UNCLE GNARLEY IS GONE FISHIN’

For the
next couple of days I will be fishing in Labrador, on the large, beautiful and
bountiful Eagle River. 

I
won’t stop in at Muskrat Falls, this time.  Usually,
I hike down over the North Spur and sit on a large boulder, conveniently situated
on the embankment. I like to witness and feel the majesty of the Falls.  Its wonderment is indescribable. 

What
strikes the visitor is not just Muskrat’s size or the constancy of its thunder; the
vibrations which are conveyed through rock, sand and mud, are telegraphic, seemingly sending a titanic warning of the River’s unspeakable power. 

To a
businessperson, especially one who assesses risk and reward differently than
does the Board of Nalcor, the latter using funds that are not their own, the permanent
damage to ‘Grand River’ cannot be ignored. 
Even one, whose secular preoccupations leave little room for spirituality,
cannot possibly be satisfied just to calculate the Falls’ megawatt capacity.  What, in the end, will be the cost of needlessly
offending the spirit of something so majestic when other, less costly options, were available? 
Likely, it will be greater than the pain of impossible economics.

Uncle
Gnarley will be on ‘the Eagle’, too, as will Nav. We will sample a wee dram or a
couple, from the ‘Highlands’.  We will
argue over the ‘nose’ and ‘body’ of each one; its ‘palate’ and ‘finish’.  Which spice is predominant?  Is the peaty flavor overdone? 

Undoubtedly,
we will compare notes, on current politics, argue passionately over the future
of the Province, over bad Government, an inadequate Opposition and a media
preoccupied with pot holes and road kill.

As Uncle
Gnarley builds ‘a head of steam’ over the god awful toll Nova Scotia will
extract from Premier Dunderdale and Nalcor CEO Ed Martin, following the UARB
decision, Nav will yank his chain and pay a terrible price for his feigned
insouciance .

The
fisherman’s incantation: “never let fish get in the way of a good fishing
trip”, will certainly take the pressure off one unpracticed, with the fly.

I’m sure
you won’t mind if I tell Uncle Gnarley you wish him ‘tight lines’.


All that said, the commentary on my most recent Post, JUST DON’T TELL THE NEWFOUNDLANDERS is exceptional.  The comments include those of a professional who has studied the Muskrat Falls Project intimately, including all the Submissions, by Nalcor and the Interveners, to our PUB.  That he prefers to remain anonymous should not deter you; his analysis is thoughtful and evidence based.   Indeed, it is essential reading for all who are worried about the excessive risk assumed by the Dunderdale Government, on our behalf, and who doubt that the rationale for the Project is anything but a convenience to satisfy an over-hyped former Premier and some people at Nalcor.   

My next
Post will be filed Monday, August 12th.

 
         
Des
Sullivan
Des Sullivan
Des Sullivan
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Uncle Gnarley is hosted by Des Sullivan, of St. John's. He is a businessman engaged over three decades in real estate management and development companies and in retail. He is currently a Director of Dorset Investments Limited and Donovan Holdings Limited. During his early career he served as Executive Assistant to Premier's Frank D. Moores (1975-1979) and Brian Peckford (1979-1985). He also served as a Part-Time Board Member on the Canada-Newfoundland Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB). Uncle Gnarley appears on the masthead representing serious and unambiguous positions on NL politics and public policy. Uncle Gnarley is a fiscal conservative possessing distinctly liberal values and a non-partisan persusasion. Those values and opinions underlie this writer's views on NL's politics, economy and society. Uncle Gnarley publishes Monday mornings and more often when events warrant.

REMEMBERING BILL MARSHALL

Bill left public life shortly after the signing of the Atlantic Accord and became a member of the Court of Appeal until his retirement in 2003. During his time on the court he was involved in a number of successful appeals which overturned wrongful convictions, for which he was recognized by Innocence Canada. Bill had a special place in his heart for the underdog.

Churchill Falls Explainer (Coles Notes version)

If CFLCo is required to maximize its profit, then CFLCo should sell its electricity to the highest bidder(s) on the most advantageous terms available.

END OF THE UPPER CHURCHILL POWER CONTRACT: IMPROVING OUR BARGAINING POWER

This is the most important set of negotiations we have engaged in since the Atlantic Accord and Hibernia. Despite being a small jurisdiction we proved to be smart and nimble enough to negotiate good deals on both. They have stood the test of time and have resulted in billions of dollars in royalties and created an industry which represents over a quarter of our economy. Will we prove to be smart and nimble enough to do the same with the Upper Churchill?