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Petition
Presented May 11, 2009
Long Island Causeway
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MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I am pleased today to
stand with another petition with regard to the Long
Island Causeway, it is called, a fixed link between Long
Island and Pilley’s Island.
I have to say to the hon.
House, Mr. Speaker, that I have quite a few petitions. I
can’t say I have a suitcase full, but I have enough to
get us through this session, let me assure you, and they
are continually coming in.
We all know the
situation: That those people were promised a causeway
back in 2003. That issue came to the forefront, I guess,
when this government took over and found that the
financial situation wasn’t in place for them. That is
little consolation to those people, Mr. Speaker. Now
that they know the financial affairs of our Province
have turned around – we hear, today, major
announcements being made with regard to road
infrastructure and water and sewer and so on – the
residents and the Long Island Causeway and
Transportation Committee believe their concerns are not
being addressed.
I understand, Mr. Speaker
– and I can stand to be corrected, but I was talking
to the lady with regard to this committee – they have
a meeting arranged, I think, with government. Hopefully,
government will reconsider their decision. Maybe
something good will come from this meeting. It is good
to know they are getting together. Maybe the petitions
are making a little difference and the minister will
listen to their concerns, because they do have concerns,
Mr. Speaker.
They have been serviced
well over the years with a ferry service. Their request
was either for a new ferry or this link to the island.
They are saying it is more feasible, financially, for
that to be done.
The concerns they have
– I repeated them before – are: the issue with
regard to getting, in a timely fashion, to the hospital
when people need medical attention; the transportation
of their students to the schools; and the products from
the fish plant, Mr. Speaker.
Listening to what they
have to say and knowing the concerns they have, being
isolated – I know what it is like to be on an island.
That is where I was raised. Those people have some major
concerns in this day and age. Many of those people were
resettled. Maybe that is what they are trying to do
here. Those people are standing firm. They are asking
for a good ferry link to the Island or a causeway, which
is their preference, because of the financial reasons.
Mr. Speaker, it is a
pleasure, today, to be able to stand on behalf of the
residents and this committee to present this petition to
the hon. House of Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. |
