Toronto containers to be discharged in NYC.
Are we really that poor???
Every Government for as far back as I can remember has cried poor upon getting elected, then to get re-elected there is magic cash that apears just in time.
Could it be just a scare tactic so the public is not always looking for money.
When was the last time a finance minister has ever said,
“smooth sailing ahead, lots of cash for all”?
Swordfish – your remark ~ “smooth sailing ahead, lots of cash for all”? was uttered by either Capt. Smith of the Titanic, Capt. Schettino of the Costa Concordia or Noah?
This just in: Justin Trudeau has announced that when elected he will cancel the Irving shipbuilding contract and re-award it to Pictou shipyard to construct between 3 and 5 “Hector” class environmentally friendly patrol boats to “show the flag” and bring us holds full of hearty immigrants, stout of heart and strong of back.
Juan, even though I think you are being sarcastic, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised of he did. His old man never liked or had use for the military unless it was for his own needs (October Crisis) and Junior would be no different.
Tim, my friend, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he brought Jean Poutine out of retirement for the Tearing Up Of The Contract ceremony.
“”Dat h’it. No more warship”
Of course, some Quebec company would still get the subcontract for victualling. That’s the sweetest plum.
Because 95 percent of the population here physiologically cannot think more than 2 steps ahead. Example:
Businesses are complaining that they can’t afford a 10 cent min wage hike. Why? because they don’t make enough money. End of story, wah wah wah, give us hand outs.. one of us, one of us…
Think two or three steps ahead… well if wages go up, people can buy more (still with me here?) If they can buy more, they will spend more at your store (I know this is getting intense). if they buy more at your store, you will be more successful. Now the hard part is this… if people start buying more stuff at your store, your automatic instinct is to think “Well, more products sold, I’m going to raise the price so I can make more money”… you have to resist this temptation as this is not how it works. People will in turn buy less from you because they can’t get as much for their dollar and your business will start to slide.
Fuck, people pay me to tell them this stuff.
Great Value …what Ottawa does is subsidize the shipping up the St Lawerence seaway.
It doesn’t cost any more tho sail a ship to Montreal than it does to Halifax.
Yet all the additional pilots, the infrastructure of lights, ranges multiple pilot stations & crews etc etc etc to safely navigate shipping all the way to Montreal & beyond is paid (unfairly to Halifax) by the Fed’s.
So yeah it is a dirty little secret that those of us who sailed when I was younger were all aware of. Why it isn’t mainstream is pretty self explanatory.
We clear the ice that shuts down the seaway at Quebes & clear the ice throughout the Gulf of St Lawerence so shipping can get to Montreal. When Halifax is sitting here mostly idle, ice free & 1 pilot boat to get a ship from Ocean to dock !
False Flag!
ShippingGate!
AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!