CANSO – Upgrades are coming to Canso to encourage area residents and visitors to explore the community and attract potential investors.
Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway announced $103,781 in funding for Canso – through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) – Jan. 28. The monies will go towards upgrades to Main Street, as well as the downtown park and waterfront areas, including new signage, beautification of Sailor’s Rest park and the creation of a Stan Rogers-themed geocache experience.
“Economic development in small rural communities is a key component of provincial growth, of our countries growth,” Kelloway said during the virtual announcement. “And I’ve always been impressed, sincerely, on the work of Guysborough municipal council, when it comes to community development.”
Speaking of Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) council, Kelloway said, “There is an enthusiasm, there is a focus on development, there are plans in place and there’s people who care … from a community standpoint and an economic standpoint.”
MODG Warden Vernon Pitts said of the federal support, “This allows us to undertake a fair amount of work in this community of Canso; in fact, it’s right in the core, the very heart of the community … it makes this project much easier to lift, when it comes to us as a municipality.”
The project could not have come at a more poignant time, as the former Town of Canso marks 10 years since it dissolved and amalgamated with the MODG in July of 2012.
Pitts said of the amalgamation outcome, “That’s been positive for all parties involved, not just the community of Canso, but for the MODG as a whole. Ten years, it’s hard to believe that 10 years passed so quickly. Like growing pains ... we got through the first 10 years; I don’t think there’s too much blood on the floor. We continue to get along well; we’ve been partnering these last 10 years with various groups in Canso, as well as enhancing their infrastructure. I think it has been a win-win situation.”
