Project Ojibwa still in limbo

With the summer well under way there are still no concrete plans on moving the H.M.S.C. Ojibwa that I know of. Dredging still remains a challenge because of the costs involved and the approval from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has still not been received. A special meeting was held on Wednesday June 29, 2011 in the Council Chambers to discuss an RFP (request for proposal) for dredging of the harbour. Council concluded that the Municipality decline to make an RFP submission for the dredging project. This decision was due to "Concerns were raised regarding the extent of financial risks involved and the ability of the Municipality to meet the criteria." My interpretation is there is no point in doing an RFP if you do not have the money or the approvals to dredge. Bayham council has left the dredging costs up to the military museum to cover in exchange for the land where the sub would sit. Estimates for the dredging have been about $1.4 million which is a hefty sum for a museum that operates on a tiny budget. The museum has said they had approached various banks regarding financing for dredging. Of course I don't know of too many banks that are willing to lend money for a business with very little revenue and a business plan that myself and many others have not even seen. To think that a bank is going to lend this kind of money for a project with no guarantees is laughable.
I think Bayham did the right thing by placing the onus of dredging on the museum. They have basically gotten themselves out of saying no to the military museum by placing the sole financial responsibility on them for this project. The fact that they are not willing to do an RFP due to the financial risks and the lack of approvals tells me this project is not going to happen. Of course I have been wrong before, I did not think the museum would get this far and never expected the CAF funding to be extended. If you think my interpretation is wrong or have any comments on this please post something on this blog. Admittedly I do not know what is going on behind the scenes at Project Ojibwa and I am merely speculating at this point. However as I have said previously it is the lack of information that makes me into a skeptic and no one has been able to answer any tough questions regarding the project. Anyways thank you for reading my blog lets hope to get some conclusions for this project in the next few months.