Saintly spelling
In your issue of March 14, which covered St. Patrick's Day, I see St. Patty's Day is mentioned a few times. But it should be St. Paddy's. Please correct this, as it is offensive to the Irish. I am not Irish but have been admonished about this by someone who is! —D.A.Burns, Halifax
Digging for clues
Watching the behaviour of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia reminds me of the board game Clue. The detectives' inquiry is to understand what MANS is up to, what instruments are being used to meet this end and where the action is taking place.
A February 13 article by Grant McDaniel in The Port Hawkesbury Reporter offers some clues. In that article the Port Hood council is asked to write a letter of support for MANS' $19.5 million request to government to fund their Minerals Play Fairway project. This would be a major taxpayer gift, so the value MANS is offering government must be astronomical. A CBC story on March 11 also seems to indicate that MANS is engaged in a full-court press to replace the government's own research with industry created data.
The NS government's open-for-business policy and commitment to reduce mining regulations don't appear to be enough to satisfy MANS' appetite to promote unfettered mining in Nova Scotia. Citizen detectives like myself might be forgiven for asking if MANS is seeking to replace or influence the geophysical survey work done by the ministry of energy and mines with data produced by the mining industry's primary cheerleader? Councillor Jim Mustard—no relation to Clue's colonel—is correct in saying he "is not sure how the information gathered by the Minerals Play Fairway project adds anything to what's already known by the geographical mapping of the province."
While the jury may be out, the Mining Association of Nova Scotia's ask for 19.5 million research dollars certainly invites one to wonder: Is a subtle crime of seeking influence going on here? —Paul Jenkinson, Sustainable Northern Nova Scotia, Tatamagouche
Oh my dog people
This is a gentle reminder to dog owners, as the weather improves and more of us are out walking. A few days ago I walked up the short road to the Chebucto Head lighthouse. It's a good place to walk, with the Duncan's Cove Nature Reserve on one side, and the open sea on the other.
As I came up towards the lighthouse, a man and three dogs were returning. The dogs ran at me, barking, and jumped up at me. I walk with a cane, and I am a little fearful of falling. I do not enjoy having dogs jump at me.
The man laughed, affecting not to hear me complain, and then (in a manner familiar to anyone who has ever worked with a bully) suggested it was my fault—that if I wanted to avoid dogs I should walk in a shopping mall. He proudly proclaimed himself "a dog person."
Please, dog people, dog owners, dog walkers—in public spaces, control your dogs. I am not alone in hoping to avoid such encounters. —Susan Guppy, Portuguese Cove
