Searching for a place to call Home?

The Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s has the smallest population of any district in Nova Scotia with an area that covers 1909 square kilometers. As a result, it has the smallest population density of all 50 municipalities in the province at approximately 1.17 persons per square kilometer. By road, St. Mary’s is connected to the rest of Nova Scotia via Highway 7 which links Halifax and Antigonish though Sherbrooke. Highways 348 and 347 offer westerly connections to Stellarton, New Glasgow and beyond.

With a “Walk Score at 10/10” that is off the charts for the community of Sherbrooke you will be hard pressed to find so many amenities including, the hospital, grocery and liquor stores, post office, drug store, bank, school, recreation center, gas and convenience store not to mention numerous restaurants and museums all within a few minutes walk in the downtown. Surrounding communities from Ecum Secum on the southern boundary to Fisherman’s Harbour on the Northern Boundary over to Cameron Settlement you will find a wonderfully eclectic mix of people from all ages and walks of life. Looking to know more about the area, go to https://saintmarysnovascotia.com/

Find your New Home

There’s a place for you here. From land for building – including sub-divisions – and resale homes, we make it easy to make your move to Nova Scotia and enjoy competitive residential property taxes. Land and housing prices here are very competitive within Nova Scotia with many properties offering water views or ocean frontage.

Realtors Serving the District of St. Mary’s

https://www.realtor.ca/
https://engelvoelkersnovascotia.com/
https://remaxparkplace.com/
https://www.royallepage.ca/en/ns/
https://www.viewpoint.ca/

Land & Housing

Housing Options and Services

Housing stock in the District provides an interesting mix of modern and traditional homes. Municipal water and sewer systems are available within parts of the community of Sherbrooke. There are plans to expand these services. High-speed Internet access is available across most communities within the District.

Land Use Planning & Development

The District of St. Mary’s covers 1909 square kilometres.  In preparation for residential growth and economic development, the Municipality undertook an extensive land use planning process. Land-use plans were developed for all five districts based upon extensive community consultation. These plans provide effective direction regarding land use to current and future landowners.

The municipal Planning Department for Guysborough is a shared resource with St. Mary’s Municipality and can answer all questions related to zoning and subdivision development. Building and related permits are issued by the municipal Building and Fire Inspection Department in the Guysborough municipal office.

The Planning Department is responsible for all aspects of municipal land use planning and subdivision approvals for the Municipality, including amendments of existing planning documents when required. This Department is also responsible for the issuance of development permits to ensure all new development meets the requirements of the applicable Land Use Bylaw for that particular area.

For further information contact:

Debbie Torrey
Development Officer
(902) 533-3705 ext. 222
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Building

Before you build or renovate, review the following:  Application for Building Permit's  and  Before You Build Brochure .

A building/development permit is required for all types of construction including:

  • New buildings and structures
  • Additions to existing structures
  • Non-structural repairs exceeding $2500
  • Fences more than six feet high
  • Decks and verandas
  • Relocation of the existing building
  • Demolition of the existing structure

Exemption: New buildings containing less than 9.2 square meters of floor space do not require a building permit but must conform to the National Building Code and Municipal By-laws. However, a Development Permit will be required to ensure compliance with the Municipal Land Use By-law.

New building lots must be approved by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment for on-site sewer disposal and the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation for Work Within Highway Right-of-Way Permit unless services are already available on the lot.

You may apply for a variance using the  Application for Variance for Land Use.

All industrial, commercial, and public building plans require approval by the Fire Marshall's Office prior to the issuance of a building permit.

For further information contact:

Glenn Stirling
Building Inspector
(902)533-3705 ext 235
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Civic Addressing

To request a new civic number contact Building Inspector Glen Stirling at 902-533-3705 ext 235 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

You may verify your civic address by calling the Municipal Office (902) 522-2049.

For information on civic addressing in Nova Scotia visit:

Demolition

Be sure to submit a Demolition Permit Application if you are removing a dwelling from your property. This information is sent to the Assessment office to ensure any required adjustments to your property assessment are made.

Housing Resources

New Low Income Housing Program

An exciting new program has been released for Low Income Renters and Low Income Owners. The program is being administered by Eastern Mainland Housing Authority under Housing Nova Scotia's direction. Details of the program are outlined on their webpage found here. https://beta.novascotia.ca/programs-and-services/canada-nova-scotia-targeted-housing-benefit

Applications for the program as well as additional details for this directly-paid benefit are listed on the site.

Low Income Home Owner Assistance Available

Are you a low-income homeowner? Do you spend more than 50 percent of your income to run your home? Direct support is available for eligible homeowners through the Canada-Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit. Working together, we are making housing more affordable for vulnerable people.

For more information visit: https://beta.novascotia.ca/housing-programs-department-growth-and-development

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or call: (902) 943-0835