Canada - Nova Scotia government fines people $25,000 for entering the woods, even on private land

[Anti Federalist]

 

[oyarde]

34 1907 f

That's like 5 bucks American.

34 pre 1930 five dollar coins would cover it . Been a bit of inflation past 95 yrs of fed boondoggle

 

[Occam's Banana]

Meanwhile in Ontario ...

 

[acptulsa]

 

[PAF]

It's ALL about restricting, tracking and monitoring people's right to movement , @Anti Federalist . They will use whatever means they can.

 

[acptulsa]

It's ALL about restricting, tracking and monitoring people's right to movement

I disagree. It's also about people not being in tune with the natural world. They want us afraid of it, afraid to leave our fifteen minute cities. They don't want us to believe there's any way to survive, to do anything but starve, outside the matrix. They not only don't want us to leave the matrix, they want us afraid to rock the matrix boat.

Look at the grounding movement. Look at the rise of the expression, "Touch grass". There is peace and tranquility in a forest that clears the mind. They don't want us at peace, they don't want us to have a satisfied tranquility, and they certainly don't want us walking around with clear minds.

 

[PAF]

I disagree. It's also about people not being in tune with the natural world. They want us afraid of it, afraid to leave our fifteen minute cities. They don't want us to believe there's any way to survive, to do anything but starve, outside the matrix. They not only don't want us to leave the matrix, they want us afraid to rock the matrix boat.

Look at the grounding movement. Look at the rise of the expression, "Touch grass". There is peace and tranquility in a forest that clears the mind. They don't want us at peace, they don't want us to have a satisfied tranquility, and they certainly don't want us walking around with clear minds.

I agree with ^ that ^.

I think we are just approaching/warning from different angles, which is good.

 

[acptulsa]

I think we are just approaching/warning from different angles, which is good.

I used to think so many of the things they do were killing two birds with one stone because of coincidence. Then I decided they just liked that, for the efficiency of it, to stroke their own egos. Now I've decided they do it for cover. Whenever they do any major psyop move, since you can't fool all of the people all of the time, some people get alerted to the danger. But any more, there always seems to be more than one danger. And too often, even the most skeptical of us don't see them all.

 

[PAF]

I used to think so many of the things they do were killing two birds with one stone because of coincidence. Then I decided they just liked that, for the efficiency of it, to stroke their own egos. Now I've decided they do it for cover. Whenever they do any major psyop move, since you can't fool all of the people all of the time, some people get alerted to the danger. But any more, there always seems to be more than one danger. And too often, even the most skeptical of us don't see them all.

All true.

I remember the wake up call when Ron said "read the bills!", and then I began to apply anything and everything to the Bill of Rights. To me that is "the border" that makes up the United States. If anyone or any corporation or any government fucks with the Bill of Rights, that's my line in the stand.

And now these corporatists/redefined-libertarians are attempting to use capitalism as a coercive means to shred the Bill of Rights, and use whatever means to implement the globalist technocratic order. Capitalism isn't to blame, it's the exploitation of it.

To add: it's not technology that I am bothered by; it's the fusion of corporations with government that is the threat. Technology is their means.

 

[Working Poor]

I have my own woods so I am not panning on going to Nova Scotia anytime soon

 

[Anti Federalist]

Meanwhile, in the land down under...

Outrage at proposal for special 'African courts' in Victoria

Australians reacted with anger to a proposal to give African criminals - who are driving Melbourne's youth crime crisis - special treatment in "African courts".

www.noticer.news

 

[Anti Federalist]

 

[otherone]

Meanwhile, in the land down under...

Literally....Kangaroo Court.

 

[jmdrake]

@Anti Federalist , thank you for the thread. Interesting. Sad but interesting. Write-up at Reason. I learned a new word today. "Safetyism."

Nova Scotia bans everyone from hiking in the woods until October

The province says this will prevent forest fires. Those who violate the ban will face a $25,000 fine.

reason.com

Nova Scotia Bans Everyone From Hiking in the Woods Until October​

The province says this will prevent forest fires. Those who violate the ban will face a $25,000 fine.​

Sophia Mandt | 8.19.2025 2:35 PM

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(Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Chris Dorney | Marcio Silva | Dreamstime.com | Midjourney)
This summer, outdoor enthusiasts in Nova Scotia face a difficult decision: stay out of the woods or face a $25,000 fine.

On August 5, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston implemented a ban on "hiking, camping, fishing and use of vehicles such as ATVs in the woods due to an elevated wildfire risk," reported the CBC. Camping in campgrounds is still allowed, but trail systems are off limits, and people who work outdoors, such as miners, need to obtain permits and work mostly at night to reduce fire risk, according to the CBC. Under the ban, "private landowners are free to use their own properties," but guests are not allowed to use wooded areas on the land, per Houston's office. Anyone found violating these rules will face a $25,000 fine.

Nova Scotia has had an active wildfire season. In 2025, the province has seen 139 wildfires—22 in the last week—which have burned over 8,000 acres of land. One fire, which was likely caused by lightning, has resulted in an evacuation order for parts of Nova Scotia's Annapolis County. Unless weather conditions change, the ban will remain in place until October 15.
















Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection with the province's Department of Natural Resources, told the CBC that most wildfires in Nova Scotia are human-caused. "That's why we can't run the risk of having people in the woods, because when people are in the woods, even if they don't intend to, we will have fires," he said.

Nova Scotians have pushed back on the directive. Many say it violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by infringing upon their right to freely associate within the country as Canadian citizens.

Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn described the ban as an example of weaponized safety. "Nova Scotia's forest ban is overkill and it's deja vu," she said. "It's happening now because the government got away with it last time." In 2001, 2016, and 2023, wildfires led the province to implement bans on outdoor activities. (Notably, the 2023 restrictions were only implemented for about a week, whereas the August 5 ban remains in place as of this writing.)

"This is a classic example of safetyism: a mentality where risk becomes an excuse for control, not communication. Once the government sees that overreach is workable, it's replayed every few years," Van Geyn said.

In protest, Jeff Evely, a retired Canadian veteran and former candidate of the People's Party of Canada, posted a video of himself on X intentionally violating the ban and receiving a $28,872.50 fine. Evely said he wanted to receive the fine to challenge the order in court. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has agreed to represent him.

In response to the ban, the CCF announced it had sent a letter to Houston, arguing that the "sweeping ban unnecessarily and disproportionately restricts responsible outdoor recreation that has zero fire risk." The CCF has also formed an online petition urging Houston to rescind the ban.


Julissa Stewart, a resident of Louisdale, Nova Scotia, told the CBC, "It's one thing for somebody to go outside and light up a cigarette and throw a butt on the ground. It's another thing for somebody to want to take a hike in the woods…To put a ban on everything going into the woods…that's extreme overreach. I think that is overstepping on mobility rights."

The ban might save some lives, but instead of letting Canadians make their own decisions while communicating fire risks, the government has decided it's better to force people inside—even if doing so comes at the expense of one's freedom.

 

[Anti Federalist]

@Anti Federalist , thank you for the thread. Interesting. Sad but interesting. Write-up at Reason. I learned a new word today. "Safetyism."

More than welcome.

And yes, "Safetyism" is one of the primary "isms" driving the headlong rush into totalitarianism.

 

[Voluntarist]

Dispatch from the Blazing Bureau of Overreaction
Nova Scotia implementing ban on hiking in response to elevated number of cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion.

In a bold move to protect citizens from the increasingly flammable nature of existence, the province of Nova Scotia has announced a sweeping ban on hiking, citing a disturbing uptick in the number of cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC). Officials claim the woods have become “a tinderbox of existential risk,” where even a brisk walk could ignite a philosophical crisis—or worse, a person.

Premier Tim Houston, flanked by a fire extinguisher and a visibly sweating Labrador retriever, declared at a press conference:

“We’ve seen the data. People are combusting. Not metaphorically. Literally. One minute they’re admiring a birch tree, the next - poof - they’re a cautionary tale.”

The new regulations prohibit:

• Hiking, walking, or even loitering near foliage.
• Wearing wool socks in forested areas (due to static risk).
• Thinking deeply while surrounded by pine needles.

Violators face fines up to C$25,000, or mandatory enrollment in the province’s new “Cool Thoughts” program, which teaches residents to suppress fiery emotions through interpretive dance and lukewarm herbal tea.

Critics argue the ban is a classic case of “safetyism run amok,” with one civil liberties group noting, “We’ve gone from Smokey the Bear to Orwell the Bureaucrat.” Others point out that SHC has yet to be confirmed by any peer-reviewed study, though one local man insists his cousin once burst into flames after reading a particularly spicy op-ed in the Halifax Herald.

In response to backlash, the government has offered alternatives:

“Go to the beach,” Houston suggested. “Sand doesn’t burn. Unless it’s glass. But that’s a separate department.”

Meanwhile, meteorologists predict no rain until the next federal election, and philosophers warn that banning hikes may only increase the internal combustion of the soul.

Stay safe. Stay cool. And for heaven’s sake, don’t reflect too deeply while near dry moss.

 

[Voluntarist]

Update from the Department of Speculative Pyrotechnics

In a stunning escalation of bureaucratic imagination, Nova Scotia’s hiking ban now includes a footnote citing “post-pandemic bio-volatility”- a term officials coined after reviewing a single Reddit thread, two TikTok videos, and a dream someone had in Antigonish. The theory? That the introduction of RNA vaccines during COVID may have subtly increased the combustibility of human flesh.

Dr. Fern Blister, head of the newly formed Ministry of Combustion and Wellness, explained:

“We’re not saying the vaccines cause combustion. We’re saying they may have enhanced the poetic potential for combustion. Like how adding paprika doesn’t cause fire, but it makes the stew more dramatic.”

The province has commissioned a study titled mRNA and the Flame Within, which will be conducted by a team of retired geologists, one interpretive dancer, and a Labrador retriever named “Science.” Early findings suggest that vaccinated hikers may emit a faint hum when exposed to spruce trees and existential dread.

Public reaction has been mixed:

• Combustion Truthers have begun wearing copper socks and chanting “Pfizer Pyres!” outside provincial buildings.
• Cool Skeptics argue that human combustion is more likely caused by “bad vibes and polyester.”
• Actual Scientists have asked to be left out of this entirely.

Meanwhile, the government urges calm, reminding citizens that “the woods are still beautiful, just not safe for the flammable.” They recommend indoor hobbies like knitting, interpretive tax filing, and watching old episodes of The Nature of Things while misting oneself with aloe.