Sydney Steel Corporation Business Plan 2004-05
The business plan is composed of the following sections:
- Mission
- Planning Context
- Performance in Prior Year
- Strategic Goals
- Core Business Areas
- Budget Context
Mission:
To safely clean up and redevelop the former Sysco site to a productive,
self-sufficient business property, providing opportunities for future
economic development.
Planning Context
Sydney Environmental Resources Limited (SERL)
Sydney Environmental Resources Limited (SERL) was incorporated under
the Nova Scotia Companies Act on July 10, 1990. It replaced the
former Sydney Tar Ponds Cleanup Inc. SERL's mandate was to decommission
the physical assets of the former Sydney Tar Ponds Clean-up Inc;
secure Nova Scotia's land holdings within the Muggah Creek Watershed
and Sydney Steel Plant (Sysco) site; assist in decommissioning Sysco
and industrial structures on adjacent lands; and provide labour-related
services to the
management of Sysco and the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency (NS).
Consistent with its mandate, SERL has provided substantial labour-related
services to Sysco since the decision to liquidate the remaining
Sysco assets and remediate the site. Approximately 400,000 hours
of employment for former steelworkers have been coordinated through
SERL.
The security and maintenance of the cogeneration facility, commonly
referred to as the incinerator, was a large part of SERL's operation.
Toward the end of the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the corporation completed
an internal assessment of the overall physical condition of the
incinerator. The review concluded that the facility had depreciated
to the point that it was no longer economically viable.
On March 4, 2004, the Province of Nova Scotia announced its intention
to decommission and liquidate the incinerator. As well, the government
stated its intention to combine the operations of SERL and Sysco
to better coordinate the remaining decommissioning work at the Sysco
site.
Sydney Steel Corporation (SYSCO)
Steelmaking started in Sydney under the ownership of the Dominion
Iron and Steel Company Limited in 1901. Over the next several decades,
various private-sector companies operated the plant. In 1967, Hawker
Sydley, the last private operator of the steel plant, announced
it was leaving. The Government of Nova Scotia stepped in and took
over the ownership and operations to avert the looming closure and
serious economic consequences that would have resulted for Industrial
Cape Breton.
As a result, the Sydney Steel Corporation (Sysco) was officially
established by an act of the Nova Scotia Legislature and led to
more than 30 years of government participation in the operation
of Sydney Steel. During that time, the plant experienced many ups
and downs.
Ultimately, several factors, such as changing technology and the
condition of the world steel market, forced the end of Sydney's
steel industry. Through the 1990s, government made several attempts
to sell the plant to private owners. Despite these efforts, the
last attempt concluded unsuccessfully in January 2001. Government's
attention then turned to securing pensions and severance packages
for workers. It commenced demolition and a site cleanup process,
the selling of Sysco assets, and development of a plan for the future
of the property.
Today, Sysco's key activities include demolition, site cleanup,
the sale of scrap steel and slag and the redevelopment of the site
as an industrial park.
Beginning with the 2004-2005 fiscal year, the operations of SERL
and Sysco have been combined. Accordingly, the planning for future
activity of the two organizations has been integrated.
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