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Act within your purposes
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Nova Scotia stands fully covered: its own filings and guidance stand in the books beside the federal ones.
A society is formed for the purposes its constitution names, and its money is spent on those purposes.
A Nova Scotia society is incorporated for the objects the Act names — benevolent, philanthropic, charitable, educational, sporting and the like — and never for carrying on a trade, industry or business. Its property is never divided among its members. Binds: Nova Scotia societies.
The law’s own words
“A society may be incorporated under this Act to promote any benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic, religious, charitable, artistic, literary, educational, social, professional, recreational or sporting or any other useful object, but not for the purpose of carrying on any trade, industry or business.”
Nova Scotia Societies Act, s. 3(1) · Read it at Nova Scotia · Verified 2026-11-11
“No society shall have a capital divided into shares or declare any dividend or distribute its property among its members during the existence of the society and the interest of a member in a society shall not be transferable.”
Nova Scotia Societies Act, s. 4 · Read it at Nova Scotia · Verified 2026-11-11
“A society may, by special resolution, surrender its certificate of incorporation and the Registrar, if satisfied that sufficient notice of the society’s decision to dissolve has been given and that no debts or liabilities of the society are outstanding, may accept the surrender of the certificate, and cancel it, and fix a date from which the society shall be dissolved and its name removed from the register.”
Nova Scotia Societies Act, s. 26 · Read it at Nova Scotia · Verified 2026-11-11
Nova Scotia Societies Act, sections 3 and 4
“A society may be incorporated under this Act to promote any benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic, religious, charitable, artistic, literary, educational, social, professional, recreational or sporting or any other useful object, but not for the purpose of carrying on any trade, industry or business.” “No society shall have a capital divided into shares or declare any dividend or distribute its property among its members during the existence of the society and the interest of a member in a society shall not be transferable.”
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature — Societies Act, RSNS 1989, c. 435, ss. 3, 4 · Checked 2026-11-11
Nova Scotia Societies Act, section 26
“A society may, by special resolution, surrender its certificate of incorporation and the Registrar, if satisfied that sufficient notice of the society’s decision to dissolve has been given and that no debts or liabilities of the society are outstanding, may accept the surrender of the certificate, and cancel it, and fix a date from which the society shall be dissolved and its name removed from the register.”
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature — Societies Act, RSNS 1989, c. 435, s. 26 · Checked 2026-11-11