A Nova Scotia man says he is worried after getting a phone call about uranium exploration from his provincial member of the legislature.
Buddy Hebb is a lifelong West Hants resident who opposes uranium mining exploration.
He says Progressive Conservative Melissa Sheehy-Richard called him Friday night to ask if the province can use a road on his property to access land needed to allow exploration.
Hebb says he believes it’s a sign the provincial government is moving ahead with exploration without listening to public concerns about the industry.
Nova Scotia’s government issued a request in May for uranium exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal, but it received no bids.
Sheehy-Richard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Landowners can say ‘no’
Nova Scotia’s deputy minister of natural resources says private landowners whose property has been identified for potential uranium exploration can say no.
Karen Gatien said that letters are being sent to property owners in three selected areas, and the government hopes there will at least be conversations about possible exploration.
However, she says property owners retain surface rights to the land and don’t have to agree to allow activity on their property.
The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals earlier this month and issued a request for exploration proposals at three sites it says have known deposits of the heavy metal.
Each of the three sites is on private land, and Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has said the government would begin talks with the landowners about possible exploration.
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.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.