Investing in new transit facility planning to improve public transit services in the Halifax Regional Municipality

DARTMOUTH, NS, Sept. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Darren Fisher, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; Jennifer O'Connell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Pickering—Uxbridge; the Honourable Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables; and Pam Lovelace, Deputy Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, announced over $20.8 million in joint funding for the first phase of the Burnside Transit Centre Eco-Rebuild project.

The project involves improvements to the Halifax Regional Municipality's public transit services, which will result in a faster and more reliable public transit experience. Funding for the first phase will support the planning and design of the new transit centre. The new detailed design of the facility is an important step in developing a plan to replace and expand the existing Burnside Transit Centre with a net-zero facility. Funding will also support studies to determine what is needed to transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.

Once complete, this project will increase the capacity of the Halifax Regional Municipality's public transit system, provide residents better access to public transit, and improve access to clean energy transportation.

The Government of Canada is investing over $6.5 million in this project. The Government of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality are each contributing over $7.1 million to this project.  

Quotes

"Safe and reliable public transit systems contribute to making our communities good places to live, work, and raise families. That's why we're investing over $6.5 million to begin the important work needed to replace, expand, and transition Dartmouth's Burnside Transit Centre into a net-zero facility, ready to accommodate clean energy transportation. By working together with partners, we will continue to support public transit infrastructure across the country so that people can get where they need to go in faster, safer, and cleaner ways."

Darren Fisher, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

"Investing in key public transit projects is integral to the well-being of any community. It connects our residents to work, to school and to each other while creating jobs and positioning our communities for a greener future. Today's important announcement for the first phase of the Burnside Transit Centre Eco-Rebuild project will ensure that residents in the Halifax Regional Municipality will have improved access to a modern, reliable and green transit system in the years ahead." 

Jennifer O'Connell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Pickering—Uxbridge

"Nova Scotia is a national leader in the fight against climate change. Buildings are a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the province. Energy efficient buildings play a key role in reducing this impact,"

The Honourable Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables

"This is an exciting investment for Halifax Transit, and for the residents and visitors of the municipality. This funding supports not only our public transit service by designing and planning construction of a net-zero transit facility for Burnside, but will facilitate our transition to a zero-emission bus fleet as part of HalifACT, the municipality's climate action plan to reduce emissions and rely on clean energy sources."

Pam Lovelace, Deputy Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality

Quick facts

• Federal funding for this project comes from the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
• Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• Over the past 6 years, the Government of Canada has invested more than $489 million in over 150 infrastructure projects across Nova Scotia.
• During that period, over $48 billion has been invested in communities by Infrastructure Canada across the country to support world-class infrastructure projects, including over $24.6 billion for public transit infrastructure projects.
• Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day—ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.

Associated links

Federal infrastructure investments in Nova Scotia

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map

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For more information (media only), please contact: Jean-Sébastien Comeau, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Patricia Jreige, Communications Advisor, Government of Nova Scotia, Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 902-718-7866, [email protected]; Ryan Nearing, Public Affairs Advisor, Halifax Regional Municipality, 902-943-0324, [email protected]; Media Relations: Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: mailto:[email protected]