THINK HANTSPORT SUPPORTS AUTONOMY

(LR) Former Canso Mayor John Fraser and Think Hantsport's Paul Syme.

Frank Fraser, former mayor of Canso for eight years, told the Think Hantsport public meeting on June 4, that he supports village status at the very least for any town. Otherwise, the citizen has lost his voice. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting including town officials and politicians. 

The 29 villages in the province today are doing well. according to Fraser. They share taxes and services with municipalities and pay for their village commissions. They are members of The Association of Nova Scotia Villages LINK, not the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities. The province, however, apparently wants to get rid of villages and towns. 


The province and Hantsport are living in the post-industrial era, according to Chair Paul Syme. This is the knowledge economy where the indicators of a community's indicators of progress are tolerance of new ideas, the making of new technology, and talent.  

Think Hantsport's Toni Heatly.

Think Hantsport member Toni Heatly presented the Financial Condition Index for Hantsport for 2011 -2012. It is the most recent available  Of the 15 indictors, only 4 are "areas of concern". This is a starting point for discussion, not dissolution. 

People were encouraged to read and sign the following:

Petition to support Think Hantsport

We, the undersigned citizens of Hantsport,

1) support Think Hantsport in their response to the dissolution application by researching and sharing information and fostering discussion about the Town of Hantsport's viability and exploring alternate solutions;

2) Further we support Think Hantsport in their request of Town Council to withdraw the dissolution application and join the citizens of Hantsport in exploring alternate solutions to strengthen and grow the Town; and

3) Further, failing that Town Council withdraw the dissolution application, we support Think Hantsport in applying for formal intervenor status on the UARB application; and

4) Further, we support Think Hantsport in requesting of the UARB that a citizen plebiscite identifying the true level of support for dissolution be undertaken as part of the application study.