Announced in 2007, the project looked to have stalled when the global financial crisis struck, but MIT claims financing is now in place and it is proceeding to acquire the necessary land, including 127 hectares of Crown land that MIT has under option until late October.

Some local commentators remain deeply cynical about whether Melford will ever be built with private funds and speculate that MIT is trying to put together enough of a case to justify significant public investment.]

Announcements about the terminal’s progress are always conditional on other prerequisites being met – the situation seems to be that public land will be made available to MIT to build the terminal, but its private backers will only put money on the table if commitments from lines are in place. Its terminal operator, Maher Terminals, has an undisclosed share in MIT but does not appear to be driving the project with a great deal of enthusiasm.

MIT’s vice president of marketing, Richie Mann, said: “We have had purchase and sale agreements with both the Nova Scotia and Guysborough County (municipal) governments for some time now. We are currently working with both governments to take title to the properties in question, which will clear the way for us to begin construction when ready.”

Mann declined to comment on the conditions that would put MIT in the position of being “ready” to build the terminal. When it is, however, construction of the terminal, 250 acre logistics park and 16-20 mile rail spur is expected to take 24 months.