Reaction and fallout continue after N.S. government makes major cuts to arts and culture programs

Perkins House Museum. (CTV News)

Military historian Ken Hynes said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is making a shortsighted mistake in his attempt to manage the province’s finances.

“Nova Scotia is full of stories of human endurance, of contributions to our country that may never have been told and may never be told because of decisions like these,” said Hynes.

The provincial government is cutting $130 million in funding that supports arts and culture programs.

Premier Houston said he is doing what is necessary to tackle a $1.2-billion provincial deficit.

“We are trying to focus on the efficiencies on administration and management,” said Houston. “To protect frontline services, to protect healthcare, to protect education and to protect housing.”

The cuts include the closure of these 12 rural museums across the province:

• Cossit House in Sydney
• Lawrence House in Maitland
• McCulloch House in Pictou
• Perkins House in Liverpool
• Prescott House in Port Williams
• Ross-Thomson House in Shelburne
• Shand House in Windsor
• Barrington Woolen Mill in Barrington
• Sutherland Steam Mill in Denmark
• Wile Carding Mill in Bridgewater
• Fisherman’s Life Museum in Oyster Pond
• North Hills Museum in Granville Ferry

“It’s not a cut, it’s a slash and it’s really against education,” said Halifax historian Blair Beed. “Because the people who benefit from these things should be the newer generation, to be introduced to the information of our history.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Ontario Director, Noah Jarvis said on Wednesday these cuts come at a time when the debt is increasing to historically high levels.

“If you want to keep these museums open, you have to deal with the debt problem, because the debt interest, that is rising to $1 billion this year, is crowding out the ability to fund other programs,” said Jarvis.

The $700,000 Nova Scotia Publishers Assistance Program has also been scrapped.

“Without that money, first-time authors may never be published,” said Hynes, who wrote his first book in 2025. “I have no doubt that it supported me and many others in their attempt to be published.”

It’s still unknown what will come of the content, art and artifacts at the museums.

Hynes believes these cuts will also have a far-reaching impact on tourism, public service organizations and community groups in Nova Scotia.

“There are so many volunteers and people who give freely of themselves every single day to ensure that these institutions live and have lived for decades,” said Hynes. “With the swipe of a pen, the government has come in and completely defunded many of these things.”

Both Hynes and Beed said, it’s difficult to imagine cancelled funding being re-implemented in the future. They are concerned these cancelled programs and closed museums, will be permanent.