Mine’d Your Step: Uranium Mining in Nova Scotia Faces Significant Pushback

Nathalie Clement
Dec 20, 2025
3 min read

Group of women broadly smile in Cape Breton vista. Text reflects the title and author of the article.

Earlier this year, Nova Scotia’s provincial government proposed to re-open uranium mining in the province, provoking visceral and vocal pushback. This is one of many contentious projects they have proposed, aimed at boosting economic growth.

Uranium mining in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has a long history with the mining industry. There were eighteen active mining operations in the province in 2023, searching for coal, gold, gypsum and other materials.¹ This relationship has not extended to uranium mining.

For over forty years, exploration and mining for uranium was prohibited in Nova Scotia.² Although there was some exploration in the late 20th century, the moratorium placed by the Conservative Premier in 1981 arrived before any actual uranium mining could be done in the province. The ban on uranium exploration and mining came as a result of vehement public resistance to the development of this sector. Nova Scotians were concerned about the environmental and health impacts of uranium mining.

Uranium mining has historically been done in an open pit and has high potential to contaminate local water sources if left on its own. Due to its risky nature, uranium mining is one of the most highly regulated mining activities. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is responsible for overseeing this industry, although uranium exploration is under the province’s jurisdiction.³ The mining sector has stated that many advances have been made in uranium mining and that the practice is now perfectly safe for communities. They gesture to Saskatchewan uranium mines as an example of the effective regulation and incorporation of these practices.

Public concerned about uranium mines

However, Nova Scotians have expressed significant hesitancy over these projects. One of the strongest voices comes from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, which has emphasized that Mi’kmaq communities have not been properly consulted on the development of uranium in their traditional and unceded lands.⁴ They have significant environmental concerns, particularly around the use and contamination of water, which they say are not being addressed, as they continue to be marginalized by the provincial government in decision-making.⁵

The resistance to these projects appears to be reflected in the lack of bids that manifested for the first call for exploration proposals. Although some experts state that companies simply did not have the time to prepare the bids. No companies filed an application to be part of this process, and the government has decided to go forward with its own exploration as a result.⁶

Regardless of how safe uranium mining may be, it is evident that people currently living in Nova Scotia are not in support of this move. In order to garner public support for these projects, the Premier will need to engage in meaningful communication with the affected parties and work towards obtaining informed consent.