Nova Scotia Arts Coalition calls on province to reverse arts, tourism budget cuts

Nova Scotia released its 2026-27 budget on Feb. 23, 2026. (Jesse Thomas/CTV News Atlantic)

A non-partisan advocacy group representing Nova Scotians who work in the arts and culture industry is calling on the province to reinstate funding to the arts, culture, tourism, and heritage sector programs.

Earlier this week, Nova Scotia announced it is grappling with a $1.2-billion deficit and has made cuts to the public service and community groups.

The Nova Scotia Arts Coalition says the proposed budget cuts target the cultural sector “disproportionately” and is urging the government to withdraw them.

“Without a swift reversal, these cuts will negatively impact the economy of Nova Scotia through job losses, loss of tourism dollars and cultural activity, and remove one of the strongest draws for new immigrants to the province - our culture,” says coalition member Chris O’Neill.

O’Neill points to a recent national Chamber of Commerce study, which found the arts and culture sector outpaced growth of Canada’s economy, growing nearly 8 per cent, compared to 4 per cent growth of the overall economy, over the past three years.

The coalition says, in an ongoing survey of the cultural community, they have already found that many organizations will be forced to lay off or not rehire workers.

“A fiscally Conservative government should understand that there are no dividends without investment, and this outsized reduction in investment in our shared culture means that Nova Scotia, and Nova Scotians, will lose,” says O’Neill.

The chief executive officer of Symphony Nova Scotia, Scott Tresham, agrees with her concerns.

“The savings the government seeks through cuts to grants and community organizations are proportionally small—the sum total of the cuts is only $130M on a net deficit of $27.9B, hardly a dint. Yet for the arts, culture, and heritage community, composed largely of non‑profit and charitable organizations, these reductions are seismic and their impact on broader economic activity disproportionately damaging,” he says.

Some of the cuts also include the closure of 12 of the province’s 28 museum sites.

The coalition is inviting Nova Scotians to write or call their MLAs about budget cut concerns.

A rally in support of the arts, culture, tourism, and heritage sector will be held at noon on Wednesday at Province House.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page