Cape Breton's Magazine

ish--so most priests were opposed to sep? aration. The only place you get evidence of any reaction toward or against separa? tion in Inverness County is down around Judique and Port Hood. The priests there, Alexander MacDonald and others, are anti- separatists, and they won't let their peo? ple sign a petition. So the separatists try to make inroads sub rosa; we have let? ters of merchants writing to merchants-- S. G. Archibald from the Sydney-North Syd? ney area trying to get Wm. McKeen on the Inverness County coast to use his economic clout. (But all very civilized.) Oh, yes. No war. No rebellion. It's all rallies, meetings, elections. It's interesting that later, when we get the labour troubles, we do go into rebellion. But I don't think we go in? to rebellion here because I don't think the Cape Breton personality is set yet. The Scots haven't been here l6ng enough. The loyalists and the businessmen are still big here--the English. The French are controlled by the Jerse5nnen, and may not know what's going on. (And these men, while they wanted to rebel against this issue, did not want to rebel against the system.) Certainly not against the Crown. There is great faith in the British Con? stitution at the time--tremendous faith.... (Which, had it been followed, we would still be a separate colony.) Actually, that's right. Because after all those peti? tions, they hire lawyers in England, they make trips over--and it is finally brought to the Privy Council in England. In the 1840s they realize they've got to face ?? this problem in the Colonial Office, be? cause the annexation is illegal. And they recognize that it is illegal. And the rea? son for this being so important is that, during the 1820s, for the first time large amounts of capital had come in, the Gen? eral Mining Association was founded. It is not because we're now annexed to Nova Sco? tia- -the capital would have come in anyway at that time. It was the first vast infu? sion of outside capital to Cape Breton since Louisbourg. And if we had been a col? ony it would have been tremendous, because the money brought in steam engines to pump out mines, clean out the water, take out the coal--engineers and technicians came-- they began spending hundreds of thousands of pounds. And if we'd have been a separ? ate colony, the royalty from the coal would have come to Sydney, to Cape Breton. And every cent of that royalty went in? stead to Halifax. In fact, so much money came in that coal became a chief source of income for the whole Province of Nova Sco? tia. Some of it found its way back here in roads, I suppose, but Cape Breton was so far behind the rest of Nova Scotia after annexation, because for so many years we couldn't build our roads--and such a huge population had come in, much more than the rest of the province. It was a developing area. The money was needed here, and yet it was distributed across the province. BRETON MOTORSI TOYOTA SALES-PARTS-SERVICE Dodd St., Sydney. Phone 539-8930 A tremendous stock of new Toyota cars and trucks. Toyota Corollas Toyota Tercels Toyota Celicas Toyota Trucks, 4 X 2 and 4 X 4 and the All New Diesel Landcruiser QUALITY USED CARS! Present this ad to BRE? TON MOTORS in December, 1980, for $100 worth to? ward new or used car purchase. Overlooking the Margaree Valley at the Junction of Route 19 and the Cabot Trail In the Summertime, we are a Full-Accommodation Lodge featuring Spacious Rooms, Dining Room & Lounge, Golf, Swimming Pool, Camping. Fresh & Salt Water Fishing. BUT THE MARGAREES ARE BEAUTIFUL ALL YEAR 'ROUND, SO: COME TO OUR NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY! There will be a limited number of tickets, a buffet served, some accommodation open, and live entertainment. Bring in the New Year with us, and for the rest of the winter, check with us about weekend en- tertainment: Margaree Lodge & Motel 248-2193 Margaree Lodge Lounge 248-2616 . , .?, A ' CAPE BRETON SHOPPING PLAZA -- SYDNEY RIVER -'A MIKt H NnwWP ArPvS MAYFLOWER mall --GRAND LAKE ROAD 'M''!'' I I >iv-rvv vvv'/-Aiww pQ'j HAWKESBURY SHOPPING CENTRE -- PORT HAWKESBURY yJUOliO ?? ALL OPEN 'TILL 10 PM DAILY ?' • 'i"o • l''oTlT?c''.! B (42)