Rural Atlantic Canadian Development Thread

[pathar_2]

Lots of progress being made at the civic centre in St. Stephen

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by pathar_2

Lots of progress being made at the civic centre in St. Stephen

Is the completion date set for Fall 2013? I can't recall off the top of my head.

[pathar_2]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Is the completion date set for Fall 2013? I can't recall off the top of my head.

I believe so. I've also been hearing rumblings that the rumored hotel thats being built near the civic centre will be a best western

[Smevo]

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/L...ealth-clinic/1

Construction contract awarded for new health clinic

Published on March 4, 2013
Chris Hayes RSS Feed

SYDNEY — Construction of the new Dr. W.B. Kingston Memorial Clinic in L’Ardoise has taken a big step forward with the awarding of a $1.2-million contract to a local company.

Local resident Margaret Morrison, chair of a building committee for the new centre, said the tender was awarded to Point Michaud Construction Ltd.

Construction is to begin by April 1 with a firm completion date of Sept. 30.

A one-storey building, the new clinic will accommodate doctors regularly using the facility, plus visiting doctors and the area’s primary health-care project that develops health promotion and disease prevention programs.

...

[Smevo]

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Busine...rist-retreat/1

Dundee Resort plans tourist retreat
Cape Breton Resorts plans 180 vacation homes

Published on March 14, 2013


DUNDEE — Dundee Resort and Golf Club has plans to develop into a year-round tourist retreat with the support of a new development.

Cape Breton Resorts is planning to construct 180 up-scale vacation homes to be built in phases on lands adjacent to the resort over the next few years.

The housing investment, located in Richmond County, will be known as the Dundee Hills Vacation Village.

...

Preliminary plans are to launch the first phase of the project with 30 lots, with 26 lots having already been sold.

...

There are also plans to tour Richmond County to determine the potential for future investment in the area, says Scott MacAulay, president of Cape Breton Resorts.

...

[JHikka]

Because the CBC only wants to supposedly report negative stories ()...the seniors complex in Sussex is moving along at full-steam. There was an event last night for people who were interested or had concerns. There was an article in today's TJ in regards.

[Smevo]

http://983maxfm.com/news_story.php?newsID=29782

Canso Canal back in business soon

By Greg MacLean. Last updated: 2013-04-11 07:38:40

THE CANSO CANAL, WHICH HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE DECEMBER DUE TO THE ANNUAL ICE BUILDUP IN THE NORTHUMBERLAND STRAIT, WILL RE-OPEN THIS WEEKEND.

945 COMMERCIAL SHIPS PASSED THROUGH THE CANAL LAST YEAR, CARRYING OVER 373 THOUSAND TONNES OF CARGO, MOST OF IT QUARRIED MATERIALS AND FISH. 500 PLEASURE BOATS ALSO WENT THROUGH THE PASSAGE IN 2012. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A WOMAN, DENISE LODER IS THE LOCKMASTER. THE CANAL WILL OPEN AT 7:30 SUNDAY MORNING.

...

[KnoxfordGuy]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Because the CBC only wants to supposedly report negative stories ()...the seniors complex in Sussex is moving along at full-steam. There was an event last night for people who were interested or had concerns. There was an article in today's TJ in regards.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that finds CBC negative. Some days I can't even watch, haha. Global New Brunswick is more upbeat for sure.

[KnoxfordGuy]

The town of Woodstock is expanding its high school theatre, basically doubling the space at the Carleton Civic Centre, and doubling the size of the L.P. Fisher Public Library.

Here are some pictures of the expansion of the library from Grow Carleton. The old part of the library is something like 5300sq ft and they will be adding about 5500sq ft.
http://growcarleton.ca/ Note: I did not take these pictures.

This is the library as it has looked for the last 100 years:



These pictures were taken August 20th, so a little out of date but not much.





These renderings are not mine. They can be found at http://hatchardgoguen.com/project-tow.html

What the new expansion will look like:

L.P. Fisher Library:





Carleton Civic Centre. The right side of the building that is higher than the other part is the new construction:



The expansion of the theatre at Woodstock High School:

[Taeolas]

Thanks for those pics from home. They look great; especially the library. It looks really nice.

The Civic centre's going to be huge too by the looks of it. Hopefully the roof damage isn't slowing things down too much.

The theatre expansion at WHS looks good too; though I have to wonder about doing it now as opposed to the start of summer. Someone really dropped the ball there. My mom's a teacher there, and she's laughed at how often they've had to go out and tell people not to use the main parking lot due to the construction. Is that a new public entrance direct into the theatre there, or is that just for backstage access? It would be nice if they could open the theatre up for shows without having to basically open the entire school (save for fire escape purposes). Then again, they'd need the main hall opened up for bathroom access regardless I guess.

[Dmajackson]

Some good news for the Acadian Peninsula area of Northern New Brunswick. Oxford Frozen Foods (a large company run by the Bragg family) is investing $180 million in a new processing facility and wild blueberry fields at SAINT-ISIDORE.

Source: "Oxford Frozen Foods to Build New Processing Plant in N.B." (October 31st, 2013) - The Chronicle Herald

[MonctonRad]

This is the CBC article regarding this story:

Oxford Frozen Foods Ltd. is investing $184 million to construct a new processing facility and develop wild blueberry fields in northern New Brunswick, company officials announced on Thursday.

The plan is expected to create up to 300 jobs over a 10-year period and contribute up to $8.6 million annually to the province's gross domestic product, officials said.

Construction of the $50-million, 12,600-square-metre plant on the Acadian Peninsula is scheduled to begin in the spring.

Invest NB is providing a $37.5 million interest-bearing repayable loan toward the construction.

As part of the agreement, the provincial government will also exchange with the Nova Scotia company 6,285 hectares of Crown land for an equal amont of private land.

Personal note - This would appear to be a sound investment by the provincial government. I think Oxford Frozen Foods is quite reputable, and it is always best to deal with a Maritime company rather than a carpetbagger from away. Up to 300 new jobs might be created on La Peninsule and presumably some other jobs might come in the way of spin-offs. This news is most welcome for this region and plays to the existing strengths of the community.

[Dmajackson]

Here are some interesting facts about the Oxford Frozen Foods project.

- 300 jobs
- $8.6 million added to N.B.'s GDP
- 15'000 acre land swap with province for better blueberry growing land
- Developing the land will take more than a generation (so this is very long term investment)
- O.F.F. is the world's largest blueberry producer.
- New Brunswick and Nova Scotia produce ~33 million pounds of blueberries per year EACH! Together this is roughly 50% of Canada's total production!

Source: "John Bragg Puts $185 million into N.B.'s Berry Expansion" (October 31st, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

[Smevo]

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/L...ealth-centre/1

Small community celebrates big accomplishment as L'Ardoise opens health centre

Published on October 27, 2013


L'ARDOISE — A dreary, rainy Sunday afternoon outside, it was quite the opposite inside the new Dr. W.B. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre as area residents and government officials gathered to mark the facility's grand opening.

...

The building, which actually opened for business a week before Sunday's grand opening, is now home to three doctors, a nurse practitioner, a family practice nurse, a community health worker, and clerical staff. There will also be blood collection and diabetic clinics hosted at the centre, and various health education, promotion and disease prevention programs will operate out of the facility.

The 5,625-square-foot building cost a total of $1.5 million to construct and equip, with the federal and provincial governments each contributing $500,000 and the Municipality of the County of Richmond putting in $250,000. The community raised $250,000 in a multi-year fundraising campaign. Actual construction cost $1.2 million, and approximately $300,000 was spent on furnishings, fixtures and equipment.

...

[Smevo]

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/L...Point-Tupper/1

Biomass plant offically opens in Point Tupper

Published on October 30, 2013
Staff Cape Breton Post

POINT TUPPER — Just four months into its operation, the Port Hawkesbury biomass plant is already making its mark on the energy scene in Nova Scotia.

...

Company officials, community partners, suppliers, area stakeholders and members of the media were among those on hand for the opening, which included tours of the Nova Scotia Power-owned and -operated plant — from the biomass boiler to a new large turbine.

The $200-million plant, located at the Port Hawkesbury Paper site in Point Tupper, is expected to generate 60 megawatts of electricity a year, enough to power about 50,000 homes. Each year, the plant will consume about 650,000 tonnes of biomass, which will come from a variety of sources, including approximately 20 per cent from Port Hawkesbury Paper.

...

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Busine...al-attention/1

Cabot Cliffs already getting international attention

Published on October 30, 2013


INVERNESS — A planned new golf course for the community of Inverness is attracting international attention.

Cabot Cliffs, a second course planned by the developers behind the successful Cabot Links, is featured in the Global Golf Post, which is delivered electronically to millions of golfers worldwide.

...

[mcmcclassic]

This probably doesn't even count as rural news, but a renovated Irving Big Stop off of Exit 7, highway 102 is almost complete.

[Smevo]

Exit 7...Enfield? or Elmsdale?

[David1gray]

That would be the Big Stop at Enfield. Just before the Airport on the way to Halifax.

[Smevo]

Thanks. Couldn't remember which community Exit 7 went to. I'm pretty sure we stopped there the last time we flew in/out of Halifax.

[Taeolas]

I'll have some pictures from Woodstock on Monday, but lots of stuff happening up here.

The new Southern Carleton K-8 school in Bell Settlement is shapping up quite well. Looks like it'll be twice the size of the old school.

The LP Fisher Library expansion is huge. It was dark when I went by but it's really looking good. I hope to get a better view tomorrow.

Haven't been by to see the Civic Centre expansion or the wHS Theatre work yet.

*Edit to add*

I'll post pictures later. Went around Sunday, in the snow. LPFisher work looks great. Really going to change the look fo that area.

The Community Theatre and Civic Centre work are still at the prep/Foundation stages so not much to see there. Didn't take any pics of the High School, but did snap a few civic Centre pics.