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The Nova Scotia government is using the Expropriations Act to acquire six properties in the Bedford area required for the Mill Cove ferry service and CN overpass project.
Cabinet signed off on an order-in-council dated Tuesday that identifies the six properties, all owned by United Gulf Developments.
They include two water lots — one assessed at $1.57 million and the other at $1.03 million — along with pieces of land ranging in assessed value from $52,500 to about $164,000.
“Expropriation is not our preferred approach,” Public Works spokesperson Gary Andrea said in a statement Thursday.
“We have been negotiating with the company that owns the land for multiple years.”
In a statement Friday, the president of United Gulf said he “remains open to further discussions and a fair, market-based resolution.”
“While we support infrastructure that improves mobility and reduces congestion in Bedford, important for the community and the region’s long-term growth, expropriation should be a last resort — not a substitute for meaningful negotiation,” said Navid Saberi.
“We look forward to engaging constructively and expect a process that reflects the value of the lands and our long-standing investment in Bedford.”
The idea of a ferry service between Bedford and the Halifax waterfront kicked off with a study in 2021.
Although all three levels of government have committed funding for the work, which would include two new terminals and five high-speed ferries, a completion date for the $269-million project has repeatedly been pushed back because of challenges securing the necessary land along the Bedford Highway.
The project would also include an overpass across the CN rail cut to allow for terminal access. The most recent projected completion date is 2031.
Almost $260 million in funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments has been committed toward building the Mill Cove ferry service. The funding will go toward five high-speed electric ferries, two terminals and a new maintenance facility. (Government of Nova Scotia)
“We need this property to move this project forward and begin construction,” said Andrea.
“Traffic is a significant problem and we need to act, and the Mill Cove ferry service is part of the solution.”
Andrea said the province remains open to negotiations with United Gulf. If an agreement cannot be reached, the matter would go before the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board.
The project is part of a broader transportation strategy the province is pursuing through Crown corporation Link Nova Scotia as a way to ease traffic congestion and improve the flow of people in and around the province’s capital region.
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