Kelly Regan

After hearing from Nova Scotians during province-wide twinning consultations, government is investing an additional $390 million in capital funding over seven years to improve highways without the use of tolls. The additional $390 million will allow the province to add three sections of twinned 100-series highways to the existing highway plan. Government will also build the Burnside Connector. All four projects will be complete within seven years.

The provincial and federal governments are investing $1.3 million to fund a new one-year Down Payment Assistance Program. The Down Payment Assistance Program is designed to help modest-income Nova Scotians who are pre-approved for an insured mortgage from an accredited lender, but struggle to save for the required down payment because of their income.

Twelve communities across Nova Scotia are welcoming 23 new nurses. As a result, up to 14,000 more Nova Scotians are gaining access to primary care. Thirteen nurse practitioners and 10 family practice nurses are joining existing collaborative care teams across the province.

Nova Scotians should be proud of our province’s vibrant history of social enterprise, an emerging sector that strengthens communities, creates jobs, engages youth, grows entrepreneurship, attracts investment, and helps better our society and environment.

The sportfishing season is now open and Nova Scotians are encouraged to head to one of the province’s waterways to take part. Sportfishing in Nova Scotia generates more than $58 million annually and has a large impact on the province’s rural economies. Last season, general and salmon fishing licence sales totaled over 69,000, up 16 per cent from 2015.