Arborist Trade Regulations
made under subsection 17A(1) of the
Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act
S.N.S. 2003, c. 1
N.S. Reg. 57/2025 (effective March 13, 2025)
Table of Contents
Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
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Citation
Definitions
Term of apprenticeship for arborist trade
Arborist certificate through trade qualification
Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations
Citation
1 These regulations may be cited as the Arborist Trade Regulations.
Definitions
2 (1) In these regulations,
“Act” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act;
“arboriculture” means the science of cultivating and managing individual trees,
shrubs, vines and woody plants;
“arborist” means a professional who specializes in the care, management and study
of trees, shrubs, vines and woody plants;
“arborist trade” means the occupation of an arborist, consisting of implementing
the knowledge of arboriculture and the skills necessary to do the following:
(i) transplant, maintain and remove trees, shrubs, vines and woody
plants using ropes, climbing systems, pruning tools, diagnostic tools
and mechanized equipment,
(ii) carry out treatments for optimal tree health, including managing
pests, diseases, wounds and defects that impact trees, shrubs, vines
and woody plants;
“General Regulations” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act
General Regulations made under the Act.
(2) A term defined in the General Regulations has the same meaning when used in
these regulations.
Term of apprenticeship for arborist trade
3 (1) The term of apprenticeship for the arborist trade consists of all of the following:
(a) 5400 documented hours of the combination of practical experience and the
portion of technical training spent learning the skills of the designated trade
as described in clause 26(1A)(a) of the General Regulations and as
approved by the Director;
(b) related technical training as described in clause 26(1A)(b) of the General
Regulations and as approved by the Director;
(c) a certification examination.
(2) Any probationary period included in a term of apprenticeship for the arborist trade
as permitted by subsection 12(2) of the General Regulations must be no longer
than 3 months.
Arborist certificate through trade qualification
4 The period of employment in the designated trade that is required by paragraph
30(1)(a)(ii)(B) of the General Regulations for a person who does not hold a certificate of
apprenticeship and is applying for a certificate of qualification in [the] arborist trade is
8100 hours.
Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations
5 For the purposes of subsections 34(2) and (3) of the General Regulations, which require
an apprentice or journeyperson to keep their identity card in their possession when
practising the designated trade and produce it on request, a person is practising the
arborist trade while the person is doing any of the following:
(a) for an apprentice,
(i) acquiring practical experience in the trade, or
(ii) learning the skills of the trade during the technical training portion of
apprenticeship training;
(b) for a journeyperson, performing the duties of the trade as defined in these
regulations or their duties as set out in the General Regulations.
The following regulations are not
yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation: