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Welcome to St. Mary’s

Located in the heart of Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s is a rural municipality consisting of five electoral districts. Incorporated in 1879, the Municipality has a population of 2,233 and is bounded by the counties of Antigonish and Pictou, the municipalities of Halifax and Guysborough, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Province is restricting travel and activities in the woods because continued hot, dry conditions have greatly increased the risk of wildfires.
The restrictions, effective as of 4 p.m. August 5, include:

  • hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods are not permitted
  • trail systems through woods are off limits
  • camping is allowed only in campgrounds.

These and other measures are in place on provincial Crown and private land until October 15 or until conditions allow them to be lifted. The fine for violating the restrictions is $25,000.

Quick Facts:

  • the restrictions were put in place through a proclamation under the Forests Act
  • people with questions about the restrictions can call their local Department of Natural Resources office
  • a province wide ban on open fires started on July 30 and will remain in place until October 15 or until conditions improve; the fine for violating the ban is $25,000

Please stay out off all wooded trail systems, if it is wooded consider is closed.

Additional Resources:

Woods restrictions proclamation: https://novascotia.ca/natr/forestprotection/wildfire/woods-proclamation_2025-08-05.pdf
News release – Provincewide Burn Ban in Effect: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/07/30/provincewide-burn-ban-effect
Department of Natural Resources offices: https://novascotia.ca/natr/staffdir/offices_map.asp
Natural Resources on X: https://x.com/NS_DNR

pdf Download Travel, Activities in Woods restricted to prevent wildfires PDF (304 KB)

Property Valuation Services Corporation Assessors are especially busy this time of year, conducting exterior property inspections across Nova Scotia. They are reviewing building permit progress and gathering up-to-date information as part of the annual assessment process. 
For your safety and peace of mind, Assessors are easy to identify with PVSC-marked vehicles, PVSC-issued ID, and high-visibility vests. 
You don’t need to be home for these visits. The Assessor will leave contact information and next steps if a follow-up is needed.
#NovaScotia #PropertyAssessment

Sherbrooke Antique & Classic Car Show
St. Mary's Lion's Hall, Hwy #7 Sherbrooke, NS
Hosted by: St. Mary's Lion's Club with Jim Porter
September 13, 2025
from 10:00am to 4:00pm with a dance at 9:00pm
(Rain Date: September 14)
Awards & Prizes, 50/50, Saturday Night Lions Dance, Onsite Food Vendor
For more information contact Jim at 902-328-7306 or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Effective August 5 at 4:00 p.m., due to extremely dry and hazardous conditions, the woods are CLOSED to activities. This includes a prohibition on hiking, camping, fishing, vehicle use, and trail system access within the woods. These restrictions apply to both private and provincial crown land. Industrial permits can be obtained for necessary work activities, though a shift to nighttime operations is strongly encouraged. Brief entry to the woods is okay — for example: short trails providing access from parking areas to locations such as beaches (etc). However, other access and activities within woodland areas are discouraged. Current conditions pose a significant fire risk, which could rapidly compromise Nova Scotia's current safety status. This closure adds an additional layer of protection to the existing burn ban (which includes fireworks). Violations are subject to a $25,000 fine, enforceable by the RCMP and Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR). While seven fines have been issued to date this year — there is now zero-tolerance.
Camping is permitted in official campgrounds. Private landowners are free to their own properties but cannot host others to use the wooded areas of their properties.
This measure is a proactive preventative effort. Nationally, over 700 fires are currently burning, with Nova Scotia having experienced over 100 small wildfires this year.
These restrictions will remain in place until a sustained period of rainfall occurs. Nova Scotia will assess its fire situation if other provinces require assistance with their wildfires.
For more information visit: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/08/05/travel-activities-woods-restricted-prevent-wildfires

Nova Scotia has proclaimed a provincewide burn ban.
Because of hot, dry conditions, there is a ban on open fires effective immediately across the entire province.
The ban was put in place today, July 30, and will remain in place until October 15 – the end of wildfire season – or until conditions improve. The fine for violating the ban is $25,000.
We’ve had a lot of hot, dry weather, very little rain and there’s no significant rain in the forecast in the near future,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. “We’ve had a lot of small, manageable fires this month and
conditions are now ripe for any small fire to grow larger. Nobody wants a repeat of the devastation we experienced in 2023. I ask all Nova Scotians to co-operate, respect the burn ban and save their campfires and other open fires for a safer time.”
The ban applies to open fires such as campfires, bonfires, brush fires, fires in chimeneas and any other fire that is not enclosed and uses wood as the fuel. Unlike gas or charcoal fires, sparks could escape from an open wood fire and cause a wildfire.
Non-woodburning devices like charcoal and gas barbeques and gas stoves are allowed to be used, following manufacturer’s instructions.

Quick Facts:

  • the ban was put in place through a proclamation under the Forests Act
  • the Province’s BurnSafe map, which lets people know where and when burning is permitted, will remain red while the proclamation is in effect, meaning open fires are not allowed
  • the proclamation overrides any permits that have been issued for industrial burning
  • the ban applies to all private property and provincial lands, including parks and protected areas; the Province does not have jurisdiction over federal land
  • people are not banned from entering the woods at this time, but that is another possible tool to help reduce the risk of wildfires, if needed

Additional Resources:

Please keep your civic sign posted clearly, free of any obstructions.
This is your sign to check today!
Your civic sign ensures emergency services such as first responders, EHS, RCMP, delivery drivers, and visitors find you quickly when it matters most, A missing or hidden sign can delay help in an emergency.
Make sure your sign is clearly visible from the road - not blocked by trees, snow, or decorations.
Don’t have a civic sign? Don’t have a civic number assigned?
Contact the Civic Address Coordinator at  902-522-2496 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For specifications on civic addressing and civic numbers, View the: Civic Addressing Bylaw

Newsletter

Keep up to date on Municipal news and events. Contact us if you have an item to submit to the municipal newsletter.

Recreation

Get active in St. Mary’s! Our Recreation Department offers a variety of programs and events around the Municipality.

Waste Disposal

Find information on recycling, waste collection and the Municipal Transfer Station.

Taxes

Access everything you need to know about your tax bill.

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