Nova Scotia Data Explorer
REMOTE · SCOTIASIGNAL.CA · SCANNED SEP 22
Query and explore Nova Scotia open datasets via the Socrata SODA API.
Available components
How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. How we score → Why this is hard to score →
Endpoint Security63
- The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key. View diagnostics → Pass
- Authorisation not fully verified: no authorisation is required to call this server, and 4 tool(s) never declared a destructiveHint. The MCP spec treats an absent hint as destructive by default, so we cannot call this surface safe. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Unverified
- HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path. View diagnostics → Pass
- The HSTS (Strict-Transport-Security) header is present. View diagnostics → Pass
- DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Fail
Transport & Reachability100
- Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake. View diagnostics → Pass
Schema Quality & AI Usability75
- AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).Pass
- Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 683 tokens (~170/item across 4 items; 4 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params. See how to fix → Fail
- Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples. See how to fix → Fail
Stability & Change Management100
- No destabilizing schema changes in the last 30 days.Pass
Tool Coverage100
- 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).Pass
- 100% of tool parameters carry a description.Pass
Tool Safety100
- No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.Pass
- We read all 4 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.Pass
- An AI judge read all 4 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.Pass
Capabilities100
- Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.Pass
How do I install the Nova Scotia Data Explorer MCP server?
Nova Scotia Data Explorer is a hosted endpoint at https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.
remote · scotiasignal.ca
claude mcp add --transport http sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer 'https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer": {
"url": "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp"
}
}
} {
"servers": {
"sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp"
}
}
} [mcp_servers.sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer] url = "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp"
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"mcp": {
"sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp",
"enabled": true
}
}
} openclaw mcp add sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer --url 'https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp' --transport streamable-http
mcp_servers:
sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer:
url: "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp" {
"McpServers": {
"sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer": {
"Transport": "http",
"Url": "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp"
}
}
} assistant mcp add sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer -t streamable-http -u 'https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"sevask-nova-scotia-data-explorer": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp"
}
}
} The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.
Every change we have recorded for this component, newest first. Security-relevant changes are always shown. ▲ marks a change for the better, ▼ a change for the worse; unmarked changes are neutral.
- 26 Aug 26 +1
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 25 Aug 26 0
- Stability: 0.97 → pass security
- 11 Aug 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 31 Jul 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 30 Jul 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 27 Jul 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 26 Jul 26 0
First indexed and scored.
Diagnostic detail from the automated scan of this channel: what the scanner observed at each step, so you can see exactly where a check passed or failed. It is informational only and never changes the trust score.
Captured 22 Sept 2026 · Probed https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp
TLS valid
Negotiated TLS 1.3 with TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 .
| Subject | Issuer | Valid from | Valid until | Key | Signature | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN=*.scotiasignal.ca | CN=YR2,O=Let's Encrypt,C=US | 18 Aug 2026 | 16 Nov 2026 | RSA 2048 | SHA256-RSA | 50a6c7b1273292d56bbcbd1212b6c232748 |
| SANs: *.scotiasignal.ca, scotiasignal.ca | ||||||
| CN=YR2,O=Let's Encrypt,C=US (CA) | CN=Root YR,O=ISRG,C=US | 3 Sept 2025 | 2 Sept 2028 | RSA 2048 | SHA256-RSA | 4ebd24947e24d394802d84a52fd5b319 |
| CN=Root YR,O=ISRG,C=US (CA) | CN=ISRG Root X1,O=Internet Security Research Group,C=US | 13 May 2026 | 2 Sept 2032 | RSA 4096 | SHA256-RSA | f24b6d17f9d9ad7cb1c9fea78782699f |
Background: What to check on a remote MCP endpoint →
DNSSEC insecure
Validation of scotiasignal.ca. — Not signed
| Zone | DS | Keys | Algorithms | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | trust_anchor | 20326, 38696 | 8, 8 | Verified |
| ca. | present | 26384 | 13 | Verified |
| scotiasignal.ca. | absent | Unsigned (proven) parent-signed NSEC/NSEC3 proves an unsigned delegation |
Authentication No authorisation required
The endpoint answered without asking for a token. Anyone who knows the URL can reach it.
| Result | No authorisation required |
|---|---|
| HTTP status | 200 |
| Header | Value |
|---|---|
| strict-transport-security | max-age=63072000 |
Background: How OAuth 2.1 works in the 2026 MCP spec →
Transports 2 probes
| Transport | URL | Outcome | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| streamable-http | https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp | Verified | 200 | |
| http (plaintext) | http://scotiasignal.ca/mcp | HTTPS enforced | 308 | https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp |
The tools this component advertises to a client, with an estimated token cost for each. Expand a tool to see its parameters and schema. The per-tool counts are indicative and are not scored directly; the schema's total context footprint is one signal in Schema Quality & AI Usability. A tool's description is untrusted text the model reads on every call, which is what makes this list a security surface and not just an inventory: how tool poisoning works →
get_dataset_metadata Get Nova Scotia Dataset Metadata ~100
Retrieve full schema and metadata for a Nova Scotia Open Data dataset by its 8-character identifier (e.g. '3nka-59nz'). Returns all column field names, data types, and descriptions — essential before calling query_dataset so you know the exact field names to use in $select and $where clauses.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| dataset_id | string | yes | 8-character Socrata dataset identifier (e.g. '3nka-59nz') |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
list_categories List Nova Scotia Open Data Categories ~42
Returns all dataset categories and popular tags available on the Nova Scotia Open Data portal. Use this first to discover valid category names before calling search_datasets with a category filter.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
query_dataset Query a Nova Scotia Open Dataset ~332
Run a SoQL query against a Nova Scotia Open Data dataset. SoQL is SQL-like. Key clauses (combine with &): $select=col1,col2 — choose columns $where=field='value' — filter rows (use single quotes for strings) $where=field like '%val%' — partial match $order=field DESC — sort $limit=50 — row count (default 25, max 50000) $offset=50 — pagination $group=field — group by (use with aggregate functions) $q=search term — full-text search Aggregates: count(*), sum(col), avg(col), min(col), max(col) Examples: $where=year='2024'&$order=total DESC&$limit=10 $select=department,count(*)&$group=department&$order=count(*) DESC $where=area like '%Halifax%'&$limit=5 Always call get_dataset_metadata first to find exact field names.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| dataset_id | string | yes | 8-character Socrata dataset identifier (e.g. '3nka-59nz') |
| limit | integer | – | Max rows to return (1–1000, default 25). Ignored if $limit is in soql. |
| soql | string | – | SoQL query string. Multiple clauses joined with '&'. String values in $where must use single quotes: field='value'. Do NOT URL-encode — pass the raw string. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
search_datasets Search Nova Scotia Open Datasets ~209
Search the Nova Scotia Open Data catalog (data.novascotia.ca) for datasets by keyword, category, or tag. Returns dataset names, IDs, descriptions, column names, and direct portal links. Use list_categories first to see valid category and tag names. Use the returned dataset ID with query_dataset or get_dataset_metadata for further exploration.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| category | string | – | Filter by exact category name from list_categories (e.g. 'Health and Wellness', 'Lands, Forests and Wildlife', 'Crime and Justice', 'Population and Demographics') |
| limit | integer | – | Maximum number of results to return (1–50, default 10) |
| offset | integer | – | Offset for pagination (default 0) |
| query | string | – | Free-text search query (e.g. 'population', 'fisheries', 'road network') |
| tag | string | – | Filter by an exact tag name from list_categories (e.g. 'population', 'fisheries') |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
What is the Nova Scotia Data Explorer MCP server?
Nova Scotia Data Explorer is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as io.github.SevaSk/nova-scotia-data-explorer. Query and explore Nova Scotia open datasets via the Socrata SODA API. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://scotiasignal.ca/mcp).
Is the Nova Scotia Data Explorer MCP server safe to use?
Nova Scotia Data Explorer scores 81 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.
What tools does the Nova Scotia Data Explorer MCP server expose?
Nova Scotia Data Explorer exposes 4 tools: list_categories, search_datasets, get_dataset_metadata, query_dataset. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 683 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.
Does the Nova Scotia Data Explorer MCP server require authentication?
No. We connected to Nova Scotia Data Explorer without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.
Is the Nova Scotia Data Explorer MCP server still maintained?
Nova Scotia Data Explorer is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 22 September 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.