Inspiring Communities Digby seeking community input
Inspiring Communities is an organization working towards building stronger communities across Nova Scotia.
The organization has two projects currently underway in Dartmouth North and Cape Breton, but now they’re bringing their skills to the Municipality of Digby.
Jill Balser is the new project leader for Inspiring Communities vision in Digby.
She has lived in Digby for most of her life and can connect with some of the challenges Digby residents face every day.
“What we’re trying to do now is ask people, what does a better Digby look like?”
Inspiring Communities plans to, with the help of the community, identify some of the challenges Digby residents face and think of a solution on how it can be improved.
“One organization or business is not responsible for fixing all the issues here. So that’s where we come in,” she says. “We need to ask how we as a community can come together and fix the issues.”
Inspiring Communities Digby is still in the early stages of the project. Right now Balser and a team of research assistants are going to be surveying locals to find out what some of the issues here are.
“No one knows the community better than the people who live and work here, so that’s our first step,” she says.
Then they will analyze the data, figure out the challenges, wants and passions of the community and see how action can be taken.
“Hopefully we’ll see a common theme or themes of what people would like to see, then we’ll figure out how we can move forward.”
Some examples of themes they’ll be looking into are healthcare, poverty, affordable housing or whatever themes come up when they talk to the public.
“We have to learn from each other by hearing these real honest stories of what people go through and what keeps them up at night because they can’t get it out of their heads,” she says.
The project in Digby has three years of funding with the possibility of continuing it as need be.
Inspiring Communities wants to help everyone see that the Digby area is a thriving place and has the ability to overcome obstacles for a better tomorrow.
“We want to highlight the good that’s here and ensure people that things are being done to improve our home,” Balser says. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel and we’re working to reach it.”
Inspiring Communities would like to hear any suggestions or stories from the public about what they would like to see change in the Municipality of Digby and why.
Jill Balser can be reached at jbalser@inspiringcommunities. ca
To read about some of the progress Inspiring Communities has made in Dartmouth North and Cape Breton, check out their website here: https://inspiringcommunities.ca/