Shining a Light on Nova Scotia's Hidden Stories

From child protection and tenants' rights to environmental racism and data breaches, this newsroom tracks the issues that rarely stay in the headlines but shape people's lives every day.

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📌 FEATURED INVESTIGATIONS

Deep dives into Nova Scotia's most pressing accountability issues — from child protection failures to environmental racism, housing crises, and government transparency.

📌 LATEST ACCOUNTABILITY NEWS - November 2025

Government Transparency Under Scrutiny

Opposition parties have intensified calls for increased accountability following criticism of the Houston government's response to rising electricity costs. The NDP has accused the government of distancing itself from responsibility for Nova Scotia Power, a regulated utility, by blocking requests for department officials to testify before committees.

Auditor General Highlights University Funding Gaps

Recent audit findings reveal the provincial government is not adequately monitoring how universities use public funds. New bilateral agreements introduced in 2024-25 now include financial reporting requirements and performance targets, such as filling 97% of health-care program seats and increasing campus housing.

Education System Accountability Concerns

Critics argue that centralized decision-making in Nova Scotia's education system has reduced transparency and community input since the elimination of elected school boards. Growing calls demand restoration of public accountability mechanisms.

Environmental Racism Apology Demanded

Opposition leaders are urging Premier Houston and his cabinet to acknowledge and apologize for the province's historical role in environmental racism, following a recently released confidential panel report on the issue.

Departmental Accountability Reports Published

Multiple departments including the Office of the Premier, Communications Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board have published their 2024-2025 business plans and accountability reports, demonstrating commitments to transparency.

Child Protection at a Breaking Point: Inside Nova Scotia's Overburdened System

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📰 LOCAL NOVA SCOTIA NEWS SOURCES

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Accountability journalism starts at home. This curated list features trusted news sources focused exclusively on Nova Scotia - from provincial politics and local investigations to community stories that directly impact residents. These outlets provide the local context and deep reporting essential for holding government and institutions accountable to the people they serve.

Trusted News Sources

Nova Scotia News

• The Chronicle Herald - Nova Scotia's leading daily newspaper covering local news, politics, business, and community events
https://www.saltwire.com/

• Global News Halifax - Regional and breaking news for Halifax and Nova Scotia with video coverage and live updates
https://globalnews.ca/halifax/

• CBC Nova Scotia - Provincial news, politics, and current events from Canada's public broadcaster
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia

• AllNovaScotia - Independent news covering provincial politics, business, and policy decisions
https://allnovascotia.com/

• Halifax Examiner - Independent investigative journalism focused on Halifax and Nova Scotia issues
https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/

• The Coast - Halifax's alternative weekly covering local news, culture, and community issues
https://www.thecoast.ca/

• Cape Breton Post - Regional news coverage for Cape Breton and eastern Nova Scotia
https://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/

• CTV Atlantic - Regional television news covering Nova Scotia and the Maritimes
https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/

Community & Regional News

• News 95.7 - Halifax's news radio station with breaking local news and traffic
https://www.news957.com/

• CBC Radio Nova Scotia - Local radio news, interviews, and community stories
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-45-information-morning-ns

• The Truro Daily News - Local news for Truro and Colchester County
https://www.saltwire.com/truro/

• The Chronicle Journal - News from Pictou County
https://www.saltwire.com/pictou-advocate/

• Annapolis Valley Register - Local news from the Valley region
https://www.saltwire.com/kings-county-register/

Local Fact-Checking & Accountability

• CBC Nova Scotia Fact Check - Verification of provincial and local political claims
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia

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What is a Shell Company?

A shell company is a company that exists only on paper. It has no physical office, no employees, and produces no goods or services. While this sounds suspicious, they can be used for both perfectly legal and highly illegal purposes. This section helps you explore the two sides of the coin.

Legitimate Business Functions

For privacy, liability protection, or complex corporate structuring, shell companies can be useful tools:

Holding Assets: Used to hold intellectual property (patents, trademarks) or real estate, separating it from the risks of an operating company.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): A Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) is a type of shell company created to raise capital and buy another company.
Corporate Structuring: Large multinational corporations use them to manage assets and operations across different countries.
Estate and Tax Planning: Can be used by wealthy individuals for privacy or to manage family trusts and assets.

How Do They Work?

Creating a shell company is often surprisingly easy. The key is "layering"âcreating a complex, multi-national web of companies to make it almost impossible to trace the real owner. This section breaks down the typical process and shows where these companies are often registered.

The Path to Anonymity

Incorporation

Nominees

Appoint "nominee directors" (lawyers or paid actors) to sign papers and hide the real owner.

Layering

Have this company be "owned" by another shell company in a *different* country.

Bank Account

Use the "legal" company papers to open a bank account in a major financial hub.

Transaction

Use the account to buy assets (yachts, real estate, art) with illicit, now "clean," money.

Top Secrecy Jurisdictions

This chart shows jurisdictions ranked by their "secrecy score," a measure of how much they help hide financial activities. Some, like Delaware and Wyoming, are right in the United States.

Why Are They a Problem?

The anonymity provided by shell companies has a massive real-world impact. It drains public funds, fuels conflict, and enables crime on a global scale. This section highlights the scale of the problem and the types of crime it facilitates.

$2 Trillion+

Estimated laundered annually

300,000+

Anonymous companies in Delaware

70%

Of major corruption cases use shell companies

Primary Sources of Illicit Funds

This chart breaks down the origins of the "dirty" money that needs to be laundered, based on global law enforcement estimates. Click on a segment to see its label.

Case Studies: The Leaks

Investigative journalists have exposed this hidden world through massive data leaks. The "Panama Papers" and "Pandora Papers" revealed how politicians, celebrities, and criminals use shell companies. Explore these two major investigations in the tabs below.

The Panama Papers

A leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. It exposed a global system that allowed the wealthy and powerful to hide their money. The leak implicated 12 national leaders, 140 politicians, and numerous billionaires, leading to the resignation of Iceland's Prime Minister and widespread public outrage and investigations.

What Is Being Done?

In response to the growing problem, governments and international bodies are pushing for transparency. The main goal is to end anonymous ownership. This section outlines the key solutions being implemented or proposed.

Beneficial Ownership Registries

These are government databases that require companies to declare their *true*, human owner (the "Ultimate Beneficial Owner" or UBO). Some countries are making these registries public, so anyone can see who owns a company.

Stronger KYC Laws

"Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules force banks, lawyers, and real estate agents to do their homework. They must verify the identity of their clients and report suspicious activity, making it harder to use them as go-betweens.

International Cooperation

Since money moves across borders, countries must work together. This includes new treaties for automatically sharing tax information and cooperating on investigations to seize illicit assets hidden abroad.

Nova Scotia Accountability News

Shining a Light on Nova Scotia's Hidden Stories

📌 LATEST ACCOUNTABILITY NEWS - November 2025

Child Protection at a Breaking Point: Inside Nova Scotia's Overburdened System

════════════════════════════════════════

📰 LOCAL NOVA SCOTIA NEWS SOURCES

════════════════════════════════════════

Trusted News Sources

Nova Scotia News

Results

Free Search Tools for Your Website

What is a Shell Company?

Legitimate Business Functions

Illegitimate & Criminal Uses

How Do They Work?

The Path to Anonymity

Incorporation

Nominees

Layering

Bank Account

Transaction

Top Secrecy Jurisdictions

Why Are They a Problem?

Primary Sources of Illicit Funds

Case Studies: The Leaks

The Panama Papers

The Pandora Papers

What Is Being Done?

Beneficial Ownership Registries

Stronger KYC Laws

International Cooperation