‘We can’t afford to miss this opportunity. … I’m encouraging that we got to rethink this’Published Jul 27, 20267 minute readMeetings have been taking place behind the scenes with CBRM council with respect to how the municipality can benefit from offshore wind energy development — especially with the province targeting Sydney Bight (located roughly 25 kilometres northeast of the CBRM) as one of four water locations for offshore wind energy development. Photo by UNSPLASHArticle contentAs an investment group with longstanding Cape Breton connections continues its efforts to bring offshore wind energy development to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, one municipal councillor feels now would be a good time to revisit its contract negotiations left in limbo earlier this year with said group.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentBack in January, regional council split a 6-6 vote — and thus defeated a motion — to continue negotiations with Sydney Harbour Investment Partners (SHIP), the development group led by Montreal businessman Albert Barbusci, who for a decade held an exclusive contract with the municipality to a develop 1.74 hectares (431 acres) of a greenfield site at Sydport Industrial Park.Article contentArticle contentWhile that contract was tied to a potential container terminal called Novaporte — one that never came to fruition — in 2023, the Novaporte vision pivoted toward setting up an offshore wind marshalling hub near that area along Sydney harbour. That, too, had yet to materialize.Article contentBut more recently, Novaporte Wind Canada LP — a specialized subsidiary and partnership within Novaporte and SHIP — formed specifically to advance long-term Indigenous equity and participation in the clean energy and offshore wind sector. Weeks ago, the subsidiary announced it had received prequalification status under the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator’s (CNSOER) offshore wind call for bids, even though it wasn’t among the publicly listed bids CNSOER officially released near the end of June.Article content Steve Parsons, CBRM councillor for District 7: “You have a proponent that’s all ready to go as far as permits (go) and they even got prequalified with their partners for fundraising, and honours the prequalification to bid for the projects.” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle content“You have a proponent that’s all ready to go as far as permits (go) and they even got prequalified with their partners for fundraising, and honours the pre-qualification to bid for the projects,” said CBRM District 7 Coun. Steve Parsons of Novaporte Wind’s prequalification status. “For me, they’re very progressive — and they’re setting themselves up to deliver on it.”Article contentArticle contentArticle content‘INVESTED SO MUCH TIME’Article contentParsons was one of five councillors, along with Mayor Cecil Clarke, who earlier this year supported the idea of the CBRM’s legal team further exploring negotiations with SHIP, even though that exclusive contract, and extended several times, was linked to container terminal development. That contract ultimately expired in late 2024.Article content“I would never have stopped those negotiations,” Parsons said. “Because from my perspective, we were getting what we were asking for — and the fact is that they’ve invested so much time into us.Article content“We can’t afford to miss this opportunity. … I’m encouraging that we got to rethink this. Because this is crucial in terms of economic development. And even to the point where I’d even consider putting it back on table for us (at council) for another vote.”Article contentBut other councillors have been left wondering how long it would take before seeing some offshore wind-related activity from SHIP even started.Article contentOn the Sydney side of the harbour, the privately owned Atlantic Canada Bulk Terminal has already jumped on board, storing offshore wind components destined for the United States at its marshalling yard.Article contentThat’s prompting many councillors to press for faster action to secure CBRM’s stake in the emerging offshore wind industry for the province.Article content Steven MacNeil, CBRM councillor for District 8: “It’d be best for us to get an expert in the field of ports, so that when we’re making decisions, we have somebody who has the inside scoop on how things really work.” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentPORT CONSULTANTArticle contentEarlier this year, District 8 Coun. Steven MacNeil suggested that CBRM staff hold a workshop toward the idea of hiring a “port consultant” to determine whether another potential stakeholder could find some monetary value in the undeveloped greenfield site.Article contentMacNeil recently told the Cape Breton Post the municipality is going ahead with the port consultant hiring.Article content“It’d be best for us to get an expert in the field of ports, so that when we’re making decisions, we have somebody who has the inside scoop on how things really work, and would be on our side to make sure that we have all the good information that we need,” he said.Article contentMacNeil, along with District 12’s Kim Sheppard-Campbell and four other councillors, felt further negotiations with SHIP, without so much as a shovel dug in to commence work, seemed pointless.Article contentArticle content“We’re not saying that the site needs to be used for (offshore) wind — although more than likely, with everything going on, it will be,” Sheppard-Campbell said. “But we have to know if there are any other players out there as well.”Article content Kim Sheppard-Campbell, CBRM councillor for District 12: “We have to know if there are any other players out there as well.” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentOn the scheduled agenda list for this Thursday afternoon’s CBRM council meeting back at city hall in Sydney is a “port file” update request from MacNeil, “just to get a public update from our CAO (chief administrative officer Demetri Kachafanas) on exactly what’s happening, timelines, things like that, so everyone can be on the same page.”Article contentIn the meantime, meetings have been taking place behind the scenes with CBRM council with respect to how the municipality can benefit from offshore wind energy development — especially with the province targeting Sydney Bight (located roughly 25 kilometres northeast of the CBRM) as one of four water locations for offshore wind energy development.Article contentParsons relayed that a recent meeting with the Cape Breton Partnership in Membertou involved discussions about “the importance of the Port of Sydney and the realization that this port can play a very major pivotal role to support offshore wind development — all because of where we are logistically,” he said. “It just meets all the criteria.”Article contentArticle content‘GAVE US A BRIEFING’Article contentMeanwhile, District 5 Coun. Eldon MacDonald confirmed the province met with a few CBRM councillors and the mayor weeks back to discuss how the municipality could best position itself for offshore wind energy development.Article content“The province basically was coming in to give us a briefing on where they are with Wind West (Canada’s first offshore wind development) in the big picture,” MacDonald said, “what they think they’re going to need and require to execute the plans for the provincial government, and the various different laydowns and opportunities that exist, as well as partners that could be part of that whole process.Article content Eldon MacDonald, CBRM councillor for District 5: “The province basically was coming in to give us a briefing on where they are with Wind West (Canada’s first offshore wind development) in the big picture.” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle content“They just basically came in and gave us a briefing on what their needs are, what they’re aware of, who’s got everything in place, and the ability of what the province needs from when they do their prequalifying, and, when they do later this year, the release of the bidding for the seabed parcels.”Article contentA spokesperson for the province’s Department of Energy confirmed via an emailed statement that a meeting did take place back with members of CBRM council in June.Article content“On June 11, Minister (Marco) MacLeod and a department official met with the council to provide information about our planning and assessment work to date, learnings from other jurisdictions, anticipated timelines and how onshore infrastructure (ie: ports) are an important part of the value proposition for attracting major global developers in the upcoming call for bids,” spokesperson Michelle Lucas said.Article content‘VERY ACTIVE’ IN DISCUSSIONSArticle content“One of the top priorities for the Department of Energy is Wind West, our plan to develop our incredible offshore wind resource to meet the growing demands for new sources of clean energy in large markets in Canada and northeastern U.S. This could create a massive economic opportunity for Sydney’s and our province’s economy, with thousands of new jobs, billions in new investment, upgrades to infrastructure, and new revenues for the province that can be used to strengthen public services.Article content“For all those reasons, our department has been very active in discussing the offshore wind opportunity with stakeholders across the province, including the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.”Article contentArticle content Sydney Bight, to the right of Cape Breton Island marked in red, had been designated in 2025 as one of four offshore wind energy areas, large sections of ocean identified as being suitable for potential offshore wind energy development. They are areas where future offshore wind projects could be built. Photo by PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIAArticle contentThe Cape Breton Post reached out to the CBRM mayor to comment on either the meeting with the province and/or the Cape Breton Partnership. While Clarke was not made available, a CBRM spokesperson said via email that “the Cape Breton Partnership invited the mayor and council to a meeting with Associate Deputy Minister (David) McGregor (from the province’s Energy department) to discuss Wind West. Article content“Any further questions should be directed to Brad Jacobs (the new CEO) with the Cape Breton Partnership.”Article content‘AT MINIMUM 12 YEARS’Article contentMeanwhile, CBC reported last week that Novaporte representatives did meet with several CBRM council members who did hear that, despite the defeated motion from January to renegotiate contract talks with SHIP, Novaporte Wind Canada could apply for use of the vacant greenfield site once a call for expressions of interest is issued.Article content“When I look at SHIP, and what Albert (Barbusci) and Membertou (Chief Terry Paul) have been working, they see the opportunities that could happen in Sydney harbour,” District 5’s MacDonald said. “But some people are saying 12 years is a long time (and nothing is showing for it).Article contentArticle content“I dare say 12 years is not a long time to develop a project of the size that they’re looking to try to execute in Sydney harbour. I think it’s very fair, and I think people within the industry would tell you that to execute a project that size is at minimum 12 years, if not closer to 20 years.”Article contentOTHER PROPONENTS?Article contentMacNeil, however, feels putting out a call for expressions of interest on the greenfield site could attract a potential developer other than SHIP, just to make the playing field fair, he said.Article content“I think it’d be fair to put it out to an expression of interest,” MacNeil said, “and then any proponent could apply or express interest, and then we pick the one that’s best for the for the municipality long term.”Article content
CBRM councillors divided on Novaporte vs. other potential proponents for offshore wind energy development
