Cape Breton Regional Municipality unveils $1B capital plan, seeks federal, provincial support

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is planning to spend $1 billion over five years.

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) unveiled a $1-billion, five-year capital plan at a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday.

“We just gave the mayor and the chief engineer the ability to go and do applications for these large projects,” said Coun. Gordon MacDonald.

The money would go towards road and sidewalk upgrades, sewer and water systems, renovations to Sydney’s Centre 200 and a new library.

However, the plan depends heavily on funding support from the provincial and federal governments.

“Especially on the big projects like the Northside wastewater, the New Waterford wastewater, the money for the (new) New Waterford rink,” MacDonald said.

The major tenant at Centre 200 - the Cape Breton Eagles - has been pushing for years for arena upgrades.

“New seats, maybe some more lounge space, maybe some more hospitality and convention space,” said Eagles president Joey Haddad.

Haddad said in addition to replacing all of the building’s 40-year-old seating, renovations would make room for at least 500 additional seats.

“It’s our prerogative to get this project really off the ground and running, and finish it in due time so that we can host the Memorial Cup for, say, the grand opening in 2027-28, hypothetically,” Haddad said.

Another item on the list is an active transportation path along the abandoned rail bed behind Kings Road in Sydney.

“For cyclists, walkers, it would be a dream come true,” said Andree Crepeau, president of Velo Cape Breton.

A refurbished rail trail connecting Sydney and Sydney River is something walkers and cyclists have been wanting since the rail line in the area shut down in 2014.

“Would you walk on Kings Road where you get splashed every time there’s a rain storm, or walk down here along the harbour?” Crepeau asked rhetorically. “It would be good for tourists who are coming to visit. It would also be good just for the people who live along here.”

Along with securing a lot of money from other levels of government, the municipality would have to significantly hike its spending.

“It’s a list of priorities,” MacDonald said. “I’m sure not everything will get done but at least we know what we need to go and look towards when it comes to the other partnerships with the federal and provincial governments.”

A spokesperson for CBRM said the capital plan will go before a full meeting of council on Sept. 16.

Mayor Cecil Clarke was not available for an interview on Wednesday.

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