Page 42 - "Parade of Concern" for Sydney Steel

ISSUE : Issue 58

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/8/1

much (federal) financial backing--behind the scenes, indirectly--as possible. And that's what did take place. (I guess at the same time they were--or were they?--looking for a private owner for the steel plant.) No, not then. There was no time. Two months, really. You're talking two months. The thing was to keep the plant going. (Wa there a precedent?--a steel plant in '*;t * YOUR DREAMS ALIVE DRUG AWARENESS WEEK November 17 to 23 To keep your dreams alive., get involved! all of Canada that was run by a federal or a provincial government?) No. No. No. (May I say it this way: Was there a steel plant anywhere in North America that a govern? ment was running?) No. I doubt it. (So, you have two problems there. One is to have the idea, that the government should keep the steel plant alive.) Yes. (And the second is to convince your commu? nity- -and then, since it's going to be us? ing federal money, an even wider communi? ty, the Canadian community--that there's something reasonable about this idea.) That's right. That's why it became more of a community group organizing the Parade of Concern, rather than just a union group. Because we had the union. It was the other community that we needed to get. And then, the more national, the better. You know, you'd have to give Allan MacEach? en strength, when he would go looking for support in Ottawa. And I think we did that. And then, provincially, we had to sell it to G. I. Smith, and to the provincial peo? ple from Yarmouth and Halifax and Dart? mouth. We take for granted we had our own people. But it was the ones outside of Cape Breton that we had to make sure got the message. (Do you think Cape Breton itself immedi? ately had the message and thought, "Great! Have the government run the steel plant"? Do you think that was an easy task right from the start?) Yes. Not necessarily they all came to the conclusion that govern? ment. .. . But once that proposition was put forward, well, they had to latch onto something. And that was the best idea that came forth.... (Before you settled on March of Concern, did you toy with any other options or any other ways of demonstrating?) No, no, no. The March of Concern, I would say, developed out of everything we were doing. Contacting peo? ple, and interviews, TV, radio, newspapers. And as much publicity as possible. And--what would happen to the coimnunity if this plant closed. See, we were pushing hard on the consequences of the closure. Fully Licensed Restaurant OPEN DAILY 11 A.M. to 1 A.M. FRI. and SAT. till 2 A.M. SUN. till MIDNIGHT Major Credit Cards Accepted Gift Certificates * Ample Parking CflOW VAN f00 A Warm Welcome Oriental and Canadian Cuisine in a relaxed and elegant dining atmosphere Daily Luncheon Specials Banquet Facilities Available Take Out Orders Delivered Excellent Service and Fine Food 1''460 Grand Lake Rd., Sydney 562-0088 or 539-2825

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