Reflections and Resurgent Movements

Spring has sprung….ish. The moody, ever changing weather reflects the uncertainty and destabilization that has shaken the province since the PC governments rash of thoughtless cuts. Arts and tourism sectors, some of our most profitable and sustainably growing spaces, are left reeling from the hack and slash approach this latest budget has taken to their future…to our culture and our history as people.

To top it off, the budget invests heavily in antiquated fossil-fuel-as-saviour ideology. Between budget line items, the Houston government parrots to us the same age-old promises of “jobs”, “economy”, and “lower costs”, asking (read: telling, forcing) us to once again to put our future in the hands of the same heavily subsidized, privatized industries that are more than happy to increase the costs to our health, freedoms, and pocket books in order to drench their shareholders in windfall profits at a moments notice.

Indeed, spring is blooming in the shadow of a dark, stormy winter full of backroom deals, and legislative attacks on the rights of the people and our ability to defend ourselves and the land we call home.

Yet, amongst all the hot air and bluster puffing out from the no doubt brimstone lined halls of our current governments offices, a ray of hope is building. What’s that hope? It’s we the people of course! You’d think this NS government would know, being themselves people of the province, never to cross a Nova Scotian, but more than that, never to threaten our love for the land and the cultures we’ve born and bred in tandem with the moss blooms and ocean tides.

A resurgence of organizing is upon us. Top notes of this new resurgence are harkening back to the days of this country’s most successful labour movements, but it’s the deeper layers of this enchanting grassroots perfume that are particularly interesting. Wisened voices of both elder and youth alike are leading the charge on collaborating (and repairing relationship) across differences, building movements with two-eyes seeing, and restoring “community” as a verb instead of the stagnant noun it’s become.

A prayer for the future:

May the air become thick with the perfume of resurgent community organizing. May the people succeed in protecting and collaborating with the land and building thriving futures for ourselves and all our relations. May one day the politicians whose decisions we oppose remember that they too are part of us, and return to acting as community with us.

Here at the CCTF, we are evolving to support the movements being built. Out of our 2025 chrysalis, our wings are still wet but as no movement waits for everything to be neatly in place, we continue to make space for change as we prepare for flight.

Join us at these upcoming events:

CCTF member Eric Leviten-Reid and Mal Rose are co facilitating a project with the Ecology Action Centre building grassroots advocacy for solutions to energy poverty ie. lowering our energy costs with sustainable solutions. This project aims to uplift community voices in the conversation around energy solutions with the hopes of bridging the gap between what communities actually want and need, and what organizations and governments imagine might work.

The project will take place in two phases: 1. a series of small group sessions held in different parts of CBRM where participants will share their experiences with energy poverty and explore possible responses; 2. a half-day forum to share the results of these sessions with interested government and community leaders and consider next steps.

To register for either upcoming session on May 6th, at Townhouse or Port Morien Legion, email mahlakairose@gmail.com.

Meeting the moment of tough literal and metaphorical weather, CCTF member Janet Bickerton is co organizing a gathering for peace at the United Heritage Church on Sunday, May 17th at 2pm (doors open at 1:30pm). Join there for an afternoon of music, snacks, and most importantl, connection.