Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Nouvelle-Écosse 51e 5e Discours du Trône 7 Février 1978 Clarence Gosse Lieutenant-gouverneur LIB Nova Scotia: Speech from the Throne, Fifth Session of the 51st General Assembly, February 7th, 1978 I am pleased to welcome you to this, the Fifth Session of the 51st General Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia. I especially welcome the recently elected member for Pictou Centre. This session is being held at a significant time in the history of our Province. One hundred and eleven years ago this summer, Nova Scotia joined with New Brunswick and the newly constituted provinces of Ontario and Quebec to form the Dominion of Canada. Today there are those who would tear this great nation apart. We in Nova Scotia and all Canadians must do everything in our power to keep Canada united. But the future unity of this country is not the only crisis facing Canadians in 1978. We also face the crisis of unemployment and inflation. Their impact on the Atlantic Provinces is particularly serious. The current high rate of unemployment in Nova Scotia is largely the result of lack of growth in the Canadian and World economy. However, we cannot allow that to discourage us from making the most strenuous efforts to create new jobs. We cannot accept the fact that large numbers of people must be out of work for long periods of time. Most people need work as a source of activity and to provide a sense of belonging to a community, as well as to earn money. My Government is committed to finding new ways to manage our economy, to utilize our resources and to employ people fully without adding to inflation. Nova Scotia has a proud history of economic self-reliance reaching back to the days before Confederation. In view of the economic difficulties that exist today in Canada, my Government believes that the only long term solution to Nova Scotia's economic problems is to move with renewed vigour towards greater self-reliance. To attain this goal we must take new initiatives. We must work together with our fellow provinces in the Maritimes to solve our economic problems. Greater economic self-reliance will not be any easy goal to reach. It will be a challenge, a tough challenge but one that we will meet. The road to greater economic self-reliance will be long but my Government has already taken the first steps. It began several years ago by concentrating efforts on those industries based on the natural resources and geographical advantages of Nova Scotia. This approach will be intensified in the coming year. New energy initiatives are a vital priority of my Government. Nova Scotia will participate as a partner in the new Maritime Energy Corporation. With financial assistance from the Federal Government and the other Maritime Provinces, the Corporation will develop new power sources that will stabilize our electric power rates. My Government has negotiated a commitment in relation to the Corporation which means that the next stage in the exciting development of Tidal Power will proceed. In addition, the Maritime Energy Corporation will give Nova Scotia access to new lower cost sources of generation within the Maritimes. It will eventually tie Nova Scotia into a grid system that could deliver hydro- power from Labrador and Quebec. In co-operation with the Maritime Energy Corporation, my Government will be taking new initiatives to reduce our dependence on imported oil for generating electricity. Coal, hydro and wood will be substituted, where possible, for oil. My Government estimates there are 1.7 billion tons of coals in Nova Scotia, most of it under the sea off the Cape Breton Coast. Nearly 500 million tons of these coals are recoverable with present technology and at prices competitive with today's oil prices, thus guaranteeing our supply for electric generation for many years to come. It is actively pursuing with DEVCO the opening of a new coal mine in Cape Breton as a result of very encouraging findings obtained in the offshore drilling program carried out last summer. The new coal burning generating plant at Lingan is proceeding on schedule and will be operational in 1979. In addition, my Government will be directing the Nova Scotia Power Corporation to speed up its oil to coal conversion program and as well other new coal-fired electric generators will be constructed. My Government wishes to express its satisfaction that the Wreck Cove hydro-electric project is now virtually complete with less escalation in construction costs than most other major projects in Canada in recent years. This project will provide a source of energy which will be unaffected by increases in oil prices. My Government endorses and actively supports the proposal by the Quebec and Maritimes Pipeline Company to build a pipeline connecting Nova Scotia with western sources of natural gas. My Government has launched a program to encourage energy conservation by consumers and has expanded its own program of internal Government conservation. Estimates indicate that consumption of energy in Government buildings will be reduced by 10 percent in the first year of this program and more in future years. Sales taxes on equipment such as solar heating equipment, windmills and hydraulic wood splitters will be eliminated. Offshore drilling for oil and gas is continuing in the Sable Island area under a $45 million joint program between Petro Canada and Mobil Oil Ltd. The Government is optimistic that during the current year additional drilling activity will take place in our offshore area Education will play an ever more important role on the road to greater economic alf-reliance. In the past year the aims and policies of education in Nova Scotia have been directed toward encouraging a much greater degree of excellence in our students and to provide them with the habits and skills which will create citizens of strong character and equipped to handle our competitive age. We have instituted a study of our vocational school system in association with the Voluntary Planning Board, which will attune our schools to the needs of the business community. In addition, our educational institutions will be encouraged to direct their activities toward resource industries, and such subjects as tourism, marketing, and hotel management. The recent decision by the Council of Maritime Premiers supporting regional funding will have the effect of providing most Nova Scotia universities with substantial increases in revenue over last year. My Government will take vigorous action to ensure that university tuition fees will not be increased for the coming year. In addition, my Government is conducting negotiations with the federal government for alterations in the Canada Student Loan Program and is actively considering methods to ensure that those Nova Scotia students who need assistance in order to complete their university training can be accommodated. In keeping with the desire of all Nova Scotians to contribute to strengthening national unity and recognizing the sizeable number of French-speaking citizens in the Halifax-Dartmouth metropolitan area, a French language school for the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth and the County of Halifax will be established and open in September, 1978. My Government will introduce legislation establishing a Cultural Foundation. While moving toward greater self-reliance offers the best long-term prospects for employment opportunities, there is an immediate problem which requires action. In view of the high unemployment levels we are now experiencing, my Government will announce specific programs in the coming weeks that will create 5,000 additional new jobs immediately. Every effort will be made to ensure that these jobs are useful jobs that will have genuine long-term benefits and make a valuable contribution to Nova Scotia. Most of the jobs will be concentrated in the high priority resource areas of Fisheries, Agriculture, Forestry, Tourism and Mining. My Government will introduce a program of "Jobs in Small Business." This program will provide direct incentives to Nova Scotia-based companies in manufacturing and selected service industries for every new job created. The job must last for at least four months and the subsidy can continue for up to eight months. This program will serve the dual purpose of creating jobs and helping local industry to expand in anticipation of improved economic conditions. The unemployed workers who take advantage of the program will gain experience and acquire new skills; a very important factor for young people who are just entering the labour force. It is also anticipated that by the end of the subsidy period many employers will be in a position to keep the employee on a long-term basis. My Government will introduce a Downtown Development Program. This program will enable the Government to work with municipalities and downtown merchants in communities throughout Nova Scotia to upgrade older commercial areas. This will have the dual purpose of providing employment in clean-up and painting campaigns, market survey work, land clearing and similar projects, while leading in the longer-term to more attractive communities. There will be particular emphasis on towns where tourism is a major factor and where a more attractive urban setting will improve the prospects of retaining tourists and marketing Nova Scotia products. While any community may apply, particular emphasis will be placed on the tourist entry towns of Yarmouth, Digby, Amherst, North Sydney and Pictou. My Government will re-establish the Municipal Employment Program which will provide grants to communities undertaking labour intensive projects. This program will be expanded sharply during the coming year. In view of last year's successful experience, my Government will again offer employable men and women jobs in direct employment sponsored by Government departments through the Job Corps. The Province does not, of course, have unlimited funds for immediate job creation. At the First Ministers' Conference next week, my Government will be pressing the federal Government to continue and expand its job creation efforts with all of the resources it can command. To move toward greater economic self-reliance, we must redefine our priorities, identify new opportunities, make better use of our resources and invest in the future of Nova Scotia by taking advantage of these opportunities. In accordance with this philosophy, my Government will introduce a number of initiatives in the Fishery, Agriculture, Forestry, Tourism and the Mineral industry with special emphasis on Small Business. As another step toward greater self-reliance, my Government will immediately implement a policy to insist that Government departments and agencies financed by the Government substitute Nova Scotia products for imported products wherever possible. An exhaustive review of the purchasing practices of hospitals, schools, universities and other publicly-supported institutions will be carried out to identify opportunities for Nova Scotia products. Ideas concerning the existence of such opportunities will be solicited from the public in a major program soon to be launched. A comprehensive list of Nova Scotia products and those produced in the Maritimes will be published to support local enterprise. My Government will continue programs attracting industrial investment to Nova Scotia and will intensify efforts to expand our export markets for Nova Scotia products with special emphasis on the Eastern United States and the Caribbean area. Small business and local entrepreneurs have a major role in shaping the future of Nova Scotia. Since 1970, there has been a significant shift in Government development efforts in support of local business. Industrial Estates Limited has added a Small Business Loans Program that provides over $1 million in financing small business firms each year. The Department of Development has approved almost $500,000 in grants so far this year to small industries located outside Halifax-Dartmouth through the Rural Industries Program. There are also assistance programs for marketing and design, hiring of graduates of Nova Scotia Business Training Programs, feasibility and marketing studies, and assistance to hire necessary expertise in cases where a firm has management, financial or production problems. The recent decentralization of the Department of Development has markedly improved service delivery in relation to these programs. In addition new programs are being developed, including the new incubator centres for small enterprises. My Government's policy is to clear the way for local enterprise by improving the coordination of government agencies which regulate business or which provide assistance or incentives to investment, and to make every effort to reduce the time-consuming requirements of government. An intensive effort will be made to reduce and simplify the forms, questionnaires and approval procedures faced by the small businessman seeking guidance or assistance. In addition, the Voluntary Planning Board will be asked to undertake an intensive review of those government regulations which constrain small business and to recommend ways of reducing their negative effects. My Government is very optimistic about our fishery and the new 200 mile limit. Depleted fish stocks have already begun to recover, confirming the need to upgrade and modernize the fishery in terms of harvesting, processing and marketing capabilities. It is the opinion of my Government that all the fisheries resources within the 200-mile zone should eventually be caught, processed and marketed by Canadians. In response to this challenge, my Government has initiated detailed planning for the industry. The plan will include fleet development, training programs and facilities, cold storage facilities, harbour facilities, technical assistance to the processing industry, a fisheries industrial park and the development of fisheries in areas and for species presently underutilized. As a result of the initial planning effort, an important step has been taken to provide a Provincial program of financial assistance for the construction of new vessels for the inshore fleet. In addition, my Government has cooperated with the Government of Newfoundland in proposing a very substantial inshore and offshore fleet development program. Further steps in the implementation of the fisheries development plan will be undertaken this year. A $1,000,000 construction program will begin on essential infrastructure including haul-out facilities for ship repair, fishermen's working and storage buildings and berthing facilities which will complement the federal construction program. Assistance will also be made available in the construction of additional cold storage facilities, ice-making and storage, new product development and a range of other onshore facilities and projects. This will serve a dual purpose by also providing immediate jobs in construction in fishing communities around the Province. Marine emergency training will be an important area of expansion this year. In view of increased activity in vessel construction, my Government will take action to transfer the Fishermen's Loan Board to the Department of Fisheries and to amend regulations relating to the Board. This will allow consolidation of planning and improved response to the needs of fishermen. An intensive effort will be made to develop new export markets throughout the world. My Government has over the past several years placed a high priority on the achievement of greater self-reliance in agricultural production. This objective was reflected in the current Federal Subsidiary Agreement on Agriculture which set specific targets in terms of producing in Nova Scotia higher proportions of the grains, beef, pork, lamb and certain vegetables consumed in the province. In view of the current beef situation and opportunities available in the beef industry, my Government will introduce a substantial program to financially assist beef farmers to restructure, improve and develop their industry. Additional initiatives will be taken to ensure that a higher share of the fruits and vegetables consumed in Nova Scotia will be produced here. The Department of Agriculture will work with retailers in the Province and with institutional and commercial purchasers such as universities, hospitals, and restaurants to expand the market for local products. My Government will also work with the City of Halifax to create a permanent home for a farmers' market in downtown Halifax. Opportunities to encourage the development of more small market gardens by providing outlets for farm products will be explored elsewhere in the province. Increasingly, individuals are indicating a desire to save money and to improve their lifestyle by growing their own fruits and vegetables. To assist urban dwellers who wish to grow their own food but who do not have access to suitable land, my Government will provide a program of assistance to municipalities to make garden plots available to the people of their communities. This year, farm lands under cultivation will become exempt from property taxation. Compensation grants will be paid to municipalities through the Department of Municipal Affairs. This tax relief will act as a strong incentive to retain land in agricultural production. Agricultural education and research are important factors in the future growth of agriculture. My Government will expand the facilities at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and will expand the program of agricultural research. The forests of Nova Scotia have been a major source of employment and they will continue to be important to our future. My Government has recently signed a Subsidiary Agreement on Forestry under the General Development Agreement with Canada that provides for expanded forest management, stabilization of the sawmill industry, the establishment of consulting foresters and a program related to the salvage of spruce budworm infested wood. In support of the Agreement, my Government will introduce an Act to provide loans to assist active woodlot owners to consolidate their holdings. This program will keep more forested lands in production and improve income prospects for farmers and woodlot owners. The overall prospects for Forestry are good but the status of Nova Scotia's forests is being threatened by the ravages of the spruce budworm in Cape Breton. Every measure within the Province's fiscal and physical capacity, consistent with sound forest management and public safety, will be taken to protect this vital resource. Forest management programs will be sharply expanded this year. These programs will stimulate more intensive management on the expanding acreage of privately-owned and Crown forest land and will ensure an adequate supply of forest products for future needs. Development of a large-scale forest nursery in Inverness County will commence during 1978. Production from this nursery will facilitate expanded reforestation programs in eastern Nova Scotia. New legislation will be introduced to increase penalties for illegal hunting of deer or "deer jacking" and to protect salmon spawning grounds. In addition, a significant program of stocking of fresh water lakes with fish will be carried out. My Government wishes to respond to the increasing interest of Nova Scotians and visitors to our Province for use of recreational trails. Legislation will be introduced to provide for the establishment and operation of a network of trails through our beautiful woodlands, coastal areas and along inland waterways. In addition to providing new recreational opportunities, the trail development and maintenance programs will provide new and productive employment opportunities. Because of its significant impact and employment potential, Tourism will receive a high priority. We have concluded a Tourism Subsidiary Agreement with the Federal Government which will provide $13.7 million in much needed investment. The Agreement will assist in the development of amenities which will aid in marketing and which will encourage longer visits by travellers. Emphasis will be placed on the tremendous assets which Nova Scotia enjoys in its numerous geographical features and particularly its historical sites and traditions. These priceless assets will be developed for the enhancement of our communities and the employment of our residents as well as for the benefit of the tourist industry. To market the attractions of Nova Scotia, new marketing techniques will be introduced, including a computerized reservation system which will be new in Canada and which will open the door to increased activity through the development of packaged tours. A substantial thrust will be made to upgrade and expand the marketing of Nova Scotia-made crafts both as an attraction to the tourism industry and as a stimulus to community employment. Plans for a Provincial Craft-Marketing Outlet are being laid. Department of Highways signs policy will be reviewed to determine if reasonable additions can be made to better direct tourists to areas off controlled-access routes. Direct grants coupled with an interest rebate program will provide an important stimulus to the development of hotel, motel and support facilities. Efforts to assist campground operators to upgrade their facilities will be accelerated. In addition, hospitality industry operators will be given help in the promotion of their business. Mineral exploration reached an all time high in Nova Scotia in the past year and this is expected to continue in 1978. Special attention will be given to the search for tin, tungsten, lead, zinc and uranium. It is especially noted that all areas of the Province are receiving the benefits of this increased exploration interest. The government is gratified that the lead-zinc deposit at Gays River, Halifax County, will be placed in production. This project represents the first new major metal mine to be opened in the Province in over 30 years and will provide up to 200 jobs during the construction period and 150 full-time jobs thereafter. Work is continuing on the final feasibility of opening a lead mine at Salmon River, Cape Breton County, and to reactivate the concentrating plant at Loch Lomond. My Government will be making every effort to encourage commercial production during the coming year. Disappointing world market conditions have forced the delay of plans by the Cansteel Consortium for massive new investment in the steel industry in Cape Breton. In the meantime, my Government is pleased to have entered into an agreement with the Federal Government for $19.7 million whereby the source will provide almost 80 percent of the capital required to make immediate improvements to the Sydney Steel plant. As a result of the vigorous marketing effort that Sysco has mounted, we are confidently expecting that Sysco's tonnage of sales in the 1978 financial year will be increased by 75 percent compared with 1976. All Nova Scotians can take pleasure in Sysco's achievement in so much improving its relative position when many of the major steel companies in the world are in serious difficulty and competition is particularly intense. The human expression of the achievement is that employment at the plant has increased by three hundred from its low level of last year. This is, of course, only a step in the work that must be done to make the future of the steel industry in Cape Breton secure. My Government is determined that everything that is practicable and sensible for that purpose will be done, and is encouraged both by the efforts of Sysco's management and workforce and by the help of the Government of Canada, which we trust will be further expressed in support of the additional capital that plant modernization will require. While the people of Nova Scotia can provide the initiative and the energy in developing the resources of the Province, there is still a need for financial assistance. In this regard, my Government wishes to commend the support provided through the Department of Regional Economic Expansion. Although improvement is certainly possible, this Department has proven to be a most valuable instrument in the struggle to reduce regional disparity and to help Nova Scotia on its road to greater self-reliance. To assist purchasers of mobile homes my Government last year removed the sales tax on used mobile homes and reduced the application of sales tax to only 50 percent of the value of new units. A second step in the interests of consumers will be taken this year with the introduction of legislation to regulate the sales of mobile homes. During the past year, my Government has taken a number of steps in relation to the status of women. A new Advisory Council on the Status of Women was established. Efforts have been made to appoint women to important posts within the Government and in the judiciary. During this session you will be asked to consider a Married Persons Property Act which will provide in appropriate circumstances for an equal distribution between spouses, upon dissolution of the marriage, of the assets that both have worked and saved to acquire. A new Maintenance Act will also be introduced. An Omnibus Act will be introduced dealing with minor changes of law recommended by the Nova Scotia Task Force on the Status of Women. In view of the necessary restraint on public expenditure my Government will only initiate new social programs to alleviate genuine hardship. The programs approved will be labour intensive and will generate employment opportunities. In many cases they will also enable disadvantaged people to take advantage of opportunities to enter gainful employment. Special provisions for the blind, the deaf and the paraplegics will be introduced. The "special needs" item of assistance available to these disability groups will be substantially increased and the rehabilitation program will be extended to include sheltered employment, day care, assistance with remedial aids and drugs, and a home renovation program to foster independent living. A program of capital grants will be introduced to assist local centres for the mentally retarded which are providing training and employment for approximately 1,000 retarded persons. In the coming year, my Government will introduce a new Homemaker Program. Financial assistance will be provided to communities and social service organizations to enable them to provide such services as cleaning, shopping and cooking of hot meals for the elderly, disabled, and families in crisis. The objectives of the program are to prevent the break-up of families and to enable persons who are elderly or disabled to remain in their own homes and communities. Institutional role studies will be carried out to enable the Government to determine the most appropriate levels of care to be provided in community, regional and provincial facilities. New facilities are being designed to reflect current modes of health care delivery with a greater emphasis on community health, ambulatory care and provision of extended care. An important objective for the Department of Health in 1978-1979 is to expand its health promotion and health education programs throughout the Province. Emphasis will be on the promotion of healthier lifestyles, including fitness, correct diet, dangers of smoking, adequate nutrition and proper maternal and child health. A Developmental Assessment Program for pre-school children will be introduced this year in several areas. This program will identify children with specific health related learning disability problems and provide additional help prior to school entry so that they do not start out their school career at a disadvantage. This program is already working successfully in the Yarmouth area. In acknowledging the difficulty of many areas in the Province in attracting dentists, the Department, in conjunction with the Nova Scotia Dental Society, has established a Dental Incentive Grant Program. The objective of the program is to provide grants to designated communities to assist in the development of dental facilities and thus serve to attract dentists to sparsely populated areas of the Province. My Government places a high priority on the overall physical and mental well-being of Nova Scotians. To assist in creating a better awareness among all Nova Scotians of the importance of proper physical and mental health, my Government has embarked on a motivation awareness program entitled FIT-N.S. My Government will be implementing some of the results of its on-going process of municipal reform, in consultation with the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities. Among the important legislative initiatives that will be forthcoming is a new Municipal Election Procedures Act to update and consolidate the conduct of municipal elections. A number of other significant reforms will be introduced through amendments to the Assessment Act, the Municipal Act, the Municipal Affairs Act and the Towns Act. My Government intends to continue its consultation with municipalities and wishes to publicly recognize the help the municipalities have provided in developing better ways to serve our citizens. My Government recognizes the need for publicly supported transportation. To this end, a program of support for regional urban transit has been initiated. As a result, an agreement has been reached on a regional transit system in the Halifax-Dartmouth metropolitan area. Interim assistance has been provided to Industrial Cape Breton pending the establishment of a regional transit system there. Substantial federal assistance for urban transit is anticipated. My Government will again embark on a major highway program with emphasis being placed on upgrading secondary routes and rural roads. Recognizing the importance of housing and the housing problems faced by certain groups within Nova Scotia, my Government will introduce a number of programs. A pilot program of rental assistance to the elderly and disabled will be initiated. The Government recognizes the desire of many elderly and disabled individuals to remain in their accustomed accommodation rather than be obliged to enter an institution. A substantial program to provide grants for the rehabilitation of existing homes will be introduced. This program will be labour intensive. It will create many jobs while at the same time making a direct and important contribution to the well-being of Nova Scotians. While the Government does not have sufficient funds to assist all of those who need help in this regard it will make available as much funding as the Provincial treasury will permit. Legislation will be introduced to amend the Trade Union Act to provide for cost-sharing of the fees of arbitration. In recognition of the great contribution made to this country by Nova Scotians who served in our armed forces during wartime, a Committee of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly will be established on Veterans Affairs to consider the problems facing our veterans. My Government is convinced of the value of cooperation with the other Maritime Provinces. The recently announced agreement regarding the Maritime Energy Corporation is an excellent example of regional co-operation from which great benefits can be derived for Nova Scotia. As part of regional cooperative efforts, you will be asked to consider legislation that will provide for the adoption and administration of a system for recording information respecting ownership of land and transactions affecting the title to land. It is anticipated that similar legislation will be introduced in the other two Maritime Provinces at this winter's sessions of their legislatures. The benefits of this Maritime effort to all land owners, planners, assessors and others will be numerous. My Government considers the goal of national unity vital to our interests. The national dialogue on the future of Canada will become more intense as Quebec moves towards a referendum on separation. To keep our Country united, all Canadians must be prepared to examine how our Constitution can better serve the people of our nation under today's conditions. My Government is expending very considerable effort in preparing Nova Scotia's position in this national dialogue, so as to protect the interest of our province and contribute to the national well being. To these and all of the other matters which may come before you, I ask your most careful attention, praying that sound judgement and Divine Providence may guide you in all your deliberations and decisions.