Latest Updates
Latest Updates/News
Addressing Flood Risk through Municipal Operations – Practitioner’s Session
Whether through land-use planning, infrastructure investment, or emergency management, municipalities across Nova Scotia are advancing how they identify flood risk and integrate resilience into municipal operations and community planning.
Facilitated by Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, this session will explore practical approaches to addressing flood risk through municipal operations, with a focus on strengthening public awareness and community engagement around flood readiness. Participants will also gain insight into how flood maps can support municipal decision-making, and guide planning and emergency preparedness efforts.
Date: June 11, 2026
Time: 1:30pm -2:30pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Presenters:
Kathryn Bakos, Managing Director, Finance and Resilience, Intact Centre of Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo & Daniel Bryce, Senior Planner, Department of Municipal Affairs, Province of Nova Scotia.
Register: Please register here.
Shaping Local Leadership: Spring/Summer Edition
of Atlantic Municipal Magazine is now available, featuring insightful analysis, community perspectives, and key updates from across Atlantic Canada’s municipal landscape. Explore the ideas, challenges, and innovations influencing local governance today.
Read the full edition
Register Now - Meetings that Matter: Governance, Strategy & Public Trust
In-Person Workshop Designed for Elected Officials
Workshop Details
Date/Time: March 30, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Atlantic Ballroom, Westin Nova Scotian Hotel, Halifax
Fee: $275 + HST
Note: Limited to 100 registrants
About the Session
Municipal meetings are where leadership is tested, and where credibility is built.
As municipalities navigate fiscal pressure and increased expectations, the way councils conduct their meetings plays a critical role in demonstrating leadership, accountability, and readiness to partner.
This full-day, interactive session will equip elected officials with practical tools to:
- Strengthen meeting structure and decision discipline
- Clarify roles and reduce common friction points
- Manage tone and difficult moments under pressure
- Use council meetings as visible demonstrations of professionalism and preparedness
Through real-world scenarios, structured exercises, and peer discussion, participants will leave with concrete strategies they can apply immediately in their next meeting.
Presenters
Kristan Hines – Senior Vice-President, Corporate & PublicAffairs, NATIONAL Public Relations
Erin Norwood MacLeod – Associate Vice-President, PublicAffairs, NATIONAL Public Relations
Click HERE for further details and to register.
Registration closes at 12:00 p.m. on March 26, 2026.
Stormwater Management Strategy: Practitioners Session
Municipal engineers, planners, and other staff are key players in facilitating stormwater management while balancing the many competing demands of infrastructure planning. Join leaders from West Hants, Berwick, and Kentville as they provide insight into creating and updating stormwater strategies that tackle regulatory compliance, population growth, flood risk, and sustainability. Discussion will also include infrastructure funding options, municipal technical capacity, and asset management technologies used in operations and maintenance.
NSFM is pleased to coordinate this session as part of a flood adaptation series funded by the Department of Municipal Affairs.
This first session is part of our flood adaptation series that will run throughout 2026.
Date: March 12, 2026
Time: 1:30–2:30 PM
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Presenters:
Aaron Dondale, Director of Public Works, Town of Berwick
Tim Bouter, Project Engineer, West Hants Regional Municipality
David Bell, Director of Engineering & Public Works, Town of Kentville
Register: Stormwater Management Strategy
Explore the Winter 2025 Edition
Dive into thoughtful analysis, community perspectives, and timely municipal updates. This issue brings forward the ideas and stories shaping local leadership across Nova Scotia.
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