By Nancy Thompson

Since September, residents of Tracadie Cross have been fighting what may seem to some as the battle of their lives -- the battle to save their homes.

What residents are fighting is a government-proposed landfill site in their community.

This proposed dump came as a big upset to the area and how people first found out was even more upsetting. The few individuals who found out about the landfill, were told unexpectedly one evening, by their local MLA , Health Minister Mildred Dover, and Environment Minister Mitch Murphy.

This is a time when people are home relaxing with their families. Dropping in at night is disrespectful towards these people. How would Dover feel if someone came to her home one evening and said a dump was going in her backyard? It seems that she needs a few lessons in etiquette.

Dover should have thought about how she would tell these people. She should've waited until the public meeting was called to tell residents about the mega-dump. At least at this meeting everyone would have been notified at once, instead of spreading it through the community for several days, creating speculation and worry before residents had full information on the topic.

One thing is for sure, these people are dedicated to fighting this dump and won't be bulldozed by anyone, not even the craftiest, smooth-talking politician.

Speaking of attempting to be crafty, Dover doesn't seem to be taking a definite stand on the issue, coming across like a child who can't make up her mind. Maybe this is her way of trying to avoid looking like the bad guy in all this, but it isn't working. It appears she isn't the most favoured individual in the Tracadie area.

What Dover should be doing is fighting against the dump, instead of for the most part supporting it, as many residents feel she is.

By doing this, Dover is hurting herself in the long run. Residents don't seem likely to easily forget such a thing, especially if the dump goes ahead. If an election were to be held tomorrow, she probably wouldn't get too many votes thrown her way.

Some might say in Dover's defence, that she is only doing her job and has no real say in the matter of where the dump goes. The rest of us might say this is a bunch of baloney.

Dover doesn't necessarily have to resign, but she should at least rethink where her loyalty should go. Does she want to help the people who voted for her, or does she want to go along with what the government has proposed?

It seems if Dover wants to keep her seat in the legislature she should fight against the dump. But then why should she worry about it? She lives in Charlottetown.

Tracadie-area residents are taking this proposed dump very seriously. People have, and are still planning, ways to halt this waste-management site, by forming a group called Tracadie Area Residents for Resource Protections, or TARRP for short.

This group, including everyone from a social activist to an entertainer, has been meeting at the Tracadie Community Centre for weekly strategy meetings. Newsletters have been sent to the 460 area residents in an effort to keep people informed about the issue.

Tracadie-area residents are dedicated people and stand up for what they believe in. Their fight against this dump is quite impressive, and the amount of time they have given to it shows just how much they really care about their community.

Although residents are putting up a hard defence, their fight may be in vain. So far the government doesn't appear to be budging on the issue and won't likely change sites anytime soon.