Cabot Trail gets more than $1M in federal cash for improvements

The federal governmentthrough the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency has announced more than $1.1millionfor tourism improvements along Cape Breton's world famous Cabot Trail.

The money will be spent in both Victoria and Inverness counties for streetscape upgrades, improvements to the facades of local businessesand roadside brush clearing to create more vistas on the trail.

The government is also spending $300,000 on tourism marketing through Golf Cape Breton to promote the island as a golf destination.

Liberal MPs Mark Eyking and Rodger Cuzner made the announcement in Baddeck.

"It's for improvements to the overall image and functionality of 55 businesses on the CabotTrail region," said Eyking. "It's going to be clearing 43 viewscapes, coastal vistas and lookoffs.

"It's also for design and installation of fivegateway signs on the three major entrance points."

Mary Tulle, theCEO of Destination Cape Breton, said the Cabot Trail is"the primary motivator" of visitors to Cape Breton island.

"By having a viewscapes program, a lot of what Mother Nature has grown and has regrown is going to be able to be cleared enough so that magnificent vistas are once againable to show the beauty of what's on the other side of the properties in those beautiful areas along Cape Breton Island," she said.

Mostof the facade improvements will take place next spring and summer.