In Nova Scotia only 25% of the landmass is owned and administered by the province as Crown land. Because of the limited amount of Crown land in Nova Scotia, and existing commitments on Crown land (e.g. forestry licenses, parks, trails, leases etc.), as a general policy the province does not offer Crown land for sale. In a few limited circumstances, the sale of Crown land may be considered provided no other reasonable alternatives exist. These circumstances include:
1. Sale to a municipality, agency, non-profit group or community organization when a public benefit can be demonstrated;
2. Sale to support or promote economic activity (e.g the expansion of an existing business); or
3. Sale to alleviate undue hardship or in extenuating circumstances when it is demonstrated to be in the best interest of the province.
Crown land is not sold for speculative purposes or for residential or cottage lots. Individuals or groups asking to buy Crown land must be able to demonstrate that all other reasonable alternatives have been explored.
All applications to buy Crown land are reviewed by the department to evaluate possible impacts on departmental programs and values. This assessment is called an integrated resource management review. Sales must also be approved by the Minister or Cabinet.
If a sale is recommended by staff, meets all policy requirements, and is approved by the Minister or Cabinet, the sale price will be the market value of the land, which is normally determined through a full appraisal completed by a certified appraiser. In addition to the purchase price, the purchaser is required to pay the following:
- an administration fee (see table of fees)
- the legal costs for migrating the land to the land registration system,
- the cost of preparing the appraisal,
- any costs associated with aboriginal consultation, and
- the cost of hiring a Nova Scotia land surveyor to survey the land.
The time required to complete a land purchase varies depending on the nature and complexity of the request, the time it takes to complete the appraisal and survey, and whether or not the parcel is registered in the land registration system before the sale.
A request to purchase Crown land should be sent by mail to the Land Services Branch of the Department of Natural Resources at PO Box 698, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 2T9, or by email at landweb@gov.ns.ca.