Trudeau pledges $86.5M from Ottawa to help build Burnside connector

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau started his morning at the headquarters of a transportation company in Dartmouth, where he announced $86.5 million in federal funding for upgrades to Nova Scotia highways.

Trudeau says the money will help extend the Highway 107 Burnside connector and build a high-speed bypass to connect highways 101, 102, and 118.

The prime minister says the connector will "go a long way in making commutes shorter and safer," adding that its construction is expected to create 150 jobs.

The Burnside connector was previously announced as part of the provincial government's highway twinning plan, which also includes projects along highways 101, 103 and 104.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Lloyd Hines said the province will be spending $110 million on the project, on top of Ottawa's contribution.

Hines said the Burnside project would more directly connect the Burnside business park with the provincial highway network, including highways 102, 107 and 118. Construction is expected to begin this spring and be complete by 2023.  

Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini noted there are almost 2,000 companies and 30,000 workers based in the business park, all of which provides about 13 per cent of the municipality's commercial tax revenue.

"It's an essential economic driver for our municipality and province," Mancini said during a news conference.

Later today, Trudeau is expected to take part in a tour of historical exhibits at the Black Cultural Centre in the community of Cherry Brook.

Black Nova Scotians who say they were racially profiled on Parliament Hill earlier this month are also expected to receive a personal apology from Trudeau during his visit to the centre.

Trudeau began his visit by attending a vigil Wednesday night for a Syrian family that lost seven children in a house fire earlier in the week, before attending a fundraising gathering of Liberal donors at a Halifax hotel.