Nova Scotia town trying to regift light armoured vehicle it doesn't use

A Nova Scotia town is trying to regifta beast of a military vehicle that was bestowed on the communitysome four years ago.

New Glasgow Mayor Nancy Dicks said talks have been underway for the past six months to offload the town's unwanted Cougar a '70s era, light armoured vehicle to Halifax.

"There's been some conversation between our departments on the possibility of us basically gifting it to the Halifax police department," she said.

Gift from Ottawa

The New Glasgow police department acquired the Cougar back in 2013 when former Conservative MP Peter MacKay was serving as national defence minister.

"It was a gift from Ottawa," recalledCoun. Jack Lewis, who was chair ofthe police commission when the vehicle rolled into town.

"At the time, I guess, we just didn't want to say no."

MacKay, a native of the town of 9,000, was featured in several photos alongside the Cougar and the town's now-defunct emergency response team.

Drives like 'old tank'

Lewis saidwhoever wants the vehiclecan have it for free.

Besides Halifax, he said there's been an expressionof interest from the Cape Breton Regional Police Service.

He warns the Cougar isvery difficult to manoeuvre.

"Inside you have to drive with mirrors,but if you stick your head up through a hatch you can drive without the mirrors," Lewis said.

"It drives kind of like an old tank."

Rarely used

Dicks saidthe vehicle has been gathering dust in a public works warehouse in New Glasgow andonly comes out once or twice a year.

"There really is not much use for it in Pictou County," she said. "There hasn't been any need for it since we were gifted it."

Plus, having the imposing vehicle in the small townis worrisome for residents "in the sense that it sort of seems somewhat of a militarized kind of piece of equipment," Dicks added.

Halifax police somewhat interested

Chief Jean-Michel Blais of the Halifax Regional Policesaidhis force is in the market for that type of vehicle,but he's not yet sold on the Cougar.

Blaisshares theconcerns of New Glasgow's mayor, who said sheworriesabout the appearance of anover-militarizedpolice force.

However, Blaissaid the Halifax forcecould use a vehiclemeant towithstand long-gun fire and it could be used to rescue injured people in specific situations.

He cited the failed plot to open fire on people at the Halifax Shopping Centre in February2015. Two people were arrested in connection with the plot before the attack could take place.

"These are the types of things that you pray to God never occur," said Blais, who's asked an investigator to take a look at the Cougar.

"But we wouldn't be doing our duty if we didn't properly plan on being able to deal with something like that."