Welcome to the Municipality of Pictou County

The Municipality of Pictou County, located in northern Nova Scotia, is home to approximately 20,000 residents. This rural community features a diverse landscape of farmland, forests and industry, offering both natural beauty and economic opportunity. Whether you're here to live, work or visit, Pictou County welcomes you.

MUNICIPALITY OF THE COUNTY OF PICTOU

MUNICIPAL PLANNING STRATEGY AND LAND-USE BYLAW

TAKE NOTICE that on Monday, May 5^th, 2025, the Municipal Council for the Municipality of the County of Pictou adopted a Municipal Planning Strategy and Land-use Bylaw.

The Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) is the primary planning document for the Municipality which establishes the vision, goals and policies for growth and development. It is the roadmap that helps to guide decision making relating to what we build, where, and at what intensity. An MPS looks at many different aspects of life in the community including (but not limited to) housing, economic development, agriculture, drinking water, and infrastructure.

The Land Use Bylaw (LUB) is the companion document to the MPS, and puts the vision, goals, and policies into action through specific regulations that have to do with development activities. The LUB sets out things like the land-use zones, permitted uses for these zones, standards for development, performance standards, developments to be considered by development agreement, developments to be considered by site plan approval process, among other things.

On August 6^th, 2025, the Honourable John A. Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs approved the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land-Use Bylaw with Ministerial Amendments in accordance with Section 208(6) of the Municipal Government Act.

            Residents of the Municipality wishing to view the by-law in its entirety including the Ministerial Amendments can do so at the Municipal Administration Building, 46 Municipal Drive, Pictou, N. S. during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) or on our website at www.munpict.ca.

            In accordance with Section 208(8) of the Municipal Government Act, the Municipality hereby gives notice that the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land-Use Bylaw adopted by the Municipal Council on May 5^th, 2025, now have force of law and are in effect as of August 28, 2025, this being the date of publication.

Brian Cullen

Chief Administrative Officer

Municipal Clerk

Dated at Pictou, Nova Scotia this the 28^th day of August 2025.

Municipal Land Use Bylaw
Municipal Planning Strategy

 Because of the ongoing drought, several municipalities have put into effect water restrictions as outlined below.

Residents who use a well that has dried up can call the REMO hotline at (902) 485-3445 for assistance.

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The MOPC has mailed out its Property Tax Bills.
The payment deadline is October 15, 2025. Payment can be made online through your banking institution, in person at the MOPC Administration Building from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or you can send a cheque in the mail.

Tourism Marketing Levy Bylaw for Short-Term Accommodations

As of January 1st, 2024, the Municipality of Pictou County adopted a Tourism Marketing Levy Bylaw. 

The Tourism Marketing Levy provides sustainable funding for marketing and promoting the Municipality as a tourism destination. The Levy is set at 3 % and is added to the purchase price of tourism accommodations in the Municipality.

You will first need to register with the province to receive a registration number.  To complete the registration process, you will need a letter of compliance from the municipality confirming your compliance with our land use bylaws.  Contact shellie.pettipas@munpict.ca for such a letter.

If you want more information about the Tourism Marketing Bylaw, contact our local tourism agency, Coastal Nova Scotia, at cindy@coastalnovascotia.ca or call 902-396-8408. 

Monthly Remittance Form

To learn more click here. 

Burn ban in effect

Because of hot, dry conditions, there is a ban on open fires effective immediately across the entire province.

The ban was put in place today, July 30, and will remain in place until October 15 – the end of wildfire season – or until conditions improve. The fine for violating the ban is $25,000.

“We’ve had a lot of hot, dry weather, very little rain and there’s no significant rain in the forecast in the near future,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. “We’ve had a lot of small, manageable fires this month and conditions are now ripe for any small fire to grow larger. Nobody wants a repeat of the devastation we experienced in 2023. I ask all Nova Scotians to co-operate, respect the burn ban and save their campfires and other open fires for a safer time.”

The ban applies to open fires such as campfires, bonfires, brush fires, fires in chimeneas and any other fire that is not enclosed and uses wood as the fuel. Unlike gas or charcoal fires, sparks could escape from an open wood fire and cause a wildfire.

Non-woodburning devices like charcoal and gas barbeques and gas stoves are allowed to be used, following manufacturer’s instructions.