Local filmmaker hungry for change
Exploring the harsh reality of ‘food deserts’ in Nova Scotia
It’s a paradox.
Nova Scotia is a province known for its rich agriculture, abundant fisheries, beautiful vineyards and local breweries and is among the top places in Canada that’s struggling with food insecurity, ranking second to the Northwest Territories.
“We have so much (here),” local filmmaker and project manager with Nova Scotia Health, Ian Wilson, said. “I think ‘well, how can there be food deserts?’”
It’s a question that he and a team of five others are spending the summer trying to answer for their documentary that’s premiering in September at the Lunenburg Doc Fest. Food deserts are areas where residents have difficulty accessing healthy and affordable food, due to socioeconomic factors, transportation or a lack of supply.
So far, Wilson’s found food deserts aren’t specific to rural areas. For example, according to The Grocery Gap: Food Resource Accessibility in the Halifax Regional Municipality, a 2020 research project by Leah Fulton, one in five HRM households face challenges due to inadequate means of food accessibility.
Wilson gives the example of Woodside, Dartmouth. Because “even in HRM the public transit is not always the best, the most convenient,” that those relying on transit in that area can have to take up to two buses to get to the nearest grocery store.
“So that’s two buses, and you know, maybe about 50 minutes, and you’re carrying, I don’t know, eight bags of groceries, and dragging around two kids, or three, or whatever – that’s still a problem.”
After discussions and debates, Wilson says the team settled on one kilometre walking distance as acceptable in urban areas, and 10 to 15 kilometres in rural areas, where most residents own vehicles. Anything outside of that range is food desert territory.
“The more I talk to people, the more I see this problem getting bigger,” Wilson said, “... but also (I’m) trying to reach out to the subject matter experts, all the people who work in the NGOs that help those that are challenged by, and those who are new, creating community solutions.”
One of the things he’s noticed is there are solutions. The solutions, for the most part, are created by and for the community, especially those in rural areas. Some residents will take to Facebook, asking if anyone needs anything from the grocery store since they’re heading into town. Or, they’re the community gardens that are popping up all over. However, Wilson argues there’s one solution in place that isn’t sustainable – food banks.
“Food banks play a role in helping to eliminate our food deserts,” he says. “But they also exist because food deserts are there as well.”
Poverty, transportation and a lack of grocery stores all play a role. But above all else, the problem resides in those who it affects - the people in the province who struggle to get healthy, nutritious foods into their fridge. Wilson knows addressing food insecurity in his documentary is important, but without sources willing to share their story, the film will lack impact. He’s taken to Facebook to ask that people experiencing food insecurity share their story.
“It doesn’t matter if you live in a rural community or a town like Truro or the middle of Dartmouth,” says Wilson. “You’ve got a story to tell, and we’d like to hear about it, to chat about it and hear about how you overcome those challenges. And also, hear about what you think should be done.
“Ultimately, any documentary is a story. And I want to make this a human story,” he said.
Those interested in sharing their story with Wilson for the upcoming documentary can reach him at ianjohnwilson@gmail.com
For more information about food security in Nova Scotia, or to find resources and support, contact Feed Nova Scotia at 902-457-1900.