There have been talks around a commuter ferry between Bedford and Halifax for the last quarter century, and those talks continued at a public information session on Wednesday. “We’re reaching out to community to essentially connect with them. Did we get it right? Is there something that we need to revisit? Is there something that we need to consider as part of our next step in the process?” says Halifax senior planner Dali Salih. The Mill Cove property has been designated by Nova Scotia as a suburban opportunity site and as a future growth area by the municipality. These designations mark it as a priority for transit-oriented development. “This is exciting,” Salih says. “Anything about the ferry terminal project is quite exciting My understanding is that the ferry terminal project itself would be operational by 2030, 2031.” “We’re here today because we’re excited about the development and the project that’s going on in Mill Cove,” says Philip Burchishaw, past commodore of the Bedford Basin Yacht Club, which club wants to be a part of the plan moving forward. “Our focus is to be a part of the project and to help them provide more on-the-water activities for the community and that’s what we’d like to see and be a part of the study. “Obviously, they’re concerned about the residential area and the impact, and I think that’s what the focus of the study is today, but we want to make them aware about the opportunities they have to bring new services to the community.” In March 2024, the three levels of government announced $260 million for five electric ferries, two terminals and a maintenance facility. The plan also includes a new library at the Mill Cove site. Residents of a nearby private development are worried about the construction phase. “We all have septic fields; there’s a couple people with wells. We’re responsible for water distribution so there’s a lot of concerns we have about big development, blasting, high density, right beside us,” Kelly Bentham says. That type of information will be brought to council as the planning phase of the Mill Cove ferry project moves forward. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
