Peter Christie is leading the 200 or so residents who attended “the start of a recreation revolution” down a very slippery slope. Given his background in civic and provincial politics, I am aghast at his posture. However, as I read the account of the February 7th meeting, it suddenly became clear why he preferred a “revolution” to a compromise solution.
“In Bedford, in politics, you have to come in front of people, let them yell at you and then they’ll vote for you. If you don’t let them yell at you, they won’t vote for you. It’s a simple rule out here. I know the rule and I play it,” Christie is quoted as saying. This came after he used his position as chairman to prod and goad the crowd for support of his position. “When you are going to start a revolution you can’t be wishy-washy,” he hollered to a throng of now whooping and cheering zealots. Christie gives new meaning to mean-spiritedness.
Then there was the treatment afforded Mayor Peter Kelly. Kelly, a lifelong resident of the community, was booed and shouted down when he tried to explain the permit delays for the three ice sheet arena planned for the Rocky Lake area.
Civility, thy name isn’t Bedford.
Give the mayor full marks for keeping his cool and for not pointing an accusing finger at Christie who, when serving as Bedford’s MLA, kept promising an arena complex but never delivered on his promise. Then again, Christie is nothing if not an opportunist. He would, as they say, start taking a bath if he accidentally fell into a lake.
Christie also claims he isn’t out to wreck HRM, rather make it better. I highly doubt that. If he was that well-intentioned, he might have started the process by negotiating with members of the Northwest Community Council. He may have talked to Gary Martin, but I know he didn’t meet with or make calls to the Sackville representatives. This council looks after the affairs of Bedford, Lucasville and districts 20 and 21.
Christie, while taking shots at Sackville, would be wise to study how the community came together, raised the money and constructed the Sackville Arena. More recently the two communities united and raised some four million dollars, the community’s share of the cost of construction for the Cobequid Health Centre. They did it in a spirit of cooperation, not revolution.
Christie can sell five dollar memberships (five bucks sound like a cheap outfit), organize petitions and, if he desires, throw himself under a bus. Whatever ploys he and his gang of revolutionaries choose, Halifax Regional Council has to remain firm and deal with them through the Northwest Community Council. To cave to this pressure and reestablish a Bedford council or commission would open the flood gates of discord. I would give Gloria McCluskey about 30 seconds before she would demand the same or, based on population, a better deal for Dartmouth. A line of 23 representatives would form very quickly and, before you could say “Sandy Jolly”, the cabinet minister who oversaw the amalgamation process, the whole thing would begin to crumble.
You may not have liked or agreed with amalgamation. I know I didn’t. I also know that to undo the process would bankrupt the region and financially cripple the entire province. That, Mr. Christie, would make for a very expensive rink!
(Al Hollingsworth is a retired journalist)
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