QUEENS COUNTY – Mark Furey says there are a number of areas in which the 2018-2019 budget will benefit people in Queens County.
Furey, the Liberal MLA from Lunenburg West, was reacting to the budget the province released on March 20. One of the key areas for Queens County is a promise of a cash infusion to help with repairs to Perkins House.
“With the work that’s been undertaken to date, there’s about an expenditure in the area of $200,000,” said Furey.
He says there’s a pending tender for “structural stabilization.” That tender should be released in late March. On-site repair and restoration work could then begin in May.
The primary structural repair is scheduled to begin this October, with a scheduled completion of December 2019.
“That’s about an additional million dollars that has been budgeted for that work,” he said.
Furey says all areas included in the budget are important.
“It has really been about living within our means. It has been about making the right investments to drive economic activity that positions us as we are today able to make these types of investments.
He says if the present type of fiscal management strategy continues, the current government and future governments will be able to make investments.
“And investments provide services and address needs of Nova Scotians.”
Education
Touching on pre-primary, Furey says North Queens Community School and Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy will be getting pre-primary programs this fall.
“Another area that is being rolled out that will have an impact across the South Shore – Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne County – is the $15-million announcement to support the recommendations from the commission on inclusive education,” said Furey.
He says there will be “direct benefits to classrooms.”
The SchoolsPlus program, which first began in Lunenburg County at Forest Heights Community School, will be benefiting an additional 54 schools.
Childcare
With respect to childcare, the Liberal budget pledged cash for a new childcare centre in Queens County. Furey says there will be a funding commitment coming, and it will be a grant program.
“Existing service providers or new service providers will be able to apply to either expand on their existing operations or to establish new operations,” he explained.
Furey says he doesn’t know what the specific cost of childcare will be.
“The intent and objective is to make those spaces available with government subsidies that support lower rates,” he said.
Business incubator
“There’s $850,000 dollars directed toward incubators in rural Nova Scotia. This $850,000 is specific to Southwest Nova Scotia, and it’s a relationship between the Nova Scotia Community College and Sainte-Anne University in Clare,” said Furey.
He says there is local interest through some startup labs, such as C03 in Bridgewater.
Furey says this is the first time there’s been an investment for incubator startups in the area.
“I’m excited about that simply because of the outcomes we’re seeing with young, creative minds from high school to community college working in the community advancing their ideas,” he said.
Healthcare
Healthcare is an important subject to people on the South Shore, said Furey.
“Expansions and changes at the South Shore Regional Hospital will benefit residents from Queens who often frequent South Shore Regional,” he said.
He says there’s an elevator bank under construction, which is set to be finished in the spring.
“They’re presently in the design for the renovations and construction for the emergency department and the intensive care unit,” said Furey.
The design is scheduled to be finished in the spring, at which time construction should begin. He says if things remain on schedule, construction should take about a year.
“Following that, the design for and construction of the 12-bed dialysis unit that the premier committed to when he announced this project last summer,” Furey said.
Furey says all those things are intended to support access to primary care. He says the government believes this area is a priority.
“We’ve tried to manage our fiscal envelope so that we’re in a position now where we can make investments back in communities,” he said.
