Transformative investment in water and wastewater infrastructure in the community of Inverness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inverness, Nova Scotia, March, 17, 2023—Today, representatives of the Government of Canada, the Government of Nova Scotia and the Municipality of the County of Inverness announced a combined investment of more than $24 million to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure in the community of Inverness.
Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton–Canso; the Honourable Allan MacMaster, Deputy Premier of Nova Scotia and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Inverness; and Bonny MacIsaac, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Inverness, made the announcement to a packed assembly at the Inverness Volunteer Fire Department.
The project announced is amongst the largest infrastructure projects in a community in Nova Scotia. It is the largest infrastructure project that the Municipality has ever taken on.
Mike Kelloway MP in Inverness NS, announcing more than $25 million of investment in the community of Inverness.
While the Municipality owns an estimated $186 million of water and wastewater assets, a recent report indicated that $103 million investment is required over the next 10 years to improve and maintain the current status of the infrastructure and associated level of services to residents.
The required costs are significantly higher than the national average, and the bulk of the infrastructure deficit – above 40% – is in the community of Inverness. The assessment identified the Inverness wastewater treatment plant as a priority for replacement due to its age, condition, and operational deficiencies. Additionally, the report demonstrated that the distribution systems are in exceptionally poor condition.
Community of Inverness
Estimated Asset Replacement Value $ 48.5 million
Estimated 10-year investment cost $ 42.6 million
80% of linear assets in Inverness very poor condition
87% of sanitary sewer in Inverness very poor condition
77% of watermains in Inverness very poor condition
The work is both necessary and a priority for the Municipality.
Staff of the municipality were among the packed audience at Inverness Volunteer Fire Department to hear the announcement.
As part of a coordinated infrastructure approach, the Municipality also identified the planned resurfacing of Central Avenue in Inverness by the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works as a tremendous opportunity to replace the undersized and failing linear water and sanitary sewer mains along the main transportation corridor in the community.
Inverness is a community on the rise, and the project unveiled today will ensure system capacity to manage existing and projected future flows, allowing for sustainable commercial and residential growth.
The Government of Canada is investing $9,764,400 in this project. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing $8,137,000. The Municipality of the County of Inverness is contributing $6,509,600.
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Contact
Joe Carew
Communications and Community Engagement Lead
Municipality of the County of Inverness
375 Main Street, Port Hood, NS B0E 2W0
joe.carew@invernesscounty.ca
+1 (902) 323 0089
Deputy Premier to visit Chéticamp recipient of Community Generator Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8 February, 2023
CHETICAMP, INVERNESS COUNTY – Inverness MLA and Deputy Premier Allan MacMaster will take part in a press event at 1 pm on Thursday 9th February 2023, at the North Inverness Recreation Centre Association (NIRCA) in Chéticamp, one of the recipients of the Community Generator Program.
The Community Generator Program is a fund created by the province of Nova Scotia in September 2022 in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. The provincial contribution is worth $656,000 in Inverness County.
“People in our communities are always there for each other,” said MacMaster. “These generators will ensure our gathering places are warm and welcoming, especially when we need them most.”
The Municipality of the County of Inverness has committed over $253,000 to purchase and install generators in 19 designated community comfort centres throughout the County.
The community comfort centres equipped with generators will be able to serve as gathering spaces for community members when the need arises, for example in the case of power outages due to extreme weather. The investments have been targeted with attention to population distribution within the County. Remote areas, such as Meat Cove at the northernmost point of Cape Breton Island, have also benefitted from the investment.
“Thanks to this investment from the Province and the Municipality, residents and visitors of Inverness County can be reassured that there will be a safe, warm and welcoming space nearby where they can shelter and connect with others in the community, if the need arises,” said Inverness County Council Warden Bonny MacIsaac.
Registered Nova Scotia non profits or Legions which own their own premises were eligible to apply for the fund. The fund recipients in Inverness County are as follows: the fire halls in Blues Mills, Lake Ainslie, West Bay Road, Whycocomagh, and Valley Mills; the Community Centres in Glendale, Cranton Cross Roads, and Meat Cove; as well as Port Hood Food Bank, the Whycocomagh Waterfront Centre, the Inverness County Centre for the Arts, North Inverness Recreation Centre Association, the Mi-Carême Interpretive Centre, West Mabou Hall, Judique Hall and Creignish Hall.
Applications for the 2023-24 Community Generator Program are open now and close on February 14.
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Media contact:
Keith MacDonald
CAO
Municipality of the County of Inverness
375 Main Street, Port Hood, NS B0E 2W0
keith.macdonald@invernesscounty.ca
902.787.5999
Have your say in the municipal electoral district boundary review
Did you know that Inverness County has 6 council members, each elected in a separate polling district?
Now the Municipality is holding a review to see whether the current polling districts and number of councilors are working for the County.
On Monday January 16th, 2 public consultation sessions are happening online to let residents have their say on the current and proposed council and polling district boundaries.
The sessions are at 4-5pm and then 7-8pm. Sign up here to join in and let your views be heard.
• 4pm – https://tinyurl.com/4pmBoundary-review
• 7pm – https://tinyurl.com/7-PMboundary-review
