Living Simply, Living Freely: Why I am Resisting Nova Scotia’s So-Called "Climate Lockdown"

This is a road through the woods that I cycle on.
It is OPEN.

Canadians are still feeling feisty after government's COVID overreach and illegal activities used to crush dissent and peaceful protests.

That could be why Nova Scotians are actively and vocally fighting the most recent example of government mismanagement.  

Starting August 5, 2025, the province outlawed hiking, camping, fishing, and any woodland activity, with a $25,000 fine for stepping into the trees. 

They claim it’s to prevent wildfires amid drought, but this blanket ban will extinguish our freedoms faster than any fires.

I can understand wanting to do something, but this ham fisted response is exactly like the COVID restrictions - they both give the illusion of ‘doing something’, and ‘keeping us safe’. 

Unfortunately, these quasi-solutions end up not tackling the problems at hand, and contributing great harm to society while they fail miserably.

The 2023 Nova Scotia wildfires were tragic, but criminalizing a forest walk while allowing forestry operations is absurd. 

For us at the Not Buying Anything blog, living simply means rejecting consumerism, and official narratives, and embracing nature’s gifts. 

This ban doesn’t just block blackberry picking (a 20 year tradition for me and Linda) or the hikes that keep me sane. What they are trying to do, again, threatens the fundamental rights that we thought we had. 

I cherish the freedom to live simply and regularly connect with nature. Therefore, I won’t comply with this potentially illegal move by an obviously frustrated and floundering government, and no other freedom-loving person should either.

This is a trail through the woods that I cycle on.
It is CLOSED.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association says the province must prove in court that this ban is necessary and minimally impairs our Charter rights, or it’s unconstitutional.

Our legal protections demand resistance:

Charter Rights: Sections 6 (mobility) and 7 (liberty) guarantee our right to roam. The Canadian Constitution Foundation calls this ban a likely violation for its excessiveness.

Proportionality: Section 1 requires restrictions to be reasonable. A $25,000 fine for a hike, while industry gets a pass, fails this test.

Bill of Rights: The 1960 Canadian Bill of Rights demands due process. This crippling fine for harmless acts is unjust. It’s our duty to resist unjust laws. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”. 

If a law bans us from nature without cause, we challenge it not by being reckless, but by standing firm. If you enter the woods for low-risk activities like walking, do so carefully, respecting the land. Let’s protect our traditional freedoms and nature-loving values:

Speak Out: Email Premier Houston, demanding targeted fire bans, not a forest lockdown.

Support Challenges: Back CCF’s efforts to defend our Charter rights.

Share Your Story: How is this ban affecting you, or if you don’t live in our beautiful province, what would such a ban in your area make you think? Let us know in a comment below. Living simply means living freely. Let’s defy this ban and reclaim our right to nature’s solace. It is necessary, and more vital and important than our governments are willing to acknowledge.

How am I going to get my wild blackberries for jam if I am banned from the woods at peak berry season?

Be fire safe out there - it is crazy dry. Report any fires you may see.