Debate grows over Nova Scotia’s uranium mining future

As opposition to uranium mining resurfaces in Nova Scotia, a provincial mining group is urging the government and public to look to other jurisdictions where uranium mining has been conducted safely.

Sean Kirby, executive director of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia (MANS), said: “Discussion about uranium needs to be based on science and facts, not myths and misconceptions.”

Kirby added: “Experts like the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission say uranium mining is safe for people and the environment, and decades of experience in Saskatchewan prove it. There is clearly no health, safety or environmental reason to ban uranium.”

He continued: “If uranium actually caused the problems that some allege, the people of Saskatchewan would tell us so. Instead, 83% of people in Saskatchewan support uranium mining, according to polling. Uranium mining has bipartisan support in Saskatchewan. Both of the province’s main political parties, the Saskatchewan Party and the NDP, support uranium.”

Nova Scotia made national headlines when the Houston government lifted the province’s decades-long ban on uranium exploration and mining, effective March 26, 2025. The province said the decision would open the door to new research and economic opportunities in the resource sector.

Anti-mining petition may not reflect popular sentiment

Not everyone agreed. A petition with 7,000 signatures was recently tabled in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, calling for the ban to be reinstated. Petition organizer Sarah Trask Duggan said the initiative reflects frustration that the Progressive Conservative government removed the ban without community input. She contrasted that decision with the extensive consultation and scientific review that preceded the original ban in the 1980s, adding, “Nobody wants this.”

Kirby countered that polling commissioned by the mining association in 2024 showed 54% of Nova Scotians supported uranium mining, while only 22% opposed it.

He added: “And that was a year before public support for resource industries grew significantly in response to Trump’s attacks on Canada’s economy and sovereignty.”

These numbers suggest that organized anti-mining and environmentalist interests may be driving recent opposition much more than actual broad public sentiment.

After meeting with petitioners at Province House, Premier Tim Houston acknowledged these concerns and promised “fulsome consultation” and scientific review before any project moves ahead, while emphasizing that no uranium exploration proposals currently exist.

Province yet to receive exploration proposal

Since lifting the ban, most of Nova Scotia has reopened to uranium exploration. However, the province has taken a cautious approach in three areas with high uranium potential—Millet Brook, East Dalhousie, and Louisville. An open call for exploration proposals this spring drew no applicants, prompting the province to maintain restrictions in those zones and shift toward government-led research.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said it is working with industry to ensure uranium exploration proceeds safely and responsibly. Companies must obtain an exploration licence and all other necessary permits before beginning work, whether on Crown or private land.

The Mining Association of Nova Scotia, which has long promoted safe and responsible mining in the province, says uranium could play a significant role in the province’s future.

It wrote: “We know from exploration done in the 1970s and 80s that Nova Scotia has potential for uranium. However, a ban, which was not based in science, prevented us from doing uranium exploration for almost a half century. The Government of Nova Scotia has done the right thing by repealing the ban this year. This will let us see whether our deposits are economically viable and whether we can contribute to global supply of this essential mineral.”

More information is posted on www.Tmans.ca/