WAITING, WISHING, AND HOPING

Sometimes an easy “fix” to a problem is wanted so badly that people will delude themselves with the sheer mention by partisans of the next best thing. 

One recent example. The Federal Throne Speech announced the “Atlantic Loop”, an expansion of electricity transmission capability entering New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. 

Immediately, it was embraced by Newfoundland worthies as one of the long-awaited answers to the Muskrat Falls debacle. Yet, it contained not a shred of evidence that this Province has a role to play. 

The word “Atlantic” has historically enabled locals to distinguish the four most easterly provinces from the “Maritimes”. The inclusion of “Quebec” would naturally assume nomenclature like the “Eastern Canadian Loop”. Presumably, that would have allowed too much transparency to a plan in which the Government of Canada is involved. 

Still, what is it that inspires locals to think that the “Loop” is about them and to give it an air of credibility in which the truth is missing? 

THE QUEBEC MARITIME LOOP

Guest Post by Ron Penney

The recent Speech from the Throne contained the following commitment: “(a plan) that will connect surplus clean power to regions transitioning away from coal.”

We know, because the Premier told us that this was the first he had heard of it. But this idea, now named the Atlantic Loop, has been furiously spun as the solution to our Muskrat Falls woes and the key to developing Gull Island.

Our regional Minister confirmed that we were out of the “loop” on the Atlantic Loop. “We’ve been working with Quebec and with Maritimes energy ministers on this.” No mention of Newfoundland and Labrador.

So much for the vaunted relationship between the new Premier and the powers that be in Ottawa.

As I will explain, this is all nonsense.