February 17, Sheet Harbour Lions Club 1 pm - 3 pm

February 17, Sackville Canadian Legion 6 pm – 8 pm

February 19, Liverpool Fire Hall 12 pm – 2 pm

February 19, Yarmouth NSCC Campus 6 pm – 8 pm

February 20, Digby Fire Hall

Food for thought:

In terms of economics, our industry is directly and indirectly responsible for some 6300 jobs - mostly in rural Nova Scotia - and about $490M of our provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP). What is of particular interest to many is that our average weekly wage (over $1000 per week) is number one among the resource sectors. The industry's total payroll is $96M per year and we pay some $1.9M in municipal taxes per year. $490M to the GDP of the province which of course pays for hospitals, schools, roads, community centres, etc.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources notes that studies have proven every dollar invested in exploration returns $3 in economic investment.

Mining seems to be the forgotten economic pillar – we are hurting too yet no government funding to pull us through these economic times.

Mining is in rural areas where stimulus is needed most.

A problem not much talked about is that many governmental decisions concerning the Province are based on the views of the suburban/metropolitan population of Hfx/Dart/Bed/Sack and other metropolitan/suburban areas. Most of these people seem to appreciate parks and protected areas but do not understand the economics of rural populations and their reliance on natural resource usage and development. It can probably be guaranteed that with any vote or opinion poll on natural resource usage, the thoughts and desires of rural populations for resource development will be drowned out by the 'park weighted' suburban population.