Budget 2026-27: Defending Nova Scotia Invests in Southern Nova Scotia

In this year's budget, Nova Scotia is forging a path toward powering its future, building stronger, healthier communities and ensuring the Province’s fiscal sustainability.

Finance and Treasury Board Minister John Lohr tabled Budget 2026-27: Defending Nova Scotia today, February 23.

“This year’s budget is about continuing to invest in the strategic priorities that will drive the province forward and build our economy. At the same time, we are planning for the long term to reduce expenses and keep our province on strong fiscal footing,” said Minister Lohr.

Budget 2026-27 continues to make life more affordable, with $681.2 million to continue tax saving measures that will save the average family more than $1,400 this year.

Some of the projects that will benefit southern Nova Scotia include:

• $873.8 million toward the plan to build 5,700 new and replacement long-term care spaces by 2032, including the Neighbourhoods of Dogwood Lane in Liverpool, which will open this year (capital)
• $233.5 million to continue rolling out One Patient One Record across the province, creating one digital health record for every patient no matter where they are (operating and capital)
• $144.5 million for construction and renewal of hospitals and medical facilities, including the Yarmouth Regional Hospital and the South Shore Regional Hospital (capital)
• $47.5 million to hire more paramedics and emergency medical responders across Nova Scotia, improving emergency care
• $47.1 million to pay more to hard-working family doctors, including those who take shifts in long-term care facilities, hospitals and emergency departments in Nova Scotia’s rural community hospitals
• $24.7 million for the construction of modular units to expand dialysis services, including at the Roseway Hospital in Shelburne (capital)
• $4.7 million toward the first phase of the Menopause Centre of Excellence to help women get the specialized care they need (operating and capital)
• $8 million more for the Universal Mental Health and Addictions Care Insured Services program to expand services across the province
• $500,000 for improvements to the Mental Health and Addictions Provincial Crisis Line technology
• $110.3 million to build and renovate schools in the 2026-27 school year, including École Baie Sainte-Marie in Clare (capital)
• $1.6 million this year, as part of a $4-million three-year investment to expand market diversification initiatives to help exporters build capacity to operate in new markets, including the launch of a new market diversification funding program for seafood and agri-foods
• $1.5 million for an innovation hub to help accelerate growth and improve productivity in Nova Scotia’s seafood sector, including industry development services and science supports that respond to the needs of industry
• $190,000 increase, for a total of $415,000, in aquaculture lab services to meet growing demand for detection of shellfish diseases
• $8 million to support forestry contractors and private woodlot owners to move low-grade wood to market and lower wildfire risk
• $6.8 million to contract four dedicated fixed-wing water bombers for Nova Scotia for wildfire operations
• $465 million for highway and road improvement and safety provincewide, including a multi-year project for twinning Exit 6 to Exit 8 on Highway 103 (capital).

Budget 2026-27 also introduces a four-year fiscal sustainability plan to contain expense growth. This includes a five per cent civil service reduction and a three per cent reduction in the broader public service, which includes Crown corporations, regional centres for education and other entities.

“We value our hard-working public servants, but government needs to become more focused and efficient,” said Minister Lohr. “We will protect core front-line services that Nova Scotians rely on, and work to right-size government through attrition wherever possible.”

Quick Facts:

• with revenues of $17.3 billion and expenses of $18.9 billion, Budget 2026-27 estimates a deficit of $1.19 billion (after consolidation and adjustments) before contingency
• additional appropriations related to the 2025-26 budget forecast total $47.4 million since the December forecast update

Additional Resources:

Budget 2026-27 documents are available at: https://novascotia.ca/budget

Budget news releases: https://news.novascotia.ca/search/all?search_keyword=&created=&created_1=&field_language=All&field_category=All&field_topics=224