‘He was the fella with the poormouth on him'

Blasts from NL’s past

YEARS PAST
“In the year 1846 the great seal-killer, Capt. John Barron, arrived from the ice fields in April with the largest trip of seals on record to date, viz., 9,600. In 1848 a vessel named the “Nimrod,” owned by Capt. Barron and commanded by Capt. Coady, arrived on the 18th of March with 8,500 prime seals.”
The Times and General Commercial Gazette, St. John’s, March 1892.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Mr. Editor — About three months have elapsed since it has been our pleasure to behold the sun. Astronomers seem to have failed to acquaint us as to the protracted eclipse, which has affected this remote spot. Many and conflicting have been the opinions expressed concerning the unhappy occurrence. The event has had a somewhat extraordinary effect on those more immediately interested in the sun’s occasional revolutions. It’s reappearance would, however, relieve us all of existing gloomy apprehensions and inspire us with an exuberance of joy. — Yours truly, F.
— The Twillingate Sun, March 17, 1881

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“… the parties agree to devise a formula whereby Newfoundland would receive a fair and equitable return.”
— February 1984 Hydro-Quebec Statement of Intent regarding redress of the upper Churchill contract, as published in the March 2006 Independent.
•••
The Statement of Intent was signed by Vic Young, then-chairman of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, and Jean Bernier, then-secretary general of Hydro-Quebec.

Frustrated with Quebec’s refusal to allow Newfoundland and Labrador the right to wheel power through the province from the future development of the lower Churchill, then-premier Brian Peckford turned to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1982.

Hydro-Quebec swiftly reconsidered its position and offered to enter into negotiations on the basis that should an out-of-court agreement be reached, all legal action would be dropped.

The Statement of Intent represented the first and only time Hydro-Quebec has officially acknowledged a need to revise inequities in the upper Churchill contract.

But the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement. Peckford essentially bet that the Supreme Court would rule in NL’s favour.

He gambled wrong.

Once the Supreme Court of Canada released its 1984 decision in favour of Hydro-Quebec, the Statement of Intent was forgotten.

Nalcor Energy, NL's energy corporation, launched another challenge last month against Hydro-Quebec on the upper Churchill contract.

Any chance Hydro-Quebec will sign another Statement of Intent?

FUNNY FELLAS
“He was the fella with the poormouth on him, and all of a sudden this comes out — that he was on the IEC committee and recommended (a bonus).”
— Leo Puddister on Loyola Sullivan, as quoted in the March 2007 Independent.

Puddister, former president of NAPE, said exposing the secret $2,875 payment to MHAs just days after the 27-day, public-sector strike in 2004 would have been “more than enough” for the union to win the strike.

At the time, Sullivan was minister of Finance.

Today, he’s Canada’s Fisheries Ambassador, a plum appointment that pays between $143,000 and $168,700 a year.

Between that salary and his MHA and teacher pensions, Sullivan is probably managing to keep his head above water.

Comments

Wm. Murphy said…
There's a bet around our water cooler that a week won't go bye without a reference to the Independent. My money is not on that one!!!

Move on Ryan...suck it up. It's gone...
Banana said…
Wm. Murphy, Those who forget their past will screw up their future. Everything political requires an elephant's memory.
Dale Kirby said…
Is that the sound of a Liberal throwing stones whilst hiding behind a pseudonym?
Wm. Murphy said…
Well Snshn...at least I am not up at 2:47 a.m. rattling on about screwing up the future because of an Elephant's memory....or something like that.

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