Hants County residents voice concerns over 'undesirable' uranium mining proposal

Uranium mining in Hants County is such a hot-button issue there wasn't room for everyone who showed up at a meeting over the weekend. 

More than 100 people attended the meeting in Vaughan, N.S., on Saturday to learn more about the Nova Scotia government's plans for uranium exploration in the province and, for many, voice their opposition to any potential mining.

"We believe there's no safe way to operate a uranium mine this close in proximity to an established community," said Chad Pothier, who was born and raised in the area and helped organize the meeting. 

The community is right next to one of three areas the province wants to open for uranium exploration after it lifted a ban on the practice earlier this year.

Those areas include a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County, 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County, and a 2,300-hectare site in Lower Vaughan in Hants County.

Residents in Hants County have said they haven't received any notification from the government about possible exploration on or near their land.

Pothier said he scrambled to organize Saturday's meeting after only recently learning the province was considering a return to uranium exploration. 

"It was gut-wrenching," he said. "I didn't even know where Millet Brook was [but] it's directly across from my property."

History of mining opposition

Many of the people in attendance signed a petition against uranium exploration in Hants County and provided their contact information to be kept current with the latest information. 

"I think it doesn't matter where in Nova Scotia we live, it's important to speak up against this undesirable, incredible proposal," said Elizabeth Skelhorn, who lives in Windsor.

Skelhorn said she has family roots in the Martock and Windsor Falls areas and she's always been opposed to uranium mining over concerns about safety. 

The area has a history of residents advocating against uranium mining, which played a part in a moratorium being imposed by the province in 1981. That ultimately evolved into the outright ban. 

"I'm not certain that residents feel as though they've received answers from … 1980, and here we are in 2025 and they have the same questions and same concerns," said Kayla Leary-Pinch, councillor for West Hants Regional Municipality. 

Leary-Pinch, who represents the district where the uranium deposits have been identified, said she went to the meeting to listen to constituents. 

NDP House leader Lisa Lachance was in attendance, but organizers said PC MLA Melissa Sheehy-Richard, who represents the area, didn't come because she had received threats related to the province's plans for uranium exploration. 

Sheehy-Richard's office did not respond to a request for comment before publication. 

Lachance said the province is trying to push uranium exploration without anyone noticing and many Nova Scotians are upset about it, but urged everyone to remain respectful. 

"People need to be emailing their MLA," Lachance said. "But you don't need to make personal attacks against folks."