An iconic Halifax brand is musing about leaving the province to set up somewhere it can operate more cheaply, blaming looming rate hikes from utilities and other rising costs of business.

Oland Brewery, whose portfolio includes historic Maritime beers Oland Export, Schooner and Alexander Keith's, threatened relocation in a letter to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board last week.

"As the federal and provincial governments work to remove internal trade barriers, companies like ours may move production to jurisdictions where it is more affordable," wrote Frederick Tofflemire, the brewery's general manager.

The letter was filed as part of the regulatory review of a proposed rate increase from Halifax Water .

The utility is seeking two double-digit rate increases in 2026 — one

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