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Houston highlights economy, healthcare at Yarmouth tour stop

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Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston continued his province wide tour with a visit to the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce.

The tour got off to a contentious start after protestors smashed the windshield of Houston’s car outside Acadia University on July 15.

The premier’s next stop was in Yarmouth on July 16, and he addressed members of the community at the Rodd Grand Yarmouth Hotel.

“Nova Scotians gave us a clear job to do… nobody said we’re looking for you to go around and give speeches, what Nova Scotians said is we’re looking for results,” said Houston. “They want healthcare fixed, they want government to get things done, and that’s exactly what we have been doing and what we’re working towards.”

Houston went on to say he knows the job isn’t finished, but that he feels the government’s plan for the province is working.

He highlighted healthcare and economic growth as two of the most important focuses of the provincial government.

“The simple reality is you can’t maintain world-class services with a weak economy,” said Houston. “The math just doesn’t work.”

Later, the Premier attended a beam-signing ceremony at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital to mark a major milestone in the hospital’s expansion project.

Premier Tim Houston and project partners signed one of the last structural beams at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital expansion (Eva Smith/Acadia Broadcasting)

The project will double the size of the emergency department and also upgrade the hospital’s emergency power supply and generator systems.

In May, the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation received an anonymous $7.75 million donation to help support the project.

“Our entire team at Yarmouth Regional Hospital is pleased to see progress on the redevelopment of the emergency department,” said Dr. Cheryl Pugh, the Medical Executive Director for the Western Zone of Nova Scotia Health. “This expanded emergency department isn’t just about space – it’s about improved patient flow, advanced technology; greater privacy and a better experience for both patients and healthcare providers.”

The expansion began in 2025, and is valued at $77.8 million. It is expected to be completed in 2027.

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Premier begins province-wide tour in Annapolis Valley

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Premier Tim Houston is kicking off a month of touring Nova Scotia at his first stop at the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Houston begins the tour on July 15, and will end his trip on Aug 13 in Cape Breton.

The tour involves stops in Annapolis Valley, Yarmouth, Bridgewater, Pictou County, Truro, the Straight area Chamber of Commerce, and Cape Breton.

In a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Houston said that the issues the country and province are facing makes this an ideal time for him to reach out to constituents for their input.

“People are interested in what’s possible for this province. The opportunities are before us, and they’re realistic about the challenges,” said Houston. “Those discussions are what kind of keeps me going, what gives me energy and drive, so the more that we can do that the better.”

He said that there are challenges facing Nova Scotia right now, but also “massive opportunities”.

The tour is meant for Houston to speak with Nova Scotians across the province about those challenges and opportunities. 

“I’m extremely optimistic about the future. Yes, Nova Scotia is in a difficult fiscal position with a $1.24-billion deficit, and we still need to make major investments in affordability, healthcare, long-term care and education. But the good news is we have tremendous opportunities ahead in defence, wind, energy and local businesses who are ready to take the world stage,” said Houston. “I’m looking forward to talking to Nova Scotians this summer about the opportunities they see ahead, and the challenges they want us to focus on.” 

The provincial government is also planning a similar tour in the fall, with the goal of speaking to constituents about the 2027-28 budget.

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CAT ferry having it’s best season since before pandemic

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Yarmouth’s CAT ferry is having its best summer since before the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The ship shuttles up to 866 passengers between Bar Harbor, Maine, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia multiple times a day, and plays a vital role in the province’s tourism economy.

According to a press release from Bay Ferries Limited, the company that operates the ferry, they’ve seen an increase of more than 7,000 additional passengers when compared to the same time last year.

“This robust growth is primarily driven by higher numbers of American tourists using this important service,” said Mark Wilson, the CEO of Bar Ferries Limited. “We look forward to welcoming all visitors to Nova Scotia and continuing to strengthen the relationships that make this cross-border connection so valuable.”

So far, the vessel has completed 44 round trips, and approximately 86 per cent of the total bookings are from the United States.

Despite the growing success, the future of the ferry is still uncertain. 

The current contract for the vessel used by Bay Ferries Limited expires after this season, and no long term deal has been secured between the United States and the province of Nova Scotia.

Premier Tim Houston said he understands the importance of the ferry.

“There’s a lot of moving parts to it,” said Houston. “It’s a relationship between Canada and the United States, and I don’t think there are many relationships between Canada and the United States right now that aren’t difficult. This is one of them.”

Both Premier Houston and Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood said a long term deal would be a benefit to local businesses who depend on the ferry. Mood said she feels like securing a long term deal isn’t unrealistic, despite potential challenges from the U.S government.

“These businesses are dependent on ferry traffic,” said Mood. “So it’s important that a long term deal is in place and I think the Premier is working towards that.”

The CAT ferry is still set to operate until October 14 this year.

Premier Tim Houston

N.S. Premier to promote energy resources in Texas

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Premier Tim Houston will be meeting with global energy leaders to promote energy and natural resources in Nova Scotia.

He’s attending the Cambridge Energy Research Associates Week known as CERAWeek that’s taking place in Texas from March 23 to 27.

Houston will be joined by other Canadian premiers and the federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson.

He took over the province’s Energy Minister role last October and attended trade missions in Calgary and Texas in the following weeks and spoke about offshore wind energy at the Oceantic Network forum in New York in February.

“Nova Scotia has a wealth of natural resources that are in high demand, and it’s incredibly important that we take full advantage of them in safe and responsible ways to boost Nova Scotia’s economic and energy security,” he said.

“World events continue to demonstrate the importance of making sure Nova Scotia’s economy is more resilient and ready to play a part in Canada’s energy future by further developing our energy capacity and attracting new investments.”

The province says they are working responsibly to develop offshore resources including oil, natural gas, offshore wind and permanent carbon storage.

“Nova Scotia has attracted some of the largest oil and gas companies from around the world and hosted safe exploration and development for more than 25 years,” says the province in a news release.

Houston will return from the conference on Thursday, March 26.