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By Alex Whalen
The Houston government recently lifted bans on uranium mining and hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. fracking) to recover underground natural gas. While these moves have sparked much debate, Nova Scotians should understand that responsible resource development is key to increasing the incomes of workers in the province.
Consider that in 2022 (the latest year of available data), the median employment income (i.e. wages and salaries) in Nova Scotia was the third-lowest ($32,178, in 2017 Canadian dollars) among 60 Canadian provinces and U.S. states, thousands of dollars lower than in Central and Western Canada, and up to $20,000 lower than in parts of the United States including Mississippi. Layered on top of relatively low incomes are the province’s high taxes and growing concerns about the cost of living.
Simply put, by opening the door to more natural resource development, the Houston government can help create more opportunities for more Nova Scotian workers to make more money. Across Canada, average hourly wages in natural resource industries (oil and gas, mining, quarrying, etc.) exceed $50 per hour. In a 2024 comparison of 16 goods and services sectors in Canada, natural resources jobs paid the second-highest with wages 40 per cent higher than the national average.
And Nova Scotia is blessed with abundant natural resources. According to a recent study, the estimated potential long-term market value of natural gas in the province is between $47 billion and $190 billion. While the full extent of Nova Scotia’s uranium deposits remains unknown (in part due to the ban on exploration), exploration alone generated tens of millions of dollars in economic activity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, prior to the ban. When it comes to mining more broadly, Nova Scotia is home to 16 of the 31 minerals critical to the production of smartphones, electric vehicles and other products, yet investors consistently report that burdensome regulation in the province is holding back the industry, so there’s more red tape for government to cut.
To be sure, most Nova Scotians want natural resource development done in an environmentally responsible manner. Despite opposition to the Houston government’s recent moves, the available evidence suggests that economic development and environmental stewardship can safely coexist. When it comes to fracking, research has shown that while there are risks, these risks are manageable, and the practise is safely employed in many other jurisdictions, which sell gas to Nova Scotia. Uranium is also mined safely elsewhere, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has said uranium mining is safe for both humans and the environment.
Premier Houston has pointed to Trump’s tariffs as a reason for Nova Scotia to become more self-sufficient in developing resources. But many Nova Scotians have earned less money than their counterparts in almost every other province and U.S. state long before Trump took office. By welcoming responsible natural resource development, the government can help create jobs, raise incomes and attract much needed investment to the province.
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