Month in Review – Nova Scotia

LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Aug 15: Reminder: Nova Scotia is increasing its general minimum wage another 25 cents to $17.00 per hour on October 1. The province has separate minimum wages for employees in construction and property maintenance and logging and forest operations.

Action Point: Find out how to avoid common payroll errors when adjusting to minimum wage increases.

Employment Standards

Aug 17: Nova Scotia Labour Standards published the updated list of foreign worker recruiters licensed to operate in the province. Under the Labour Standards Code, foreign worker recruiters must have a valid Foreign Worker Recruiter Licence from the Labour Standards Division unless an exemption applies.

Hiring & Recruiting

Aug 11: Nova Scotians receiving income assistance will soon have access to the same employment services, supports, and job opportunities as other job seekers in the province. Starting in September, income assistance recipients who are ready to look for work will be referred directly to Nova Scotia Works, the Province’s public employment service that offers free employment supports; those who need more support before looking for a job will access those services through the Department of Opportunities and Social Development’s network of community-based service providers.

New Laws

Aug 10: The federal government is offering oyster harvesters in Nova Scotia a one-time payment of $40,000 for voluntarily agreeing to the permanent retirement of their wild oyster licences and permits. The new Oyster Licence Retirement Grant Program is designed to ease pressure on wild oyster stocks which have diminished by the spread of the diseases MSX and Dermo.

Employment Benefits

Jul 30: The Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan achieved a net return of 6.55% for fiscal year 2025–2026, above its 6.25% actuarial assumed rate, but below its 8.60% benchmark. The Teachers’ Pension Plan (TPP) 2025 net return was 8.02%, above its actuarial assumed rate of return of 6.10%, but below its benchmark return of 10.18%.

Action Point: Find out about the perils of poor pension plan governance and how to avoid them.

New Laws

Jul 23: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen regional electricity planning. The three provinces will work with Natural Resources Canada to identify opportunities to strengthen regional electricity infrastructure, improve system reliability, and support growing electricity demand across Atlantic Canada.

New Laws

Aug 17: The Nova Scotia Regional Emergency Management Organization (REMO) Capacity Grant Program announced more than $800,000 in funding for 12 emergency management organizations across the province. The organizations will use the money to improve emergency communications systems, hire emergency management staff, rent office space, provide emergency preparedness training, and develop emergency management plans.

New Laws

Jul 24: Ten Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia are now generating their own renewable energy thanks to an investment of more than $4.8 million from the federal government and the communities themselves. The project included the installation of net metered solar panels enabling the communities to generate their own electricity and supply it to the electrical utility. As a result, they only pay the “net” amount of electricity, which is the difference between what their solar systems produce versus the amount of electricity that they actually consume from the grid.

New Laws

Jul 23: Nova Scotia gave the go-ahead for Scotia Mine Ltd. to restart operations at its zinc mine in Halifax County. In addition to creating about 150 jobs, the mine will produce zinc, a critical mineral used in renewable energy technologies, batteries, electric vehicles, infrastructure, and protecting steel from corrosion, as well as lead used in batteries and gypsum, which is important to housing and agriculture.

New Laws

Jul 21: Nova Scotia is investing $2.22 million to help 20 seafood and aquaculture companies across the province reduce their fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. The funding is being provided under the third round of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Energy Efficiency Innovation Fund designed to help companies adopt innovative technology.

New Laws

Aug 7: Nova Scotia began accepting applications for demonstration permits allowing tidal energy development companies to test their smaller-scale in-stream devices in the Bay of Fundy. Applicants may propose projects of less than two megawatts each, giving them the chance to evaluate emerging tidal energy technologies in real-world conditions while collecting technical, operational, and environmental data. Projects will be connected to the power grid. Deadline to apply: September 30.

New Laws

Aug 13: Tidal Transit will receive $10 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments to improve rural transit services in the counties of Kings, Annapolis, and Digby, as well as surrounding communities. In addition to replacing six aging buses with five new conventional buses and one new electric bus, Tidal Transit Authority will use the money to install three charging stations and upgrade their maintenance facility.

Workers’ Compensation

Aug 10: WCB Nova Scotia published its 2025 Annual Report. Highlights: Time-loss claims per 100 covered workers dropped from 1.38 to an all-time low of 1.21. Return-to-work outcomes also improved year-to-year with average days lost to injury falling from 269 to 226 per 100. The WCB’s funded position also improved with the surplus increasing from 106.7% to 117.1%, allowing the agency to cut premium rates for the first time in 10 years.

Action Point: Find out how to create a vibrant workplace health and safety culture to prevent injuries and workers’ compensation claims at your company.

Drugs & Alcohol

Jul 21: Nova Scotia inked an agreement allowing wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cider makers in the province to sell directly to consumers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The agreement also allows Nova Scotia residents to order beverage alcohol from producers in those provinces. A similar arrangement is already in effect with Ontario.

Action Point: Find out how to implement an effective fitness for duty policy to control substance abuse at your workplace.

Workers’ Compensation

Jan 1: Starting in 2027, WCB Nova Scotia will index injured workers’ benefits to 100% of inflation, up to 3% per year (as measured by the Consumer Price Index). The increase without a corresponding increase in employer premiums was made possible by the WCB’s strong financial position with a surplus of over 117%.