How does the Mining Association of Nova Scotia (MANS) support the province’s mining industry?

MANS is the voice of the mining sector in Nova Scotia. Our membership spans individual prospectors and consultants through to the province’s biggest producers. Our main areas of focus are on government relations, pushing for an improved regulatory and policy environment from the provincial government, and on public relations, helping to build the industry’s social acceptance in Nova Scotia. We devote a lot of time and energy to explaining to Nova Scotians how we work, why we matter, and how we are different from misconceptions based on prior generations of mining.

How does the industry contribute to Nova Scotia’s economy?

The sector employs 3,000 people from a total population of around 1 million, making it an important industry for Nova Scotia, particularly in rural areas. We still have great potential to create more jobs and opportunity for Nova Scotians, especially as the world focuses increasingly on extracting critical minerals. 

What is the current status of the industry?

Nova Scotia is a highly mineral-rich province, with gypsum, salt, coal, gold, molybdenum, tin, zinc, indium, graphite, lithium and other critical minerals. We have 12 large mines and quarries, plus a variety of critical mineral exploration activities. EDM Resources’ Scotia mine looks set to restart production of zinc, lead and gypsum in 2026, which would be the province’s first modern critical mineral mine. There are projects underway to restart other past-producing sites, including copper.  Considering the quantity of minerals needed to achieve global climate goals, Nova Scotia can absolutely be a part of the solution.

How much gold mining activity occurs in the province?

Gold mining goes back a century and a half in Nova Scotia.  Recently, St Barbara’s Moose River gold mine was operational from 2017  to 2023 , and NexGold’s Goldboro project is approaching the end of its permitting process. We are excited to see NexGold start production in the near future. 

Beyond geology, what else can Nova Scotia offer mining operations?

Nova Scotia has a strong service and supply sector, many of whom operate across Atlantic Canada. Our province is strong on infrastructure and has great potential in tidal energy. There is no need for “fly-in, fly-out” operations or remote camps. The province has a highly educated workforce – we have more universities per capita in Nova Scotia than anywhere else in Canada. With all that, Nova Scotia can offer a turnkey solution for mining projects.

What progress has been made in your work with the provincial government?

The Government of Nova Scotia is a terrific partner.  Most notably, in 2025 the Government repealed the province’s uranium ban.  Nova Scotia had a boom in uranium exploration from approximately 1976 to 1981, which ended when a politically-motivated moratorium was imposed, in the middle of an election campaign, that had no basis in scientific evidence. The moratorium nipped in the bud a potential uranium mining industry that could have brought much-needed jobs and investment to the province.

How does MANS work to improve public perceptions of mining?

Mining today is a very sophisticated, high-tech, science-based business, which takes excellent care of the environment and health and safety. Part of our job as the Association is to communicate that message effectively. We do a lot of public education to help explain that today’s mining industry is not like the mining industry of the past. Our educational website NotYourGrandfathersMining.ca explains why mining matters and how it contributes to everything in our daily lives.  We also do daily social media posts – even on Christmas morning - which are a mix of interesting historical mining stories and education about why minerals are crucial for the clean energy transition. 

What is your priority for the coming years?

The next step to boost the sector is to fix our permitting system. Nova Scotia has a negative reputation in the global mining industry as a place to invest, and our permitting system is a major reason. To help build a stronger province, we need clear, science-based, consistently-applied rules and regulations that protect the environment while also allowing us to create jobs for Nova Scotians.  That is a major part of our discussions with the government right now.