The controversy surrounding a proposed airport in Inverness has landed in the Nova Scotia legislature.
Premier Stephen McNeil says he has put the project forward for infrastructure funding at Ottawa's request.
“This was not on the priority list for us,” McNeil said. “When the federal government wanted it on the list, we put it there. As there were things on the list that they wouldn't, that are our priorities.”
The airport would be built to provide easier access to the Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links golf courses.
They are rated as among the best in the world and are drawing golfers from around the globe.
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston says it hasn't been proven as a justifiable cost to taxpayers.
“They have to be able to say to Nova Scotians, ‘this is why we're doing it,’ and instead we have a premier saying basically, he's not sure why he's doing it, except somebody asked him to do it, and that's terrible government," said Houston.
“It would be the eventual death of the Allan J. MacEachen Airport by a thousand different slashes,” said Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton.
The mayor has been adamant that there's no need for an airport in Inverness when her community has one about an hour's drive away.
She's also skeptical it would result in the tourism-related spinoffs predicted by project proponents.
“It’s not necessarily going to do what we're trying to do here in Cape Breton, which is entice our visitors to stay longer and spend more money,” Chisholm-Beaton said. “You're going to make it more convenient for tourists to actually pop in, and pop right back out again.”
There's no funding plan in place yet for the airport in Inverness, but the premier figures it would cost in the tens of millions of dollars.
It is expected to be cost-shared by federal and provincial governments.
“Make no mistake about it, this is two of the best golf courses in all of North America that is attracting people from around the globe,” McNeil said. “We need to make sure they have access to that, whether or not this particular project is one, it was not on the top of our list.”
While the airport proposal has now been put forth to Ottawa, it still needs federal approval.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
