Nova Scotia sets up committee to tackle drought issues

Haley Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 5:07 PM EST | Last Updated: November 6

While galore Nova Scotians proceed to woody with adust wells pursuing a historical drought, the state says it is moving connected solutions that volition assistance residents present and successful the future.

For months, municipalities crossed the state person been supporting residents done financing programs for wells oregon by distributing water.

But connected Thursday, section leaders astatine the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities league told a sheet of authorities ministers that they request much provincial support.

Mayor Elspeth McLean-Wile of the District of Lunenburg said caller rainfall successful immoderate parts of Nova Scotia has not been astir capable to replenish the h2o table.

Mayor Elspeth McLean-Wile of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg successful a record photograph from June 2025. McLean-Wile says municipalities volition request much provincial enactment to assistance residents dealing with adust wells. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

“Many sources of h2o are gonna frost up successful the adjacent astir apt six to 7 weeks and we’ll inactive person radical apt without water,” McLean-Wile said during the panel.

She asked what the state volition bash to code some short- and semipermanent issues associated with the drought successful Nova Scotia.

“This twelvemonth has been unbelievable,” said Municipal Affairs Minister John A. MacDonald.

MacDonald said the state is ever “here to fig retired what we tin do, agelong and abbreviated [term]” for municipalities.

MacDonald and Tim Halman, curate of situation and clime change, told the league that the state has conscionable launched an interior committee involving aggregate departments to code drought issues.

“Solutions for residents,” Halman told reporters erstwhile helium was asked what the result of the committee would be.

“It's a lived reality. It's not abstract successful immoderate mode to galore residents. Your good goes dry, it's a large problem,” Halman said aft the panel.

“And that's not mislaid connected america arsenic elected officials. And we privation to respond accordingly and enactment with our municipalities to find solutions to this.”

Tim Halman, curate of situation and clime change, speaks with reporters aft a sheet astatine the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities league successful Halifax connected Nov. 6, 2025. (Haley Ryan/CBC)

Halman said subject and information show intelligibly that utmost vigor and drought are going to go much communal due to the fact that of clime change, and Nova Scotia indispensable program accordingly. 

CBC asked Halman however the state fits its propulsion toward earthy assets improvement with concerns astir clime alteration and expanding drought.

Halman said the state indispensable instrumentality a “balanced approach” successful responding to immoderate problem, while U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs continue to formed a shadiness implicit the Canadian economy.

“We request to physique up our system responsibly and safely,” Halman said.

“Every different state and territory is earnestly looking astatine liable assets development, arsenic is the national government.”

Halman said the committee is successful its “very aboriginal stages” and helium could not connection a timeline for erstwhile measures to supply solutions to drought issues could travel forward.

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