Nova Scotia is walking back some of the $130 million in planned budget cuts.
They’re restoring over $53 million in three areas: disability support, seniors and funding for African Nova Scotian and Indigenous students.
Premier Tim Houston says they were honest about the financial situation of the province, and admit some decisions were wrong.
“For that, I’m sorry.” said the Premier during a news conference on Tuesday.
“I never want Nova Scotians to feel that the government is working against them. We did not do enough ahead of time to explain the seriousness of the challenges we’re facing, we moved too quickly.”
He says after listening to the public outcry and concrete examples brought forward, they decided to restore some funding.
Houston says this will increase Nova Scotia’s $1.19 billion deficit, but these programs make a difference, and it was the right decision.
Arts and culture cuts not restored
The cuts to the arts, culture and tourism sector will remain.
Houston says the arts community is valued.
“Arts and culture is a big part of what makes us special. Even though the adjustments remain, I do wish we could do more today.”
A rally is planned outside Province House Tuesday, hundreds attended one last week, and several smaller rallies across the province.
Rally for arts and culture in Halifax. PHOTO BY NATALIE CHIASSON /Acadia Broadcasting
Chender calls cuts ‘total mismanagement’
The leader of the NDP slammed the government on how they handled the cuts, saying it was “chaos” and “total mismanagement.”
Claudia Chender tells reporters that the situation raises questions about how the decisions were communicated and how government spending is managed.
“I think what we see is total mismanagement,” Chender says. “Again, we have ministers of departments with cuts who cannot speak to those cuts or who say one thing and then say another thing the next day.”
She also pointed to what she described as issues with oversight and budgeting practices.
“Well, I think for one thing we need to know that Nova Scotians are getting value for money,” she says.
Rally for arts and culture in Halifax. PHOTO BY NATALIE CHIASSON /Acadia Broadcasting
‘We chose Nova Scotia’
Artists employed with the Gale Force Theatre say as far as they know their funding has been completely cut.
Lily Falk works as an artist at the theatre, and she says she’s, “really devastated at the cruelty of the cuts.” As an artist who’s in a collaboration, who has a theater company that specifically moved here to this province to make work together, we chose this as our home.”
Franziska Glen says losing the program will affect youth on the Eastern Shore and in Halifax and Dartmouth.
“All of these things are going to be so deeply affected and are also affecting the people that we serve which are kids and families all across the province,” Glen explains.
Glen says some students have told her the improv group she helps run was the only reason they finished high school, and she worries losing it could also harm kids’ mental health.
It asks 200-plus questions on your well-being, the last survey was done in 2019.
Chief engagement officer Danny Graham says there’s been a downturn in life satisfaction, and they want to know why.
“The pandemic has created a hit, but so has affordability. We want to be able to understand what the drivers of those changes are, so we can better prioritize the choices that governments make,” said Graham.
He says the survey dives into confidence in government, job satisfaction, and even your connection to nature.
“It also talks about experiencing loneliness, and the declining trust in institutions, which is also concerning.”
“The hope we have is that people will have their say on what’s on their mind, to help improve their lives. We think this will make a better future for us all.”
Over 13,000 people completed the questionnaire seven years ago.
The survey is confidential.
The deadline is April 19 to submit, you’ll find a code on a postcard in the mail to enter online.
Another interprovincial trade barrier has been reduced between Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Premiers Doug Ford and Tim Houston have signed a direct-to-consumer agreement that will allow alcohol producers in each province to sell directly to customers in the other.
Under the agreement, eligible wineries, breweries and distilleries will be able to ship products directly to consumers across provincial lines.
Both premiers said the move is part of a broader push to remove remaining interprovincial trade barriers and work toward freer trade within Canada.
Producers who want to participate will need to register with the appropriate liquor authority in each province. In Nova Scotia, that means registering with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. In Ontario, producers must register with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
Applications for producers are set to open March 8.
Officials have not yet outlined how many producers are expected to participate in the initial phase of the program.
Only two of the four youths arrested will face charges after an alleged sexual assault and hazing involving a hockey team in Truro, N.S.
Those two will each face one count of sexual assault with a weapon and two counts of sexual assault. One faces an additional charge of assault with a weapon.
“Based on the investigation, we won’t be moving forward with charges against two of four youths arrested,” wrote Staff Sgt. Marc Rose, District Commander, Colchester County District RCMP, in a news release.
Originally, police got a report on Jan. 30 that a youth had been assaulted during a private team gathering in October of 2025. Three youths were arrested on Feb. 3, and then a fourth was arrested on Feb. 5.
The RCMP says they still believe there may be more victims who have not yet come forward in the case.
“We want anyone who’s been a victim of assault under the guise of team initiation or bonding to know they’ll be heard and supported,” adds Rose.
“Our investigators use a trauma-informed approach, and you can speak with police at any time without needing to immediately decide whether to participate in the full investigative or court process.”
This episode of the Insights Podcast is another in our bioeconomy series, sponsored by the Greenspring Bioinnovation Hub and Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, and features a conversation with Andrew Parsons, the Project Director at Nova Sustainable Fuels, a company owned by UK-based Octopus Energy. His company has been quietly working in Nova Scotia since 2021 on a project to build a production facility in Guysborough County near Goldsboro that would convert biomass, such as wood chips and sawdust, into sustainable aviation fuel (saf). It is a big idea that would require 750,000 tons of biomass to produce 165,000 tons of aviation fuel and would be a major boost to the forestry industry, which has struggled for a market for biomass since the closure of Northern Pulp, which consumed 1.3 million tons of biomass annually until its closure.
The company has purchased 770 acres of land with tidal access and has already spent tens of millions of dollars developing the case for the project, and has received approval for its initial environmental review. The project will have its own renewable wind and solar energy that will be able to generate 1.1.GWs of power. The project is estimated to cost between $4 and $6 billion and will contribute $1 billion to provincial GDP annually when at full production. The European market is driving demand for sustainable aviation fuels, and it has legislation in place to ensure that 70% of aviation fuel will be from sustainable sources by 2050. This would be the first such plant in North America and one of the first in the world. The final decision is expected in 2028, with the plant completed by 2031.
Another winter blast is on the way to Nova Scotia.
Environment Canada has issued several warnings, including special weather statements, winter storm and blowing snow warnings across the province.
Winter storm warnings have now been issued for areas including Halifax, Bridgewater, Yarmouth, Cumberland and Colchester counties. Port Hawkesbury and the surrounding areas are currently under special weather statements.
An intense low pressure system is expected to pass south of Nova Scotia on Monday night. Snow ahead of the system will spread across southwestern Nova Scotia late Monday morning and into northwestern Nova Scotia in the afternoon.
Environment Canada says conditions will begin to deteriorate on Monday, with the system moving through the province by Tuesday morning.
Strong northeast winds will range between 60 and 90 km/h, with the higher gusts in the western half of the province.
Visibility is expected to be reduced due to blowing snow.
Higher than normal water levels are also expected along the Atlantic coast on Monday night.
Snowfall amounts of between 15 and 25 centimetres are predicted across Nova Scotia.
It’s advised that you plan ahead and watch for closures or cancellations.
