Maintaining HalifACT Funding: A Public Health Imperative for the 2026/27 Budget

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment – Nova Scotia (CAPE NS) to the Halifax Regional Council urging the maintenance of full funding for HalifACT in the 2026/27 budget to prevent increased healthcare costs and protect vulnerable residents from climate-related health risks.

• The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment – Nova Scotia (CAPE NS) argues that cutting HalifACT funding is a "transfer of risk" that will increase healthcare costs and disproportionately affect vulnerable citizens.
• Climate change in Nova Scotia is linked to specific health burdens, including a 2% to 13% increase in mortality rates in Canadian cities due to extreme heat, approximately 15,300 annual premature deaths in Canada from air pollution and wildfire smoke, the northward expansion of ticks leading to Lyme disease, and spikes in PTSD, anxiety, and depression following floods and wildfires.
• Extreme weather events disrupt healthcare delivery by compromising air quality in medical facilities via smoke infiltration, forcing clinic closures through evacuation orders, and blocking transit routes for staff and emergency responses.
• The document states that every $1 spent on climate resilience avoids approximately $13 to $15 in future costs. Cutting an estimated $6 million from the Climate Action Tax is described as creating a "medical debt" that will increase Emergency Room volumes and exacerbate chronic diseases such as asthma and heart disease.
• HalifACT initiatives, including home retrofits and the Solar City program, are identified as pathways to health and affordability for high-risk populations, including children, seniors, and low-income individuals in substandard housing or urban "heat islands".

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2026). Maintaining HalifACT Funding: A Public Health Imperative for the 2026/27 Budget. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CAPE-NS-letter-to-HRM-Council-re-HalifACT-funding.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Maintaining HalifACT Funding: A Public Health Imperative for the 2026/27 Budget. 2026. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CAPE-NS-letter-to-HRM-Council-re-HalifACT-funding.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Maintaining HalifACT Funding: A Public Health Imperative for the 2026/27 Budget |date=23 January 2026 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CAPE-NS-letter-to-HRM-Council-re-HalifACT-funding.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2026maintaining, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Maintaining HalifACT Funding: A Public Health Imperative for the 2026/27 Budget}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CAPE-NS-letter-to-HRM-Council-re-HalifACT-funding.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }