Hello Destination Cape Breton….

Robert MacDonald Follow Me

Posted this 2016-06-19 4:26 PM ADT (updated 2016-07-05 1:18 PM ADT)

It can be a wonderful experience to visit Cape Breton Island, so much to do so much to see. It is said there is another beautiful photograph around each corner. Not so in North Sydney, we have no legal access to the majority our harbour front and what we have left is clogged with scrap metal from previous industries or yellow police tape warning of danger if you proceed. This photo was taken this morning by a couple attempting to take a photo their afternoon ferry to Nfld., through a security fence. "Your Heart Will Never Leave"?!?

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[comment deleted] Posted 2016-06-20 12:49 PM ADT
Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-21 7:30 AM ADT Reply 1 0 There is a phrase that pops up in various business conversations and that is the "highest and best use " . This waterfront has been wasted . Here you have land next to a ferry terminal,, which means a high volume of people . Marine Atlantic goofed by not having any dining facilities in that big new ugly monster they built . This water front was a prime location for anything that attracted tourist traffic ,and corralled the ferry traffic as they do in Port Aux Basques where they have those 15-20 small stores by the ferry .Maybe even a hotel?? Anyway , now it will be what ?? The supposed advantage of this sale is supposed to be the number of jobs . Is anyone keeping track of how many months of work by how many people has been lost so far ? Or of how much more tax revenue CBRM has gained ? Or how much GST the province has lost ?
Robert MacDonald My Post Follow Me 2016-06-21 9:33 AM ADT Reply 1 0 In defence of Marine Atlantic, they didn't goof with their new terminal facilities, but rather were working with the downtown businesses association (BIDA) to ensure that their design and new location, next to the downtown would benefit all parties involved. Without dining facilities, their passengers would be encouraged to walk into to town to grab a bite and do a bit of exploring/shopping. The stupidity of rezoning and consequent quick sale of Archibald Wharf came as a complete surprise to all parties, including the residents of North Sydney. There were plans to replace the current street lighting with carriage lights, improve seating areas throughout the downtown, add washroom facilities and a wading pool adjacent to the popular playground area. With our main police station moving further away, it was suggested that a small satellite office be located in one of the shop spaces at Archibald Wharf, curbing vandalism and offering added security for merchants and residents of downtown North Sydney alike. Archibald Wharf has been sitting there waiting for anyone with some vision and entrepreneurship to develop it to its full potential. Using local merchants and employing local residents, a town square with an open air market on the weekends… just like those lucky people over there in Sydney. But instead we are once again left with a bag of CBRM's magic beans. For some, amalgamation works in theory only. Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:12 AM ADT Reply 0 0 I went through the ferry terminal a few weeks ago . It was a miserable rainy night . When I discovered you couldn't get a coffee or snack ,i was told to go to Tim Horton's . No mention of any other option .When i went go to Tim Hortons , I was told I need my ID and my boarding pass to get back in . Well, I had the ID but the boarding pass was back in the car . So, do I go get soaked to get the pass to then get soaked to get to Tim's ? Well ,I might of ,but no one else wanted to . The math tells me that the majority will not go though that hassle unless they are starving . Robert MacDonald My Post Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:41 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Well Peter, you will be happy to hear that MAI will soon be providing coffee and sandwiches for their passengers not wishing to leave the terminal. But on a summer day, sitting in your vehicle on a hot stretch of asphalt with kids and pets, I'm pretty sure you'd jump at the chance to wait for your ferry at a waterfront park next door. For security reasons you must have your boarding pass on you at all times (Transport Canada's ruling, but you should have been reminded of that before you left). As a former employee of Marine Atlantic I've seen enough hot days and hot travellers to know the difference, I'm sorry but your math doesn't add up. Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-21 4:58 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Well think that is a good move . It just seemed such a natural fit to have that MA building moved to be next to that land along the NS waterfront called Archibalds wharf as that would have been so easy to blend in with the downtown . We were only told we needed the boarding pass to board, we never knew we had to leave the compound for anything . The more the building could provide the better if the only spend off was the increased number of jobs. How long are people usually in the compound anyway. It's better to keep them inside the fence than allowing them to leave, isn't it (same concept as secure areas now at airports )? Robert MacDonald My Post Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:07 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Yes much like an airport, it for security reasons and like travel of any type, the weather is always a factor. As for the rest of it, we are at a loss to comprehend the logic or in the end who will actually gain from the sale of Archibald Wharf. But as always, time will tell. Michael MacNeil Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:48 AM ADT Reply 1 0 Peter I'm sure that there will be a lot of little kinks to iron out. I think if Archibald's wharf was still an option, it could have worked on the three senses to get people out of their car and over to the downtown to explore Sight, sound and smell. Sight could be just a pleasant visual of a welcoming downtown or even a Ferris wheel like they had in Sydney New Years eve, Sound could be live music and smell could be a lot of outdoor bbq's The biggest attraction of all would be people. People attract people, Now your day was a rainy day and yes it would be a hard sell but we do get some days that do not include rain. I'm sure that BIDA would have been able to work out most of these kinks over time. The fact is that the NFLD ferries carry 300000 passengers a year and the Sydney Cruise ships carried 107000 passengers in 2015. Why would any municipality not go after bringing both to their downtowns? If the CBRM was a private business, the CEO's or decision makers in the Archibald wharf decision would have been fired.

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[comment deleted] Posted 2016-06-20 12:49 PM ADT

Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-21 7:30 AM ADT

Reply 1 0

There is a phrase that pops up in various business conversations and that is the "highest and best use " . This waterfront has been wasted . Here you have land next to a ferry terminal,, which means a high volume of people . Marine Atlantic goofed by not having any dining facilities in that big new ugly monster they built . This water front was a prime location for anything that attracted tourist traffic ,and corralled the ferry traffic as they do in Port Aux Basques where they have those 15-20 small stores by the ferry .Maybe even a hotel?? Anyway , now it will be what ?? The supposed advantage of this sale is supposed to be the number of jobs . Is anyone keeping track of how many months of work by how many people has been lost so far ? Or of how much more tax revenue CBRM has gained ? Or how much GST the province has lost ?

Robert MacDonald My Post Follow Me 2016-06-21 9:33 AM ADT

Reply 1 0

In defence of Marine Atlantic, they didn't goof with their new terminal facilities, but rather were working with the downtown businesses association (BIDA) to ensure that their design and new location, next to the downtown would benefit all parties involved. Without dining facilities, their passengers would be encouraged to walk into to town to grab a bite and do a bit of exploring/shopping. The stupidity of rezoning and consequent quick sale of Archibald Wharf came as a complete surprise to all parties, including the residents of North Sydney. There were plans to replace the current street lighting with carriage lights, improve seating areas throughout the downtown, add washroom facilities and a wading pool adjacent to the popular playground area. With our main police station moving further away, it was suggested that a small satellite office be located in one of the shop spaces at Archibald Wharf, curbing vandalism and offering added security for merchants and residents of downtown North Sydney alike. Archibald Wharf has been sitting there waiting for anyone with some vision and entrepreneurship to develop it to its full potential. Using local merchants and employing local residents, a town square with an open air market on the weekends… just like those lucky people over there in Sydney. But instead we are once again left with a bag of CBRM's magic beans. For some, amalgamation works in theory only.

Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:12 AM ADT

Reply 0 0

I went through the ferry terminal a few weeks ago . It was a miserable rainy night . When I discovered you couldn't get a coffee or snack ,i was told to go to Tim Horton's . No mention of any other option .When i went go to Tim Hortons , I was told I need my ID and my boarding pass to get back in . Well, I had the ID but the boarding pass was back in the car . So, do I go get soaked to get the pass to then get soaked to get to Tim's ? Well ,I might of ,but no one else wanted to . The math tells me that the majority will not go though that hassle unless they are starving .

Robert MacDonald My Post Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:41 AM ADT

Reply 0 0

Well Peter, you will be happy to hear that MAI will soon be providing coffee and sandwiches for their passengers not wishing to leave the terminal. But on a summer day, sitting in your vehicle on a hot stretch of asphalt with kids and pets, I'm pretty sure you'd jump at the chance to wait for your ferry at a waterfront park next door. For security reasons you must have your boarding pass on you at all times (Transport Canada's ruling, but you should have been reminded of that before you left). As a former employee of Marine Atlantic I've seen enough hot days and hot travellers to know the difference, I'm sorry but your math doesn't add up.

Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-21 4:58 PM ADT

Reply 0 0

Well think that is a good move . It just seemed such a natural fit to have that MA building moved to be next to that land along the NS waterfront called Archibalds wharf as that would have been so easy to blend in with the downtown . We were only told we needed the boarding pass to board, we never knew we had to leave the compound for anything . The more the building could provide the better if the only spend off was the increased number of jobs. How long are people usually in the compound anyway. It's better to keep them inside the fence than allowing them to leave, isn't it (same concept as secure areas now at airports )?

Robert MacDonald My Post Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:07 PM ADT

Reply 0 0

Yes much like an airport, it for security reasons and like travel of any type, the weather is always a factor. As for the rest of it, we are at a loss to comprehend the logic or in the end who will actually gain from the sale of Archibald Wharf. But as always, time will tell.

Michael MacNeil Follow Me 2016-06-21 10:48 AM ADT

Reply 1 0

Peter I'm sure that there will be a lot of little kinks to iron out. I think if Archibald's wharf was still an option, it could have worked on the three senses to get people out of their car and over to the downtown to explore Sight, sound and smell. Sight could be just a pleasant visual of a welcoming downtown or even a Ferris wheel like they had in Sydney New Years eve, Sound could be live music and smell could be a lot of outdoor bbq's The biggest attraction of all would be people. People attract people, Now your day was a rainy day and yes it would be a hard sell but we do get some days that do not include rain. I'm sure that BIDA would have been able to work out most of these kinks over time. The fact is that the NFLD ferries carry 300000 passengers a year and the Sydney Cruise ships carried 107000 passengers in 2015. Why would any municipality not go after bringing both to their downtowns? If the CBRM was a private business, the CEO's or decision makers in the Archibald wharf decision would have been fired.

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