A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge says the provincial government made an unreasonable decision last year when it banned most people from entering the woods to prevent wildfires during an extreme drought.

In a decision released Friday, Justice Jamie Campbell said the provincewide ban imposed on Aug. 5, 2025, did not meet the standard for reasonableness because the province failed to consider the impact on Charter rights.

“It was not a fleeting or insignificant restriction,” Campbell wrote. “It substantially affected peoples’ lives.”

The ban prohibited “entry into the woods for the purposes of travelling, camping, fishing or picnicking or any other purpose, without a valid travel permit in all counties in Nova Scotia.”