Antigonish will soon see a safer and more accessible path connecting the town’s growing active transportation trail to St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, thanks to a $547,400 federal investment announced on July 29, 2026, at the Antigonish Heritage Museum.
Jaime Battiste, Liberal MP for Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, confirmed the funding through the Active Transportation Fund. The Town of Antigonish is contributing another $364,933, bringing the total to over $912,000 for the Bay Street pathway project. Mayor Sean Cameron and Deputy Mayor Andrew Murray were on hand for the announcement.
The project will build a three-metre-wide multi-use path along Bay Street, replacing a worn-out sidewalk currently blocked by utility poles in some spots. The new path will stretch from the recently finished trail at Main Street to the hospital’s existing pathway network at Marian Drive. A new crosswalk with curb ramps, tactile warning plates, and pedestrian-activated beacons will also be added at Marian Drive to make crossing safer.
“This new pathway is another important piece of our growing active transportation network,” Mayor Sean Cameron said. “It will connect the Town’s recently completed active transportation trail on the east end of Main Street with the hospital’s existing pathway system, creating a seamless and accessible route for everyone who uses it.”
St. Martha’s Regional Hospital serves residents from Antigonish, Guysborough, Inverness, and Richmond Counties, and the new route will give patients, visitors, and healthcare workers a better way to walk or cycle to the facility. The work is part of the larger Bay Street Capital Project, which also includes water, sewer, and road upgrades with $3.476 million in secured funding from federal, provincial, and municipal partners.
Antigonish has been building its active transportation network for years. A 2021 federal investment of over $1.6 million launched the spine connecting West Street to Main Street, and the overall trail plan carries a $4.92 million price tag. The Bay Street multi-use path is expected to be finished as part of ongoing construction in the area.
