Hundreds of students across Nova Scotia took part in a coordinated walkout on Wednesday morning to protest cuts in the provincial budget.
It started at 10 a.m., with demonstrations planned at schools and according to posts on social media, action was motivated by concerns over cuts affecting education, arts programming and scholarship funding.
In several communities, students also organized marches to local MLA offices to raise their concerns directly with elected officials.
Liverpool students raise concerns over arts and scholarship cuts
In Liverpool, around 100 students walked out of Liverpool Regional High School and marched through town.
Students first stopped outside Queens MLA Kim Masland’s constituency office before continuing to the Astor Theatre where local student band Life and Colour performed.
Students gather outside the Astor Theatre in Liverpool during a walkout protesting elements of the provincial budget, including concerns about arts funding and scholarships. (Evan Taylor photo)
Students at the rally raised concerns about cuts affecting scholarships, grants and arts programming, saying those supports are especially important in smaller rural communities where families may have fewer financial resources.
Astor Theatre executive director Velta Vilkmanis said it was encouraging to see young people organizing around issues that affect them and this was a great way to express anger.
“For them to come out and actually organize this kind of a thing… I think it’s incredible,” Vilkmanis said. “A lot of these kids perform on our open mic stage. They participate in our clubs,” she said.
Student’s walk out of classes at high schools across Nova Scotia on March 11 to protest cuts to arts and culture. PHOTO BY NATALIE CHIASSON /Acadia Broadcasting
Halifax JL Ilsley high schooler’s take to streets of Spryfield
JL Ilsley High School students marched down Herring Cove Road toward the busy intersection near the Spryfield Shopping Centre, drawing attention from passing drivers—many of whom honked in support.
Acadia News spoke with several students who took part in the protest. Many said they were concerned about cuts to arts programming, the impact on student mental health, and the loss of independence tied to transportation changes.
Nora Pickrem had tears in her eyes when said arts give her life meaning. “I know that the arts have saved, like, more people than I can count, including myself.”
Despite feeling discouraged by the government’s decisions, the group says they have no plans to stop speaking out.
Port Hawkesbury students rallied against cuts to arts and culture
Nearly 100 students from Strait Area Education Recreation Centre (SAERC) came together to protest recent cuts to arts, culture, bursaries and scholarships on Wednesday morning.
Grade 11 students Shayla Spencer and Miranda MacRae were two of the organizers.
Organizers of SAREC Student Rally – Shayla Spencer & Miranda MacRae. Credit: Jessica Laing / Acadia Broadcasting
“The first thing that raised warning bells for me was when I found out the bursaries and scholarships, a lot of them were defunded or partially defunded, which really threw off my course for postsecondary,” shared Spencer.
She said she got involved because the proposed cuts impact her, her family and her classmates directly in an extremely negative way.
“We are hoping for Tim Houston to rethink his budget cuts and takes most of them back. Although he did take some back the other day, it’s not nearly enough compensation that what we deserve as students,” expressed MacRae.
She shared that their message to the government is that their budget cuts affect real people, and real people have voices and they will speak up.
-with files from Natalie Chiasson and Jessica Laing
