Yes, the government of Nova Scotia has provided grants several times over the years. It is a good investment on their part because of the publicity the show has generated for the province. The owners of History Channel are the main funders. As I wrote recently, they invest in the show to generate profit from advertising and that greatly affects the end product for television. https://medium.com/p/is-the-curse-of-oak-island-the-reality-show-we-deserve-f5d56c45b1bf. The Laginas were millionaires long before the TV show started and they have also chipped in a lot of money, the greatest chuck of which was to buy all but three or four lots on the island.