PORT HAWKESBURY – The ribbon-cutting for a long-anticipated connector trail between the town’s commercial core and a local community college campus coincided with the official unveiling of the provincial funding that helped finance this project and many others throughout the town.

Nova Scotia’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Derek Mombourquette, joined Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton and several other town officials to officially launch the fully-paved active-transportation route between the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre and the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Strait Area Campus last week.

At the same time, Mombourquette confirmed that the connector trail is just one of many projects that will benefit from a $100,000 contribution from the Low Carbon Communities Project sector of Nova Scotia’s Connect2 program. These funds, combined with matching contributions from the town itself and the federal government via the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), will also allow Port Hawkesbury to launch a bicycle-loan program this week, build community-wide transportation supports like bike repair and water stations, and build active transportation extensions to connect residential and commercial areas around the town.

For Mombourquette, whose first job after graduating from university in 2005 was with the team that launched the Canso Causeway 50th anniversary celebrations only weeks later, the September 1 announcement was his opportunity to congratulate Port Hawkesbury on its “absolutely spectacular” growth and success in making all parts of the community more accessible to residents and visitors from all walks of life.

Mayor Chisholm-Beaton was quick to return the compliment, praising Mombourquette and his colleagues within the Department of Energy and Mines, was well as Premier Stephen McNeil, the federal government and other supporters of the town’s activities.

“This is a proud moment for the town of Port Hawkesbury,” Chisholm-Beaton declared.

“Part of our ongoing vision…is the development of an integrated mobility plan for our town. We have welcomed the opportunity to develop an interconnected system of bicycle facilities that is an ‘all ages and abilities’ bicycle network. We have made tremendous strides to connect our town, particularly in low-carbon ways, thanks to the Department of Energy and Mines, as well as support from (the Nova Scotia Department of) Health and Wellness and ACOA.”