Small town residents in N.S. react to cuts in recent provincial budget

People in Berwick, N.S., sound off on the province’s budget cuts.

Berwick, N.S., is a town of just under 2,500 people that sits about an hour outside Halifax, and like in many small towns, politics can often be top of conversation.

“They talk about how the government spends their money things that they don’t like,” says Cindy Best, who works at the local coffee shop, North Mountain Coffee Company.

That has been especially true since the release of the most recent provincial budget.

The 2026-2027 financial forecast from the province is titled “Defending Nova Scotia, Planning for the Long Term”.

People in Berwick, however, are calling some of the $130 million dollars in program cuts, short sighted.

“I understand for austerity I understand we don’t want to run deficits, but these cuts seem very mean spirited to me,” says Janice Foote.

In an attempt to rein-in a $1.2 billion deficit, Premier Tim Houston announced funding reductions or the all-out scrapping of more than 280 provincial grants.

Things like scholarships, arts and culture funding, recreation programs and the closing of some tourist bureaus and museums are all on the chopping block.

“I’m a retired educator so I really deplore the cuts to the African Nova Scotia assistance for students that really affects me as well as any cuts that affect Mi’kmaq students,” Foote says.

The cutting of the caregiver’s benefit is another sore point for some.

“Vulnerable people, like disabilities and that, I feel I feel bad for their families who have gotten used to that, it must be very difficult,” Esther Hatt says.

Still, the cuts were predictable to Janice Foote who says she knew something was brewing when the province took away the tolls on the Halifax bridges and reduced the HST.

“Wondered what was going to give because he can’t just cut things like that and then expect the money to miraculously appear,” she says. “Small towns are kind of the lifeblood of Nova Scotia, it’s where we came from and I feel that it’s very unfortunate.”

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