Government Of Canada Investing In Green Energy & Infrastructure For Kejimkujik
The Government of Canada announced today that they were investing $10 million in improvements in federal infrastructure projects and almost $600,000 to support greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts and investment in clean technology at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site.
“Nova Scotians are so fortunate to have Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site in our backyard. When we are on the other side of this pandemic, we all look forward to welcoming back visitors from all over the world to experience the outdoors and learn about our Canadian heritage. These substantial investments our government is making with green infrastructure will help ensure that this park continues to offer a sustainable, safe, and breath-taking experience to Nova Scotians and visitors from all around the globe for decades to come.”
Bernadette Jordan, Member of Parliament for South Shore–St. Margarets, visits Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site to learn about the renewed Jeremy’s Bay Campground, including five new Oasis units, and Treasury Board’s solar funding to offset electricity use of the campground. Photo Credit: Parks Canada
Through the federal infrastructure investment program, Parks Canada is nearing completion of significant improvements to visitor facilities for the national park. Visitors to the park during the 2021 season will enjoy upgrades to Jeremy’s Bay Campground including new universal-access, gender-neutral washroom and shower facilities, a new water treatment facility, upgraded power and sewer utilities, and five new roofed accommodations. As well, a brand new shared-use trail system has added 6 km of new trails to the existing park trail network.
Meanwhile, through Treasury Board Secretariat’s Greening Government Fund, the Government of Canada is investing an additional $589,400 to support the installation of a 100-kilowatt array of solar panels – enough to reduce the park’s greenhouse gas emissions by about 17 per cent. The electricity use of campers at the campground will entirely come from the photovoltaic solar array that will generate 100 kilowatts of renewable energy annually through Nova Scotia Power’s Net Metering Program. Over the lifetime of this project, Parks Canada will see a cumulative reduction of about 3,300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is roughly equal to taking 1,035 cars off the road for one year.
Canada’s national parks are a refuge for both wildlife and people. Investing in these locations helps support the health of our natural heritage and creates jobs in our local communities, while providing visitors with high-quality and meaningful experiences across the country. The Government of Canada is working towards net-zero emissions by 2050 to create a cleaner, healthier future for Canadians.
Photo credit for images in this blog post goes to Parks Canada.
