In Nova Scotia, "the principle of wanting to be involved continues to be a strongly held view," so governments have established formal procedures for certain kinds of decisions; public pressure then leads to additional opportunities to voice other concerns. One observer notes that there seems to be less public participation by municipalities (due to cynicism, tight budgets and demands for employment) than a decade ago and more by provincial agencies. By contrast, an offshore gas proponent held 38 open houses last fall and revised its plans to reflect public concerns. The private sector seems to be as concerned with effectiveness as with efficiency and with doing it right the first time. While participation is increasing in all jurisdictions in Nova Scotia, with much of the expertise coming from consulting firms, there is some uncertainty about which techniques to use. Many use a wide range of techniques. Observers see more open houses, but public meetings are said still to scare their organizers because of the potential for confrontation. While stakeholders are seen as more important, there is much debate about who is a stakeholder when public interest groups don't represent the general public. Return to Public Participation in Canada
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