In July 2022, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), announced $435,000 in funding through the Innovative Communities Fund to support the implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the Railyard Mountain Bike Park Master Plan. The total project costs are approximately $870,000.

The Railyard Mountain Bike Park, located in the southwestern section of Victoria Park, has grown into an extensive mountain biking network. It offers terrain for riders of all ages and abilities with various trails and skills parks. It appeals to both local riders and tourists.

The Railyard Master Plan, which was completed in 2019, has the overall objective of creating a sustainable and balanced approach to tourism, local development, and community wellness. The Plan balances making the most out of the opportunities for tourism and maximizing the economic impact for the community while preserving the benefits of Victoria Park as an urban green space for all.

Phases 1 and 2 of the project are currently underway. While the project has a large scope it focuses on staff training, trail maintenance, enhancing signage and services, marketing and promotion, and the construction of new trails, washroom facilities, expanding parking and upgrading entrances.

During the winter of 2021, the Town of Truro conducted an economic impact assessment on visitors to the Railyard through the winter months. The survey found that 41% of people using the Railyard during the winter were from outside of Truro, primarily from the Halifax Regional Municipality. The assessment also found that the average visitor to the Railyard was spending approximately $80/day while they were in Truro.

The Town again conducted an economic impact during the summer months and found that 39% of riders were from outside of the Truro area. People who spent the day in Truro spent approximately $69 per person during their visit, while those that stayed overnight spent on average $78 per person, per day. The study also found that almost 24% of all riders were under the age of 18!

View the pdf Railyard Master Plan(5.62 MB) .

Beginning in 2019, the Town of Truro engaged Honeywell to provide a review of Town-owned buildings and the Town of Truro Energy and Facility Renewal project was developed and approved. Completed in 2022, this project has seen several upgrades to Town-owned facilities, which help to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and helps to address issues of deferred maintenance. This project also included improvements to the Rath Eastlink Community Centre, a cost-shared project with the Municipality of the County of Colchester.

Truro Town Council supports reducing the Town’s impact on climate change and is committed to reducing the Town’s carbon footprint. In 2021, the Town became a member of the Partners for Climate Protection Program through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. This program has over 500 members nationally.

The upgrades completed at Town-owned facilities will positively impact the environment and reduce CO2 emissions by 452 tonnes per year, the equivalent of removing 153 vehicles from the road.

While the total project cost to the Town of Truro was approximately $2 million, the projects are turn-key with verified savings that are guaranteed to cover the cost of the improvements over the life of the upgrades. A portion of the project was funded through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund – Community Building Retro Fit Initiative.

The Town of Truro is home to a powerful cultural heritage and landscape and a very active community of outdoor enthusiasts.

Founded in a rich industrial and rail heritage that heavily influences the cultural footprint of the town, Truro is exploring alternative and active approaches to moving around the town for recreation, outdoor adventure, shopping, work, social gathering and any other reason residents have to commute.

Expanding street or trail networks to support multi-modal and multi-generational connectivity will have significant impacts on resident health through the creation of town-wide lifestyle infrastructure.

The pdf Town of Truro Active Transportation Master Plan(20.71 MB) explores the benefits of a network and the network required to achieve these benefits.

Planning for Implementation 

Through 2024-25, the Town of Truro developed a Implementation Plan for the Town's Active Transportation Plan. The Implementation Plan will is the starting point for the next phase of development of the AT network. The Implementation Plan:

• studys design considerations, key routes, intersections, required and traffic crossings,
• investigates and make recommendations on the condition and quality of sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and other required infrastructure elements,
• observes traffic flows, and the interactions between different modes of transportation, and addresses potential safety concerns,
• and establishes the feasibility of the Wabanaki Trail, as the proposed trail follows rail corridors and crosses rail lines.

The Implementation Plan is linked here:  pdf Truro Active Transportation Final Report(4.57 MB)