Well, I'm from NS...maybe I can help a bit.
Nova Scotia is not known for it's placer gold areas as much as it is it's hard rock gold areas, since the glaciers scoured the Province 3 times...Took most of the placers off shore!
However, there are a few places where one can pan recreationally .
YKplacer posted a link to a place where you can pan gold easily. It's a pay-to-pan site but right on the ocean beach. It's called the Oven's Park. I think it used to cost $10 bucks to pan for the day, so not sure what it is now.
I'm not sure what area you will be visiting so I can't suggest many others as the Province is currently undergoing a bit of a mini-staking rush right now. That means all (most) of the good gold areas are staked by prospectors/miners/companies and are off-limits to people unless you can get permission to pan on their claims. Being a visitor that can be a challenge if you are only here for a week or two, so most visitors just go to the pay-to-pan places.
I can suggest a fellow who owns one of (if not the ONLY) prospecting supply business here, who has claims on the Gold River that he takes visitors out to pan on. Not sure what he charges. I probably can't give a direct link to his site here on the forum (??) due to posting rules but if you search for
Scotia Prospecting Supplies on google, you will see his FaceBook page and also a link to his web site further down the list. George is his name. He may know of other areas where you can go panning as well.
If you are into rockhounding and mineral collecting, you will find not much better place to do that, than right here!
Here are some suggestions for that:
Rockhounding: Scotts Bay, NS (you can find Agate, Jasper, and Amethyst here on the gravel beach) it's free but watch out for the TIDES!
Fossils: Fundy Geological Museum -
https://fundygeological.novascotia.ca/ They have great displays and can show/direct you to Joggins Cliffs where there are great fossils of Dinosaurs!
Hopefully that gave you a couple of options. Thare are many, many other places for rockhounding too but you have to ask around.
Trust you will enjoy yourselves here and find a a few treasures too!
Beav(NS)