2026-2027 Budget: Cuts and Reversals

Arts & culture
The Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage faced a $14.3M overall grant reduction. Operating grants to arts organisations were cut by 30%. Arts Nova Scotia — the provincial arms-length funder — saw deep reductions, along with specific programs including Artists in Communities ($203K cut), Arts Nova Scotia Artists in Schools ($135K cut), the Publishers Assistance Program ($700K eliminated), and the Community Presenters Fund. Arts organisations reported losing 20–30% of their funding. The cuts were NOT reinstated.

Heritage
12 provincial museum sites were closed outright. 10 remaining Nova Scotia Museum sites had operating budgets cut by 20%. The Association of Nova Scotia Museums also faced a 20% operating cut. Locally managed museum grants were cut by $1.6M. About 30 museum and archival jobs were lost immediately. The closures were NOT reversed, though the province later indicated it was exploring community control for some affected sites.

Heritage
Several provincial tourist information centres were closed, including the visitor information centre at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Staff were given no advance notice. These closures were NOT reversed, despite the timing being particularly damaging given reduced US tourism due to trade tensions.

Education
The province cut $3.7M in graduate scholarships. This is a significant blow to Nova Scotia’s post-secondary research capacity and ability to retain graduate talent. Status of reinstatement is unclear from available sources — this was not listed among the primary $53.6M restoration package.

Education
A $10M cut to the Apprenticeship Agency, which supports skilled trades training and apprenticeship completion. This has direct implications for the labour force given Nova Scotia’s infrastructure ambitions. Not listed among restored grants.

Municipal
The entire Growth & Renewal for Infrastructure Development (GRID) fund — $15M — was eliminated for 2026-27. This fund provided direct infrastructure grants to municipalities. Combined with other municipal grant reductions, municipalities faced over $17M in infrastructure grant cuts, placing pressure on local governments to find alternative funding.

Indigenous
Cuts at the Office of L’Nu Affairs eliminated grants to the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, the annual Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Summer Games, and various participation grants for forums and cultural events. The $5 for the African Heritage Month proclamation was also cut. The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs requested an emergency meeting with Premier Houston.

Environment
The Department of Environment and Climate Change budget was reduced from $80.1M to $59.9M — a 25.3% cut. The department said inspectors were moved to other departments and that some reduction reflected loss of federal funding, not program elimination. Critics pointed to this as a rollback of climate governance.

Disability services
Day programs for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities — including organisations like Autism Nova Scotia, DASC, and the Prescott Group — had their funding fully restored. The Prescott Group alone had faced an estimated $800K cut. Premier Houston said he “couldn’t live with” the impact on people with disabilities when he reflected on the cuts. Advocate Vicky Levack called it proof that “democracy is alive and well.”

Seniors & long-term care
The planned 3% staffing reduction for nursing homes — part of the broader public sector cost-cutting plan — was cancelled. About $6.7M was restored to nursing homes and home care agencies. Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams confirmed the reversal. This was one of the most significant policy reversals, as nursing home staff are direct frontline care workers.

Education — equity
$1.5M in scholarships for African Nova Scotian students was restored, along with $150K in grants to African Nova Scotian organisations. These were connected to the BLAC (Black Learners Advisory Committee) report recommendations. Indigenous scholarship funding was also restored, though the status of some other Mi’kmaw program grants remained uncertain.

Seniors
Funding to Caregivers Nova Scotia and the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia was fully restored. These organisations provide critical support to unpaid family caregivers and people living with dementia — a politically sensitive area given Nova Scotia’s aging population.

Indigenous
Indigenous scholarships were restored, but the full status of other L’nu Affairs grants (Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, summer games, etc.) remained unclear even after the March 11 announcement. Opposition Leader Iain Rankin noted that specific answers were not provided by the L’nu Affairs Minister in question period.

Arts & culture
While Premier Houston acknowledged the arts are valued and noted the budget still contained $66M for the sector, cuts to operating grants (30%), artists in schools programs, and community arts funding were NOT reversed. Arts organisations said they were losing 20-30% of funding, making season planning nearly impossible. The arts community held large protests at Province House.