Hants County, N.S., residents rally to oppose uranium mining in the region

A Hants County, N.S., resident who planned a weekend meeting to discuss uranium mining in the area says community members want more answers from the Nova Scotia government.  Sarah Trask, who lives in the community of Vaughn, N.S., says residents in attendance voiced concerns about potential environmental and health harms and a lack of government consultation.  Trask says a community meeting to discuss proposed uranium mining in nearby Millet Brook filled a local fire station Saturday. The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals May 14, and it issued a request for exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal. The locations are: an 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County; a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County; and a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County. Much of these areas fall on private land.  The government has previously said companies selected by the province would have to seek permission from landowners to explore. Trask says some residents whose lands fall within these areas and those who live nearby are worried because of a lack of consultation from the government.  The Nova Scotia Assembly of Mi'kmaw Chiefs has repeatedly voiced concerns about government's lack of consultation with its communities as Nova Scotia pushes to develop natural resources. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.