CBRM News

Budget survey now online! Take the 5 minute survey today.

January 31, 2017

CBRM's online budget survey is now available. Please take 5 minutes of your time and give the municipal government some feedback on services and issues in our community.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBRM2017

Council wants to hear from community groups on budget 

Stakeholder presentation day scheduled for January 20

SYDNEY, NS - CBRM Mayor and Council are seeking to hear from local organizations and stakeholder groups about matters for the council's budget considerations.

A session will be held on Friday, January 20 at Council Chambers at City Hall, 320 Esplanade beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Organizations and community groups wishing to present to Council for budget consideration must pre-register by contacting the Clerk's Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 902-563-5010.

2017 CBRM Youth Council to hold first meeting on January 10

SYDNEY, NS - Youth aged 14-18 who are interested in making a positive impact in our community are encouraged to join the CBRM Youth Council.

The CBRM Youth Council enables young citizens to share ideas and to play a role in shaping the future of the CBRM. It also provides opportunities for youth to embrace their leadership and decision-making skills, while engaging with peers and community members.

The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 4:00 pm in the Community Room at City Hall, located at 320 Esplanade, Sydney (enter from the boardwalk level behind the City Hall building).

Mayor questions federal delay to second berth project

December 20, 2016

Click here to find the correspondence from Mayor Clarke to the federal Infrastructure Minister. This was written in response to an email to councillors from MP Mark Eyking. (PDF)

Mayor and First Nations leaders support “transformative opportunity” at Port of Sydney

December 13, 2016

PHOTO BELOW: Sydney Harbour Investment Partners (SHIP) met with Membertou Chief Terry Paul, Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny, Ports America, Port of Sydney and Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) in Montreal on December 12, 2016, to discuss future development of Novazone Logistics Park, located adjacent to Novaporte’s deep water container terminal. Joining the meeting is SHIP’s International Advisor, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, 20th Prime Minister of Canada.

PICTURED L-R: Chief Terry Paul, Peter Ford (Chief Strategy Officer at Ports America), Rt. Hon. Jean Chretien, Chief Leroy Denny, Albert Barbusci of SHIP, Daniel Peritz (Senior Vice-President of Canderel).

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - The head office of Montreal’s Canderel was the setting for a historic meeting with key partners in Port of Sydney’s Novaporte and Novazone project.

“We are seeing the positive progress of a Cape Breton-led development effort through the municipality and First Nations partners, the development team in Montreal and our global associates,” said Mayor Cecil Clarke of Cape Breton Regional Municipality. “With our new terminal operators, Ports America, the Port of Sydney is in a strong position to realize this transformative opportunity.”

Mayor and Council seek public input in advance of next budget

November 25, 2016

SYDNEY, NS - Three public sessions are scheduled for December to encourage residents to provide input on CBRM’s budget.

Now that the 2016 electoral process is complete, the CBRM will begin its budgetary deliberations with input from stakeholders, council and the residents of the CBRM. The municipality will also be conducting online consultations with residents to gain insight into public priorities.

The following dates are scheduled for public budget sessions. Mayor and senior staff attend the budget meetings along with councilors.

December 6, 2016 – North Division - Emera Centre, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Residents from Districts 1, 2 and 3 are encouraged to attend this session at the Emera Centre. These are the Districts represented by Councillors Clarence Prince, Earlene MacMullin and Blue Marshall.

December 7, 2016 – East Division - Bayplex, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Residents from Districts 8, 9, 10 and 11 are encouraged to attend this meeting at the Bayplex. These are the Districts represented by Councillors Amanda McDougall, George MacDonald, Darren Bruckschwaiger, and Kendra Coombes.

December 8, 2016 – Central Division - Centre 200, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Residents from Districts 4,5,6,7 and 12 are encouraged to attend this meeting at Centre 200. These are the Districts represented by Councillors Steve Gillespie, Eldon MacDonald, Ray Paruch, Ivan Doncaster and Jim MacLeod.

Flooding assistance information

The following is a Government of Nova Scotia news release:

Flooding Assistance for Nova Scotians Continues

Emergency Management Office

November 4, 2016 2:01 PM

Government remains committed to ensuring that Nova Scotians impacted by the Oct. 10 floods receive the help they need.

Families who cannot return to their homes continue to be supported by Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) with funding for temporary accommodation as their disaster financial assistance claims are processed.

CBRM is phasing out its help line effective today, Nov. 4. Residents can still get information and assistance by:
–- visiting novascotia.ca/flooding for important links and information
–- calling 1-866-424-5620 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for disaster financial assistance
–- contacting 211 to access funding for urgent or other community support needs related to the storm. Emergency funding will continue to be disbursed through the United Way and Salvation Army.

District 6 Polling Location Change

Due to a situation beyond our control, the Municipal Polling Station for Voters in District 6 has been changed!

Sydney Academy High School, 49 Terrace Street in Sydney, will be the new location for voters in District 6 on Election Day – Saturday, October 15, 2016.

Brookland Elementary School, which was the original location, is UNAVAILABLE.

Voter Letters Have Been Mailed

Individual Voter Instruction Letters have been mailed to each voter on the Amended Voters’ List which includes a unique personal identification number (PIN). Full details on how to access the system are provided in the Voter Instruction Letter. If you are eligible to vote and did not receive a Voter Instruction Letter, please contact the Voter Help Desk at tel: 902-567-5889 or toll free at 1-844-745-1122 weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or fax 902-564-0481.

$16 million project means strong construction season ahead

Largest single-year public works project in municipality’s history

14,400 days of work created at over 40 work sites

SYDNEY, NS – Mayor Cecil Clarke released a detailed list of projects today for $16 million in improvements to the municipality’s water and wastewater systems.

The work represents 14,400 days of employment for workers on the projects. This project is the largest one-year investment in roadwork and underground infrastructure in CBRM’s history. Tenders for the project begin this month for project engineering and first phases of the project.

“This is great news for the companies and workers in the road construction industry,” said Dave MacKenna, President of Municipal Ready-Mix. “There is a lot of work ahead. It’s going to be a very strong season with significant economic impact.”

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