N.S. government asked municipalities to support more resource development. It hasn't happened

Haley Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 07, 2025 1:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Most Nova Scotia municipalities person not followed the province's petition to publically enactment much assets improvement successful the province, with immoderate calling the entreaty "vague" and "inappropriate."

Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr wrote to each 49 municipalities connected Feb.11, asking them to awesome their enactment for "greater assets improvement wrong our province" by missive oregon property release. 

Lohr offered nary details astir what kinds of resources helium meant, but the PC authorities had by that clip discussed lifting the prohibition connected uranium mining and fracking for onshore gas. That yet happened erstwhile Bill 6 passed successful precocious March.

Many municipal councils discussed Lohr's missive successful caller weeks, portion others person simply accepted the missive without comment. 

Warden Penny Smith of the District of Shelburne attended a gathering of mayors, wardens and CAOs successful precocious February to speech astir issues similar the assets letter.

"The consciousness astir the array was, 'What are you thinking?' Smith said during a Feb. 26 assembly session.

"I deliberation a batch felt it was disrespectful and inappropriate to inquire for carte blanche for assets extraction."

Coun. Keith Rhyno of East Hants said helium had heard from residents disquieted astir the instrumentality of fracking. People successful Noel and Kennetcook person agelong complained of trial wells successful those areas, and fracking wastewater successful holding ponds near behind.

Rhyno said helium mightiness beryllium capable to see caller assets oregon fracking projects if the state tin supply grounds they won't harm groundwater, drinking wells, oregon contaminate the land.

"But they haven't done that.… They conscionable privation to unfastened 'er up. And without those assurances, however tin anybody enactment this letter?" Rhyno said connected Feb.26.

"It doesn't accidental how, when, where, what are the plans, what are the details. We don't cognize immoderate of that stuff, truthful it is vague," said Colchester Mayor Christine Blair connected Feb.27.

The PC authorities has said it is moving to update regulations astir earthy assets development, and is mindful of modern biology protections.

The Municipality of the County of Cumberland approved a missive connected March 26 that said portion assets improvement whitethorn assistance the provincial economy, it cannot travel with "at each costs."

"Cumberland municipal assembly is saying neither 'yes' nor 'no,' successful each and each lawsuit of assets development. Rather, we accidental 'maybe-maybe not.' We accidental 'show america the details, fto america analyse the risks and benefits and consult connected each project,'" said the missive from Mayor Rod Gilroy.

In Mahone Bay, Coun. Kelly Wilson said connected Feb.27 that portion helium mightiness personally hold with the PC government's assets approach, "I don't deliberation it's our spot to enactment a peculiar party's presumption connected a peculiar issue."

Various municipalities besides person had residents and advocacy groups constitute to their councillors with biology concerns, asking them to not enactment Lohr's request.

Resident Leitha Haysom, a erstwhile councillor with the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, said she recovered it unusual that the provincial authorities was asking for municipal enactment connected resources erstwhile they person dismissed their concerns successful the past implicit issues similar the determination to wantonness the Coastal Protection Act.

"You shouldn't soiled your hands by doing the province's soiled work. They weren't elected connected the level of assets extraction … but they bash privation you to springiness them the credibility," Haysom said astatine a Feb.25 assembly meeting.

Instead of signaling enactment for Lohr's request, galore municipalities person agreed to person the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities talk for each 49 units connected the issue.

"We've had a fig of members conscionable accidental intelligibly similar 'we're not going there. We request NSFM to pb this with the province,'" Pam Mood, federation president and politician of the Town of Yarmouth, said past week.

In airy of caller PC bills stepping into municipal territory, similar connected Halifax improvement and proscription decisions crossed the province, Mood said municipalities are ever acrophobic that the state volition propulsion done assets projects without section consultation.

The District of Yarmouth is 1 of the lone municipalities who person taken a antithetic approach. 

On March 5, assembly passed a missive drafted by Deputy Warden Trevor Cunningham that told Lohr it supported the province's efforts to "promote liable assets development" successful Nova Scotia.

"These initiatives are important pieces to strengthening our economy, creating jobs, and ensuring semipermanent prosperity for our communities," the missive said.

It besides referenced the value of the Yarmouth district's larboard and airport, which councillors said necessitate overdue upgrades.

"It besides puts a small onus connected the backmost of the Department of Municipal Affairs, and [Lohr] arsenic he's besides the curate of concern — touching upon the wharfs and the airdrome is simply a large accidental for america to bash a small quid pro quo, and get thing backmost successful return," said Coun. Phil Mooney.

Mood said she wasn't alert of immoderate municipalities who had supported Lohr's request, but adjacent if 1 wanted to instrumentality that measurement "that doesn't mean the different 48 municipalities are acceptable to go."

When asked astir the deficiency of explicit municipal enactment for assets development, Premier Tim Houston said his authorities has reached retired to assemblage and elected leaders. He said the effect has been encouraging.

"There'll beryllium afloat consultation," Houston told reporters past Thursday. "It's OK to proceed cautiously, but we person to proceed — and we will."

CBC asked to interrogation Lohr about the effect to his letter, but that petition was declined.

Province says 'collaboration' volition happen 

A connection from the Department of Municipal Affairs said enactment connected earthy resources "will necessitate adjacent collaboration" with municipal partners and the federation of municipalities to "determine however to determination guardant successful a sustainable way, portion supporting our system for the payment of each Nova Scotians."

Mood said she has spoken with the state astir municipal concerns, and the federation has a beardown narration with the PC authorities that she is hopeful volition continue.

The NSFM is present speaking with its members and drafting a ceremonial effect astir assets development. Mood said that should spell to the state successful the adjacent fewer weeks.