GUYSBOROUGH – A special council meeting was unexpectedly called after the committee of the whole in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) on March 2 to deal with time-sensitive issues related to the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Based on a recommendation from the committee of the whole, council voted in favour of donating $25,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Ukrainian Crisis Appeal Fund. The federal government’s pledge to match donations makes the contribution worth $50,000.
In addition to the donation, MODG’s Warden Vernon Pitts signed a letter to be sent to the mayors and wardens of all municipal units in the province, the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, asking them to follow the MODG’s lead in supporting the Ukraine, if they are able to do so.
MODG’s CAO Barry Carroll read the letter to council and staff at the special meeting; it was received with applause.
Speaking with media following the meeting, Warden Pitts was asked why MODG is choosing to make a substantial donation to Ukraine, over other causes.
“The main reason for this is, first and foremost, over in Ukraine they had an election; fair, open, transparent election, whereby they elected a president,” he said. “Russia, Mr. Putin, the dictator, has seen fit to replace, displace, whatever you want to call [it], this duly elected government. That is not on. My ancestors, and your ancestors, faced that back in the ‘40s, or should I say in the late ‘30s, when Mr. Adolph Hitler decided he was going to start annexing neighbouring countries. He annexed one, the world did nothing. They complained, they bitched and went on; and he got his way. He annexed a second one, the world bitched and complained, did absolutely nothing, he got his way again. He went to annex the third one. Where do you stop dictatorships? Stop them right away. Don’t let them go on.
“The main reason for our donation here, is these are normal, everyday people. Men, women, children that have no skin in the game whatsoever, yet they’re being attacked, they’re being injured, they’re being killed. What means do they have to resupply themselves with just the basics of life; medical supplies, doctors, nurses? If we can do this and it helps a little bit…if we can get others to come onside and do the same thing, it’s to make it easier for those people … we can do that and it’s not undue hardship to our municipality,” said Pitts.
Carroll also added that the MODG often donates to worthy causes, such as the construction of the new food bank in Guysborough, physician recruitment and much more.
Related to the news out of Ukraine, and the impact the conflict is having on energy markets, council passed a motion to reiterate their support for Pieridae Energy’s Goldboro LNG project as either a floating or land-based project, subject to consultations with local stakeholders.
Prior to the evening’s council meetings, the nursing home board for Milford Haven Home for Special Care and Canso Seaside Manor met [March 2]. The meeting approved the last set of financial statements from before the completion of the sale of the nursing homes to GEM Health Care Group Ltd. last year. The board applied to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to dissolve both corporations.
Council passed motions at the special council meeting, stating that all liabilities and assets of both nursing homes, prior to the sale, now fell to the MODG.
