N.S. premier says municipalities who want funding must allow 'economic development' after uranium concerns

The day after West Hants regional councillors voted to request that the province slow down its push for uranium development, Nova Scotia's premier sent the municipality a lengthy list of programs in the area that have received provincial funding in recent years.

Last Tuesday, the councillors unanimously passed a motion to ask the province to pause before granting any leases for uranium mining exploration in Hants County. That would give council and the public time to become better informed on the issue, and allow the PC government to consult with residents and First Nations, the motion said.

On Wednesday, June 11, Premier Tim Houston wrote to the CAO of West Hants Regional Municipality and Mayor Abraham Zebian (whose name was misspelled as Zebia). Houston said while he appreciated the council's environmental concerns, his government is committed to moving forward on natural resource projects.

Houston said the province has invested about $227.3 million into Hants County — aside from health care — through about 88 projects and groups since he took office in 2021.

The list of projects and funding recipients included flood-risk infrastructure, public housing maintenance, Highway 101 twinning, the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia, legions, bridges, Mermaid Theatre, ground search and rescue teams, and a bullet point item saying simply "various programs."

"These are just a few of the investments and I have no doubt that your council has many more wants and needs. We would love to be able to meet every ask, but to do that, we need the resources to move forward," Houston wrote.

A similar letter was sent to the Municipality of Pictou County, which had also asked the province to pump the brakes on uranium exploration.

That letter said the province had invested about $293.3 million into Pictou County, not including health care or highway twinning work, since 2021. It contained a detailed list of about 115 bullet point items.

Mayor says letter was 'surprising'

In the letter, the premier wrote at length about the benefits of various resources in the province like uranium, zinc and copper. Houston said "we need to develop them, and do it safely," to boost the Nova Scotia economy.

Houston urged the West Hants council to "join us in working to find that path forward, for the good of Hants County and all Nova Scotians."

Zebian said it was "surprising" to get Houston's letter, especially since the municipality had yet to send its official request for a pause.

When asked if he sees the letter as a threat to cut off provincial funding to West Hants or to Hants County entirely, Zebian said "a person can interpret a letter in multiple ways."

"I would remain optimistic that any level of government wouldn't have an undertone of, of anything other than what it's intended to be. And we're going to remain confident that the letter is stating projects that the province has … approved in the past for the entirety of Hants County and outside of Hants County," Zebian said in an interview Monday.

"We look forward to having those opportunities to discuss projects that we do have coming up for funding."

CBC News received a copy of the letter to the Municipality of Pictou County on Monday evening and has not yet asked the municipality for comment.

Zebian said all municipalities are tasked with advocating for their residents, regardless of "conflicting views" on any level of government. He said people in his area, and across Nova Scotia, have "valid concerns."

Houston's letter did not address Zebian's request for the province to hold a series of public meetings before issuing exploration licences.

On Monday, CBC News asked Houston's office why the letter was sent.

In a statement, Houston said if the province wants to keep making investments, Nova Scotia revenues must grow. To do that, the province can "responsibly manage and develop our resources," he said.

"If municipalities want more investment, they must allow for more economic development," the premier said. 

"Listening to special interests that shut down development won't grow our economy — new projects and new jobs will do that. We hope Hants County joins us in taking the "no" out of Nova Scotia."

The province has identified a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County for possible uranium exploration, alongside lands in Annapolis County and Pictou County. Those councils also recently asked the province to pause uranium exploration.

But there were no bids from companies interested in exploring for the critical mineral when the deadline closed last Wednesday.

Houston said last week his government's next move on uranium is not clear. It may consider doing aerial surveillance to better understand the resource, he said.