The Nova Scotia government has enacted a ban on public access to the province’s forest areas, citing extreme wildfire risk amid ongoing hot and dry conditions.
Effective 4 pm on Aug. 5, the ban applies to nearly all recreational activities in the woods, including hiking, camping, fishing, and the use of bikes or off-road vehicles such as ATVs.
The restrictions cover both the government’s land and private land and will remain in effect until Oct. 15, or until the province sees significant rainfall. Anyone caught violating the ban faces a fine of $25,000.
There are limited exceptions. Camping is permitted only in official campgrounds, and landowners may access and use their own private property, but they may not host others on their land if it lies within wooded areas.
Beaches and open park spaces that do not include forests remain open to the public, but all trail systems running through wooded land are now off-limits.
For commercial operators such as forestry and mining companies, work requires special permits, often with a requirement to limit activity to nighttime hours, when fire risk is supposedly lower.
The oppressive measure follows a province-wide burn ban issued on July 30. Both measures come in response to what provincial officials describe as tinder-dry conditions and a worrisome lack of rain in the forecast. The province has recorded approximately 100 small wildfires this season, and the government says it is trying to avoid a repeat of the 2023 wildfire season, which caused widespread evacuations and damage.
The move is reminiscent of laws enacted in California during the Covid pandemic scare, when people were arrested for going to the beach or even surfing the waves.
More tyranny from a leftist government. What a surprise.
Why are we spending our tax money to defend snow mexicans? What a loser country. Freeloaders.
We were living in Canada during Covid, and they closed the provincial parks and Crown land, which is equivalent to national forest. They also had burn bans to include campfires at your own house. This is not surprising..
Totalitarianism is on the move in Canada and in many US states.
We should send our homeless to those woods so Canadians can fine them, like we do here.
It is strange how governments think they can ban people from existing in their natural environment.
“Sorry, you can’t roam freely on the lands that are a part of you. You should not even be breathing the air unless with our permission.”
The devil seeks to keep you separated from your divinity, whilst the government seeks to keep you separated from your nature.