{"id":62615,"date":"2026-02-23T19:13:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=62615"},"modified":"2026-02-23T19:13:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:13:36","slug":"major-cuts-amongst-1-2b-deficit-budget-released-by-n-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=62615","title":{"rendered":"Major cuts amongst $1.2B deficit budget released by N.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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HALIFAX: <\/strong>In this year\u2019s budget, Nova Scotia is forging a path toward powering its future, building stronger, healthier communities and ensuring the province\u2019s fiscal sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finance and Treasury Board Minister John Lohr tabled Budget 2026-27: Defending Nova Scotia on February 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have invested heavily to make up for more than a decade of underspending that led to one crisis or another \u2013 in healthcare, housing and affordability. We have worked hard and made major gains,\u201d said Minister Lohr. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s budget is about continuing to invest in the strategic priorities that will drive the province forward and build our economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“At the same time, we are planning for the long term to reduce expenses and keep our province on strong fiscal footing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Budget 2026-27 continues to make life more affordable, with $681.2 million to continue tax saving measures that will save the average family more than $1,400 this year.

It includes support for healthcare, housing and transformational IT projects in cybersecurity.

With revenues of $17.3 billion and expenses of $18.9 billion, Budget 2026-27 estimates a deficit of $1.19 billion (after consolidation and adjustments) before contingency.

Highlights include:

Growing Our Economy \u2013 Powering Our Future<\/strong>
– $3.6 million more to continue implementing the Green Hydrogen Action Plan and to support offshore wind development, leading to transmission through Wind West
– $25 million this year, for a total of $30 million, for the Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program with Dalhousie University, to research onshore natural gas deposits and help ensure responsible exploration and development
– $8 million to support forestry contractors and private woodlot owners to move low-grade wood to market and lower wildfire risk
– $5 million to expand the Innovation Rebate Program to accelerate sustainable economic growth in the natural resource, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and defence sectors
– $1.5 million for Invest Nova Scotia to drive more GDP growth in six priority sectors
– $1.5 million for an innovation hub to help accelerate growth and improve productivity in Nova Scotia\u2019s seafood sector
– $2.5 million to help businesses diversify their trade markets
– $1.6 million this year, as part of a $4-million three-year investment to expand market diversification initiatives to help exporters build capacity to operate in new markets, including the launch of a new market diversification funding program for seafood and agri-foods
– $1 million in targeted programs to attract and convert investment attraction in Nova Scotia’s strategic sectors
– $958,000 to enhance air access between Maritime provinces and better connect businesses and travellers in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Empowering People \u2013 Building Futures and Communities<\/strong>
– $6.8 million to contract four dedicated fixed-wing water bombers for Nova Scotia for wildfire operations
– $3 million to improve fire services across the province
– $10.9 million more to help people facing gender-based violence with rent supplements, for a total of $13.8 million to support 1,000 supplements, part of more than $115 million in gender-based violence supports this year
– $40 million in continued provincial investment to support ongoing child-care transformation
– $59.1 million in new funding to transform disability support and transition adults with disabilities to community living as part of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy
– $496,000 to support community projects to address systemic hate, inequity and racism
– $300,000 to establish an Office for Children and Youth
– $46.4 million to build new public housing units and maintain existing units (operating and capital)
– $18.5 million to support shovel-ready, community-owned projects through the Affordable Housing Development Program
– $18.1-million provincial investment to address housing needs through the National Housing Strategy Action Plan
– $25.2 million to create 378 new supportive housing units across the province
– $9.6 million to create 75 more emergency shelter beds and enhance supports for Nova Scotians experiencing homelessness
– $5 million more, for a total of $77 million, that will increase the number of active rent supplements to 10,500
– $681.2 million to continue tax saving measures that will save the average Nova Scotian family more than $1,400 a year in 2026-27
– $100.4 million for breakfast and lunch programs in Nova Scotia schools, offering all students nutritious and affordable meals
– $56.5 million in student assistance, an increase of $6.7 million, to help more than 40,000 post-secondary students
– $32.5 million for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program, permanently increasing the amount to $400 per year to help Nova Scotians in need pay for home heating.

Rebuilding Care \u2013 For a Healthier Nova Scotia<\/strong>
– $84.8 million to continue to improve primary care, including recruiting more family doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and family practice nurses
– $47.5 million to hire more paramedics and emergency medical responders across Nova Scotia, improving emergency care
– $40.1 million for the Multidisciplinary Oncology Partnership, diagnosing cancers earlier, with better treatments for patients (operating and capital)
– $47.1 million to pay more to hard-working family doctors, including those who take shifts in long-term care facilities, hospitals and emergency departments in Nova Scotia\u2019s rural community hospitals
– $9.6 million for digital tools to help Nova Scotians find and access the healthcare they need and to make it easier for providers to communicate with each other
– $233.5 million to continue rolling out One Patient One Record across the province (operating and capital)
– $11.8 million to retain critical physician specialists
– $8 million more for the Universal Mental Health and Addictions Care Insured Services program to expand services across the province
– $873.8 million toward the plan to build 5,700 new and replacement long-term care spaces by 2032, with seven new facilities opening this year (capital)
– $26.5 million more for the Home Support Direct Funding Program
– $26.5 million in continued funding for the Seniors Care Grant to support older Nova Scotians at home and in their communities
– $10.2 million more to deliver home care services to Nova Scotians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Building a Financially Sustainable and Resilient Province<\/strong>
– $33.8 million for cybersecurity enhancements, including establishing a new Cyber Security Office to improve cyberthreat detection and response (operating and capital)
– $5.5 million for AlayaCare, a new provincial technology platform to better connect the home care sector to support front-line staff and provide quality care, faster for Nova Scotians
– $4.4-million investment to establish artificial intelligence capabilities, including developing and deploying AI-enabled applications
– $2.6 million to increase public safety and enhance provincial policing with a single records system for all police
– $1.2 billion for the Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project and Cape Breton Regional Municipality Health Care redevelopment project (capital)
– $144.5 million for construction and renewal of other hospitals and medical facilities in Amherst, Yarmouth, Bridgewater and the IWK (capital)
– $476.1 million for highways and structures (capital).

Budget 2026-27 also introduces a four-year fiscal sustainability plan to contain expense growth. This includes a five per cent civil service reduction and a three per cent reduction in the broader public service, which includes Crown corporations, regional centres for education and other entities.

\u201cWe value our hard-working public servants, but government needs to become more focused and efficient,\u201d said Minister Lohr. \u201cWe will protect core front-line services that Nova Scotians rely on and work to right-size government through attrition wherever possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately 1,000 full-time jobs spread across government and the broader public sector, will be cut.

Quick Facts:
<\/strong>– additional appropriations related to the 2025-26 budget forecast total $47.4 million since the December forecast update

Additional Resources:
<\/strong>Budget 2026-27 documents are available at: https:\/\/novascotia.ca\/budget<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HALIFAX: In this year\u2019s budget, Nova Scotia is forging a path toward powering its future, building stronger, healthier communities and ensuring the province\u2019s fiscal sustainability. Finance and Treasury Board Minister John Lohr tabled Budget 2026-27: Defending Nova Scotia on February 23. \u201cWe have invested heavily to make up for more than a decade of underspending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62606,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,957],"tags":[10,10414,10161,196,2,10162,2602,48],"class_list":["post-62615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","tag-beaver-bank","tag-budget-2026-27","tag-cuts","tag-east-hants","tag-fall-river","tag-job-losses","tag-minister-john-lohr","tag-n-s"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}