The Federal Government announced $400 million for Active Transportation (READ HERE) for Canadian municipalities. This is generally matched by the provinces and the municipalities to some extent. So there is probably close to $1 billion dollars available for Active Transportation projects across Canada. This funding is there for a reason! We are already seeing communities around us like Antigonish ($18 million, READ HERE), Inverness ($14 million, READ HERE and Port Hawkesbury ($3 million, READ HERE) cashing in on this and providing their residents with life affirming Active Transportation upgrades in their communities. Unfortunately for Districts 9 and 10, the current Mayor made a HUGE mistake in giving 13kms of what was supposed to be a beautiful Active Transportation trail, to the Marconi Trail Blazers (less than 1% of CBRM population) to build an ATV Trail through our beautiful seaside communities. Besides increasing crime in our communities and destroying our environment, killing Cape Bretoners and diminishing our quality of life, the mayor has disqualified us from millions of dollars of federal and provincial funding for this one trail alone. And this was done without a vote in council to change a decade long AT Trail project to an ATV Trail. A Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government to acquire the 13km of railbed was indeed ratified in council on camera for all to see at the end of 2019, but this was explicitly for Active Transportation. The ATV trail was built without a mandate from the community and against the recommendation of Police Services and against the recommendation of a taxpayer funded Engineering firm (READ ABOUT ALL 3 HERE). So why was it done if nobody but less than 1% of the population of CBRM wanted it? 

I expect that CBRM will however announce $15- $30 million in combined funding for Active Transportation for the Sydney Area (Sydney River to Downtown + other) before the upcoming election (or at least by 2026 when the funding runs out) but none for District 9 and 10 because of the HUGE mistake that was made by the current mayor. If the funding is not $15-$30 million then we have something else to talk about.

These are just facts and it is indeed a mistake that needs to be owned up to (ie. accountability & transparency) because it is costing certain communities $millions, even if other parts of CBRM cash in. Cutting one limb off for the sake of the other is not a good municipal strategy of any kind.

There is lots of shame to go around here but the good thing is that it can be easily fixed and we can get back on the federal radar...it just takes a sign, it's that easy. Other communities admitted to their mistake and were then able to fix it. We could have something our community would be proud of and wouldn't be ashamed to show the rest of Canada. The trail could be paved and become part of the Trans Canada trail like other communities across Canada.

Official statement from the current mayor of CBRM (2023), in the Mayor's office, promoting the increased use of ATVs in dense residential areas. This is fact and public. ATVs are killing Cape Bretoners more than ever and destroying our beautiful seaside community but....