Hundreds rally against arts and culture cuts in downtown Halifax

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

It was loud in downtown Halifax on Wednesday afternoon as hundreds of people descended on the Nova Scotia legislature in protest of provincial budget cuts to arts and culture initiatives.

People packed onto Granville Street in front of Province House to voice their opposition to the Progressive Conservative government’s slashes, including $130 million in grant cuts to items like scholarship funding and arts programs.

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“Art is critical,” organizers told protesters over a megaphone. Many people brought signs with slogans like “Houston we have a problem” in reference to Premier Tim Houston, and “defend Nova Scotia books.”

Some members of the provincial legislature spoke to rallygoers, including NDP leader Claudia Chender, who said the New Democrats would be protesters’ voices in the legislature.

The move has caught the attention of Rachel Reid, author of the famed book Heated Rivalry, who credited the Halifax arts community as inspiration for her mega-popular steamy love story between two gay hockey players.

Related:

• Heated Rivalry author, Rachel Reid, speaks out against N.S. arts cuts
• ‘Devastating’: Arts Coalition calls on province to reverse funding cuts
• Budget cuts to ‘crucial’ school arts program to be felt across N.S.

Premier Houston was expected to speak to reporters later on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday’s rally followed a separate First Nations-led protest at the legislature on Tuesday and a union rally by CUPE.

Protesters rally outside NSCAD University after negotiations between the union representing teaching assistants and the employer came to a halt. (Mark Hodgins/CityNews Halifax)

Protestor signs (image edited to remove profanity) (Mark Hodgins_CityNews)

Protestors brought signs to show opposition to budget cuts (Mark Hodgins_CityNews)

Rallygoers blocked Granville Street outside the provincial legislature in downtown Halifax (Mark Hodgins_CityNews)