Timothy Halman

And I thought the Spin Doctors were a 90s rock band 🙄

When you have a moment go to Sullivan’s Pond and check out the magnificent poppy display in tribute to our veterans. Thank you 🙏 Oakwood Terrace. #LestWeForget

Thrilled to speak at the 2026 Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last night. Hosted by Bruce Rainnie, the Class of 2026 include: Jacqueline Nicholl The Halifax Athens Dennis Bonvie Rodney Hersey Scott Logan Julie Lynne Stanhope The 2001 SMU Football Team On behalf of Minister @DaveRitcey, Congratulations to the 2026 inductees. You’ve given Nova Scotians plenty to cheer about and last night we got to cheer for you. Our Province is incredibly proud!

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are the heart and soul of our communities in Nova Scotia and the Atlantic region. The Office of Service Efficiency and our Business Navigators are available to help entrepreneurs and residents navigate regulations. This week MLA Adegoke Fadare and I visited Kellen Oikle, VP of Operations at PayMore Atlantic on Lacewood Dr. in Clayton Park. PayMore accepts products such as smartphones, tablets, computers, gaming systems, cameras, smartwatches and audio equipment. Kellen opened the first store on Portland St. in Dartmouth and has now expanded to Clayton Park. Kellen has further plans to expand to New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. We had a great discussion on how Atlantic regulatory harmonization would be beneficial! The Atlantic Economic Panel has recommended Atlantic unity on regulations, and I fully agree with that and will work to achieve that outcome. MLA Adegoke Fadare and I would like to thank our Business Navigators at the Office of Service Efficiency for offering advice and assistance on permitting, licensing, zoning, workplace safety and other regulatory requirements. Our Business Navigator also connected Kellen with support contacts in the Atlantic region, highlighting how important regulatory harmonization in the Atlantic region is for us to maximize our economic potential. Thank you Kellen for the warm welcome to PayMore and we wish you all the best on your expansion into the Atlantic region.

MLA Adegoke Fadare and I were thrilled to welcome to the Office of Service Efficiency the Chair of the Atlantic Economic Panel Don Mills and Panel member Cathy Bennet. On September 25 the Atlantic Economic Panel released its report, BOLDER AMBITIONS: GREATER PROSPERITY FOR ALL. Thank you Don and Cathy and all panel members for producing a bold and practical report. It gives the Atlantic region a useful challenge: focus less on diagnosing our potential and more on the practical steps to achieve greater prosperity in the Atlantic region. I believe we must execute on this report so that the Atlantic region achieves its full economic potential. Let’s get to work!

NOTE: The following is an op-ed from Timothy Halman, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Service Efficiency. For a small business, time matters. It is the difference between opening the doors or waiting, hiring someone or holding back, seizing an opportunity or watching it pass. Small businesses create jobs, bring new ideas to market and help communities across Nova Scotia thrive. During Small Business Week, we celebrate the people behind them – and recognize the government’s responsibility to make every hour they invest count. That responsibility has never been more important. At a time of global uncertainty and changing trade relationships, Nova Scotia must be more self-reliant, competitive and attractive to businesses ready to invest and grow. Red tape can stand in the way. It slows decisions, adds costs and makes government harder to navigate. For a small business, those delays can mean waiting longer to open, hire or expand. Our approach to reducing red tape is twofold: helping businesses navigate government today, while making government faster and easier to navigate for the future. Nova Scotia’s business navigators help clients understand registrations, permits, licences and government programs, and connect them with the right supports for their needs. They also help businesses respond to today’s challenges, including U.S. tariffs. To date, the service has supported more than 20,000 businesses and entrepreneurs across the province, saving each client an average of 10 hours. That is time they can spend hiring sooner, serving customers faster and growing their businesses – not waiting on the phone, searching for the right person or tracking down the right form. At the same time, we are committed to reducing barriers and making government faster and more responsive to the needs of business. We are already seeing results. Through the Fewer Permits. Faster initiative, we have improved more than half of all provincial permits, with more to come – helping businesses get clearer answers and make decisions sooner. That same focus is driving broader reform. The Making Business Easier Act is helping accelerate responsible natural resource development by cutting red tape, not corners. And the Service Efficiency Act has clarified responsibilities, updated outdated provisions and reduced unnecessary complexity across government. That progress has been recognized by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, reflecting Nova Scotia’s continued focus on reducing red tape and making government work better for business. Still, businesses continue to encounter delays and unnecessary complexity, and there is more work to do. We will keep listening to businesses, partners, communities and Nova Scotians – and finding practical ways to make government work better for them. Cutting red tape does not mean cutting corners. It means clearing away what is unnecessary so businesses can move faster, invest with confidence and grow our economy while maintaining the protections Nova Scotians expect. Small businesses are ready to build Nova Scotia’s future. The government must be ready to keep pace.

It’s small business week in Nova Scotia! MLA Adegoke Fadare and I were honoured to welcome to the Office of Service Efficiency Don Bureaux, President and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Peter MacAskill, VP of Policy, External Affairs and Business Development. We had a great conversation on service efficiency and red tape reduction. We are committed to Atlantic regulatory integration, making government faster, clearer and more predictable without compromising protections for communities or the environment. The intended outcome is clear: business receives answers sooner, entrepreneurs and projects move forward faster and Nova Scotia and the entire Atlantic region becomes more attractive to invest and grow.

Grateful for some time with the Gang this Thanksgiving weekend. Awesome to have Sophie home from Mount A. Christine and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

So much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend. Wishing all the residents of Dartmouth East a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends.

A visit to Pop & Mac Studio, Boutique and Treats on St. Margaret’s Bay Road. Wonderful to meet owner and founder Stephanie Warren. When Stephanie found herself confronted with regulatory challenges, a Business Navigator at the Office of Service Efficiency was there to advise and assist in obtaining the permits to operate. Entrepreneurs like Stephanie Warren are the foundation of the Nova Scotia economy. The Office of Service Efficiency is here to help business navigate the regulatory process. A big thank you to our Business Navigators who work hard everyday to support entrepreneurs like Stephanie Warren. And… Go and treat yourself to the awesome goodies and items at Pop & Mac!

Happy World Teacher’s Day! Christine and I are grateful for the many great teachers in our kids lives. Special shout out to Monsieur Tim Brown. Thank you 🙏 to all teachers across Nova Scotia who work hard everyday to set up our students for success.

Now more than ever cooperation between the federal and provincial government is absolutely key to support Canadians and the residents of Nova Scotia. My colleagues on Executive Council were honoured to meet with Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada. 🇨🇦

The greatest Canadian of all time is Terry Fox. My daughter Ella and I were honoured to speak at Dartmouth’s Terry Fox Run at Sullivan’s Pond. Thank you 🙏 Dartmouth for your ongoing support of cancer research. The Marathon of Hope continues.

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Legislation introduced on September 8, will reduce red tape and improve service for citizens and businesses by clarifying responsibilities, updating outdated provisions and reducing complexity. The Service Efficiency Act makes administrative updates to more than a dozen existing acts aimed at improving service efficiency across government. “Effective government depends on laws that are clear, current and fit for purpose,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Service Efficiency. “Regular service efficiency legislation helps keep laws up to date while preserving the protections and oversight Nova Scotians expect.” The legislation will also rename the Department of Growth and Development as the Department of Growth, Development and Defence Industries, recognizing defence as a strategic economic priority and making it easier for industry, investors and governments to identify where to go for information and support. The Department’s other priority sectors remain central to its mandate and ongoing work. Other elements of the legislation include: •clarifying authority and removing duplication •updating outdated provisions to better reflect current practices and modern digital processes •updating governance structures to align with current ministerial, professional and municipal responsibilities. The Service Efficiency Act builds on the Province’s ongoing work to support economic growth by reducing red tape, modernizing regulations and making it easier for Nova Scotians and businesses to navigate government.

Nova Scotians can develop our natural resources and protect the environment. That is sustainable development. The resources we have here at home are needed for clean energy, infrastructure, and good jobs in our communities. Projects move forward only when they meet our standards through Environmental Assessments and/or Industrial Approvals. In 2025 we have modernized the approval process and made them clearer, efficient, and effective. We have not lowered the bar on protection. World-class safeguards, science-based decisions, and a growing economy go together. That is how we build a stronger Nova Scotia for today and for the next generation.

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Well said Premier @TimHoustonNS

Honoured to welcome 400 delegates from the Catholic Women’s League of Canada to Nova Scotia for their 106th Annual National Convention! Great to work with HRM Councillor Cathy Deagle Gammon and Mi’kmaw Elder Dr. Lorraine Whitman in offering our gratitude for all that they do to support Canadians. For more than a century, The Catholic Women’s League of Canada 🇨🇦 has shown what organized compassion can achieve. Today, 55,000 members across the country continue to put faith into practice through service and social justice. Whether it is supporting a family in need, offering comfort to someone who is grieving, bringing people together or simply checking on a neighbour, those everyday acts of kindness make our communities and Canada 🇨🇦 stronger. Welcome to Halifax! Welcome to Nova Scotia… and may you have a joyful and productive Annual Convention in Canada’s ocean playground.

It was a great tour of South West Nova and the South Shore! Lots happening in Nova Scotia on sustainable development and climate adaptation. From the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, to the Clean Leadership Interns and to our strong environmental protections in our regional offices, Nova Scotia is leading the way on sustainable development and prosperity. We can build up our economy and protect the environment. It’s called sustainable development. Nova Scotia can and must do both.