FALL RIVER: Accessing neighboring communities is about to get a lot easier, and a lot more environmentally friendly, thanks to a large government grant received by the RiverLakes Greenway Consortium.
On behalf of Energy Minister, Michel Samson, Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank MLA, Bill Horne, announced $20,000 in funding from Connect2,the province’s sustainable grant program, to go towards completing a portion of a new sustainable transportation project.
The project, which will eventually connect the Halifax Harbour to Carrolls Corner, via 50 km of foot path, and then connect to the Trans Canada Trail, is set to be competed in March 2017. This grant, along with an additional $60,000 from the Halifax Regional Municipality, will help The Shubenacadie Watershed Environmental Protection Society Trails, or SWEPS, complete the section of path that connects the Blue Hill Coach trail to Canterberry Lane in Fall River Village.
“Right now if you live on Canterberry lane, your options are to walk about five or six km, or jump in your car and drive to Fall River, now with this little connector you can hope on your bike and be in the heart of Fall River in about 10 minutes,” said SWEPS Chair, Bob Guscott, as he explained the many benefits of the trail system.
The Connect2 provincial grant that will help fund the project aims to create and promote active transportation options for trips of two kilometres or less between community hubs across Nova Scotia.
“It’s going to be a fantastic trail,” Horne said at the announcement, which took place at the Gordon R. Snow Community Centre in Fall River, “It encourage people to get some exercise, businesses will see some more traffic, people will be in better shape, be more involved in the community, get out and enjoy the nature- it’s great for people to have that kind of ability to use these kinds of facilities.”
This particular leg of the trail is not only a step towards completing the active transportation project, but it’s also a way of preserving the areas history as it runs along the original and historical route of the Cobequid Road, which Guscott says, 200 years ago, would have been the equivalent to Hwy. 102, or “the main drag”.
“We’re really excited that we found this little piece of history of that original road and we have a trail on it, it’s now protected forever,” said Guscott.
There are more projects set to be announced in the upcoming weeks.
