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Profiles of projects in Nova Scotia
Granton Abercrombie Road
Project location: Alma, Nova Scotia
The Infrastructure Stimulus Fund provided more than $650,000 towards repairing Granton Abercrombie Road in Alma, Nova Scotia, a small rural community located at the head of the Middle River in Pictou County. This project, now complete, fixed some severe road rutting and cracking, as well as numerous pavement deformations and potholes from Trunk 4 to the railroad crossing near the Michelin Plant.
Restoring this driving surface will contribute to lower fuel costs, improved vehicle emissions, and reduced vehicle maintenance.
Through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the Government of Canada is funding dozens of highway and road projects in Nova Scotia as well as three provincial bridges.
Federal contribution: $650,250
Safe Sidewalk Project
Project location: Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Nestled in the Annapolis Valley, Annapolis Royal is steeped in history spanning over 400 years. As a designated National Historic District, the community receives many tourists.
With funding from the Building Canada Fund's Communities Component and equal shares from the Province of Nova Scotia and the municipality, the St. Anthony Street and Drury Lane Safe Sidewalk project is now underway. New curbs, gutters and storm sewers will make the entire length of the road safer and more accessible to wheelchairs, cyclists and pedestrians.
Previously, neither of these two streets had sidewalks, even though many pedestrians walked along them to access grocery and hardware stores, the fire hall, and other homes and businesses.
"As a citizen of this town," says Carol Littleton, citizen of Annapolis Royal, "I experience feelings of gratitude to staff and council for the work being done on behalf of the citizens of this town."
These upgrades will not only immediately improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists already using this route, it will also help meet the town's priority of reducing its environmental impact by encouraging more residents to use alternative modes of transportation.
Federal contribution: $235,819
Antigonish Route 245
Project location: Antigonish, Nova Scotia
The condition of Route 245, from Highway 104 easterly to Smith Road #3, is poor, primarily due to the riding surface which exhibits moderate to severe rutting, cracking, and numerous pavement deformations and potholes. The road condition does not allow vehicles to use it in the normal manner for which it was designed.
The project involves highway infrastructure improvements including gravelling and asphalt concrete repaving.
Restoring the condition and smoothness of the driving surface contributes to lower rolling resistance, which in turn leads to lower fuel costs and vehicle emissions, less tire wear, engine wear, oil consumption, and vehicle maintenance costs. Smoother roads are also safer for motorists as drivers do not have to swerve around pavement defects or potholes. Rehabilitation of this section of highway will extend road lifespan by approximately 15 years, so it's an investment in safer driving for Canadians. This stretch of roadway provides access to schools, medical facilities, shopping, and cultural locations. The upgrade will contribute to the quality of life of local citizens.
Federal Contribution: $1,116,000
Renewing Church Street
Project location: Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
Along the Annapolis River you will find Bridgetown, home to over 950 residents, Victorian architecture and a proud history in shipbuilding.
A project to renew Church Street in Bridgetown is now substantially complete. Thanks to the federal Building Canada Fund's Communities Component, together with equal contributions from the province and the municipality, the work includes repairing the surface and sub-surface, improving the wastewater collection system and widening the intersection at Granville.
For residents of Bridgetown, this means improved traffic flow, reduced damage to vehicles, better safety for pedestrians and reduced emissions from heavy vehicles idling at the intersection.
"Two-thirds combined funding from the federal and provincial governments under the Building Canada Fund, as well as a loan from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Municipal Infrastructure Lending Program, enabled the Town of Bridgetown to proceed with extensive upgrading to the road and sidewalk surfaces on Church Street," said John Langmead, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Bridgetown. "We've experienced improvements to the wastewater collection system and traffic flow, not to mention minimizing damage to homes and vehicles, reduced danger to pedestrian traffic".
Thought by many to be the "Prettiest Little Town in Nova Scotia", Bridgetown just got even better.
Federal Contribution: $350,869
Mainland Common Centre
Project location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
This project entails the design and construction of a 176,000-square-foot multi-purpose athletic facility that will feature both competitive and warm-up pools, a field house that includes hard-court gymnasium space and a 200-metre indoor track, and space for the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic to provide services to the community. The facility will also host the 2011 Canada Winter Games.
The new centre is being designed to blend community wellness and recreational programming with high performance sports training and competition. The Canada Games Centre's 25-metre, eight-lane indoor pool will be one of the largest in the municipality, perfect for entry-level competition and recreational swimming. There will also be a warm-water teaching pool and a hydrotherapy hot tub.
The new Canada Games Centre will be the largest municipal complex east of Montreal. It will be bigger than both Northcliffe Recreation Centre and Dalplex combined. The Centre will be located on Halifax Regional Municipality property at the Mainland Common on Thomas Raddall Drive off Lacewood Drive. Conveniently located, it joins other facilities on the Common including Halifax West High School, Keshen Goodman Public Library, the Bella Rose Theatre, and the indoor and outdoor soccer facilities.
"The Mainland Common Centre will promote healthy and active living for HRM residents, while providing a wonderful venue for building a strong, closely linked community," said Peter Kelly, Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality. "The Centre will be the heart of the Mainland Common, serving as a sport and recreation destination for the entire province. Together with our funding partners, we are very excited to be moving forward with this much anticipated
project."
Federal Contribution: $12,416,500
Canadian Sailing Legend Gets Overhaul
Project location: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Each summer, Bluenose II—Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador—gives public cruises, and travels to special events near and far, proudly personifying "History under sail!"
This national icon and famous tourist draw has been in need of major repairs for some time. Now, with the help of $4.9 million from the federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund together with funding from the Government of Nova Scotia, its restoration is underway.
The vessel’s interior will be rebuilt to more accurately reflect a 1920's schooner, while new wiring, hull improvements, sewage treatment mechanisms, and a new propulsion system will bring the ship up to current standards.
The refit will take place in Lunenburg, itself a World Heritage Site. The ship is scheduled to be relaunched for the 2012 tourist season.
Federal Contribution: $4,900,000
Coordinated Construction, Reduced Costs
Project location: Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's world-famous south shore attracts visitors from around the world to its picture-postcard-perfect vistas and sheltered bays. One of the best-known towns along this stretch of coast, Mahone Bay, thrives on tourism.
To get to Mahone Bay, visitors usually take the highway winding along the coast, Route 103, then Long Hill Road down to the harbour and its many attractions. But financial pressures associated with upgrading water utility services on Long Hill Road threatened to keep the road under construction for more than one tourist season.
The Town of Mahone Bay coordinated the timing of a sanitary sewer upgrade with the replacement of an undersized water main, so they only had to dig up Long Hill Road once. The project was made possible thanks to a $61,250 investment from the Communities Component of the federal Building Canada Fund, along with equal shares from the municipality and province.
Municipal officials estimate they saved about 15 percent of the total cost of the two projects and extended service to more families and vacant lots slated for development. These are "great improvements for the local residents and increase the town's capacity for future growth," says Derrick MacKenzie, Mahone Bay's Director of Operations & Recreation Facilities. The economic benefits of less disruption to tourism traffic were also important to the community.
Federal contribution: $61,250
Safer Road, Extended Life
Projects location: Princeport, Nova Scotia
Route 236 through Nova Scotia's Colchester County connects several very small villages with each other and larger nearby communities. It also provides a rural escape of sorts for tourists wanting to make the connection between the Trans-Canada Highway at nearby Truro and the north shore of Nova Scotia and the famed Annapolis Valley.
Aware of the rutting and cracking that had made parts of Route 236 unsafe, the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure successfully applied for up to $1,156,500 from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund to help resurface 7.9 kilometres of Route 236 from Princeport to nearby Goss Bridge, both to the west of Truro.
The work involved fixing potholes and cold mill asphalt recycling and repaving. Shoulders have also been repaired. Residents and tourists alike now have a safer road with an estimated expanded life of about 15 years, which should greatly reduce ongoing maintenance in the short to medium term.
Federal contribution: $1,156,500
Weymouth Library
Project location: Weymouth, Nova Scotia
The historic village of Weymouth is located on the southern edge of Digby County. This picturesque village is characterized by beautifully restored heritage homes, acres of pristine forest and miles of spectacular coastline.
Weymouth and its surrounding communities have experienced economic setbacks in recent years with the loss of its largest employer and the closure of a major downtown retail business. As part of a community effort to revitalize the downtown and waterfront areas, the village is getting a new library courtesy of the Building Canada Fund's Communities Component, together with provincial and municipal infrastructure funding.
While generating the highest traffic of any rural library in Nova Scotia, the existing facility was inadequate. The new 307 square-metre facility will provide a spacious program/community room, more reading areas, high-speed Internet access, a separate children's area, and wheelchair accessible washrooms. It will also have twenty-one paved parking spaces, including three for people with disabilities.
The new library's prime downtown location will help serve as an anchor for the other downtown renewal projects, and its expanded services will help attract more visitors to the town. The project will also add economic value by supporting the continuing education of the existing workforce and training for new entrants into the workforce.
A direct impact of the library's expanded hours and new training programs will be the addition of new jobs. "The actual construction of the new library will result in approximately 7,000 hours during construction," according to Trudy Amirault, Library Director, Western Counties. "This is wonderful for us. We are thrilled to be getting a state of the art facility that will reflect what the community needs and wants."
Federal Contribution: $139,300
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