Ottawa spending nearly $130M on improvements to Parks Canada sites in Cape Breton, Canso

Nova Scotia

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

A portion of the world-famous Cabot Trail winds through the park, which boasts ocean vistas, canyons, camping and diverse hiking trails. (Parks Canada)

(Image: Parks Canada)

The federal government is spending nearly $130 million on critical infrastructure and heritage conservation projects across Parks Canada sites in Cape Breton and Canso, N.S.

The government says the money will improve public safety, strengthen climate resilience and enhance visitor experiences at some of Nova Scotia’s most iconic destinations.

“National parks and national historic sites in Canada are among our country’s greatest shared treasures,” said Julie Dabrusin, minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, in a news release from the government.

The money supports completed, ongoing and upcoming projects in Parks Canada administered places, including Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Alexander Graham Bell, Fortress of Louisbourg, Canso Islands, and St. Peters Canal National Historic Sites.

“Cape Breton/Unama’ki and Canso are home to extraordinary natural landscapes and nationally significant historic places that are deeply important to our communities and to visitors around the world,” said Jaime Battiste, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, in the release.

“These federal investments help ensure these places remain safe, accessible, and resilient while protecting the natural and cultural heritage that define this region. By investing in infrastructure today, we are helping preserve these special places so they can continue to be enjoyed and appreciated for years to come.”The investment funded projects such as:

• Work on the Cabot Trail and visitor-use areas in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park affected by extreme weather events.
• Heritage conservation work at Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, including the rehabilitation of windows and structural elements of the museum building.
• Improvements to visitor and operational infrastructure at Fortress of Louisbourg, Canso Islands, and St. Peters Canal National Historic Sites.

The government says Parks Canada is responsible for “one of the largest and most diverse federal asset portfolios in Canada, including highways, bridges, trails, canals, wharves, historic buildings, visitor facilities and operational infrastructure.”

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