A joint investment of C$54 million (US$39.3 million) between the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the province of Nova Scotia and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality will help to purchase six electric buses and construct a new maintenance facility for Transit Cape Breton 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 for the province of Nova Scotia. “Moving to electric transit systems reduces emissions, creates healthier communities and supports our goal of reaching net-zero by 2050.”
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 the province of Nova Scotia’s Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. The plan aims to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future 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.
“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,” said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and MP for Cape Breton-Canso Mike Kelloway.
“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,” said Mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality Amanda McDougall-Merrill.
Nova Scotia has a legislated goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 53 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is providing C$21.6 million (US$15.7 million) for the project while the province of Nova Scotia is investing C$17.9 million (US$13 million) and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is providing C$14.4 million (US$10.4 million).
