The Lower Sackville area in Nova Scotia has access to a new section of trail, according to a news release from the government of Canada on Saturday.
The federal, provincial and municipal governments combined to spend $680,000 to add 1.5 kilometres to Beech Hill Trail, making it a 2.9-kilometre gravel trail in the Sackville Lakes Provincial Park.
Darrell Samson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development, said the trail is a great addition to the park.
“The federal government is investing in active transportation networks across Canada to make it easier, safer, and more convenient for Canadians to navigate their communities without their cars, reducing greenhouse gases and increasing opportunities for movement in our everyday lives,” Samson said.
Mayor Mike Savage of the Halifax Regional Municipality said the trail will help more people connect to nature and stay active.
MLA for Sackville-Cobequid Steve Craig said the funding will provide access to people of all ages and abilities to “environmentally friendly ways to move around the community.”
“Providing greener and cleaner ways to get from place to place helps Nova Scotia continue to be a leader when it comes to responding to climate change,” Craig said.
The federal government will provide $237,642 in this phase of the project through the Active Transportation Fund (ATF). The provincial government contributed $94,000 and the Halifax Regional Municipality will spend $205,000.
In addition to the contributions from each level of government, The Sackville Lakes Park and Trails Association contributed $136,701 and the Trans Canada Trail contributed $15,000.
