POINT TUPPER - Cape Breton's largest industrial core outside of the Sydney area is waiting to see who will provide fire protection service to the community, following the refusal of Richmond Municipal Council to negotiate a new deal with the neighbouring Town of Port Hawkesbury. 

Richmond County officials released a statement in late June accusing the town of insisting on a 50 per cent increase in the amount the county pays the town on an annual basis to direct the Port Hawkesbury Volunteer Fire Department to act as first responders for any calls that come from Point Tupper, located just inside the boundary line between the town and the county. According to the statement, this would result in the county paying nearly $75,000 to strike such a deal for the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

The Richmond statement also notes that the municipality had hired an independent consultant to conduct a study on the provision of fire services to all communities across the county, including Point Tupper. However, this study's final report did not reach the Richmond municipal offices until mid-May, leaving county officials to assert that Richmond council and staff required more time to examine the study's recommendations and thus could not consider renewing a one-year agreement with the town that officially expired in early July.   

In response, Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton and Chief Administrative Officer Terry Doyle released a counter-statement on June 26, criticizing Richmond County for changing the key provider for what the mayor described as "the Strait area's most valuable industrial asset" three times over the previous three years. 

Chisholm-Beaton also declared that Richmond Warden Brian Marchand was contacted multiple times in the hopes of establishing a further discussion on the issue, but the warden declined the opportunity to hold such a meeting with Port Hawkesbury officials.

Warden Marchand initially showed interest in an interview with TELILE 24/7 but did not respond to further inquiries once it become clear that the Point Tupper fire services issue was to be among the discussion topics. 

In the meantime, Point Tupper will now be serviced by the nearest volunteer fire department to be found in Richmond County. located in Louisdale. The communities are 28 kilometres apart, a distance requiring a minimum driving time of 20 minutes.