Work at the job in town is becoming increasingly busy and this week we are entertaining the Provincial Government Caucus, including the Premier, Ministers and all the other MLAs. I happen to have known the Premier and some of the other MLAs and staff from a previous life about 25 years ago so it will be interesting to see if any of them remember me.

Late last week there was an announcement that the big paper mill in Liverpool, a neighbouring town about 50 kilometers down the road is closing for good after nearly 100 years of operation. I imagine that all the guys that are out and on their pensions are thanking their lucky stars that they were able to finish their careers while the mill was still in business while the younger ones are wondering what hit them. I guess the writing has been on the wall for the newsprint industry as more and more of our communication is changing over to electronic means. I guess to I am wondering why they can’t convert the mill to coated paper for books and magazines or to making toilet paper or paper towels or paper plates or whatever. That’s what one of the other major firms in Atlantic Canada has done. Irving Paper has a plant that buys up all of the excess pulp from their pulp mills and uses it to make other paper product such as the ones that I have just named. The plants are still in business and the family is making the moola. Why can’t the local plant to something similar?

In Shelburne we are hoping that the government will be making some good news announcements while they are down here such as some business coming to town or funding for the Marine Terminal or some such. We have our fingers crossed. I intend to attend the meet-and-greet tonight at the Osprey Arts Centre hopefully to hear such news or at least to talk to them and ask a question or two.

I have found someone to do some of the stainless here in town so I will be getting them to work on the bow roller extension so I can put the Bruce anchor out there. That’ll be another of the boat tasks done and complete. He is also going to supply me with some channel rod to support the cabin ceiling under the mizzen mast pulpit so it looks like I will be able to get that done over the next week.

Unfortunately the weather forecast for this weekend is not a good one so we are not going to be able to get away for an overnighter to McNutts as I had hoped, but we are most definitely planning for the Shelburne to Lockport Canada Day Race. We are still looking for crew so if anyone is interested....