HALIFAX —

Opposition to the Nova Scotia government’s recent budget cuts grew a little louder today as hundreds of artists, musicians and members of heritage groups gathered for a boisterous protest outside the provincial legislature.

The Nova Scotia Arts Coalition says other protests were also planned in nine other communities across the province.

Last week, the Progressive Conservative government announced it would cut $130 million in government grants, reducing or eliminating funding for arts, tourism and culture programs, as well as money set aside for Indigenous and African Nova Scotian projects.

At the protest in downtown Halifax, anti-government chants were accompanied by plenty of singing, music and artfully decorated protest signs.

Ken Schwartz, artistic director of Two Planks and a Passion Theater, says the cutbacks represent the worst thing to happen to Nova Scotia’s arts and culture sector in the 35 years he has worked as a director, playwright and an educator.

On Tuesday, a First Nations-led protest attracted hundreds of protesters to the legislature, where they took aim at the government’s resource extraction policies and accused the province of ignoring treaty obligations.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2026.

The Canadian Press