A big announcement was made in Antigonish today.
The province will be putting 7.4 million dollars towards energy efficiency upgrades and to construct an active transportation corridor in the county.
The announcement was made by Antigonish MLA and Minister for Health and Wellness Michelle Thompson, and Central Nova MP Sean Fraser at the Antigonish Municipal Office.
Nine community buildings will benefit from these new energy efficiency upgrades.
Nova Scotia will put around $500,000 towards these upgrades and they include the installation of solar panels and replacing heating systems and lighting. The upgrades are expected to begin this year and wrap up in 2027.
6.9 million dollars of the funding will be used for the construction of the active transportation corridor which will run along Trunk Highway 4 for six kilometres to provide safe active transportation for bikers and pedestrians. Construction will begin late this summer and finish in 2026. It will run between Beech Hill Road and Addington Forks Road.
Both projects will create jobs in the region and help to reduce their carbon footprint.
Antigonish County has already worked hard to reduce their carbon footprint, they set up electric car charging stations and they plan to install more in the near future.
Michelle Thompson says, Nova Scotia is a national leader in fighting climate change, and transitioning to more renewable energy sources and encouraging active transportation will bring us closer to the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
