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Nova Scotia firefighting crew to help battle Saskatchewan wildfires
Nova Scotia firefighting crew to help battle Saskatchewan wildfires

Global News

time2 days ago

  • Climate
  • Global News

Nova Scotia firefighting crew to help battle Saskatchewan wildfires

Nova Scotia is sending a team of firefighters to help with out-of-control wildfires in Saskatchewan for the second time this wildfire season. The 20-person crew is scheduled to fly Saturday to Saskatoon to be briefed and learn where they will be deployed. Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton says the province is able to send the team to help in Western Canada because of limited wildfire activity in Nova Scotia. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Nova Scotia firefighters first went to Saskatchewan in late May and returned in June. The province currently has a specialist assisting in the Northwest Territories, while two communications technicians from the Department of Emergency Management helped firefighting efforts in Alberta in June. In 2024, Nova Scotia deployed fire crews or other resources six times to help with wildfires across the country. Story continues below advertisement This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025.

Nova Scotia sending another crew to fight wildfires in Saskatchewan
Nova Scotia sending another crew to fight wildfires in Saskatchewan

CTV News

time2 days ago

  • Climate
  • CTV News

Nova Scotia sending another crew to fight wildfires in Saskatchewan

Nova Scotia is sending a crew of firefighters to Saskatchewan. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia) Nova Scotia is sending a crew to Saskatchewan to help fight wildfires in that province for the second time in two months. The province says a crew of 20 firefighters will fly to Saskatoon on Saturday. 'Western Canada is having a tough wildfire season, they need our help, and we're in a good position to help,' said Tory Rushton, minister of Natural Resources, in a news release. 'I thank Nova Scotians for following the daily burn restrictions. By limiting wildfires in our province, we not only avoid devastation in our communities – we can also send another crew to our friends in need in Saskatchewan.' Nova Scotia sent a team of 20 firefighters to the prairie province in late May. That group returned in June. According to the Government of Saskatchewan, there are 50 active wildfires in the province as of Friday. There have been 376 total wildfires to date. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page

N.S. to prioritize using timber in new construction, heating of public buildings
N.S. to prioritize using timber in new construction, heating of public buildings

CTV News

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • CTV News

N.S. to prioritize using timber in new construction, heating of public buildings

Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Fred Tilley makes an announcement about the timber industry in Enfield, N.S., on July 17, 2025. (Jesse Thomas/CTV Atlantic) The Nova Scotia government says it's turning to timber every opportunity it can in the construction and renovation of new public buildings, while also moving to heating public buildings with wood products. The province's Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton and Public Works Minister Fred Tilley announced the province's new priority to utilize wood products outside the Ledwidge Lumber facility in Enfield, N.S., Thursday morning. 'Now more than ever, we want to use local products for building and heating in Nova Scotia,' said Tilley. 'That's why government is leading by example and using more wood products in our own buildings. 'It's one of many steps our government is taking to make Nova Scotia more self-reliant and energy-secure and to grow our economy and create jobs through innovation in our forestry sector.' The announcement comes on the heels of Northern Pulp's announcement this week that the company, which had long operated a paper mill in Abercrombie, N.S., is leaving the province for good. Northern Pulp was forced to shut down its mill in 2020 after failing to meet environmental guidelines set out by the province regarding its new wastewater treatment facility. The closure and permanent departure leaves a major void in the timber economy, with the absence of a major buyer of low-grade wood, which was a key source of revenue for woodlot owners, sawmill operators and others in the forestry sector. 'This will produce economic benefit for Nova Scotian families while we increase the use of local, sustainable products,' said Rushton. 'Building and heating with wood will produce jobs and reduce our carbon footprint. It's a great way to support our forestry sector and take charge of our low-carbon future.' Currently, 20 public buildings across the province, including schools and hospitals, are using wood-based heating systems and the province says two more are in development. Tilley said the province is updating its design and procurement policies to make wood a preferred choice in future construction and renovation projects, while transitioning oil-based heating systems to wood. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page

Nova Scotia pushes to develop offshore natural gas
Nova Scotia pushes to develop offshore natural gas

National Observer

time08-07-2025

  • Business
  • National Observer

Nova Scotia pushes to develop offshore natural gas

The Nova Scotia government wants to restart fossil fuel activity off the coast. The province says its portion of the Atlantic Ocean, known for whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds, is also home to significant natural gas resources. 'Right now, all our natural gas is imported, and it flows either from or through the United States. We want to develop our own offshore natural gas to unlock this major economic opportunity for our province,' Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau said in a statement. The rhetoric fits into a broader push by the region to significantly expand fossil fuel production. Nova Scotia's Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton recently introduced a bill that would undo the province's moratorium on fracking. Last month, neighbouring Newfoundland and Labrador announced findings from its offshore natural gas assessment, and similarly touted the economic case for kickstarting the industry in the province, which currently has active offshore oil. While Boudreau says natural gas should 'play a key role as we move to a low-carbon economy,' it is still a fossil fuel made mostly of methane. Methane, which is responsible for about one quarter of global warming, is over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide for the first 20 years in the atmosphere. Natural gas production is a huge source of methane leaks in Canada, and the gas also breaks down into CO2 when burned. The call for exploration bids includes 13 parcels along the central Scotian Shelf and Slope, one of the most intensively fished areas of the Atlantic Ocean known for its abundance of marine life. Following exploration, oil and gas companies have until April 2026 to offer money to the province, which could then award them exploration licences. Following exploration, the companies can eventually apply for a production licence. If awarded, exploration licences allow companies to conduct seismic surveys and use exploratory drilling to find oil and gas deposits. The process is harmful to marine life, carries some similar risks to full-blown extraction and ultimately leads to more oil and gas projects. The Nova Scotia government wants to restart fossil fuel activity off the coast. The call for exploration bids includes 13 parcels along the central Scotian Shelf and Slope, one of the most fished areas of the Atlantic Ocean. The push for natural gas development contrasts with the province's earlier moves. In 2023, Nova Scotia rejected an exploration licence bid from Inceptio Limited, a Scottish company, to explore for gas off the Scotia Shelf. The offshore board recommended the bid move forward, but Jonathan Wilkinson, then-federal natural resources minister, and Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia's minister of natural resources and renewables, announced their decision to reject the $1.5-million bid — the only one the offshore board had approved at the time. The two ministers said their decision considered the transition to clean energy. And that wasn't the first time a bid was squashed — in 2018, exploration bids around the island faced harsh criticism and a successful bid was ultimately abandoned. That history gives environmental advocates hope, and an example to cite. 'Any company looking to respond to this call for bids should know that Nova Scotia coastal communities and environmental groups have successfully fought them off in the past — and will do so again,' said Gretchen Fitzgerald, national programs director at Sierra Club Canada, who is based in Halifax. The NS government's economic justification for offshore gas contrasts with a 2020 International Institute for Sustainable Development analysis, which found that after 2030, global demand for oil will start to sharply decline, and stresses that Canada needs a plan to avoid these big upfront investments becoming stranded assets. 'The thought that somehow natural gas will create energy self-sufficiency is darkly laughable, both because of the climate impacts like wildfires and hurricanes it will accelerate, making people less secure, and because of how fossil fuel markets work,' said Fitzgerald.

Nova Scotia to do own study of 3 areas with uranium deposits without drilling or digging
Nova Scotia to do own study of 3 areas with uranium deposits without drilling or digging

CBC

time23-06-2025

  • Business
  • CBC

Nova Scotia to do own study of 3 areas with uranium deposits without drilling or digging

Nova Scotia will move ahead with its own geological study of three areas with known uranium deposits, despite an apparent lack of interest from the mining industry in exploring those lands. A spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources told CBC News the province won't grant any mineral exploration licences for the areas, which were part of a recent request for proposals. "Our research won't be intrusive and it won't involve any digging or drilling," spokesperson Adele Poirier said in an email. "We have some existing core samples that we'll examine, along with any existing historical records." Most of Nova Scotia has been available for uranium exploration since the Houston government lifted a ban earlier this year, but the province has been more particular about surveying three areas identified for heightened uranium potential: Millet Brook, East Dalhousie and Louisville. Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has said the province wants to be able to select experienced companies to do the exploration there. An open call to mineral exploration companies this spring did not yield any applications. Nevertheless, the province is keeping ropes up around those areas, and turning its attention to department-led research. 'Reconnaissance' work a smart approach: prof Poirier said this work will take place "while we consider other next steps." The research is to start in Millet Brook in Hants County, the largest of the three areas at 2,300 hectares. Erin Adlakha, an associate professor and chair of geology at Saint Mary's University, said it's a smart move. She said modern techniques are more precise than what would have been used four decades ago before a uranium moratorium came into effect. She said the province's research could paint a clearer picture of what's in the ground. Adlakha said the work described by the province is different from exploration, and more akin to "reconnaissance" work that could facilitate later exploration. "Packaging and marketing that material to exploration companies would be really helpful," she said. Call for proposals was poorly timed Adlakha said she thinks the lack of interest in the request for proposals was a case of bad timing. She said the deadline — just four weeks from the date it was announced — was too tight for companies to make decisions about human resources and capital investments. She said companies probably already had plans for summer exploration work. "The exploration season in Canada, of course, is restricted to when there's no snow on the ground," she said. "You spend the winter planning for these exploration activities." NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the lack of interest shows that the government didn't engage adequately with the industry before putting out the call. "What we saw in response to the RFP is evidence of what happens when you move ahead with a sloppy surprise agenda," she said Monday at a news conference. Chender was speaking to reporters to launch a series of town halls that she and other NDP MLAs will host throughout the summer to "engage with Nova Scotians about their priorities." Chender said the tour is a response to the direction the Houston government has taken since its second term began last fall. She pointed to the push for greater resource extraction, which began this year and was not part of the PC campaign platform. Persistent public opposition The Houston government's push for uranium exploration, in particular, has been fraught, with Mi'kmaw groups, municipalities and individuals calling for things to slow down or halt completely. Buddy Hebb said generations of his family have owned more than 160 hectares of land adjacent to the Millet Brook area since the 1800s, and he's strongly opposed to any work in pursuit of uranium development. "I think they should drop it. Our province is too small for this kind of thing," Hebb said in an interview. "There's hundreds of people living around here. It's a beautiful area. It's going to contaminate it." Mining proponents say uranium has among the safest mining practices in Canada, with stringent environmental regulations enforced by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. But those protections are not enough to convince Hebb and other uranium opponents. 'Leave it in the ground' Hebb said last week his MLA, Melissa Sheehy-Richard, called to talk to him about the importance of uranium exploration. He said he felt she was implying that the province wanted access to his land, including a road that leads to the Millet Brook site. "She was trying to convince me the whole time that this is in our best interest to see how much uranium is in there, and that they would have their own geologists come… just come and check it out," he said. "I more or less told her then that they wouldn't be going back across [my land]," said Hebb. "I don't want anything to do with this. I leave it in the ground." The office of Premier Tim Houston said in a statement there was "a high level misunderstanding" between Sheehy-Richard and Hebb, and the province did not ask for access to Hebb's land for any purpose. "I understand that emotions are high," the premier's statement said, adding a reassurance that uranium development will only proceed safely. "Like I said a few weeks ago when asked if it was the end of the line for uranium, I said we're not going to open uranium mines unless it is an industry-led project and, at this time, industry has not expressed any interest."

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