ATLANTIC UPDATE – 2026 Outlook
Submitted by: Greg Kerry, Crombie REIT, Halifax, NS
Reassessment in Atlantic Canada is in full swing with lots of turbulence – or, efforts to mitigate it entirely – in New Brunswick especially.
Nova Scotia assessment notices were mailed January 12th. By the time this newsletter goes out, the appeal period will have closed (February 12th). Last year, Nova Scotia Requests for Information (RFIs) were sent by the assessment authority (PVSC) February 24th, which follows a trend in Nova Scotia of RFIs being sent roughly ten days to two weeks after the appeal period closes.
New Brunswick notices were mailed a week after Nova Scotia’s, 19 January, with the Request for Review period (RfR) closing 18 February 2026. Over the past year, the province of New Brunswick has been undertaking a comprehensive overview of the property taxation system, including assessment, of which the CPTA is actively taking part (see The Assessment November-December 2025). As part of this, the government of New Brunswick instituted an assessment freeze on the vast majority of properties in New Brunswick, with a variety of exceptions. Service New Brunswick estimates that the number of properties impacted by the freeze – that is, whose assessment value for taxation will have not changed – is 90%.
The “real and true value” (market value) for properties in New Brunswick continued to be updated to reflect the 2026 base date of valuation; the “value for taxation” has been frozen at the 2025 level of assessment except in the case of new construction or major improvements, errors in assessment, sales/transactions, changes in use, and a number of other qualifications. This does not freeze the tax bill as municipalities will continue to set their tax rates independently.
New Brunswick already has a ‘spike protection mechanism’ which limits the year-over-year increase in assessment for taxation to 10%. This was instituted in 2013 to owner-occupied properties; this was expanded in 2022 to non-residential and multi-family properties. The increases are “phased in over time”, and new construction and properties that have transacted are excluded.
Newfoundland and Labrador are segregated into two assessment jurisdictions: the City of St. John’s, administered by the city; and the remainder of the province, which is the responsibility of the Municipal Assessment Agency. St. John’s is on a two-year assessment cycle, 2026 is the first year of the new assessment cycle. Notices were mailed in May 2025, with an appeal period that lasted through to early August.
The Municipal Assessment Agency re-assess property annually, and assessment notices for the following year are normally received in June, e.g. 2026 assessments were mailed in early June 2025.
Prince Edward Island re-assesses property annually and assessment notices are usually mailed in early May with a referral closing date (appeal/challenge period filing end) in early August.