N.S. cash ‘delivered today’ makes Kings groups’ day

BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

Call it David Morse’s end-of-year cash blow-out, ‘cause he dropped $280,000 in Kings South March 31.

“It’s the end of the year, and the province’s financial situation improved dramatically,” Morse said about the money drop, part of a larger $316.7 million provincial strong of announcements on everything from education to roads to Halifax Canada games infrastructure.

Morse and Jamie Muir, chairman of the provincial treasury board and acting finance minister, both pointed to “spiking natural gas prices” for the turnaround. Muir projected 2007/ 2008 provincial revenues at $8.26 billion, up three per cent from an anticipated $8.02 billion.

“These are projects we wanted to do, and now we have the opportunity to make some strategic investments,’ Morse said.

At the Kings County Municipal Airport at the end of a six-stop day, Morse was met by Kings North MLA Mark Parent, in the city earlier to be part of university funding and bursary announcements.

“There are no strings attached to this money,” Parent told the crowd of recreational and business airplane enthusiasts on hand, representing the volunteer co-op that runs the facility.

“They are strategic investments before year-end, with the condition they be delivered today,” Morse said.

The co-op received $250,000, a cheque identical to those dropped off at the province’s five municipal airports that same day.

“We’ve both been impressed with the very important part the airport plays here in Kings County - for recreation and business contacts,” Parent said. “It’s an economic driver in the community.”

Airport co-op treasurer Ian Blenkharn thanked the MLAs for their visit, and described how tidily the $250,000 will match the first phase of an improvement plan at the facility.

“We have no more space for more hangars - how do we upgrade water issues, drainage, get more planes and more traffic?” he said. “We’ve been working over the past couple of years and in more recent months to develop plans, an this pretty much matches that figure.”

Kings County’s community development services director Bill Butler said the funding is good news, as it reinforces a $20,000 commitment the municipality made to its airport - on condition the managing co-op attract other investments for its plans.

“So, I guess that’s pretty much a firm commitment now,” Butler said.

Neither Morse nor Parent attributed any of the financial windfalls settling around the province to a possible future election.

“No, I don’t think so,” Parent said when asked.

“No - no election,” said Morse.



Kings South cleans up

• Coldbrook Lions - playground project, $5,000

• Flower cart - accessibility infrastructure, $5,000

• Kings RCMP - senior safety/ crime prevention work and vehicle, $15,000

• Inn From the Cold - homeless shelter (New Minas-based), $10,000

• Greenwich fire department - breathing apparatus, $6,870

• Kings County Municipal Airport - taxiway extension and drainage, $250,000