Nova Scotians are continuing to make their voices heard when it comes to frustrations over the provincial budget.
People filled both the gallery and the overflow area at Province House on Friday, wearing all-black to stand in solidarity with both Black and Indigenous communities.
The protest comes as many programs and community grants that benefit those communities are impacted by cuts in the provincial budget.
Kay MacDonald, the program director at The Youth Project, told reporters, “the math ain’t mathing.”
“People fought really hard for these programs to exist, particularly in an African Nova Scotian context. I know my community fought really hard for these things to exist,” she said.
“These budget cuts are not arbitrary. They directly impact people, and they directly impact the people that I love. And for politicians to act like they will never affect them really creates a divide between the people and the people in power.”
Nova Scotia’s 2026-27 budget reduces or eliminates more than 280 grants across multiple government departments as the province seeks to save about $130 million while projecting a deficit of roughly $1.2 billion.
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The reductions affect a range of programs, including scholarships, arts funding and initiatives supporting Mi’kmaw and Black and African Nova Scotian communities.
MacDonald is questioning what the government’s priorities are, given that some community grants were slashed, while funding for others, such as the SailGP event, still has $1 million in provincial money coming.
“When we see cuts coming to African Nova Scotian communities, when we [see] cuts coming to Mi’kmaw communities, when we [see] cuts coming down on disability programs and accessibility and the student bus pass pilot program, what does that say when you take money away from those communities?” she said.
Rallies have been taking place outside the provincial legislature this week, as Premier Tim Houston and his government defend the budget.
Separate rallies for the arts community and Indigenous and environmental groups both drew hundreds of protesters.
Opposition leaders have been vocal as well, with NDP Leader Claudia Chender saying she’s proud to see Nova Scotians fighting as they have.
“The cuts that are being made in this budget will have an enormous impact on people’s lives. And so I’m always glad to see people paying attention and using their voice,” she said.
The budget will continue to undergo the legislative process for approval, but at this time, there are no signs of changes on the horizon.
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‘Math ain’t mathing’: N.S. budget called out for cuts to Indigenous, Black programs
