NewsletterMarch 5, 2026

🎸 Nova Scotia should be the Nashville of Canada

Hey Halifax!

Thousands showed up to the Culture Is Critical rally yesterday at Province House to protest cuts to arts and culture, but Tim Houston says he’s standing firm.

These cuts are coming at a time when Nova Scotia’s impact on culture is bigger than ever. I believe arts funding is one of the most asymmetric bets our provincial government can make, and positioning Nova Scotia as a cultural destination should be a key part of our plan to grow the economy.

We should be positioning Nova Scotia as the Nashville of Canada, replicating the success we’re seeing in film and TV. To do that, our government and arts industry organizations are going to need to get better at capitalizing on success stories, measuring its impact, and supporting the insane pipeline of talent we have developing here.

Here are a few examples of current NS success stories:

Rachel Reid wrote the books that spawned Heated Rivalry right here in Halifax. It’s the biggest television show in the world right now. Over 1.3m books sold in North America and a global HBO phenomenon that’s being compared to Lost and Game of Thrones in terms of fandom intensity.

Goldie Boutilier is exploding, selling out shows across North America and Europe, touring with Katy Perry, and building a world class team around her. She’s managed by the team that took John Legend from college vocal group to EGOT winner. And she’s doing it from Reserve Mines, Cape Breton.

Baby Nova is a Nova Scotian with nearly 480K monthly Spotify listeners, an Elton John Rocket Hour feature, and Osheaga & Sommo bookings this summer. Her management firm, Sandbox Management, also represents Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, and Faith Hill. Her mentor Lowell co-wrote Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em." She is the next one about to break globally out of this province.

Adam Baldwin wrote a song about a Cape Breton story which became a TIFF-premiering feature film shot in Cape Breton with international stars. J Balvin, a huge international musician with over 80m monthly listeners, made his acting debut in the film.

Classified is one of the most successful hip-hop artists in Canadian history. Multiple Junos, platinum records, and he’s stayed in NS his entire career. Now he’s helping launch the careers of local artists like Ria Mae and Brett Matthews.

Dartmouth's Mybestfriendjacob is a Grammy-nominated producer with credits on tracks by 21 Savage, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Kanye West. He moved home and partnered with Music Nova Scotia's Industry Builders Mentorship to develop the next generation of producers here — a program funded in part by the same provincial department that just took a $14.3 million hit.

Cirkut is the Halifax-raised, 2026 Grammy Producer of the Year. He’s produced #1 hits for Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, Maroon 5, and Lady Gaga. He had seven Grammy nominations this year, second only to Kendrick Lamar.

Nova Scotia's Jenson Vaughan co-wrote Madonna's "Girl Gone Wild" and Armin van Buuren's Grammy-nominated, Juno-winning "This Is What It Feels Like," and writes with Drake's producer Boi-1da and Tiësto. He also wrote this season’s Thursday Night Football theme song, performed by Shaboozey.

Gordie Sampson, from Big Pond, Cape Breton — population 47 — won a Grammy for Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and has over 400 cuts with artists like Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, and Bon Jovi. He ran a provincially funded Songcamp in Cape Breton for a decade that launched an entire generation of successful Nova Scotian artists.

Nova Scotian artists are generating massive economic impact on the global stage, and the province isn't set up to capture any of the upside. With the right investment, we could be building the infrastructure to replicate these success stories and turn them into local economic engines — tourism, events, studios, talent retention. These cuts widen that gap, and we're only scratching the surface of what we're leaving on the table.

If you have thoughts, I’d love to hear them. Hit reply and let me know what you think.

Greg

PS: If you haven’t yet, click the button below to use the quick tool we’ve built to help you find and email your MLA in about 30 seconds.

Ottawa folk trio School House kicks off their Freewheelin’ Field Trip tour in Halifax at The Seahorse tonight in support of their new album Homeland.

Nova Scotia’s Braden Lam, who has been exploding outside of Atlantic Canada over the past year, will be supporting the tour across Eastern Canada.

Quick Hits

🫎 The Halifax Mooseheads clinched a playoff spot with a dramatic OT win on March 1. Their last two home games are tonight (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) at 7pm. They’ll return home for Playoff Game 3 on March 31.

☕️ Espresso 46 and The Warehouse Market are moving from their Isleville spot up the street to Richmond Yards this Spring. Meanwhile, sushi vet Ami Goto — who's been making sushi in Halifax for 28 years — is taking over their old space. Tsukimi Food Co. finally gets its own home after running out of Alter Egos on Gottingen.

🎵Women’s Day at The Seahorse is this Saturday, featuring one of the best all-female lineups of emerging East Coast stars you’ll ever see on one stage: Nicole Ariana, Moira & Claire, Madeline, Quoia States, Bethany and LXVNDR. This one will be incredible - get tickets.

💃 On the Dartmouth side, celebrate Women’s Day March 7-8 with A Li’l Affair, an all-female Lillith Fair tribute with proceeds going to Adsum House. Performances by ADINA, Ali Enriquez, Claira Blanchard, Freya Milliken, Kim Wempe, LXVNDR, Roxanne Potvin, and Yvette Lorraine. Supported by an all-star band including Terra Spencer, Clare Macdonald, Chris Kirby, Siobhan Martin, and Mike Farrington Jr. Get tickets.

🎥 Making Space is a feature length documentary that delves into the stories of Halifax’s iconic art spaces as they fight for their future in a growing city. $10 at The Bus Stop Theatre next Tuesday. Get tickets.

🍻 2 Crows Brewing on Brunswick Street closes it’s doors for good this Saturday after nearly 10 years. Stop by for one last pint.