Nova Scotia is the last province in Canada to have closed adoption records

The province's first community information session on open adoption records is being held today in New Minas.

Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services announced earlier this month, it's looking for public input on whether provincial adoption records should be more accessible. Government says before any change to legislation is considered, it wants to hear the views of Nova Scotians - especially those involved in adoption.

It is now collecting this feedback through an online survey, email submissions and in-person consultations set to happen throughout the province. The first of 10 English language sessions is being held at the Village of New Minas Civic Centre from 1 until 3 this afternoon.

Mike Slayter has been pushing for open adoption records in this province for 40 years, and says it's wrong that Nova Scotia is the last Canadian province without a commitment to do it. Slayter tells NEWS 95.7 while ignorance is forgiveable, unwillingness to learn is unexcusable.

"I apply this to what really is happening in Nova Scotia, and what has happened, and through my efforts, through many other people's efforts, and trying to get our successive governments to listen to, to heed our needs to have more openness, as the rest of Canada has done successfully," explains Slayter.

He acknowledges it's nice to finally be having these discussions but he's concerned two hours won't be enough time. "People have a lot of things to say, how it has impacted on their life, the secrecy of being denied this basic human right to know who they are," says Slayter. He believes the sessions would be more productive if they had more structure as well.

Slayter adds the government has no choice but to do something with the public input, unlike when it abandoned a similar effort in the late 1990s.

"Nova Scotia was the first province to do public sessions and hearings to get the feedback from their citizens, and that was back 25 years ago, and all the other provinces opened up, except Nova Scotia," says Slayter.

The public consultation session in Halifax is being held at the Canada Games Centre on December 7 and in Dartmouth, it will be at the HG Bauld Centre on December 10.