On January 27, 2026, the province announced the first‑year results and a major expansion of its “Fewer Permits. Faster.” project — a plan to streamline permitting that could help Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, move more quickly on new homes and infrastructure. The initiative is designed to cut red tape and reduce costs for housing and large construction projects by simplifying how the government approves plans.
The Office of Service Efficiency is leading the work, in partnership with the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing and other departments, and the reforms include a “Single Window” digital portal to consolidate environmental, transportation and building permits into one online application system. The aim is to reduce duplication and speed approvals.
For the Eskasoni First Nation, these changes are expected to be especially helpful when the community acquires land for expansion. Because land that Eskasoni purchases is often subject to provincial permitting before it becomes federal reserve land through the Addition to Reserve process, the reforms could reduce approval timelines for multi‑partner projects by up to 30% — potentially saving the community hundreds of thousands of dollars in carrying and delay costs.
These reforms build on earlier provincial measures such as Bill 329 (2023), which gave the provincial housing minister expanded authority over planning in the Halifax Regional Municipality and served as a precedent for using provincial powers to address municipal delays. A separate 10‑year federal‑provincial agreement announced in 2025 is also intended to support the construction of more homes to meet growing community needs.
Local officials say cutting the time between purchasing land and starting construction is vital for a rapidly growing community. The new system will also include automatic approvals for some low‑risk, standardized residential designs to help get people into homes sooner.
