GUYSBOROUGH — With almost $900,000 in new provincial funding, municipalities in Guysborough County will get to work on critical infrastructure that’s a key to their growth, local officials said last week.
Four projects for the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG), Town of Mulgrave and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s received funding through the Municipal Capital Growth Program of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the province announced June 14 at the MODG’s council chambers in Guysborough.
The funding – which will be matched by the municipalities, bringing the public investment to nearly $1.8 million – includes nearly $500,000 of a $997,351 project cost for the MODG to complete streets, sidewalks and sewers at the Cutler’s Brook Estates subdivision in Guysborough; nearly $260,000 of $516,544 to protect and develop the waterfront at McNair’s Cove in Mulgrave; and just more than $131,000 for two projects totalling $262,799 for St. Mary’s to modernize its water treatment system in Sherbrooke.
At the announcement, MODG Warden Vernon Pitts said that the provincial funding will help the municipality go ahead with much-needed new housing.
“This funding being announced today for the Cutler’s Brook Estate Subdivision project will allow for multi-unit housing development in the municipality and will go a long way in addressing the housing shortage… Adequate and affordable housing is a fundamental component of the municipality’s sustainable approach to growth and development.”
Mulgrave Mayor Ron Chisholm said the money for McNair’s Cove – an historically important gathering place for the community that’s deteriorated in recent years – will help rejuvenate the spot as a “draw [for] residents, boating enthusiasts, tourists and [people from] neighbouring municipalities… Many visitors will be left with a strong, positive impression… and will consider moving to Mulgrave.”
St. Mary’s Warden Greg Wier welcomed the provincial investment in its new waterworks as “essential for growth… increasing our capacity for housing [including] a new and re-developed Sherbrooke long-term care facility, and, hopefully, a great future use for the existing long-term care building.”
According to Pitts, addressing the housing shortage continues to be a priority for MODG.
“In 2022, when the municipality amended the land use planning documents, effort was made to allow for a diversity of housing types to provide appropriate housing options for a wide range of residents, including families, seniors and low-income households,” he said, noting that the municipality has since “entered into” agreements with both Atlantic Edge Properties of Antigonish and the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia (HTNS) for parcels of municipal land.
Atlantic Edge recently completed a 36-unit apartment building for individuals 55+ on Church St. in Guysborough, and is on track to build more multi-unit residential buildings, targeting families, at Cutler’s Brook.
Meanwhile, Pitts said, MODG’s “donation of two parcels of land in the [Cutler’s Brook] subdivision to the [HTNS] for the construction of two four-unit townhouse style buildings for a total of eight new residential units targeting healthcare workers… and [a] donated parcel of land in Canso to [HTNS] for a multi-unit housing development… also target[ing] healthcare workers… will directly support and complement the municipality’s efforts over the last few years in attracting and retaining doctors and nurses.”
Speaking on behalf of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr, Guysborough-Tracadie MLA and Minister of Agriculture Greg Morrow said: “Guysborough County is renowned for its natural beauty. People want to live here, and we are committed to collaborating with municipalities to help them continue to grow.”
In an interview with The Journal following the announcement, he added: “There’s definitely a sense of excitement in the area. There’s lots of good things happening right across Guysborough-Tracadie.”
The Municipal Capital Growth Program, announced in February, is a one-time $102-million investment in projects that support the infrastructure needs of Nova Scotia municipalities for housing, climate change adaptation, public accessibility and civic growth.
Alec Bruce, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal