Robert’s photographs on the theme of fences focussed on Halifax’s North End. Here he looks across the harbour to Dartmouth, though most of the view is blocked. The chain link fence signals this is private property housing sensitive or dangerous material. What at first glance looks like a white wall in the middle distance may be the rounded surface of a giant oil storage tank. The three striped smokestacks belong to the Tufts Cove generating station. The facility burns coal, oil and natural gas for electricity. Opponents object to carbon emissions from this site and to the release of toxic PM (particulate matter) that contribute to long-term health risks.

There is an irony in the presentation of this image. The controversial power plant is treated as a secret that the public are discouraged from viewing too closely. When, in fact, the facility, with its 500 foot-high smokestacks, is one of the city’s most visible and easily recognizable landmarks.