News release

New Licence Plate Will Honour Veterans

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

SERVICE N.S./MUNICIPAL RELATIONS--New Licence Plate Will Honour Veterans


Veterans across the province will have their own licence plate early next year.

Deputy Premier Ron Russell; Bill Langille, chairman of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs; and Fred Mombourquette, president of Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of the Royal Canadian Legion unveiled the new licence plate's design in a ceremony at the command offices today, Nov. 7.

The veteran's licence plate will differ somewhat from the province's standard licence plate. A Canadian flag will appear on the left side of the plate instead of the Bluenose in the centre. The familiar phrase Canada's Ocean Playground will be replaced by the word Veteran. The plate will have three letters and two numbers instead of three letters and three numbers. The plates are sequentially numbered; they are not personalized plates.

The new plate can be displayed on passenger cars and light vehicles starting in February 2003. Anyone who served in the Canadian, Commonwealth or allied forces, including the Merchant Navy and Ferry Command, for at least three years will be eligible. The three-year service requirement will be waived for any military veteran who served in a theatre of war, with NATO or in a peacekeeping mission.

"This morning, we are here to remember those soldiers, sailors and air crews who did their duty honourably and came home to their loved ones," said Mr. Russell. "To tell them that we remember and value what they did."

"We believe this to be a fitting sign of respect for veterans in Nova Scotia, a way of saying thank you for the sacrifices they endured," said Mr. Mombourquette.

"We are very pleased that we could accommodate this request from the Legion, considering their commitment and sacrifices in the past," said Mr. Langille. "The Legion, Service Nova Scotia and my committee have spent almost a year in bringing this to fruition."

Applications will be available at any Access Nova Scotia location, from any branch of the Royal Canadian Legion in Nova Scotia and from their Web sites by Dec. 1. They should be should sent with proof of eligibility and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command. The certified application will be returned to the applicant, who will present it to Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations when they request a veteran's licence plate.

Applicants do not have to be a member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

A veteran can switch to the new plate at any time; they do not have to wait for their normal bi-annual plate renewal. Service Nova Scotia will charge a one-time $5 administration fee to offset manufacturing and processing costs. In following years, regular plate-renewal fees will apply.

Other specialty plates are already in use, such as those for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers.

The licence plates will be manufactured by Waldale Manufacturing Ltd. in Amherst, which produces plates for 16 provinces and states in seven countries. It is North America's largest privately owned plate manufacturer.

Mr. Langille noted that this was not the first time the government has paid homage to veterans. In November 2000, the provincial government designated Highway 102 between Truro and Miller Lake as the Veterans Memorial Highway.