02/25/2026
We want our members and community supporters to be aware that in addition to the 12 Nova Scotia Museum sites being closed, the province has reduced funding of the Community Museum Assistance Program (CMAP) by 20%.
This cut will directly affect the funding of community museums across the province, including the Sydney & Louisburg Railway Museum.
We again encourage all Nova Scotians to support their local museums, and let representatives at all levels of government know how important heritage is to you. Consider using this template prepared by the Association of Nova Scotia Museums:
Minister Ritcey
Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
1741 Brunswick St., 3rd Floor
Halifax, NS B3J 2R5
Phone: 902 424-4889
Email: [email protected]
CC: Premier Houston
Office of the Premier
One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
Halifax, NS B3J 1X5
Phone: (902) 424-6600
Email: [email protected]
Minister Ritcey,
I am a [volunteer, board member, community supporter, etc.] for/of [name of museum]. I am writing to express my disappointment in the decisions made in the 2026/2027 provincial budget to cut funding to the CMAP program and CCTH, as well as the closure of several provincial museums.
These museums provide access to our shared heritage, and help to define who we are as Nova Scotians. But museums are so much more than stewards of knowledge - they provide educational opportunities for schools and families, support community engagement and wellness, offer gathering spaces, provide economic opportunities for small communities, and promote a key part of Nova Scotia’s economy - tourism.
Tourism in Nova Scotia generated 3.7 billion dollars in 2025, an increase of 8% since 2024, which outpaced national growth (Tourism Nova Scotia). Closing museums means severing the links to our history and a loss of necessary tourism revenue, which helps all of us. Cutting funding to a significant driver of economic growth, especially in rural areas, is antithetical to this government's mandate to balance the budget, and will cause long-term detrimental effects on our heritage and economy.
I urge you to please reconsider these cuts and investigate alternative methods to reduce spending without putting our heritage at risk.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Museum]
[Museum Contact Information]
Museums play a key role in preserving and sharing our heritage. To protect that work for future generations, we’re taking steps to modernize the Nova Scotia Museum system. Nova Scotia has more provincial museum sites than any other province. With 28 sites and more than 240 buildings, the system ha...
