Breton – ZWWBusiness

There isn’t enough business to justify rail line across Cape Breton, study finds

An engineer who helped author a 2023 study into the viability of a rail line across Cape Breton says there aren’t enough businesses on the island that need to ship by train to justify fixing up the crumbling rail bed, bridges and tracks.

Dan MacDonald, of DMDE Engineering, said officials wanted to do a study to demonstrate the need for a functioning rail line without a container terminal project.

To do that, the rail company has said it needs to run at least 10,000 rail cars across Cape Breton Island every year.

At a public meeting in Sydney on Monday night hosted by the Scotia Rail Development Society on Monday evening, MacDonald said the study found existing companies could use just under 3,000 cars and a statistical analysis of trucking in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador found there could be demand for another 3,000 to 6,000 rail cars.

“We’re close,” he said. “We got to 9,300, and I think we’re only one big carrier or one big user of the railway to put that over the top and to develop the economic plan that would make it viable.”

MacDonald said later in an interview the study officially found a range of 6,000 to 9,000 cars annually was possible.

“We think that once we have the rail here, you build it and they will come, that you’ll get closer to the [9,300],” he said.

“I guess the 93 is a bit optimistic, but it’s in the range and that’s the number we’ve been quoting.”

‘We have to tell people what a great port we have’

MacDonald also said officials believe if they can find one more large rail user, they would have the numbers to convince the railway company that a line in Cape Breton would be viable.

He said they are looking out west to Saskatchewan to find a large shipper willing to use a new East Coast port.

“The Cape Breton Partnership has put in an application to Nova Scotia’s Department of Economics to get funding to try and develop this business case, to see about potash, to see about canola, to see about grain,” he said.

“This is just ideas we have here, and we need to market our port and our railway here. We have to tell people what a great port we have.”

The Cape Breton Partnership is an economic development agency based in Sydney,

Pair of Cape Breton businesses soon to close downtown Sydney storefronts

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SYDNEY, N.S. — A pair of Charlotte Street businesses have announced plans to close their Sydney storefronts this month.

On Jan. 6, Port City Grocery co-owners Kat Gouthro-Burke and Devon Burke released a statement via its Facebook account. They announced Port City would close its doors later in January, an announcement they said was unexpected for them.

Two days later, Lillian Company made a similar announcement via social media that it would soon close. A later post stated the physical store would open every Friday and Saturday for the rest of the month — the last day being Jan. 27.

Lillian Company, which makes clothing, candles and other decorative items, said it plans to continue making items for online sale or in other stores.

Lillian Company owner Faith Johnston Gray and husband Rob Gray accept a Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce award in 2022 for “favourite place to shop.” The store will close its physical storefront on Charlotte Street on Jan. 27. Johnston Gray said the birth of her daughter has led her to shift plans for the business, which will remain open online. CONTRIBUTED/FAITH JOHNSTON GRAY – CONTRIBUTED/FAITH JOHNSTON GRAY

Shifting focus to online

In the store’s online statement, owner Faith Johnston Gray said the closure wasn’t a result of a lack of support.

“Rest assured, our brand ‘Lillian Company’ remains firmly in place. Soon, you’ll spot our products in stores across and beyond the island!” it said.

Johnston Gray told the Post the birth of her daughter nine months ago was a major reason behind the physical store’s closure, adding motherhood and the responsibilities coming with the store felt like two full-time jobs.

“When I’m home I feel guilty for not being at the store. When I’m at the store, I feel guilty for not being home. With that, we knew it was time for a change and are excited for the future,” she said.

Opening in 2021, the physical store includes a collection of items from other Cape Breton-based businesses, alongside Lillian Co.’s in-house products.

Over time, Johnston Gray said her business has plans to keep involved in the small business community and help promote other vendors as her Charlotte Street store had. She hopes