Hannah Main

If you’re on Facebook, Chief Andrea Paul has made a post outlining various cuts to Mi’kmaw programs www.facebook.com/story.php?st...

Seeing the Al Whittle Theatre is getting its budget cut as well. As an Acadia alumna, the Al Whittle is iconic!!

A gathering (my wedding!) in a stretch tent in a green yard with a sunset in the background

Here’s another personal one for me: I believe Ross Creek Centre for the Arts/Two Planks and a Passion may be affected by the arts grants cuts. Ross Creek is incredibly special for arts education and theatre and represents the best of Nova Scotia. I also happened to get married there!

More on the cuts: Nimbus Publishing is highlighting the loss of a $700,000 fund for publishers to publish books by local authors.

*undermines democracy!!

With the Chrétien/Martin federal budget of 1995 being transformative in Canada with its slashes to public funds. And the theory is that slashing public funding ultimately democracy. Idk if this is a transitional moment or just the natural conclusion to years of disinvestment in public services

As a social scientist I love this question and I think social scientists are also arguing about it. Many social scientists point to the Thatcher/Reagan/Mulroney eras as being major transitions in terms of neoliberalism ideology taking hold in governments (small govt good, public spending bad) 1/

Although the cynical view is that they know exactly how this will go and they don’t care because it will enrich a lucky few.

Only had time to make this thread because I got snowed in & then my car broke down so I am barely hanging on but I am begging the provincial government to learn the TINIEST bit about the history of this Nova Scotia and just how (un)successful this kind of economic strategy has been in the past!!!!

Sorry for editorializing too much but like… for example, a museum is a real place. A bus is a real thing. A targeted program to attract and convert investment attraction in Nova Scotia’s strategic sectors is fake.

• $1.5 million for Invest Nova Scotia to drive more GDP growth in six priority sectors • $1.5 million for an innovation hub to help accelerate growth and improve productivity in Nova Scotia's seafood sector • $2.5 million to help businesses diversify their trade markets • $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 million in targeted programs to attract and convert investment attraction in Nova Scotia's strategic sectors

And. What is this, actually. Who gets a piece of the $2.5 million to help businesses ‘diversify their trade markets?’ What will GDP growth do for the average Nova Scotian? When we say seafood sector, are we just talking about Clearwater?

Look, I don’t want to be totally critical. It does seem like there is a fair amount of infrastructure funding, which is never very sexy but is very important. But still. We gotta pay attention to who is gaining in these equations, and who loses. Is our public money benefiting Nova Scotians?

• $5.5 million for AlayaCare, a new provincial technology platform to better connect the home care sector to support front-line staff and provide quality care, faster for Nova Scotians • $4.4-million investment to establish artificial intelligence capabilities, including developing and deploying Al-enabled applications • $2.6 million to increase public safety and enhance provincial policing with a single records system for all police

Also. Let’s talk about some of the new funding announcements. This is transfer of public funds to private interests. This is growing the surveillance state.

Hundreds of programs to see provincial funding cut as part of $130M grant reductions | CBC News The grant cuts will affect community organizations across the province, including programs related to the arts, sports, health, seniors and youth.

CBC also reporting on these cuts. The cuts to the NS Apprenticeship Agency baffle me. Like, I get cutting arts and culture, even if I don’t agree with it. The PC government has never claimed to care about that. But they claim to care about skilled trades. So why??
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It also looks like basically every arts, culture, and sports initiative organization in the province is having some level of cuts. I might be exaggerating but it’s seriously bad. Everything from the school sports org (NSSAF) to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to the NS Talent Trust.

The government is also reducing Perennia’s funding by quite a bit. Perennia does research and development to support agricultural businesses in Nova Scotia. Farmers rely on their expertise.

Looks like the province is also pulling funding from the Transition Year program at Dalhousie. This is a program that supports Indigenous and African Nova Scotian students to prepare them for university.

Province is cutting their support of the Social Work Clinic at Dalhousie University. I believe provincial grants don’t make up the whole budget of the clinic but it’s a chunk. At Dalhousie Legal Aid, we are often referring clients to the social work clinic.

Here's the full list of the Houston government's grant cuts to organizations. Tell us what you think. - Halifax Examiner The Houston government has cut $309 million from grants it gives to community organizations and universities. You can read the entire 13-page list of cuts here. The Halifax Examiner would like to hear...

Thanks @halifaxexaminer.ca for sharing the full list of grant reductions from the province. Let me point out a couple of things I notice in this list www.halifaxexaminer.ca/dismantling-...

Seeing in the Music Nova Scotia newsletter that they will be getting a 20% cut in provincial funding.

Arts and culture in Nova Scotia left reeling from 'unprecedented' cuts - Halifax Examiner "It's going to be absolutely devastating."

Thankful for reporting from @halifaxexaminer.ca @philmoscovitch.bsky.social
The list of cuts just goes on….

www.halifaxexaminer.ca/arts-and-cul...

From the Dalhousie community on Reddit: FYI for Grad Students: NSGS is dead Explore this post and more from the Dalhousie community

I got this from a Reddit thread… apparently was sent to some grad students at Dal. www.reddit.com/r/Dalhousie/...

Looks like NSCC is seeing a budget cut as well.

As for things not getting cut, the policing budget is increasing.

I’m getting overwhelmed for now, but will add more as I learn about them. I don’t want to be hyperbolic, but it seems like we’ll be feeling the ripple effects of this budget for year.

Oh and the budget line for the Nova Scotia to Maine ferry is $21.6 million. It’s important to note that the budget line for museums is $12 million.

The Office of L’nu Affairs is also facing a budget cut. When I read the budget, L’nu Affairs is on one page and the Office of Service Efficiency is on the next. The Office of Service Efficiency does not have a budget reduction. It has the mandate to ‘reduce red tape’

Early intervention programs for children/families also saw a funding reduction. Anyone who is on a wait list for these programs know that they’re already at their limit! Wait lists likely to get even longer….

It also seems like a lot of the arts granting funds have been cut. Support4Culture’s funding (already a teensy percentage of the provincial budget) has been basically halved. Support4Culture has provided funding to things like Shakespeare by the Sea and the Black Loyalist Heritage Society.

Struggling N.S. libraries say their financial books need a $1.6M emergency top-up | CBC News In a letter to the province, Nova Scotia's nine regional library boards say they need emergency funding and a new funding formula to avoid cutting services, staff, hours of operation and collections.

I am not seeing any increase in funding for libraries, despite libraries desperately calling for an increase. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...