Tim Houston: Nova Scotia has immense economic potential. Here's how we can unlock it
By Tim Houston
In 2014, a columnist at the Halifax Chronicle Herald noted the following: “A Montreal shipyard produced a 9,000 tonne merchant ship, from start to finish, in 58 days in the middle of the Second World War. Today, we could not organize public hearings in 58 days.”
Twelve years later, has anything improved in our country?
The honest answer is: not enough. But it’s coming. It has to.
In Nova Scotia , we feel the urgency. Our economy ranks near the bottom in North America based on GDP per capita. We do not belong in the basement, and it is not where we are going to stay.
We have faced real economic setbacks. The loss of major industries had lasting impacts on jobs, wages and growth and, for too long, we struggled to recover. While other regions moved quickly to develop their resources and build new industries, we often found ourselves delayed by debate and uncertainty.
Nova Scotia had bans on entire industries, including uranium exploration and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas . These bans sent a message to companies that Nova Scotia was not a place that they could do business.
As a result, resource development stayed out West and many Nova Scotians moved out to find work, either full-time or to raise their families on a two-week rotation.
By lifting these bans and modernizing approvals, we are showing industry that they can be successful here and in doing so, providing Nova Scotians more opportunities at home.
Those experiences should not hold us back. They should guide us forward.
Our traditional industries of fishing, farming and forestry will always be critical to our economy. But today, we are strengthening new pillars that will define our future.
As Canada’s capital of defence, Nova Scotia is at the centre of a growing and evolving sector. With the most defence spending per capita in Canada, the sector is responsible for 17,000 private-sector jobs and $2.6 billion in GDP.
Our provincial defence leadership roundtable is working closely with NATO’s North American Defence Innovation Centre in Halifax and its more than 130 innovative companies, senior leadership from all branches of the forces and the federal government, to better understand needs, strengthen commitments and keep Nova Scotia on the leading edge.
More than $3.2 billion in investments have already been announced, including projects that will see Nova Scotia serve as an Air Force drone base and a rocket launch location.
Our naval investments remain vital to national security.
In critical minerals, we see the potential to advance four new mining projects this year alone. Last summer, NexGold Mining Corp. received approval for the Goldboro Mine in Guysborough County that could generate up to 735 jobs and contribute $2.1-billion to Nova Scotia’s GDP.
We’re also seeing companies return. St. Barbara Ltd. recently received approval to process over 3-million tonnes of stockpiled ore at their Touquoy site in Moose River. This project has the potential to create up to 197 jobs and generate $151-million in economic activity in Nova Scotia.
We are also seeing progress in healthcare innovation. The number of Nova Scotians on the “need a family doctor” list is now less than six per cent, down from a peak of around 17 per cent, and well below the national average closer to 20 per cent. Using data more effectively is helping improve outcomes, and that progress matters for the broader economy as well.
These developments are all significant, but the potential in energy is even bigger.
This year, Nova Scotia will see progress on Canada’s first offshore wind project, known as Wind West, as well as renewed activity in offshore oil and gas and meaningful steps toward unlocking our onshore natural gas.
Wind West has the potential to generate up to 60 gigawatts of energy, enough to meet nearly a quarter of Canada’s total demand, while attracting billions in investment and creating thousands of jobs, both here and across the country. Later this year, the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board regulator will open the bid process, continuing momentum on this generational opportunity.
Closer to our traditional roots, our offshore holds an estimated 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 49 billion barrels of oil in place. For too long, none of this has been in production. That needs to change. We have decades of experience developing these resources safely and responsibly. Thousands of Nova Scotians already work in the energy sector — just not in Nova Scotia. These are people who want to work here, not raise their children two weeks on, two weeks off. Our previous offshore projects generated $3.7 billion in royalties, with 20-plus years of safe operations.
That is why our offshore regulator has a call for bids open on exploration lands, closing this month, a date that could mark a meaningful step forward for the future of our province.
Onshore, the opportunity is just as real. Nova Scotia is estimated to have seven trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, enough to supply the Maritimes for roughly 80 years at current demand. Approximately 70 per cent of these sub-basins have not yet been evaluated using modern methods, suggesting a meaningful upside as assessments advance.
We have invested $30 million through Dalhousie University to work with communities and industry toward safe, sustainable development. The Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program includes $24.3 million in direct reimbursements to support research and drilling.
Government is committed. Many Nova Scotians want to build local energy capacity and reduce reliance on the United States. I am with them.
We have already seen encouraging interest from industry. By making Nova Scotia business friendly with modern approvals processes that allow us to grow our economy while protecting the environment, we can create jobs, lower energy costs and build expertise here at home.
Not everyone agrees, and that is okay. We will listen and address concerns with science, facts and respect.
The world is changing. Reliable energy is in demand, and Nova Scotia is well positioned to meet it. We are closer to Europe than the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Port of Halifax connects to more than 150 countries. There is a pipeline. There is a fully permitted LNG facility waiting for feedstock. Our infrastructure, universities and skilled workforce give us real advantages.
These are not talking points. They are opportunities.
Prosperity is not complicated. It means more people working in good jobs, producing what the world needs and generating the revenue to invest in our future.
Tim Houston is the premier of Nova Scotia