http://www.policyalternatives.ca/offices/nova-scotia

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-NS, Halifax, NS (2026)

09/04/2026

CCPA-NS Director Christine Saulnier and CCPA-NS Research Associate and Memorial University professor Russell Williams invite you to a roundtable discussion on the research of the CCPA in the Atlantic region.

Want to get involved in the work of the CCPA in the Atlantic region? Are you working on public policy-related research on NL? Want to know more about the role of Research Associates? Join us for a brown bag lunch discussion.

When: Friday, September 25th, 12-1:30 PM (NT)
Where: Nexus Centre, Science Building, Room SN-4022

09/04/2026

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is hosting an exciting event in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, on Thursday, September 24th.

Activist, journalist, and author Nora Loreto will be joining to speak on her most recent book, Canada in Decline Book Two – Corporate Control, outlining why it is critical to understand and challenge the corporate web spun around Canada’s economy, society, and politics.

Nora is also president of the CCPA and following her book talk, Russell Williams and Christine Saulnier will give an overview of the most recent CCPA publications on NL, discussing how to understand the landscape of budgets, inequality and policy alternatives. Independent bookseller, Downtown Comics, will be on site with copies of Corporate Control!

When: Thursday, September 24th, 6:30-8PM (NT)
Where: The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road, St. John’s, NL
About the location: The Lantern is a fully accessible building. There are 18 parking spaces in The Lantern’s parking lot, including 1 accessible parking spot. Street parking is available along Barnes Rd in front of the building.
Descriptive text: Text reads as caption. Cover of Corporate Control. CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

08/27/2026

After yesterday’s incredible webinar hosted by Senior Researcher and Director of CCPA’s Trade and Investment Research Project (TIRP), Stuart Trew, we wanted to highlight our webinar from last year which focuses on how the constantly changing trade war impacts our economy here in Nova Scotia.

You can find the recording of the CCPA-NS webinar from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuBnGVgGgZc

We also encourage you to check out the webinar from CCPA yesterday, where trade experts shared what's to come next in Trump's trade war: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvTeiuG7tMs

Descriptive text: Podium with two microphones and Nova Scotia flag. Text reads: “CCPA-NS WEBINAR HIGHLIGHT: WORKERS, TARIFFS & INTERPROVINCIAL TRADE IN ATLANTIC CANADA. Last year, CCPA-NS hosted a webinar on the impacts of the trade war in the region and nationally, as well as worker-centred solutions in the face of imposed tariffs. Find the recording at www.youtube.com/”

08/19/2026

It has been five years since the national child care program launched, yet parents in most Atlantic Canadian cities are paying more than $10-a-day for child care. Licensed child care has become much more affordable for families, with fees being cut by 50 per cent on average, but still market-based and inaccessible for many.

Read David Macdonald and Martha Friendly’s new report: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-10-a-day-divide-child-care-fees-in-canada-in-2026/

You can also find our roadmap on child care in Nova Scotia, published last year, on what can be done to build a high quality, accessible, inclusive, affordable (if not free) child care system in the province: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-roadmap-is-clear-detours-are-risky-nova-scotias-child-care-system-at-a-crossroads/

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT:
Slide 1
Recoloured child care centre, with children’s art supplies. Text reads: “New CCPA National report. The $10-a-day divide: Child care fees in Canada in 2026. After five years of Canada's federal child care program parents are paying less. But most families still pay more than $10 a day. By David Macdonald and Martha Friendly August 19th, 2026. Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-10-a-day-divide-child-care-fees-in-canada-in-2026/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 2
Text reads: Most of Atlantic Canada has not met the $10 a day target for child care. St. John’s and Charlottetown are the only cities in Atlantic Canada where parents pay $10 a day (median) for licensed infant or pre-school aged child care. Halifax has the sixth-highest median infant fees in Canada, at $23 a day. The only cities with higher fees for infant child care are in British Columbia. Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-10-a-day-divide-child-care-fees-in-canada-in-2026/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 3
Text reads: “Nova Scotia still has a market-based model for parent fees. Each individual child care facility has different fees that also differ by age. There are no set licensed child care fees in Nova Scotia. Instead, parents pay the market fee minus $23 a day for infants and the market fee minus $18.25 a day for toddlers and pre-school aged children. The result is that Nova Scotia has some of the most expensive fees in the country, and are also the most complicated for parents to navigate. Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-10-a-day-divide-child-care-fees-in-canada-in-2026/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 4
Text reads: “Families have seen substantial savings compared to 2019, but there is more to be done. Parents in Atlantic Canada would benefit even more if infant spaces were $10-a-day.” Graph showing the monthly savings for infant spaces since 2019 and the additional monthly savings if infant spaces were $10-a-day. City, monthly savings since 2019, additional savings, total savings. Charlottetown, $686, n/a, $686. Fredericton, $609, $195, $804. Moncton, $635, $195, $830. Halifax, $650, $282, $932. Saint John $650, $195, $845. St. John’s, $951, n/a, $951. Text reads: Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-10-a-day-divide-child-care-fees-in-canada-in-2026/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 5
Text reads: Many families cannot access licensed child care, and there are no additional spaces, unless we recruit and retrain more Early Childhood Educators. Read our roadmap for Nova Scotia’s child care system on the CCPA website.” Arrow pointing to web page with cover of CCPA-NS report, The Roadmap is Clear, Detours are Risky: Nova Scotia’s Child Care System at a Crossroads. CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

08/12/2026

As PEI reconsiders how much a landlord can increase rent annually, Drs. Catherine Leviten-Reid and Christine Saulnier submitted their proposal to the PEI rental office, calling for a rental freeze as Islanders face unaffordable housing.

Your proposal for the rental increase will be considered in the final decision on the proposed annual allowable rental increase. Comments can be submitted by August 14th at 4:00PM to [email protected].

Find our proposal here: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/housing-is-a-human-right-pei-renters-deserve-a-break/

Descriptive text:
Slide 1: Hand holding megaphone. Text reads: “Islanders can’t afford rental increases. Have your voices heard! This year, the most a landlord on PEI can increase the rent for a unit (without applying for an additional rent increase) is 2%. PEI is now considering what that allowable increase will be for 2027. Are you a renter? Your proposal for the rental increase will be considered in the final decision on the proposed annual allowable rental increase. Comments can be submitted by August 14th at 4:00PM to [email protected]. Read our submission to the PEI Rental Office at https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/housing-is-a-human-right-pei-renters-deserve-a-break/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 2: “Text reads: Housing is a Human Right: PEI Renters Deserve a Break. The reality for renters on Prince Edward Island. (1) Affordable apartments are difficult to find. The vacancy rate for the most affordable apartments is 0.6 – this is the lowest the vacancy rate has been since 2018. (2) The 2021 Census showed that: 14.1% of renters were in core housing need, compared to 3.8% of homeowners; 30.3% of renters spent 30% or more of their income on shelter costs, compared to 8.8% of homeowners. Read our submission to the PEI Rental Office at https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/housing-is-a-human-right-pei-renters-deserve-a-break/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 3: Text reads: “Housing is a Human Right: PEI Renters Deserve a Break. Our recommendations: Institute a rent freeze for the 2027 year; Make significant investments in the construction of non-market housing; Increase the income threshold and the amount of support provided to low income renters; Legislate housing as a human right; Develop and administer a rent registry. Read our submission to the PEI Rental Office at https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/housing-is-a-human-right-pei-renters-deserve-a-break/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner, with silhouette of houses in a row in the background.

08/11/2026

Today, we’re highlighting our report by Larissa Atkison on the public-private partnership model at the QEII hospital in Halifax. While this report was released before the QEII’s redevelopment was completed, Atkison’s analysis still stands as a strong case against P3s.

This project was not just about the construction or the building of the facility – it also privatized maintenance and operation of the hospital. The full contract, which was not analyzed in this report, was $7 billion – the largest public infrastructure build in Atlantic Canada.

Read Larissa Atkison’s report: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/shrouded-in-secrecy/

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT:

Slide 1: Hospital beds separated by curtains. Text reads: CCPA-NS Report highlight. Shrouded in Secrecy: The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Redevelopment and the Privatization of Nova Scotia’s Health Care Infrastructure. October 2019. By Larissa Atkison.” Footer reads: “Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/shrouded-in-secrecy/” CCPA-NS logo and Nova Scotia Health Coalition logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 2: Text reads: “Are P3s really better value for money? For the $151 million allocated to oversee the QEII hospital P3 contract, the Nova Scotia government could fund 25,267 average hospital stays.” Graphic below shows clip art hospital with “$151 million” below, compared with a clip art hospital bed with the text, “25,267 stays.” Footer reads: “Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/shrouded-in-secrecy/” CCPA-NS logo and Nova Scotia Health Coalition logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 3: Text reads: “Nova Scotia’s Public Procurement Act, passed in 2011, says that our government should: ‘provide for the procurement of goods, services, construction and facilities by public sector entities in a fair, open, consistent and transparent manner resulting in best value.’ – Section 2(a). Yet, the government has released the proposals for the QEII to the private P3 consortia in July 2019, but not to the public.” In three separate text message bubbles, text reads: (1) “Why can;t Nova Scotians see the proposals that outline how our public hospital will be operated with this information is available to the public in other provinces?” (2) “Is the government in violation of its own legislation?” (3) “Why the secrecy?” Footer reads: “Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/shrouded-in-secrecy/” CCPA-NS logo and Nova Scotia Health Coalition logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 4: Text reads: “Public borrowing vs. private borrowing. Public financing saves us all money. P3s cost more, leaving less money for health care staff and services.” Bar graph comparing NS 32 year government bond (2.4% per year) with EllisDon internal rate of return on B.C. P3 hospital (5.4%). Text reads: “EllisDon is currently building the Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower in Kamloops and is charging BC 5.4%/year to privately finance that project. EllisDon has been shortlisted for both QEII Hospital P3 projects.” Footer reads: “Read the full report at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/shrouded-in-secrecy/” CCPA-NS logo and Nova Scotia Health Coalition logo in bottom right corner.

08/10/2026

CCPA-NS Director Christine Saulnier spoke with CBC News about what the province needs to be doing to ensure that child care centres across Nova Scotia are inclusive and accessible, including increased investment to raise staffing levels and to support early childhood educators in professional development.

Read the full CBC article, linked here: linktr.ee/ccpanovascotia

You can also find the report co-authored by Christine Saulnier on the state of child care in Nova Scotia here: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/the-roadmap-is-clear-detours-are-risky-nova-scotias-child-care-system-at-a-crossroads/

Descriptive text:
Text reads: “July 29th, 2026 by Andie Mollins. ICYMI: Mother speaks out after child with autism dismissed from daycare. The child-care centre said it felt it could not provide the support the child needed. Read the full piece at CBC News.” Over top of an image of a child care centre, the quote from CCPA-NS Director Christine Saulnier reads: “It is a failure of the system and I don’t think we should look necessarily at the decision of the child care centre itself… We’re not building this in a way that it’s family-centred, it’s really on the child care centre and on the ECEs [early childhood educators] … to figure it out, and that’s not acceptable and it’s not an acceptable approach to inclusion.” CBC logo in the top right corner. CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

08/06/2026

Despite the fact that people are waiting less time for public housing, CCPA-NS Research Associate Dr. Catherine Leviten-Reid says it is not enough.

In 2022, people on the public housing waitlist waited an average of 27 months. More recently, that has dropped to 19 months, and the priority access wait time is typically 11 months. These are still significant waits for those who urgently need housing.

Read the full CBC article, linked here: https://linktr.ee/ccpanovascotia

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT:
White text over red background reads: “July 23rd, 2026. By Taryn Grant. ICYMI: Public housing wait times are down in N.S., agency says it wants them even shorter. Read the full piece at CBC News.” Below, excerpt from news article over recoloured aerial image of houses in Halifax reads: “Catherine Leviten-Reid, professor of community economic development at Cape Breton University, said shorter waits are a step in the right direction, but she does not think people should be waiting for public housing at all.

‘If you think about who is on the priority list … [11] months is a long time to wait if you are completely without housing.’

She said the solution is to build more public housing. The province has committed to building 515 public housing units in the next few years to add to the existing stock of about 12,000, but Leviten-Reid said that is not nearly enough.

07/30/2026

A new analysis by CCPA senior researcher Andrew Longhurst shows how much is spent on private health care across Canada, and Nova Scotia is at the top, at $3,015 per person.

After Saskatchewan, the Maritime provinces spend the most on private long-term care.

Read Andrew’s full analysis:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/public-versus-private-health-care-spending-in-canada/

Descriptive text:
Slide 1: Text over teal background reads: “New CCPA national analysis: Public versus private health care spending in Canada. By Andrew Longhurst. July 28th, 2026.” In middle of image, over torn paper, text reads: “Canada already sees a higher portion of private health care spending than a lot of countries, and it needs to change.” Below, recoloured medical supplies, including blister packs, droppers, thermometers, and syringes over dark blue background. Text over top reads: “Read the full analysis at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/public-versus-private-health-care-spending-in-canada/” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 2: Text over dark blue background reads: “Nova Scotia spends the most on private health care, at $3,015 per person.” Text over torn piece of paper reads: “Per person health care expenditure by source of finance, current dollars, 2023.” Data in stacked row graph as follows: Region: Provincial, Private. NL: 7,516.47, 2,211.54. NS: 6,593.53, 3,015.21. BC: 6,237.09, 2,652.83. PEI: 6,139.91, 2,414.16. MB: 6,118.16, 2,237.58. QC: 6,053.46, 2,320.50. SK: 6,031.82, 2,550.90. AB: 5,870.30, 2,851.50. Canada: 5,868.49, 2,601.54. NB: 5,685.49, 2,791.90. ON: 5,425.17, 2,851.50. Arrow from NB bar on graph followed by text: “New Brunswick has the second-lowest provincial health care spending.” CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Slide 3: Text over dark blue background reads: “Maritimes along with Saskatchewan lead the country in private long-term care spending. Private long-term care spending demonstrates that too many people pay out of pocket for this necessary health care.” Text over torn piece of paper reads: “Per person long-term care expenditure by source of finance, current dollars, 2023.” Data in stacked graph as follows: Region: Provincial, Private. SK: 711.2, 631.44. NS: 1,046.32, 620.02. NB: 658.66, 558.38. PEI: 886.61, 513.44. AB: 526.43, 498.98. BC: 799.98, 391.29. Canada: 790.81, 386.15. MB: 820.52, 377.59. QC: 1,164.58, 358.93. ON: 629.11, 320.79. NL: 994.62, 276.74. CCPA-NS logo in bottom right corner.

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-NS

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