We are calling on the Government of Canada to immediately cease all support of the Maritime Launch Services Canso Spaceport Project. Our community does not support this project, despite repeated assertions to the contrary by our Municipal and Provincial governments, particularly MLA Lloyd Hines. Maritime Launch has been misrepresenting us to the Canadian public, media, Nova Scotia and Canadian governments. On April 11, 2019, MLA Lloyd Hines tabled a petition in support of the MLS Canso Spaceport with over 700 names. It has been used repeatedly to claim our support. Only 293 of those names were members of our community. On April 19, 2021, over a year after it was delivered to his office, and after repeated calls and emails, MLA Hines finally virtually tabled our petition to Stop the Canso Spaceport. As of June 3, 2021 he has yet to file our original 17-page petition with the names of 409 community members with the NS Legislature.

For over 400 years there has been a local fishery off the shores Canso. Today the Canso area boasts a multi-million-dollar fishing industry. This project endangers our history, our traditional way of life, our livelihoods and our environment. It has caused undue stress, animosity and division in our communities. This project has to be stopped.

Maritime Launch Services(MLS) is a start-up company and a project of the Ukrainian Space Agency intended as a vehicle to launch their still in development and untested Cyclone 4M rocket. This rocket will use Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine(UDMH), a highly toxic chemical that has caused health and environmental damage as a result of its use as a rocket fuel. The USA along with other countries have already replaced UDMH as a launch fuel. Its design and business office, Yuzhnoye, has a long history of failed projects and corruption. The proposed launch pad for this project is within 2.7km of local homes, 3.2km from our local hospital and nursing home, and is less than 3km from the The Stan Rogers Folk Festival site. Andrews Island Park Reserve, Canso Coastal Barrens Protected Wilderness Area, Black Duck Cove Provincial Park, Chapel Gully Trail, and Canso Islands and Grassy Island Fort National Historic Sites of Canada are all within 4.5km.

Despite intersecting several Federal jurisdictions, this project received the minimal Provincial Class One Environmental Assessment. On June 4, 2019, the NS Government granted MLS a conditional approval for the Canso Spaceport Project. On March 15, 2021 an extension was granted by Minister Keith Irving, despite the fact MLS made no progress to complete any of the 14 pages of conditions of approval.

Maritime Launch Services has been lobbying the Federal Government for our tax dollars to pay for this spaceport. If this project is permitted to proceed this beautiful pristine area and our way of life will be taken from us.

We, the undersigned, call on the government of Canada to immediately cease all support of the Maritime Launch Services Canso Spaceport Project.

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actionagainstcansospaceport
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ActionAacs
Website: https://www.actionagainstthecansospaceport.com/