For communities across Nova Scotia that rely on festivals, cultural celebrations and tourism, government funding can make a big difference in keeping those events going.
In the aftermath of provincial cuts to visitor information centres and museums in 2026, Federal Member of Parliament, Jaime Battiste says the federal government has been stepping up with financial support for tourism and festivals, particularly through federal programs such as Heritage Canada.
Battiste says that support has helped maintain events and cultural celebrations that might otherwise face financial pressure.
He points to festivals and Mi’kmaq cultural events, including Treaty Day, as examples of activities receiving federal support.
“We’ve seen a lot of money come in from Heritage Canada to continue festivals… to keep things that we’ve celebrated in the past”, says Battiste.
The comment comes as Battiste says the province stepped back from some commitments it had made in previous years.
He says Ottawa has responded in some areas, but believes there needs to be a distinction between federal and provincial responsibilities.
“We don’t want to be the filler of when the provincial government makes cuts to programming that are their jurisdiction to take responsibility over that federally.”
Battiste says federal support can help keep important celebrations on the calendar, but Ottawa cannot simply take over every program affected by provincial financial decisions.
Battiste acknowledges the province is dealing with financial restraints and says those pressures can lead to difficult decisions.
At the same time, he says the federal government is doing what it can to support tourism, festivals and cultural celebrations without assuming responsibilities that belong to the province.
As Battiste puts it, “the federal government can always be the ones that come in to save the day.”
