A Cape Breton man’s request for a floodlight to light up a popular pond at night has turned into a land debate.
Resident, Jeff MacNeil says he’s hoping to have a floodlight put in near an ice covered pond in Scotchtown, N.S., where locals enjoy skating and playing hockey.
“It’s actually gained more traction in the last couple of years since of our residents started helping the community and kids with snow-blowing it off, allowing for a bigger surface to skate,” he says.
The pond has become such an attraction, that MacNeil says a floodlight would make the pond safer for skaters looking to skate into the evenings.
MacNeil says it hasn’t been a simple process. He says he’s been told the municipality owns the land, but they’re saying it’s owned by the federal government.
“Our simple request for a light really frustrates people and tax payers in the area," MacNeil says.
The pond was formerly used by Devco Coal as a disposal site, but the federal government remediated the land into a park several years ago.
Councilor for the area, Kendra Coombes says she’s hoping the issue can be resolved as soon as possible.
“Hopefully by Monday I’ll have more information to provide to the residents because kids need a place to play and a safe place to play and hopefully there’s a chance we can do that and we will be looking into it,” says Coombes.
MacNeil says he has already talked to Nova Scotia Power who says there’s an existing power pole near the site and by hooking up a couple of wires they could provide light seasonally at a low cost.
MacNeil says hopefully the CBRM can cover the costs and if not, he’s had requests to possibly start a Go Fund Me page.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
