For immediate release: Sept 12, 2012
The St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association together with Transition Bay St Margarets received one of six grants awarded to Nova Scotia community organizations in the second round of funding from the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia. The $11,900 grant was awarded to continue the development of Transition Bay St Margarets.
Transition Bay St Margarets (transitionbay.ca) is part of an international movement dedicated to following and extending the innovative Transition Town model. Thousands of Transition Initiatives worldwide are each unique responses to the need for resilience at the community level in order to address the many possible impacts due to economic fragility, uncertainty of energy supply or environmental change in the years ahead. Transition Bay St Margarets is the first registered Transition Initiative in the province of Nova Scotia, with over 60 other registered transition communities across Canada.
“Transition Bay has been in existence for 18 months, and in that short time there has been enormous uptake from the community,” said Robert Cervelli, Chair of Transition Bay St Margarets. “We continue to have sold-out educational events, and several great projects have gotten started through volunteers.” This last summer, Transition Bay planted the Educational Vegetable Garden, located at the Crossroads, and the group was instrumental in the launch of the Tantallon Village Farmer’s Market. Other projects in the study phase include the idea of a local currency, and a local biodiesel generation facility. Educational events have included four-season food gardening, permaculture and transition training. An event entitled Scenario Planning was also just held on September 15th which initiated discussions and planning around possible impacts that global changes could have on the community.
“The economy and the environment are dauntingly big issues , “explains Robert Ziegler, Chair of the St Margarets Bay Stewardship Association, “but I find the Transition movement has a useful saying to put these big issues in context: ‘If we wait for governments to act, it may be too late. If we act as individuals, the effect is too little. If we act as a community, however, there is a chance that significant change can happen in time.’”
The Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia awarded the grants for the coming year through its Rural Innovation Fund. Backing for the Rural Innovation Fund was provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism. The Rural Innovation Fund supports initiatives that support the resiliency and sustainability of communities, that strengthen and build on resources within the community, and that enhance community leadership. “We greatly appreciate the vote of confidence and support from the Rural Communities Foundation through this second grant,” said Cervelli.
Upcoming events sponsored by Transition Bay include a Food Preservation Workshop on Sunday, October 21st at the Superstore Community Room, and “The Great Unleashing” on the weekend of Nov 23-25. The Great Unleashing will be a coordinated region-wide exposé and open house of groups involved with community resilience, with representatives and information presented from around the region.
To learn more about the St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association and its other projects in our community, see www.heartofthebay.ca. To learn more about Transition Bay St Margarets upcoming events, see www.transitionbay.ca.