HALIFAX, NS, June 20, 2025 /CNW/ - The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is getting an exciting new addition after a combined investment of more than $6.5 million from the federal government and the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation.
This funding is supporting the creation of a new Boat School, currently under construction, which has been integrated into the Maritime Museum site on the Halifax waterfront.
Once complete, museum staff will provide workshops and programming in boatbuilding and sail training at the new facility for larger numbers of at-risk youth from the Mi'kmaw, African Nova Scotian, and immigrant and refugee communities, as well as young women. Programs for the Boat School are currently run out of smaller boat sheds on the Maritime Museum site, part of the Nova Scotia Museum family, which limit the number of youth who can take part.
Due to its location over the harbour, the new Boat School will be exposed to possible flooding and hurricanes. As a result, the construction will incorporate climate resistance features, including being built high enough to withstand sea-level rise and strong enough to survive a Category 2 hurricane. The building will also incorporate energy-efficient features such as triple-pane windows and a high-efficiency heat pump system. The facility is projected to meet the standards of the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC).
Quotes
"The new climate-smart Boat School will be a welcome addition to the Halifax waterfront, providing opportunities to share the traditional maritime skills of boatbuilding and sailing with a wider audience of youth from diverse backgrounds. When we invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, we ensure that what we build is protected now and into the future."
Shannon Miedema, Member of Parliament for Halifax
"Our Foundation has been inspired for years by the passionate commitment of Maritime Museum leaders and staff to creating a Boat School for kids-at-risk from marginalized communities throughout Nova Scotia. Sharing this Boat School dream and its community values with our generous donors, led by the Province of Nova Scotia, the Government of Canada's Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program and Irving Shipbuilding, has led to an outpouring of financial support for the Boat School's construction and its programs which has been both breathtaking and humbling. To this point, private sector companies, foundations and individuals have contributed $4,686,000 to the Boat School project; $3,061,000 for Capital and $1,625,000 for Program."
John Hennigar-Shuh, President, Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation
Quick Facts
- The federal government is investing $3,269,400 in this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program, while the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation is contributing $3,275,000.
- The GICB program was created in support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan's first pillar by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate change.
- The program launched in 2021 with an initial investment of $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades.
- Budget 2024 announced an additional $500 million to support more projects through GICB until 2029.
- At least 10% of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.
- For more information, please visit the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada website at: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program.
- The funding announced today builds on the federal government's work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying jobs and strengthen local economies.
Associated Links
Green and Inclusive Community Buildings
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/gicb-bcvi/index-eng.html
Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html
Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html
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Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Sofia Ouslis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; John Hennigar-Shuh, President, Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation, [email protected]
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