**** CNS Media Release

Government Approves Funding for New Halifax Infirmary Parking

The province is taking an important step in the QEll New Generation project to make way for new construction on the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

Government has approved $29.5 million for the parking strategy which includes building a new parkade across from the hospital on Summer Street. The Robie Street parkade will be demolished to allow space for a new inpatient centre, with hospital beds and operating rooms, to be built as part of the hospital expansion.

“This is a significant step in preparing the hospital site for construction of modern, state-of-the-art health-care facilities,” said Lloyd Hines, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. “At the same time, we appreciate how important parking is to anyone working at or visiting the hospital. By addressing it now, we can ensure minimal disruption as we continue with the redevelopment.”

The new parkade will have up to 900 parking spaces and sit on the current parking lot of the Museum of Natural History. A temporary parking lot will be built on the other side of the museum to replace the spaces lost as a result of the new construction. A tender for the design of the temporary lot will be issued early next week.

Along with the new parkade and temporary parking lot, today’s investment also includes planning for further expansion of parking at the Halifax Infirmary site. Once the hospital expansion is finished, there will be about 2,700 parking spaces at the site – 1,400 more than there are now.

Quotes:
“The location of this new parking development will allow convenient and safe access for patients, families and staff visiting the Halifax Infirmary during the construction of the Halifax Infirmary expansion. This expansion project supports the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s commitment to rebuilding and improving the way health care is delivered in Nova Scotia.”
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ – Dr. Alex Mitchell, acting vice-president clinical infrastructure, QEII New Generation Project

Quick Facts:
— the current parkade at the Halifax Infirmary was built in 2003 and has 672 parking spaces
— parking at the Abbie J. Lane, Camp Hill Veterans Memorial, Halifax Infirmary and the former CBC building will still be available (more than 600 parking spaces)
— construction of the temporary parking lot will be finished late December and the tender for the new Halifax Infirmary parkade will be issued in early January

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Province Adds More Early Childhood Education Seats

The creation of the Nova Scotia Pre-primary Program and investments in the regulated child care sector has created hundreds of new jobs for early childhood educators across the province.

Government is working with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) to meet this demand by again, expanding the Early Childhood Education diploma program.

Sixty new seats will be added to the program at NSCC’s Akerley Campus in Dartmouth.

“The demand for early childhood education training has grown across the province, especially in the Halifax Regional Municipality,” said Zach Churchill, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “These new seats will help to reduce waitlists at NSCC, while addressing the long-term recruitment challenges of this profession.”

The total investment is $283,000 over the next three years.

Quotes:
“There is a demand for early childhood educators in our province. I am proud to work with our partners to create the conditions for growth and opportunity. With more seats in the early childhood education program, more Nova Scotians will have the opportunity to pursue careers in this meaningful field.”
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ – Labi Kousoulis, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education.

“As Nova Scotia’s community college, our programming is always evolving to reflect the demands within the province’s workforce. We are pleased to help address the needs the government has identified in this important sector by adding 60 new seats in our ECE program studies in Metro.”
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ – Don Bureaux, president, NSCC

Quick Facts:
— in July 2018, government partnered with NSCC to open 135 new seats in early childhood education programs across the province
— funding for the seat expansion is made possible by the three-year, $35 million Canada-Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement signed in January 2018
— the Early Childhood Education diploma program is offered in eight communities across the province