The rules are the rules. Until they aren’t.On August 5, Nova Scotia slammed shut its forests. Hiking? Banned. Fishing? Forget it. You, dear reader, are so flammable that simply strolling a wooded path could bring the wrath of the province and a $25,000 fine, enough to turn a pleasant day out into financial ruin. The ban will run until mid-October, unless our overlords lift it sooner.But like so many “public safety” measures in our age, these rules apply unevenly..Mi’kmaw play proceeds in Halifax park as Nova Scotia bans hiking, fishing in forests.In Halifax, Point Pleasant Park’s forested trails are off limits, unless you happen to be part of the right production, with the right political optics. This week, Zuppa Theatre, in partnership with the Sipekne’katik-based Sipu Tricksters, is staging Metu’na’q, a Mi’kmaw-led re-imagining of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. After some initial uncertainty, the show is going ahead.Now, you may say, “But it’s outdoors!” Indeed, but so is hiking. The waterfront path in Point Pleasant Park remains open, but most wooded routes are closed to the public. Yet the play will take place in that same park, under “tight rules.” What “tight rules”? If forest fire danger makes hiking too risky, surely dozens of people gathering for rehearsals and performances carry the same or greater risk..This isn’t about hating theatre or indigenous storytelling. It’s about consistency. Governments that set rules for “public safety” should live by them, not bend them for politically favoured projects. In Nova Scotia, you can’t walk the forest trail with your dog. But you can stage a play with lights, set pieces, and crowds, as long as your cause is politically bulletproof.Meanwhile, the same province has shown less indulgence toward other gatherings. Christian worship artist Sean Feucht planned a Halifax concert before this ban even began. His permit was revoked outright. Officials cited “safety concerns,” the same vague rationale trotted out whenever a public event proves inconvenient to the bureaucratic taste buds.This isn’t unique to Nova Scotia. Across Canada, pandemic lockdowns taught us that “public safety” often means the safety of the government’s public image. A church parking lot service? Shut it down. A protest on the “wrong” side of an issue? Ticket them. But other events, blessed with the right cultural approval, skate past the red tape..Christian artist Sean Feucht’s Alberta legislature concert to proceed.Let’s be blunt: governments love symbolic gestures. A total forest ban sounds tough and decisive until the same government makes an exception. That’s not safety; that’s stage managing. And it’s insulting to the thousands of ordinary Nova Scotians who have cancelled camping trips, packed away fishing rods, and avoided woodland walks, all under threat of eye watering high fines.We’re told wildfires are mostly caused by humans, and the forest floor is tinder-dry. If that’s true, then why gamble with a public performance? And if the province believes the performance is genuinely safe, then why not allow other safe outdoor uses of forest space?.The $25,000 penalty hanging over hikers is a sledgehammer response, but the selective exemptions are worse. They erode public trust. People are far more likely to follow rules they see as fair, consistent, and rooted in common sense. Watching one group carry on under special permission while others are fined into bankruptcy breeds cynicism and rightly so.Some will argue that Point Pleasant Park’s waterfront path is separate from the wooded trails, and the play is being staged in a cleared area. Perhaps. But “cleared” is a slippery word. Fires don’t check trail maps before spreading..OLDCORN: Pharmacy rules hurt New Brunswick smokers trying to quit.And beyond the fire risk is the principle: the state cannot demand sacrifice from some while waving others through because their event ticks the right cultural boxes. It’s a double standard that diminishes the very legitimacy of public safety measures.So there you have it. If you’re a lone hiker on a shaded trail, you’re a potential arsonist with a $25,000 price tag on your head. If you’re in a government-approved theatre troupe with the right cultural credentials, you’re a “celebration of heritage” and a safe bet. In the Canada of 2025, the forest isn’t what’s burning. The credibility of the rules is.
