Proposed Halifax Water rate hike angers residents and businesses
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Winnipeg Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $0.00 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
HALIFAX – Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore says his office has received more than 2,000 emails from residents who are angry about the proposed rate increase from the city’s water utility.
In a letter sent to a regulatory board, Fillmore says the residents have told his office they worried the proposed hikes would make them unable to afford basic utilities.
In May, Halifax Water applied to the province’s regulatory board to raise rates by 16.2 per cent in the 2025-26 fiscal year and by 17.6 per cent the following year, for a total of 36.6 per cent.
“A rate increase of this magnitude is more than a technical adjustment; it represents a significant financial burden for thousands of households,” Fillmore said in the letter. “Residents fear they will be forced to make difficult choices between paying for essential utilities and meeting other basic needs.”
He also urged the board to consider all of the impacts of the proposed rate hike.
“Affordable, safe, and reliable water service is a public necessity, not a luxury,” he wrote.
A community group, Stop the Water Hike, has also started a campaign to put pressure on the regulatory board.
Among the businesses speaking out against the proposed hike is Oland Brewery, a Halifax fixture dating back to 1867.
Oland’s general manager told the regulatory board last week that if utility costs continue to rise, companies like theirs may move to more affordable jurisdictions. This comes as Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston has touted the necessity of removing interprovincial trade barriers.
“We recognize the importance for Halifax Water’s operational sustainability, but an increase of this size in a single year is extremely challenging for local businesses,” says Kristen Cooper, senior director of communications for Labatt Breweries, which owns Oland.
“Oland Brewery has a long and valued history in Nova Scotia, and we’ve encouraged the board to consider a phased approach that supports both Halifax Water’s needs and the long-term success of the business community.”
A public hearing on Halifax Water’s rate application begins next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2025.