ACOA announces $2.2M in funding for South Shore of N.S.

Mahone Bay's iconic waterfront area is one of several South Shore tourism destinations that will benefit from federal funding announced Wednesday by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The picturesque seaside town is receiving $248,646 to undertake work on its waterfront and downtown area and make it more wheelchair-accessible.

Mayor David Devenne said the modifications will involve upgrades to the town's bandstand, public restrooms and a new path for pedestrians connecting Edgewater Street with Main Street.

"If you have a mobility issue, if you have a language issue, vision issue, those things will be accommodated," Devenne said in an interview. "No one should be left out of the beauty that our town has to offer."

Gudie Hutchings, the federal minister of rural economic development and the minister responsible for ACOA, was in Lunenburg, N.S., on Wednesday to announce investments of nearly $2.2 million on the South Shore. Three community organizations and a cranberry farm will also receive funding.

Devenne said the work in Mahone Bay will also make the waterfront area more resistant to flooding and rising water levels caused by storms.  

Another group that's getting financial support is the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society. It will receive $165,735 to complete design and cost assessments to renovate the historic Lunenburg Opera House, making it more accessible.

Tom McFall, the vice-president of the society, said the building, acquired by the society in 2019, was built in 1907 without much consideration for accessibility and is in "decrepit condition."

"It's a combination of bringing it forward as an exciting new facility, but also returning it to some of its … character because of what's been done over the years," said McFall.

Planning includes new features such as automatic doors, ramps, elevators and accessible washrooms to accommodate mobility needs, he said.

The Lunenburg Yacht Club is also receiving $45,000 through the Innovative Communities Fund to host the 2024 Mobility Cup later this month.

The Mobility Cup is a unique regatta in Canada that's specifically for people with disabilities, bringing together both new and experienced sailors. 

The money will be used to complete accessibility upgrades needed for the competition, and to train volunteers and promote the event.

The other two investments are for business development in the area. 

Terra Beata Farms of Heckmans Island in Lunenburg County is getting $500,000 through an ACOA program to install more equipment for processing cranberries, rhubarb and haskaps. 

South Shore Opportunities Inc. was granted a sum of $1,227,835 to provide business counselling in Lunenburg and Queens counties for a five-year period.