Articles By Rob Antle
Grape crusaders
Hard work by those in the industry is bringing unprecedented acclaim to Nova Scotia wine When Jean-Benoit Deslauriers speaks of the terroir that makes this part of Nova Scotia special, he sounds like an alchemist discussing a particularly magical transformation. And why not? The Gaspereau Valley soil and climate have produced sparkling wines recently compared to the very best Champagne …Continue Reading
Some external investment details will eventually be disclosed: ALC
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation says it is being as transparent as possible as it hunts for external business opportunities, noting that members of the public will eventually find out at least some details about where ALC is laying its bets. “We’re an agent of the Crown, we’re held by the people who live in Atlantic Canada, and we have a …Continue Reading
N.L. opts out of new ALC opportunities
Newfoundland and Labrador has no interest in the Atlantic Lottery Corporation’s plans for international expansion opportunities and online casino gambling. “At this point, it’s not somewhere we would want to go,” Finance Minister Tom Marshall said in an interview. Marshall said the provincial government informed ALC of that decision more than a year ago, when Danny Williams was still premier. …Continue Reading
ALC VP defends search for new business opportunities
An Atlantic Lottery Corporation vice-president is defending the corporation’s search for new business opportunities, stressing they will all be subject to a “litmus test,” and must ultimately be approved by ALC shareholders — the provincial governments. “We have a responsibility to make our shareholders aware of what’s taking place and then it’s up to them to decide,” ALC vice-president of …Continue Reading
State of play
Mature products, flattening profits and increased competition from cyberspace have pushed the Atlantic Lottery Corporation to quietly seek out new opportunities – they just aren’t very keen to discuss them The Atlantic Lottery Corporation says its players have been “dreaming big” since 1976. That’s when ALC began offering lottery games on behalf of the governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, …Continue Reading
Going fission
Proponents of uranium mining in Labrador are hoping the Nunatsiavut government lifts a three-year moratorium that saw exploration dry up and economic opportunities shrivel. Opponents fear the effects of proceeding. The issue has been a divisive one, and a tough decision lies ahead. The debate was polarizing, the decision in doubt. In the spring of 2008, the Nunatsiavut government in …Continue Reading
N.S. Special Report: Shifting the balance of power
Nova Scotia is working on a big move to renewable energy, with hard targets in the short to medium term For a long time in Nova Scotia, coal was undeniably king. The mines of Cape Breton provided the bulk of the province’s power. But those days are over. The last large coal mine in the region shuttered a decade ago. …Continue Reading
Watchdog wins latest skirmish with government
The province’s open-records watchdog has won a legal skirmish with the Progressive Conservative government over the limits of his powers. The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal reversed a lower court ruling this week, and ordered the government to turn over disputed documents to the information and privacy commissioner. That earlier decision — by Supreme Court Justice …Continue Reading
Status of exploration incentives remains unclear
It remains unclear what impact the defeat of a heavyweight cabinet minister could have on the rollout of initiatives aimed at boosting exploration in the Newfoundland offshore. Natural Resources Minister Shawn Skinner lost his seat in the Oct. 11 general election. The NDP candidate, filmmaker Gerry Rogers, defeated Skinner by more than 500 votes in the district of St. John’s …Continue Reading
Charest sought to allay U.S. fears over NB Power deal: leaked cable
Quebec Premier Jean Charest took the “unusual step” of briefing U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson prior to the announcement of Hydro-Quebec’s ill-fated takeover of NB Power in late 2009, according to leaked American diplomatic cables. Charest called the ambassador “to allay the notion, expressed by some, that the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should be concerned by the proposed acquisition,” …Continue Reading
