News release

Clean Air Funding Helps Businesses, Municipalities

Environment (April 2008 - Feb. 2021)

NOTE: A list of projects that will receive funding follows this release.


Ten Nova Scotian businesses and municipalities in the South Shore region are receiving more than $570,000 for projects that will help reduce greenhouse gases and air pollutants.

The funding, from the ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change, was announced today, May 28, in Liverpool by Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau.

"The funding for these projects will help Nova Scotia reduce the air emissions that lead to climate change and help make life better for families in every region," said Mr. Belliveau. "As we look forward to Environment Week, beginning Sunday, we are showing genuine leadership in the protection of our environment and the growth of the green economy."

The Region of Queens Municipality is receiving $137,150 toward the energy-efficient construction of the new Queens Place Recreation Centre, as well as $10,000 for an energy audit.

South Shore businesses receiving funding are Clare Machine Works in Clare, Digby Co., which will get $107,000 to develop lobster trap improvements that could lead to less boat travel to set and retrieve the traps and Rainbow Net and Rigging, which will receive $94,000 toward a new facility in Chester to sanitize and repair nylon aquaculture nets.

The Mersey Tobeatic Research Centre will get $56,526 to retrofit a field station to demonstrate a carbon-neutral building.

In other municipal grants, the Town of Bridgewater will receive $105,000 to install solar hot air and water panels for five municipal buildings, and upgrade lighting for the Bridgewater Arena. Other municipalities are receiving $5,000 to $28,000 for an array of projects involving solar hot air and water panels, refrigeration-plant retrofits, installation of wind turbines, and more.

These projects are expected to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by about 17,000 tonnes -- equal to taking 3,900 cars off the road -- and cut more than 450,000 kilograms of major air pollutant emissions, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.

The projects, supported by ecoNova Scotia, with funding from the Government of Canada, further the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act and the Climate Change Action Plan. They will also help Nova Scotia be recognized as a leader in energy efficiency and renewable energy technology.

With this announcement, ecoNova Scotia has funded about 100 projects since it was established in 2007. For more information on the fund, visit www.gov.ns.ca/ecoNovaScotia .


The following is a list of projects and programs receiving funding (total $570,155):

  • $137,150 to the Region of Queens Municipality toward the energy-efficient construction of Queens Place Recreation Centre
  • $106,591 to Clare Machine Works of Clare to develop improvements to lobster traps that could lead to less boat travel
  • $105,670 to the Town of Bridgewater for solar thermal and heating retrofits to five municipal buildings
  • $94,000 to Rainbow Net and Rigging to construct a facility to sanitize and repair nylon nets used in aquaculture
  • $56,526 to Mersey Tobeatic Research Centre to expand and retrofit a field station
  • $27,477 to the Town of Mahone Bay for water and wastewater facility retrofits
  • $20,860 to the Town of Shelburne for upgrades to 10 municipal buildings based on energy audits
  • $10,000 to the Region of Queens Municipality for energy and emissions inventory and audit
  • $6,216 to the Town of Mahone Bay for town hall retrofit
  • $5,665 to the Town of Mahone Bay for fire hall retrofit