The warden of Inverness Co. says she objects to the way officials with the Town of Port Hawkesbury attacked a proposed Inverness airport.
Betty Ann MacQuarrie says town officials led a social media campaign against the proposed airport.
MacQuarrie tells The Hawk they made inaccurate comments about how money for the potential airport could be spent.
“I was very disappointed- mainly in the extreme measures taken by Port Hawkesbury,” she says. “(They were) misleading people through a social media campaign to believe that funding applied for through rural infrastructure development could somehow be used for roads and health care.”
MacQuarrie says funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s rural and northern stream can’t be used for roads or hospitals.
She says it was inappropriate for Port Hawkesbury officials to suggest it could.
“This is not true, and I did verify that with Minister Bernadette Jordan (who) said she doesn’t have any health care money, or any roads money- it’s rural infrastructure development,” she says. “They’re not taking any money away from roads, or health care, or connectivity- it’s a special infrastructure program that they’re applying for.”
Brenda Chisholm-Beaton, the mayor of Port Hawkesbury, says their social media campaign was factual.
Chisholm-Beaton says town officials acted appropriately.
“I have not misled citizens with regard to the funding items possible under the rural and northern communities funding stream, nor has any member of my council.”
MacQuarrie says Inverness Co. councillors still plan to meet with Cabot reps to discuss the now-cancelled proposal.
She says Cabot reps have been recommended to re-submit their proposal after they develop a case to meet the funding stream’s criteria.
