Nova Scotia releases environmental racism draft report, won’t commit to apology

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston looks on at Province House following the speech from the throne in Halifax on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s opposition parties are criticizing the government for failing to immediately apologize to Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities for the province’s history of environmental racism, more than a year after a panel of experts included this suggestion as part of a list of recommendations.

The provincial government appointed the panel in 2023 to look at how environmentally hazardous projects like landfills, coal plants and toxic waste facilities have harmed racialized communities. On Wednesday, CBC reported on the draft of this panel’s report, which includes the recommendation that an apology be made by the Nova Scotia government.

On Thursday, the government released a draft report, dated June 2024, that includes 11 recommendations, such as allocating more resources to Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian community groups, committing to publicly reporting progress toward addressing environmental racism and putting forward a formal definition of environmental racism for the purpose of legislative and policy changes.

The government hasn’t disclosed when it received copies of the draft and final reports.

The panel also recommended the province should issue a formal apology to Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities “acknowledging that previous provincial decisions have had disproportional impacts on them as a result of environmental racism.”

Premier Tim Houston said Thursday the government wants to speak with panel members before committing to make a formal apology.

“I think there has been significant examples of racism in this province that Nova Scotians aren’t proud of. For sure that has happened. Our government, just like Nova Scotia, we don’t accept it... meeting with the members is the next appropriate step. That was the plan,” Houston said Thursday when asked if he thinks the province owes these communities an apology.

“The fact that somebody leaked the report doesn’t change the plan,” he added.

Minister of Equity and Anti-racism Scott Armstrong told reporters Thursday a meeting has been scheduled with members of the panel for December, though he did not say what day.

He also did not make any commitments about whether there would be an apology.

“We’ll talk to the people on the panel first to see what they actually think and how anything like that would take place,” he added.

NDP leader Claudia Chender said the way the province has handled the environmental racism report is “frankly embarrassing.”

“This government won’t even say the word sorry? Of course, this government should apologize. We have a legacy of environmental racism in this province that is indisputable,” she said.

She suggested the apology is needed urgently as the province moves toward more natural resources development.

“This government has a lot of work to show communities across this province who have been impacted by this legacy of environmental racism for generations that they understand and that they care about it. And that they won’t replicate it,” Chender added.

Liberal member Derek Mombourquette, who previously represented the Cape Breton community of Whitney Pier in the legislature, and currently represents Membertou First Nation, said both of those areas have suffered under different forms of environmental racism.

“I have seen firsthand the community conversations and the hurt and the pain that has been caused,” Mombourquette said.

“I honestly can’t believe that the premier and a minister today couldn’t look at the media and tell Nova Scotians that we should apologize.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.

By Lyndsay Armstrong