Green Transit Rolling into Cape Breton

Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s transit system is about to get a lot greener.

With support from the Province, Transit Cape Breton will get six electric buses and a new maintenance facility to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Transportation is Nova Scotia’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and we need to change that,” said John White, MLA for Glace Bay-Dominion, on behalf of Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “Moving to electric transit systems reduces emissions, creates healthier communities and supports our goal of reaching net zero by 2050.”

The Province is investing $17.9 million in the project. The new maintenance facility will serve the current diesel bus fleet and add charging and maintenance infrastructure to eventually support 44 electric buses. It will reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

Electrifying transit is a goal in Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. The plan aims to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all Nova Scotians by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, switching to clean energy, creating a clean economy, making homes and buildings energy efficient and able to stand up to the impacts of climate change, and helping Nova Scotians adapt to the changing climate.

Quotes:

“Taking bold action on climate change simply makes good business sense. It's also the right thing to do for people and the planet. Setting a net-zero emissions target by 2030 while building an up-to-date maintenance and storage facility is innovative and an initiative the Government of Canada is embracing.”

– Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and MP for Cape Breton-Canso, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“This is taking a monumental step towards a greener and more sustainable future. None of this can happen without true collaboration between all levels of government. Proud to be amongst community partners, as well. When we all work together, we all grow together.”

– Amanda McDougall-Merrill, Mayor, Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Quick Facts:

• Nova Scotia has a legislated goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 53 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030
• the project has a total investment of $54 million, with $21.6 million from the federal government and $14.4 million from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality
• federal funding comes from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program

Additional Resources:

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Investing in Canada: Canada’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Department of Natural Resources and Renewables on the X platform (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NS_DNRR