TRANSIT NOTICES Bus to Louisbourg, Hot August Nights detours

TRANSIT CAPE  BRETON NOTICES

FREE BUS TO LOUISBOURG: Every Saturday until the end of August, a free bus will shuttle CBRM residents to the Fortress of Louisbourg. 

The bus departs Sydney on Saturdays at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm and returns at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm

The park is open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and entry is free.

Riders:

A rider can get on a bus to Sydney from across the system in CBRM. The riders pay a fare for this ride to the downtown hub, but once riders board the Louisbourg bus, they will receive a free ticket to return home and additional free ticket for a free transit ride to be used anytime in August.

Celebrate safely:

This initiative is part of CBRM’s 30th anniversary year celebration. Residents can enjoy CBRM's many local attractions this summer while following fire safety precautions.  Transit routes are found on the Transit App and CBRM website at https://www.cbrm.ns.ca/transit

HOT AUGUST NIGHTS ANTIQUE CAR FESTIVAL DETOURS: 

During the Hot August Nights car festival on the evenings of August 8th and 9th, transit will detour the following routes:

Read more ...

Municipal Trail Systems Temporarily Closed

Following the Province's announcement restricting travel and activities in the woods, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) is closing all wooded municipal trail systems, effective today, August 7, at 4 p.m. The fine for violating these restrictions is $25,000.

The municipal trail closures include:

• Rotary Park, including Greenlink Trail and the disc golf course
• Renwick Brook Trail
• Coal Town Trail
• Scotchtown Summit Park

“Our fire crews are responding to far too many preventable calls,” said Mayor Cecil Clarke. “The province has put restrictions in place to prevent wildfires, and we are doing the same. We need residents to take this seriously. Stay out of the woods. Don’t burn anything.”

Hiking, camping, fishing, and the use of vehicles on municipal trail systems is not permitted. These restrictions will remain in effect until 2 p.m. on October 15, unless the province’s proclamation is revoked or amended.

Municipal parks with open green spaces, playgrounds, sports fields, and ballfields remain open for public use.

The CBRM municipal trail closures are in addition to the provincial restrictions put in place on August 5. The Province is restricting travel and activities in the woods because continued hot, dry conditions have greatly increased the risk of wildfires.

The provincial restrictions include:

• hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods are not permitted
• trail systems through woods are off limits
• camping is allowed only in campgrounds.

For more information about the provincial restrictions to travel and activities in the woods to prevent wildfires, visit: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/08/05/travel-activities-woods-restricted-prevent-wildfires

If you see an out-of-control fire, call 911. To report a violation of the provincewide burn ban or trail restrictions, call 1-800-565-2224.

Additional Resources:

Provincewide Burn Ban in Effect: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/07/30/provincewide-burn-ban-effect

All Fireworks Banned Provincewide: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/08/06/fireworks-banned-provincewide

Fortress of Louisburg trail closure: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/activ/sentiers-trails

NOTICE: Glace Bay - Watermain break at Reserve Street

July 30, 2025
7:45 am

NOTICE: GLACE BAY

There is an active watermain break on Reserve Street in Glace Bay near the intersection at Gannon Street. The water system isolation to repair this leak will affect the entire business area of Reserve Street, as well as residential properties. The estimated affected area is Phalen’s Road to Official Row.

Public Works is mobilizing equipment, traffic control and planning of the response for the repair. 

Estimated repair is approximately 3:00 pm. 

More updates will be provided as they become available on CBRM’s Facebook page @CBRMgov and website at www.cbrm.ns.ca.

NOTICE to Residents: Extreme Fire Danger Conditions

July 17, 2025

NOTICE TO CBRM RESIDENTS: 

CBRM's fire danger conditions are among the highest the country. Fire Danger is a relative index of how easy it is to ignite vegetation, how difficult a fire may be to control, and how much damage a fire may do.

It is imperative that no outdoor burning occurs. Campfires are attributed to 17 wildfires a year in Nova Scotia.

Absolutely no campfires and no fireworks. Do not discard cigarettes. Use extreme caution with barbecues and gas flames. A vehicle or lawnmower can ignite tall grass if operated on it.

Link to Natural Resources Canada Fire Weather Map.

https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/maps/fw?type=fwi

Notice of Service Disruptions Tomorrow, June 11, Davis Day

There will be a temporary street closure on Plummer Ave from Baker St to St Anne St from 10 am to 1 pm tomorrow, June 11th for Davis Day celebrations. As a result of the street closure, transit buses will detour from Heelan St to Wilson Ave, then Gibbon St before returning to Plummer Ave. The return trip will follow the same route in reverse.

Glace Bay residents are advised that there will be no curbside collection on Davis Day, Wednesday, June 11. Extra garbage bags and green cart material will be collected in your area next regularly scheduled collection day. Blue bags will be collected in your area next regularly scheduled blue bag collection week.

NOTICE - STREET CLOSING (UNDEVELOPED)

A Portion of an Undeveloped Road Reserve, off Dalton Lane, Sydney,  Nova Scotia, Measuring Approximately 23,680.271  square feet +/-

Take notice that the Council of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality intends to close an Undeveloped Portion of a Road Reserve, Sydney, Nova Scotia, measuring approximately 23,680.271  square feet +/- more or less, which is more particularly delineated on the above map.

A public hearing in relation to the closing of the undeveloped portion of the said road reserve will be held on Tuesday, the 10 day of June, at 6:00 p.m. at the Council Chambers, 2^nd Floor, Civic Centre, 320 Esplanade, Sydney, Nova Scotia, at which time Council will hear those in favour and those opposed to the closing of a portion of this road reserve. 

Annual Lead and Copper Sampling for Residential Tap Water

May 27, 2025

The CBRM Water Utility is seeking volunteers for the 2025 annual lead and copper sampling program for residential tap water. The program is for customers of the CBRM Water Utility, not for those whose water source is a well.

The Water Utility routinely monitors water quality within distribution systems. In 2020, Nova Scotia Environment introduced additional sampling requirements for lead and copper within customers’ homes.

This sampling program will be provided free of charge to a limited number of customers in each CBRM distribution system (Sydney, Glace Bay, Northside, New Waterford, Louisbourg, Floral Heights and Centreville).

Participants will be registered on a first come, first served basis until the program goals are met. The program occurs every year, but sampling will not begin until July.

People can sign up online at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Z_LdnqOc50CxgTv-pIzMVXwfDnlLQ41hmetmG0oqFrA

This water sampling will determine if lead and copper are present in customers’ tap water, and a results letter will be provided. Although lead and copper can occur naturally in the environment, a main source in drinking water is through leaching of plumbing materials such as pipes, solder, faucets, and fittings. While copper is an acceptable material for use in plumbing, lead is no longer an acceptable building material.

The National Plumbing Code allowed lead material in pipes until 1975, lead in solder until 1986, and lead in fittings or faucets until 2013. In 2019, Health Canada lowered the maximum acceptable concentration for lead in drinking water from 0.010 mg/L to 0.005 mg/L, and introduced a new maximum acceptable concentration for copper of 2 mg/L.

Health Canada also changed the acceptable locations for sample collection. Samples for lead and copper must now be collected within homes and buildings where customers obtain water for drinking and cooking.

The municipality aims to conduct sampling at approximately 150 residences from among the municipality's water system customers.

Paying bills in the event of a Canada Post strike

May 22, 2025

Important information for residents in the event of a Canada Post strike.

Water and property tax bills must still be paid by the original deadline listed on your bill. 

In the event of a strike, the only methods of bill distribution will be email (upon request) or in-person at City Hall. Residents can request their balance by contacting our 311 team through our website contact form at https://cbrm.frontlinesvc.com/app/ask or, if online is not preferred, calling 311.  Billing by area will continue as scheduled and residents are expected to pay their bills on time.  Accounts not paid by the billing due date will be subject to interest charges.

PAYMENT OPTIONS: 

IN PERSON

Payments can be made in person by visiting the Citizen Service Centre at 320 Esplanade, Sydney, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also visit any bank or credit union to pay in person at your local branch. 

ONLINE BANKING

You can add: 

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Water or

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Tax 

as a payee through your financial institution's online banking platform. 

Alternatively, you can pay by credit card through Paymentus Corporation. Credit card payments can be completed online by accessing the secure payment page at https://ipn.paymentus.com/rotp/CBRM or by calling Paymentus’ toll-free number at 1-866-837-4603 to use the automated payment system. Please note that Paymentus charges a convenience fee of 1.75%

Below is the billing schedule for water/wastewater bills. 

Bills are generated and mailed in the same billing month. 

Specific maps are available on CBRM’s website.

- February, May, August, November

County (Point Aconi, Leitches Creek)

North Sydney

Sydney Mines

Sydney 5 and 6 (South Bar and Pier)

Glace Bay 3 (Reserve Mines, Dominion St, Tower Road)

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CBRM's 2025 Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality invites residents to two celebrations this summer: Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day. Both events are free to attend and will include live music, food, and fun for all ages.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day will take place on Friday, June 27, from 5 to 9 p.m. outside City Hall on the Esplanade. Hosted by the CBRM in partnership with the Multicultural Association of Cape Breton, the event will celebrate the diverse cultures of the region. Attendees can enjoy live performances, interactive games and crafts, and a community handprint mural. An international food festival will also be featured, offering dishes from local restaurants at $5 per serving.

While many community-led Canada Day celebrations are happening across the municipality, the CBRM’s main event will be held at Open Hearth Park in Sydney.

The event begins at 4 p.m. with two areas to explore: the Family Zone and the Songwriters Picnic. The Family Zone will feature inflatable games, music, and activities for kids and families. Meanwhile, the Songwriters Picnic will offer live performances by Kaia Kater, Rose Morrison, and the ABMHS Women’s Drum Group in a relaxed, picnic-style setting.

Mainstage performances start at 8 p.m. with Hearts of Kin, followed by a headline show from seven-time JUNO Award winner Serena Ryder. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display over the park at 10 p.m., visible from surrounding areas.

Full transit service will be available on Canada Day, except for Route 2. To accommodate the celebrations, the following changes will be in place:

• Route 1 will be extended to Intercolonial and Ferry Street to help people reach Open Hearth Park.

• Route 5 will have an additional run at the end of the day for Northside events.

• Route 6 will serve the Canada Day celebrations at Petersfield Park.

• Route 9 will provide night service transferring people from Route 1 at CBU to New Waterford if needed.

To request Handi-Trans service on Canada Day, bookings must be made by 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. To book, call 902-539-4336.

Transit Cape Breton Expands Services to Membertou

May 2, 2025

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) and the community of Membertou have partnered to bring public transit service to the First Nations community for the first time, improving connectivity and access to services for those traveling to and from Membertou.

“The expanded service aims to support access to employment, education, healthcare, and commercial areas while strengthening connections between Membertou and the surrounding parts of the municipality. This expansion also reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering strong relationships and ensuring that all residents have access to the services and opportunities they need,” said Cecil Clarke, Mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Route 12, which has two-way service between Sydney and Sydney River, will now include 36 new bus stops in Membertou; 18 in each direction. The updated route will travel from Sydney to Membertou to Sydney River, and from Sydney River to Membertou to Sydney, with the change taking effect on May 5 The updated route will travel from Sydney to Membertou to Sydney River, and from Sydney River to Membertou to Sydney, with the change taking effect on May 5. The bus will run every half hour, Monday to Saturday.

“This new bus route has been a longtime goal for Membertou, and we're proud to partner with the CBRM to make public transportation more accessible for our community. It strengthens connections, supports our workforce, and brings us one step closer to truly welcoming the world,” said Terry Paul, Chief and CEO of Membertou.

Fares for Membertou:

• Membertou to Sydney River ($1.25 adult/ $1.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to CB Regional Hospital ($1.25 adult/ $1.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to Whitney Pier ($1.25 adult/ $1.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to Sydney ($1.25 adult/ $1.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to Mall/Walmart Spar Road ($1.25 adult/ $1.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to CBU ($2.25 adult/ $2.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to Glace Bay ($3.25 adult/ $3.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to New Waterford ($3.25 adult/ $3.00 senior/child)
• Membertou to Northside ($3.25 adult/ $3.00 senior/child)

For information about new and existing routes, rider guidelines, bus schedules, ticket fares and more, please visit www.cbrm.ns.ca/transit

Download the Transit app from Google Play or the App Store to plan your trip, track your ride, and access real-time vehicle locations for Transit Cape Breton services.

 App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/transit-subway-bus-times/id498151501 

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thetransitapp.droid&hl=en&gl=US