On August 5, 2025, the Nova Scotia government imposed a province-wide ban on outdoor activities in all forests, including walking, birdwatching, fishing, and picnicking.
The Canadian Constitution Foundation supports wildfire prevention and targeted safety measures, but opposed this sweeping restriction because it prohibited many low- or zero-risk outdoor activities, unnecessarily limiting recreation and harming the well-being of Nova Scotians.
After the government ignored both a CCF letter and a public petition, the CCF challenged the ban in court. The CCF argued that Nova Scotia’s Forests Act authorizes only targeted restrictions in specific areas, not a blanket ban across all land classified as “woods.” It also argued that the government failed to properly consider Charter rights and values, and created an offence that was unconstitutionally vague and overbroad.
In April 2026, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia ruled that the ban was unreasonable and therefore unlawful.
Justice Jamie S. Campbell agreed that the ban limited mobility rights protected by section 6 of the Charter and found that the Minister of Natural Resources failed to consider those rights or how to minimize the impact on them. He further suggested the ban may have been unconstitutionally vague because it was unclear what qualified as “woods,” and overbroad because it applied to areas with little or no fire risk, such as barren rock land.
Nova Scotia Forest Travel Ban
CCF Launch: August 15, 2025
Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
Status: Closed
Next Key Date: Closed (Victory!)
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