Photo background by Robert R. MacDonald

"But they're behind the fence..."

Those are the words of some North Sydney youth enjoying the phenomenon of the new Nintendo "Pokemon Go" app. It's a game that uses augmented reality to let players (called trainers) track down and capture make believe creatures called Pokemon. Augmented reality technology lets players see the Pokemon characters in the real world through their smartphone camera.

Although the youth probably didn't realize the significance, a member of the "Taking Back the Northside" Facebook group was given a bit of a sad reminder of the loss of the Archibald's Wharf green space.

In the game, Nintendo bases the map on the real world. Pokemon of many different species - sometimes rare and popular enough to draw a crowd - will appear somewhere in the real world. Then players have to actually go to that real world location - to track them down and try to capture them.

The game includes data about local attractions and monuments, and the Pokemon are often found hiding nearby.

If you had been around the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in downtown Sydney early Saturday evening, you might have spotted a group of young adults hanging out near the top of the entrance from the Esplanade. With the majority of them focused very intently on their smartphones, it was a good bet that some kind of Pokemon was expected to emerge nearby.

Archibald's Wharf is Behind the Fence Now

That's how the North Sydney youth ran into a minor issue with their Pokemon hunt. The mapping data in the game uses data collected by another project such as Google Maps - and it's sometimes outdated. 

In the Pokemon world, Archibald's Wharf is still recognized as a public park and green space in downtown North Sydney.

And it even shows the "Chill Zone" ice cream shop sign in the image. That's the ice cream operator that was forced to move by the CBRM. He ended up having to relocate across the harbour, only to realize there was a delay in getting all necessary services set up to run his business.

Seeing this in the game struck a nerve with a parent who realized that the loss of the Archibald's Wharf green space was now being realized in a way that nobody could have predicted.

Pokemon Go players may be lead to Archibald's Wharf only to find what was once a public park is now secured behind a security fence. If there's anything redeeming about that, perhaps it's that the Pokemon have found a temporary refuge.

Cecil Clarke has an Archibald's Wharf Problem

Obviously the Pokemon game is of very little concern to residents of North Sydney. It's just an interesting symbol of a much larger issue.

What it really points out is that the loss of the Archibald's Wharf green space is still as unpopular as ever. And just months away from municipal elections in October, it's an issue that is certain to cause a major loss of votes for Mayor Clarke's re-election campaign. On the Northside, for some, he's about as popular as Donald Trump, albeit with a much better haircut.

The loss of votes won't be isolated there.

Clarke has gambled everything in his misguided "If not the port, then what?" strategy, but hasn't delivered anything tangible for the citizens of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality during his 4 years of tenure.

Commentary in the Cape Breton Post and social media show an overwhelming critical review of his performance. And at present a company named Léger Marketing is reportedly conducting telephone surveys to gauge the intent of voters for the upcoming election.

A recent announcement informed us that the rival Melford Terminal secured SSA Marine as an investor and port operator at only about 20% of the cost. They have no full automation strategy that would anger union workers, and are a closer distance to tie into the key rail network. As such, Clarke's basket of (non-Pokemon) eggs was toppled off the table. It remains to be seen how many have a shell still intact.

Archibald's Wharf is Gone. Now What?

Though the CBRM has a buy-back clause if the purchaser didn't invest $5 million by May 2016, they'll never execute it. It was too poorly drafted, making any attempt at buying it back nearly impossible. Even if they attempted to do so, they would be whipped in court by legal team of the new owner. Unless the owner decides they want to sell it back at some point, the green space is gone for good.

Some people ask why others bother to continue to make Archibald's Wharf an issue if nothing can be done about it now.

And that's a good question, with an vitally important answer:

Archibald's Wharf isn't just one bad deal for the CBRM. It represents the potential for the people who made that deal to repeat it many times over again. Once you give up green space where millions were invested, in the heart of a downtown, you can't get it back.

Is the Mayor and Current Council a Risk to the Well Being of the CBRM?

If the residents of North Sydney couldn't convince the mayor and council to pull out of the Archibald's Wharf deal, it's very unlikely that any amount of public backlash will stop them in future deals.

Fortunately, citizens are granted the biggest power of all, once every four years. They get to vote in the municipal elections.

At least four councillor positions will see changes for certain. Two announced they are not reoffering, and sadly two of them passed away.

By the way, the answer is "yes". The current mayor and council are definitely a risk to the well being of our community.

Did you know that the councillors voted to approve the Archibald's Wharf sale after being given the agreement the night before voting on it, and had insufficient time to actually review the deal?

Let's have Councillor Eldon MacDonald describe it for us in this video:

The Video Demonstrates Irresponsibility

If you watched the video, Eldon MacDonald described how he couldn't stay awake trying to get through the agreement. The rest of the councillors presumably were also given the agreement only last minute.

But even after hearing Eldon speak about it, most of them voted for it anyway. And that's irresponsible.

For those who step up to be councillor, they have to be committed to doing the job right. It's not a place to coast along just to top up retirement income. These roles and the decisions they make within them have immeasurable influence upon the entire future of Cape Breton and the CBRM.

Archibald's Wharf continues to be an unforgettable, emblematic symbol of that irresponsibility.

While many younger residents of the CBRM are out hunting for new Pokemon, many voting age residents from youth to retirement are hunting for a new mayor and council reps.

We need leaders who can augment the reality of the quality of life and future for our families in Cape Breton.

That's not what we have now. And Pokemon Go just so happens to be a very strange, but effective reminder.

Tell your candidates for district council that you want them to take the 15-point Councillors' Pledge.