March 16, 2026 —

The Nova Scotia government’s claim that it continues to support the province’s local book publishes is 100% false, says the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA).

The 2026-2027 provincial budget eliminates the Nova Scotia Publisher Assistance Program, making Nova Scotia the only province in Canada that doesn’t have dedicated funding for local book publishing.

During questioning from Halifax Chebucto MLA Krista Gallagher about why the province could not find $700,000 to maintain the program, Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage Minister Dave Ritcey and Growth and Development Minister Colton LeBlanc pointed to the Creative Industries Fund and the Nova Scotia Loyal Book Voucher pilot program as examples of support for the sector.

APMA says these programs are not comparable to the targeted investment previously provided through the Publisher Assistance Program. The Nova Scotia Loyal Book Voucher pilot represented a one-time $46,000 contribution in government support to subsidize consumer purchases at independent bookstores. This was a short-term retail promotion in 2025-2026 fiscal year that has now ended and provided no direct operational support to publishers.

“A $46,000 one-time only retail voucher pilot cannot replace a $700,000 publishing program,” said Heather Fegan, Executive Director of APMA. “A one-time only subsidy for consumers is not the same as supporting the publishers who day in and day out create Nova Scotia books. Without publishers, there are fewer stories told, fewer books produced, and fewer Nova Scotian voices reaching readers.”

The APMA notes that the Publisher Assistance Program was a foundational investment in Nova Scotia’s publishing sector, supporting the creation, production, and promotion of books by local authors. While the $700,000 program was eliminated, the provincial government increased business subsidy programs at Invest Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Jobs Fund from $78.1 million to $96 million – an increase of almost $18 million or 23 per cent.

“How can the government find an extra $18 million for subsidies to big businesses, including many that aren’t even Nova Scotia owned, while scrapping a $700,000 program that only benefitted locally owned and operated book publishers?” asked Fegan. “The government has the money to support book publishers, it just chooses to spend millions and millions and millions more elsewhere.”

The provincial government’s support of big businesses over book publishers contradicts its statement on the launch of the Nova Scotia Loyal voucher program that: “Nova Scotia is renowned for its storytellers and the book industry plays a vital role in sharing our stories and connecting us to each other.”
The Association continues to call on the province to reinstate the Publisher Assistance Program and ensure sustainable investment in the companies that bring Nova Scotia’s stories to readers at home and around the world.

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