Municipalities to Receive Grants for Infrastructure, Innovation, Development

The Province is supporting 23 projects in municipalities across the province with funding for infrastructure upgrades, development and innovation.

The support more than doubles the amount of money available through a program for water, sewer and other priority infrastructure projects.

“The historic investments we’re making in municipalities reflect our commitment to build more homes and stronger communities across Nova Scotia,” said John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “Investments in our municipalities to upgrade water systems, protect against flood risks and enable growth are important.”

The budget of the Provincial Capital Assistance Program has increased to $1.69 million from $690,000, expanding the Province’s capacity for early-stage involvement in municipal infrastructure projects. The program covers up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for priority projects such as water and wastewater assessments, stormwater system upgrades and improvements to water treatment facilities.

In total, more than $2.5 million will be invested through three programs:

• 15 projects under the Provincial Capital Assistance Program will receive a total of $1.69 million
• four projects under the Municipal Innovation Program will receive a total of $558,569; this program funds up to 75 per cent of projects that support innovative approaches to regional collaboration that contribute to the long-term sustainability of local governments
• four projects under the Flood Risk Infrastructure Investment Program will receive a total of $269,431; this program supports investment in infrastructure designed to reduce flood risk, covering up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs.

Quotes:

“Victoria County is very grateful to be a recipient of the Municipal Innovation Program. This project funding will launch a collaborative initiative with our good neighbours in the Municipality of the County of Inverness to design a high-quality waste management service across our iconic region of Cape Breton. From the rugged terrain of Cape Breton Highlands to the sweeping shoreline of the Bras d'Or Lakes and all points in between, our counties share many similarities in their challenges and opportunities. By combining our knowledge, experience and resources, we will aim to develop efficient, long-term waste management solutions that protect both human and environmental health across our beautiful communities.”
— Jackie Organ, Warden, Municipality of the County of Victoria

“The Chapel Street forcemain extension project would not be happening now without the support of the Provincial Capital Assistance Program. It is an elegant solution that will address long-standing capacity limitations, avoid overflow from extreme weather events as a result of climate change, support continued population growth and avoid unplanned budget expenditures.”
— Amery Boyer, Mayor, Town of Annapolis Royal

“East Hants is excited to receive this funding for the Barney's Brook flood mitigation study. This is one of a series of studies we are undertaking to gain understanding and information that is needed to help our communities prepare as we deal with the effects of climate change. Collaboration such as this between both levels of government is key as we face these challenges and we thank the provincial government for partnering in this important work.”
— Eleanor Roulston, Warden, Municipality of East Hants

Quick Facts:

• all of these annual programs are application based
• since 2021, the Department of Municipal Affairs has committed $508 million to building healthy, vibrant communities, including support for municipal infrastructure and for projects that support housing development, climate resilience, transit and recreation projects

Additional Resources:

Provincial Capital Assistance Program grant recipients: https://beta.novascotia.ca/documents/provincial-capital-assistance-program-grant-recipients

Municipal Innovation Program grant recipients: https://beta.novascotia.ca/documents/municipal-innovation-program-grant-recipients

Flood Risk Infrastructure Investment Program grant recipients: https://beta.novascotia.ca/documents/flood-risk-infrastructure-investment-program-grant-recipients