Northeastern New Brunswick served as the backdrop for a federal announcement to invest in rural public transit development.
A release says Ottawa will provide more than $1.14 million supporting two public transportation projects in the Chaleur region and the Acadian peninsula.
Acadia-Bathurst MP Serge Cormier announced the funding with Neguac Mayor Georges Savoie and Yvon Godin, president of the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick.
“We have been waiting a long time for this transit system to connect our rural areas,” said Cormier, adding the announcement is an asset in welcoming new residents to his riding.
“Public transit makes getting around easier, reduces travel costs and can even provide a welcome break in the day.”
Officials say the money comes from the $250 million set aside for the Rural Transit Solutions Fund, which aims to develop transit solutions in rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities.
The federal government says the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission will receive over $1 million to acquire six regular buses, one accessible bus and five minivans.
It adds that the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick received a $50,000 grant to study the feasibility of a public transit service in the Chaleur region.
Whether to improve access to jobs, health care and education, or retain youth and immigrants, Savoie said the Acadian Peninsula must have such a service to ensure its viability.
“The addition of a public transit service will facilitate the mobility of our residents in a context of specific demographic challenges,” he said.