N.S. Liberals promise to improve cellphone services and highways

Nova Scotia's Liberal party is promising to improve cellphone coverage and invest in major highways if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26.

Party leader Zach Churchill made the announcement Thursday during a news conference in Halifax, saying a Liberal government would spend $60 million over four years to build 87 new cellphone towers.

"Our cellphone coverage is in a really terrible state right now," he said.

Churchill said that money would be in addition to the $66 million the Progressive Conservative government committed to similar projects last year through the Crown corporation Build Nova Scotia.

"Cell service will be expanded to make sure that in every area where we can have cell coverage, where it makes sense, we will," he said. "The priority will be along the province's major highways, where he said coverage gaps are a safety issue.

In July, Premier Tim Houston's Progressive Conservative government announced it would spend $18.6 million to add 27 new provincially owned telecommunication towers in areas that don't have cell service. Another four new towers were promised in October 2023 when the government announced it would spend $47.3 million to start its Cellular for Nova Scotia Program.

At the time, the government said there were about 20,000 civic addresses across the province without access to the cellular network and more than 1,000 kilometres of primary roads in cellphone dead zones.

Meanwhile, Churchill confirmed Thursday that the Liberals want to complete the province's 100-series controlled access highways by adding exits along Highway 104 across the top of the mainland, and building a bypass along Highway 101 near Digby.

"Our roads are in deplorable shape," Churchill said, citing Statistics Canada data indicating that Nova Scotia has the worst maintained provincial roads in the country. "Only 27 per cent of our roads are in good condition."

Churchill said the Liberals would add $40 million to the province's $500 million capital budget for highways.

Debate night

The leaders of the three main political parties were spending much of Thursday preparing for a televised debate, scheduled for broadcast at 6 p.m.

Churchill was scheduled to take on Houston who is seeking a second term in office and NDP Leader Claudia Chender during a 90-minute debate carried live on CBC TV and streamed online.