Capital Plan Means More Jobs, Better Health Care, Schools, Roads

Nova Scotians will benefit from more good jobs and better health care, schools, and roads thanks to the province's third Jobs and Building Plan.

Finance Minister Maureen MacDonald, today, Dec. 12, outlined capital spending for the province for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The $525-million plan will provide direct employment equal to 3,700 full-time jobs in communities across the province.

"As the province gets ready to capitalize on some of the biggest economic opportunities we have ever seen, we are making smart, strategic investments to grow the economy and create good jobs in communities across the province," said Finance Minister Maureen MacDonald. "Capital investments like these build a strong foundation in our people and infrastructure as we prepare to build ships, develop Lower Churchill, explore the offshore and modernize our resource sectors."

Spinoffs from the Jobs and Building Plan are expected to employ another 2,600 Nova Scotians.

The province is returning to a more sustainable level of infrastructure funding now that federal stimulus programs are winding down.

The Jobs and Building Plan will invest:

• $247 million in highways and structures
• $152.1 million in buildings and land
• $35.2 million in information technology projects
• $14.1 million in vehicles and equipment
• $64.1 million in capital grants
• $12.5 million for potential extra work

"Over the last few weeks, my colleagues visited communities across the province to share details of the Jobs and Building Plan," said Ms. MacDonald. "Nova Scotians learned first-hand that their government is investing in projects that are smart, strategic and innovative that will keep communities vibrant and allow even more Nova Scotians to stay and build a life here."

The province has already announced several Jobs and Building Plan projects:

• $84.3 million will be spent to build, upgrade and modernize Nova Scotia's aging schools in dozens of communities, including Bible Hill, Dartmouth, Mulgrave, Glace Bay and Sydney Mines.
• $23 million on justice facility upgrades, including upgrades to Halifax Law Courts, building the Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility and design for Truro Justice Centre.
• $5.8 million to fund improvements to hospitals in Guysborough and Pugwash, and expand a satellite dialysis facility to Kentville
• $1 million annually to repair and replace aging infrastructure at provincial parks
• $4 million for a multi-year project to make 90 Halifax Regional School Board schools more energy-efficient.

This is the third straight year the province is announcing its capital expenditures before the spring budget. This sends a clear signal of what the province intends to do in the year ahead and gives the private sector greater opportunity to prepare for upcoming projects, bringing efficiencies and cost savings for the province. For a copy of the Jobs and Building Plan visit www.gov.ns.ca/treasuryboard/.