Editorial

February 25 2026

Beyond tax rates / Let’s grow together

Beyond tax rates

With the release of KPMG’s draft review of Canso’s local tax structure, one phase of a long and often heated debate has come to an end.

As we report this week, the consultants were retained to examine the numbers, assess the structure and compare Canso’s situation with practices elsewhere in Nova Scotia. They have delivered their findings and recommendations. That work, commissioned on the public dime, now rests in the hands of elected officials.

From here, the responsibility shifts.

Council must now review the report, weigh its implications and determine a course of action. That is its duty. But, in matters touching taxation, fairness and public confidence, the process must continue outward, beyond the council table, into the community whose trust ultimately gives any decision its credibility.

At this writing, the draft report has not yet been circulated publicly, including to key local stakeholders who participated in the consultation process. That fact alone is not cause for alarm. Draft reports move through stages. Councils require time to study and consider.

But public confidence in whatever decision ultimately emerges will depend not only on the conclusions reached, but on the degree to which residents can see that their input has been heard, considered and reflected in the analysis before them.

If that process remains open and visible, the community will be better positioned to understand not only what is decided, but why. More important still is the transparency that makes such understanding possible.

Let’s grow together

Welcome to the Guysborough-Antigonish Journal! We’re excited about the rebranding of this 32-year-old newspaper, now fully inclusive of Antigonish town and county. This expansion is about responding to community need and growing quality journalism across our region.

We believe every community should have high-quality reporting on the actions of government, social institutions, and the people who’ve made their mark on the places we call home. A local newspaper helps us celebrate achievements, find solutions to challenges, and just know each other better.

Our growing team of talented journalists welcomes your ideas. What stories need telling? What questions need answers? Drop us an email or call our office to let us know.

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People need news they can trust, and that’s what we deliver. We fact-check. We follow high standards in journalism. And we care about the communities we cover.

Those communities stretch from Mulgrave to Maryvale, from Pomquet to Port Dufferin, from Canso to Cape George. It’s a huge, diverse area, and your engagement with the paper is key to its success.

The Journal started as a monthly paper in a basement in Lochaber back in June 1994. We’ve come a long way, and we have a long way still to go.

We thank you for reading, for supporting quality journalism, and for being a part of this important journey.