Major Infrastructure Upgrades: Main & Vancouver Street

The tender was awarded to Aberdeen construction with the start date moved to spring of 2024

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023 - Yarmouth, N.S. – At last Thursday’s regular council meeting, council approved a construction tender for a major project to replace underground infrastructure and traffic lights at the intersection of Main Street and Vancouver Street. The tender was awarded to Aberdeen Construction for their bid of $2,850,552. The project will be completed in the spring of 2024.

The project was originally planned to begin this summer. However, the construction industry is very busy and competitive at this time. In order to ensure the project tender received sufficient interest and completion at a price within range of the original budget, the tender was adjusted to allow flexibility for the contractor to determine the start date. As a result, the project will now take place next spring, with more precise dates provided closer to actual start of work.

Work to be completed will include full underground replacement of water and wastewater lines, an upgrade to audible pedestrian controllers, traffic lights upgrade, and a road rebuild. In recent years, Aberdeen has completed a number of significant infrastructure projects in the town of Yarmouth including the Parade Street underground replacement in 2021, the Main/Glebe Street underground in 2020, and the Cliff Street underground project in 2017.

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS/HOUSING -- Water, Wastewater Infrastructure Upgrades in Four Communities
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The Province is investing a total of $3.9 million in infrastructure upgrades in Mahone Bay, Yarmouth, Digby and Clare that will help prepare the municipalities for future growth.

“Our municipalities depend on modern infrastructure to be competitive and attract new residents to their communities,” said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr. “By making these investments, we will improve the efficiency of the water and wastewater systems, ensuring residents and businesses have the services they expect and depend on every day and laying the foundation for continued growth for years to come.”

The Mahone Bay project will increase water flow for fire response, support new development and increase the capacity to treat and manage wastewater and stormwater for the more than 70 commercial, residential and institutional properties in the area. The Province is contributing more than $1.8 million.

In Yarmouth, the project will increase the capacity to treat and manage wastewater and stormwater while increasing access to potable water, with the Province providing almost $800,000.

The project in Digby will bring a section of Mount Street up to current wastewater standards and make it possible to service residential buildings that will be built on the vacant land. The Province is providing $780,000.

The Province is investing $520,000 to expand wastewater infrastructure for a proposed housing development on Sunset Road in Meteghan River in the Municipality of the District of Clare in Digby County.

The projects are funded federally through the Green Infrastructure and Rural and Northern Infrastructure streams of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

Quotes:
“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting infrastructure projects that enable communities to grow and thrive. The investment in wastewater infrastructure for four communities in Nova Scotia announced today will help protect our water supply from environmental threats, ensuring that community growth is green and inclusive.”
- Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, on behalf of Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

“This provincial and federal support for planned water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades in Mahone Bay meets an essential capability to move our town forward. Our town water and wastewater systems will be enabled to keep pace with changing regulatory requirements while meeting our community needs and addressing the changing climate. We could not achieve these goals without the support of our provincial and federal partners.”
- David DeVenne, Mayor, Town of Mahone Bay

"We are tremendously thankful to both the federal government and the Province of Nova Scotia for the funding provided for this much-needed project. Upgrading the water and sewer infrastructure in this location is an important part of the work we need to do – work that can only be done when all levels of government work together."
- Pam Mood, Mayor, Town of Yarmouth

“The Mount Street improvements, such as the surface refinishing, sidewalks and upgrades to our water and wastewater, will mean a safer neighbourhood and more opportunities for housing developments.”
- Ben Cleveland, Mayor, Town of Digby

“By way of this project, the municipality is not only investing in its capacity to manage wastewater, it is also enabling the construction of new, eco-friendly housing stock and increasing both the amount and variety of affordable housing options within the municipality.”
- Yvon LeBlanc, Warden, Municipality of the District of Clare

Quick Facts:
-- the total federal contribution to these four projects is $4,752,800
-- the Town of Mahone Bay is contributing $1,489,333
-- the Town of Yarmouth is contributing $639,733
-- the Town of Digby is contributing $624,000
-- the Municipality of the District of Clare is contributing $415,467

Additional Resources:
Federal infrastructure investments in Nova Scotia: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-ns-eng.html

Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing: https://beta.novascotia.ca/government/municipal-affairs