Rebuilding

Cottage Country

2011-05-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well the weather as our wheels hit the red rock was sunny and warm. The dogs started to get restless as they were ready to run not to mention we humans were also ready to leap out of the car. But we still had a ways to drive.

Our first stop was to be the MacIsaac cottage. Jeana's family spent the summers in a beautiful little cul-de-sac shared with 7 other cottages. The middle of them was a field of grass that lead out to a ocean inlet. When we arrived the dogs leap from the car, the cats sighed a relief and the humans stumbled out. It had the feeling of exiting a clown car. People, animals, bags and boxes kept pouring out.

I was feeling a bit like a fish out of water. The countryside was beautiful but something inside me kept me from totally relaxing. I was balancing on a ledge and although the view was beautiful I felt like one wrong move and I would fall onto the rocks on the shore. I couldn't let go of what I left in Toronto.

For a few days I woke and took Sam out to run around a bit, helped Jeana with little project around the cottage I tried to find my footing but deep down I knew this was not working. I needed to go to Charlottetown and find myself. If I stayed here I would be taken care of by my friends family but I would not be able to recover myself. Jeana's father worked in Charlottetown a couple times a week so I planned to join him the next time he went to town.

I knew as soon as I got into the car that this was the right choice. The cottage was beautiful and relaxing but it was not what I needed. The ride was wonderful. Mait had a way of picking your brain and making you evaluate your own life in ways you had not seen before. By the time we got into Charlottetown I was feeling ready to take on this new challenge of living in a small town.

Mait dropped my off at their house in the city and I settled in. After doing a little nesting I grabbed my shades and heading to the boardwalk. This became my afternoon routine walking Sam around the boardwalk.

The ocean air was soothing as it fill my lungs. The sound of the singing seagulls, the sun hitting my cheeks, along with the smiling faces of passers by, gave me hope that I thought was lost.

Day by day I knew I had made the right choice. Then one sunny afternoon I was wandering the neighbourhood when I noticed a duplex that was for sale. It needed a lot of work but maybe this is why I was drawn here. I decided to go home and check out mls to see what the property situation was on PEI and I was to be pleasantly surprised.

Crossing Over

2011-03-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

So there we were, hopped up on too much coffee, not enough sleep, cramped in a tiny car with 8 breathing creatures approaching one of the largest bridges in the world. Could this have added to our awe? It is hard to say. But what a spectacle it seemed to be. I we drove closer to the coast the bridge grew larger and larger. From the different viewpoint as the road weaved closer you could see the bridge was not straight it curled around a little raising up in spots and down in others. I was thinking a little of what it must of taken to build such a beast of a bridge. Who was the man who thought "I am going to build a bridge from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island". I would have loved to be in the room when he said that for the first time. The cars wheels rolled up to the lip of the bridge I pulled out my video camera and started to film.

Here is some of the history on the Confederation Bridge.

Various proposals for a fixed link across the Northumberland Strait can be traced as far back as the 1870s when the province's railway system was developed. Subsequent proposals arose during federal elections in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The ebb and flow of public support for a fixed link was indirectly tied to the varying levels of federal investment in ferry and steamship connections to the province over the years, finally culminating in a proposal in the mid-1980s which resulted in the current bridge being constructed.

Discussion of a fixed link can be traced to George Howlan who called for construction of a railway tunnel beneath Abegweit Passage at the same time as the Prince Edward Island Railway was being built across the province in the 1870s. Howlan also raised the issue as a member of the provincial Legislative Assembly, and in March, 1891, as a Senator and member of a delegation to meetings on the subject, conducted at the British Parliament. The idea lost favor following his death in 1901.

Talk of a fixed link was revived in the 1950s and 1960s, coinciding with federal election campaigns. The topic was raised in 1957, only two years following the opening of the Canso Causeway, and at the same time as another mega-project, the St. Lawrence Seaway was being constructed. A rockfill causeway was proposed to cross Abegweit Passage, with a 300 m (984 ft) bridge/tunnel to accommodate shipping. This plan was rejected for navigational reasons but was raised again in 1962, and in 1965, the federal government, ignoring concerns of the shipping industry, called for tenders for a $148 million fixed link featuring a tunnel/causeway/bridge. Approach roads and railway lines were constructed at Borden and Jourimain Island but the project was formally abandoned in 1969 upon scientific recommendation in favour of improved ferry services.

Due to the extremely complex tidal regime in the Northumberland Strait consisting of diurnal and semi-diurnal cycles, any attempt to close Abegweit Passage would be next to impossible since the tidal cycles on each side of a causeway would be placed at opposites to each other. It is estimated by tidal experts at the Canadian Hydrographic Service, that tidal currents through a gap in such a causeway would be in excess of 18 knots (33.3 km/h; 20.7 mph), powerful enough to counter most commercial ships and to sweep away boulders the size of houses

Consideration of a fixed link was renewed in the 1980s by an unsolicited proposal from a Nova Scotia businessman. The federal government favoured the construction of a fixed link chiefly because of the rising costs of providing ferry service (a constitutional requirement dating from PEI's accession to Confederation) and the increasing deficits being incurred by the railway system on PEI (run as part of Canadian National, then a Crown corporation). The federal government proposed to provide a fixed subsidy for the construction and operation of a fixed link, in return for the province agreeing to the abandonment of the ferry service and the railway system.

Following the election of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, with its agenda for regional development through so-called "mega-projects," Public Works Canada called for formal proposals in 1987 and received three offers. These proposals included a tunnel, a bridge, and a combined tunnel-causeway-bridge.

These developments sparked an extremely divisive debate on the Island, and Premier Joe Ghiz promised a plebiscite to gauge public support, which was held on January 18, 1988.

During the plebiscite debate, the anti-link group Friends of the Island cited potential ecological damage from the construction, as well as concerns about the impact on Prince Edward Island's lifestyle in general, and noted that the "mega-project" model has had limited success in other areas of the world, and rarely enriched the local population. The Friends of the Island believed that a fixed link was being pressured by a federal government not willing to shoulder the cost of constitutional obligations for funding an efficient ferry service, and that a link would be built largely for the benefit of mainland tourists and businesses waiting to exploit the Island.

The pro-link group Islanders for a Better Tomorrow noted transportation reliability would result in improvements for exporters and the tourism industry.

The result was 59.4% [in total percentage] in favor of the fixed link.

The construction, which was carried out by a construction joint venture of Ballast Nedam, GTMI (Canada), Northern Construction and Straight Crossing Inc., started in the fall of 1993, beginning with preparation of staging facilities. Bridge components were built year-round from 1994 to summer of 1996, and placement of components began in fall 1994 until fall 1996. Approach roads, toll plazas and final work on the structure continued until the spring of 1997, at an estimated total cost of $1 billion.

All bridge components were constructed on land, in purpose-built staging yards located on the shoreline at Amherst Head, fronting on Borden Harbour just east of the town and ferry docks, and an inland facility located at Bayfield, New Brunswick about 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Cape Tormentine. The Amherst Head staging facility was where all large components were built, including the pier bases, ice shields, main spans, and drop-in spans. The Bayfield facility was used to construct components for the near-shore bridges which were linked using a launching truss extending over shallow waters almost 2 km (1.2 mi) from the New Brunswick shore, and .5 km (0.3 mi) from the Prince Edward Island shore.

Extremely durable high-grade concrete and reinforcing steel were used throughout construction of the pre-cast components, with the estimated lifespan of the bridge being in excess of 100 years. Their sheer size and weight required strengthening of the soil base during the design and preparation work for the Amherst Head staging facility, as well as the use of a crawler transport system to move pieces from fabrication to storage, and onto a nearby pier. These crawler transports, using specially designed teflon-coated concrete rails, earned the nickname lobsters from workers.

All major components were lifted from the Amherst Head staging facility, transported, and placed in Abegweit Passage using the HLV Svanen, a Danish-built heavy lift catamaran, which during the construction of the fixed link was reportedly the tallest man-made structure in the province. HLV Svanen was custom-built for use on the Great Belt Bridge in the early 1990s, Denmark's largest construction project, and was modified at a French shipyard before working on the Northumberland Strait Crossing Project. Following the placement of the final major component and completion of the bridge structure in Abegweit Passage on November 19, 1996, HLV Svanen returned to Denmark for use in construction of the resund Bridge.

Construction of the fixed link required over 5,000 workers ranging from labourers and specialty trades, to engineers, surveyors and managers. The economic impact of construction on Prince Edward Island was substantial, with the provincial GDP rising over 5% during the construction, providing a short-term economic boom for the Island.

Naming

Since the Island-coined nickname "Fixed Link" was not considered appropriate, and the federal government-coined project name "Northumberland Strait Crossing Project" was deemed awkward, there was a need for a formal name for the structure. Throughout construction, the federal government received suggestions for names and on September 27, 1996, the name "Confederation Bridge" was chosen.

This name is not without controversy as many Islanders feel the word "Confederation" is overused throughout the province, finding use in the name of a Northumberland Ferries Limited vessel (M/V Confederation), a performing arts centre and art gallery (Confederation Centre of the Arts), a shopping centre (Confederation Court Mall), and the province-wide rails to trails system (Confederation Trail), as well as in tourism promotions (e.g., "Birthplace of Confederation"). The preference of Islanders was reportedly to use the name "Abegweit Crossing" which would pay homage to the Abegweit Passage, the vessel M/V Abegweit which the bridge would replace, and to the Mi'kmaq traditional name for the province.

However, at a time when national unity had just been challenged in the razor-thin results of the 1995 Quebec referendum, the federal government opted for a bilingually appropriate and nationally accepted, politically correct name for Canada's longest bridge connecting the mainland portion of the country to the province where the first meetings at the Charlottetown Conference in September 1864 led to the Confederation of British North America.

The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, during a state visit to Canada in 1998, referred to the bridge as the "Span of Green Gables

Finishing

Following the completion of the structure on November 19, 1996, SCI worked throughout the winter to prepare the bridge for use, paving the bridge deck, placing protective walls which act as wind barriers, placing bridge deck and navigational lighting, constructing the Borden-Carleton toll plaza, and finishing the New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island approach roads. In separate construction, the federal and provincial governments built a new commercial and tourist development on the abandoned CN rail yards in Borden-Carleton, with phase I of this facility opening in spring 1997 as "Gateway Village". New Brunswick has never received similar federal support to improve the economy of Cape Tormentine, which has become a shadow of its former role in PEI transportation history, although in recent years a new eco-tourist and visitor centre was opened on Jourimain Island near the western end of the bridge.

Official opening

The official opening for the bridge took place on May 31, 1997, with the first traffic crossing at approximately 5:00 p.m. following a nationally televised ceremony which aired on Cbc and included a sailpast of the schooner Bluenose and several Canadian Coast Guard ships, a flyover by the Snowbirds, and an emotional farewell to the beloved ferries which made their final crossings that evening. It is estimated that almost 75,000 people participated in a "Bridge Walk" and "Bridge Run" during the hours immediately prior to the opening for traffic.

In the days following the opening of the bridge, ferry operator Marine Atlantic disposed of its four vessels. The ferry terminals and docks in both ports were removed over the summer of 1997.

Operation

The bridge is operated by Strait Crossing Bridge Limited (SCBL), a subsidiary of the Strait Crossing Development Inc. consortium which built the structure. SCBL privately manages, maintains and operates the bridge until 2032, after which time such operations will be transferred to the Government of Canada

The Government of Canada agreed to an annual payment of approximately $44 million for 33 years to Strait Crossing Development Inc., this being the subsidy which was formerly paid to Marine Atlantic to cover operating losses of the ferry system. These payments are in effect a mortgage and are being used by the developer to pay off construction costs. In 2032, the bridge's ownership will revert to the federal government.

All tolls charged by SCBL are profit for the consortium with toll increases indexed to inflation and regulated by the federal government. The consortium has rarely commented upon the profitability of the bridge, however upon the structure's 10th anniversary, it was revealed that there had been a 30% cost over-run in construction ($330 million), which the consortium is forced to cover out of toll revenue since the federal government ferry subsidy is used to pay for the original tendered price ($1 billion). Operating costs for the bridge have also proven expensive, with warranty repairs for asphalt adherence and the complete replacement of all bridge deck lighting cutting into profits. Toll revenues have fallen over 30% since the bridge opened, largely explained by declining tourism traffic and domestic travel and currently range from $25 to $30 million annually. After expenses in 2003, the consortium received a year-end dividend of $2.6 million.

A low-power information radio station transmits from a pier near the centre of the span. CIRB-FM broadcasts travel warnings and weather alerts, along with traffic reports related to the bridge and visitor information pertaining to Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Effect

The number of tourists visiting Prince Edward Island increased from 740,000 in 1996 (the year before the bridge opened) to 1,200,000 in 1997,although this has dropped off somewhat to stabilize at around 900,000 visitors annually. The number of visitors actually staying in overnight accommodations in the province has decreased below pre-1996 levels, as many visitors are now choosing to tour PEI and its beaches and attractions in "day trips" out of Moncton or Halifax before continuing to tour the rest of eastern Canada. Prince Edward Island has responded by building high-end attractions such as golf courses to encourage increased spending by tourists during their shorter stays.

Where the link has made a difference is in the export of food from Prince Edward Island's agriculture and fishing industries. Potato production has increased dramatically, with industrial farming techniques being used to meet the demand. An increased number of food processing plants, creating items such as french fries and potato chips, have also benefitted from access to the increased potato crop and the ease of transporting off the island. Time-critical seafood has also increased exports from Prince Edward Island since 1997.

The island has also witnessed a revolution in its retail sector since the opening of the Confederation Bridge. Prior to 1997, big box stores could only be found in larger centers in the Maritimes such as Halifax, Moncton, or St John. Prince Edward Island had a larger number of smaller, family-owned retail stores than other provinces, with few shopping malls and less selection of consumer goods. The opening of the Confederation Bridge was viewed with concern by government and the retail sector alike, as many thought Islanders would use the quicker transportation connection to drive to Moncton for many large-item purchases. While there was a small increase in the number of off-Island shoppers, the provincial government established a program of encouraging big box retailers to establish in the province, including elimination of provincial sales tax on clothing and footwear, resulting in a plethora of chains choosing to build stores on the Island. Correspondingly, many smaller locally-owned stores have gone out of business in one of the more visible impacts since the opening of the Confederation Bridge.

As a way of further promoting the island's new accessibility, the province issued vehicle license plates from 1997 through 2006 that featured a likeness of the Confederation Bridge between the serial number. With valid registration, these plates remain visible on the road today.

So Just to give you an idea of the size of the bridge if you had started to cross the bridge when you began to read this you would now be half way across.

When I hit the half way point that is when it hit me "I am starting over" Was I going to love it and make some roots? What was in store? Would I fall in love with this little town? Finally I allowed the excitement to set in and my heart released somehow. I don't think any of the other 7 creatures in the car noticed but I started to cry a little. I kept the camera close to my face as there was no where for me to go and I don't cry in front of people but it was coming out. I was letting my heart open a little again and it needed to my goodness it needed to.

Getting Ready to Hit The Road

2011-03-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

Every time I a plan to hit the happy trail I get this little tingle in my stomach. Excitement fills my heart. Visions of what the future may hold as my travels take me to places I have not yet seen. Or thoughts of revisiting old friends and places that previously brought me joy. Every time but this time. This time all I could think about was getting away from this place that I was in. This windowless box that was filled with hate, fear and distrust. The constant looking over my shoulder.

I could tell it was even affecting Sammy. She was more protective of me than she had ever been. Not wanting to let me out of her sight and thankfully much more cuddly. In the face of hard times there is nothing greater than the unconditional love of a 4 legged friend.

Focusing on my construction contracts as they needed to be completed by the time we left, I blocked every emotion from my mind. Good and bad, I was numb. But I did get a lot done, 3 fences, 2 gates, 1 support wall and the repairing and faux finishing of a cement front porch. I was given two 7 by 4 windows by a previous employer and was itching to design a project around them, so on top of the construction jobs I designed built a sun room for my backyard. I did not realized it at the time but the act of designing and building was calming my mind and my heart started to open a bit again.

By chance I rented my house to a fellow traveler. Before I left she wanted to chat about the trips we had taken and trade stories. I let her know I was far to busy but we should grab a coffee on my returned. This was not true. Meeting new people was not yet something I was ready for. But I did get a good feeling from her and rented the house to her. That was a start anyway.

Slowly so slowly the leaving day came. The plan was to head to my friends place in the morning pick up the rental pack them up go to my place pack up my stuff and off we go. But it was not going to be that smooth. They had not packed yet. And they still had to say goodbye to a bunch of people. Looking back it was quite hilarious. At the time I was totally frustrated. So I waited trying to be patient. Not one of my virtues on a good day. I arrived at 10am and we left their place at 2:30pm. When we got to my house we loaded in my things and were on the road. I had Sammy at my feet a kennel with 2 cats behind me with a dog on top of the kennel and a dog in the back. 3 people 3 dogs and 2 cats. Madness. To add to the tension I thought I would have a 3rd of the space in the mid size car and because I was keeping Sammy at my feet I would have more space for stuff. My logic was was one person with one pet sharing with 2 people with 4 pets. This did not sit well with the group. So when we were packed in and on the road at 4pm in rush hour traffic needless to say no one was really happy with the situation. But we all put on our happy pants and endured 16 hours of allergies truck stops coffee and cat fights. No one died so lets just say it was a successful trip. ;) Would I ever choose to travel that way again... not in a million years. However as the ocean breached the horizon as we approached the bridge that connects New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island I actually started to feel a little lighter.

How it began

2011-03-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

May 2009 to May 2010 was easily the worst year of my life. They say getting in to business with a friend is a bad idea but I was some how convinced that that this would not be the case in our situation. Praise was give to my qualities and I trusted that my talents were held in an equal value. Once my money was invested I discovered this was not the case. I was not considered and equal by my partner and she was gearing up to take advantage of my trust. Luckily I had an amazing business lawyer who after reviewing the partner agreement that "our company lawyer" presented to me explained to me that it was completely one sided and I would be crazy to sign it as it was.

So while I was designing and building the store not only was I getting belittled and pestered to sign a unfair agreement, I was being interrupted by my partners friends coming to look at the store. These people were upset I didn't stop and make them tea (so to speak). Clearly none of these people had ever done construction with a month and a half deadline. The awesome part was when she would come down and tell me to change or add something to the design flip her hair and ask why I was rude to her friends. However, this woman would talk down to me in front of my friends and think it was ok.

My friends would ask me on a regular basis "What is wrong with you? You don't ever let anyone treat you like this." For some reason I would make excuses and defend this woman saying she was just stressed and it would change when the store opened. It didn't.

So there I was 3 months in realizing that I might have to be verbally abused for the rest of my life. Then she hit me with "I don't think you should work in the store. I have been getting come complaints." Mean while I got feed back she was being rude to people my friends had been sending in but that was inconsequential. I couldn't live like this. She closed with "I don't know why everyone just likes me. But not everyone has this." Yes she actually said that out loud. My partner was a completely an oblivious narcissist. There was going to be no way to settle this. She did state she might want to buy me out. So I started to give her option.
Maybe she could pay me rent for the property and she could buy me out of the store.
Maybe I would be an silent investor and get a percentage of the sales.
Maybe she just pays me a percentage on the money I invested.

Nothing was good enough. She took her sweet time as the longer it took us to settle this the longer she would not have to pay interest on the money she would need to buy me out. Sneaky cheeky hair flipping freaky. But I think in the end I am lucky as if she took any of my offers I would still be stuck having to talk to her and quite honestly it still makes me a bit sick to think of having to be in the same room with her. She fooled me so completely.

I didn't trust my own instincts anymore. I was afraid to let anyone close to me. I couldn't trust anyone. I cut myself off from everyone who was important to me. I crawled into a hole and had no interest in coming out. I went out with friends on occasion but my heart wasn't in it. I found I was not laughing at jokes. I was not wanting to dance or sing. I was afraid to go anywhere I thought she would be because I might just punch her it her ugly little face. I was dreaming of causing her pain and that made me laugh. Then I would catch myself and think "This is not who I am" She left me broken.

In May 2010 she signed the papers and bought me out. Freedom from the gong show but not from my distrust and fear. Not long after that a couple of my closest friends asked me if I wanted to join them in PEI for the summer. Without hesitation I said "I'm in"

I rented out my house we rented a car and in June we left for the coast.

Thus the rebuilding began.