Nova Scotia election: Liberals promise to improve cellphone services and highways
Nova Scotia's Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone coverage and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.
Party leader Zach Churchill made the announcement Thursday during a news conference in Halifax, saying a Liberal government would spend $60 million over four years to build 87 new cellphone towers.
"Our cellphone coverage is in a really terrible state right now," he said.
Churchill said that money would be in addition to the $66 million the Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year through the Crown corporation Build Nova Scotia.
"Cell service will be expanded to make sure that in every area where we can have cell coverage, where it makes sense, we will," he said. The priority will be along the province's major highways, where he said coverage gaps are a safety issue.
In July, Premier Tim Houston's Progressive Conservative government announced it would spend $18.6 million to add 27 new provincially owned telecommunication towers in areas that don't have cell service. Another four new towers were promised in October 2023 when the government announced it would spend $47.3 million to start its Cellular for Nova Scotia Program.
At the time, the government said there were about 20,000 civic addresses across the province without access to the cellular network and more than 1,000 kilometres of primary roads in cellphone dead zones.
Meanwhile, Churchill confirmed Thursday that the Liberals want to complete the province's 100-series controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.
"Our roads are in deplorable shape," Churchill said, citing Statistics Canada data indicating that Nova Scotia has the worst maintained provincial roads in the country. "Only 27 per cent of our roads are in good condition." Churchill said the Liberals would add $40 million to the province's $500 million capital budget for highways.
The leaders of the three main political parties were spending much of Thursday preparing for a televised debate, scheduled for broadcast at 6 p.m.
Churchill was scheduled to take on Houston -- who is seeking a second term in office -- and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
For more Nova Scotia election news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trump picks former congressman Pete Hoekstra to be ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.