Events

On this page, you will find upcoming and past Commision and community events. We encourage all Nova Scotians to participate and celebrate our diverse communities. If you have an event we should include here please contact us.

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events scheduled

Past Events

December 9th, 2024 - December 9th, 2024 - Human Rights and the Unhoused

When: December 9, 2024
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m,
A recording of this session is posted below.

Canada is facing a significant housing crisis which has contributed to a rapid increase in the number of unhoused Canadians seeking shelter in encampments in public spaces, and using emergency and community-based services. As communities respond to the crisis, Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate continues to urge governments to use a human rights-based approach when managing housing encampments. At the same time, some residents and leaders feel that issues of economic development, protection of public spaces, and perceived safety concerns should take priority, advocating for the removal of encampments and services for the unhoused from public spaces and downtown areas. In many cases these concerns are underscored by a lack of understanding of the evidence-based solutions being proposed to address the complex, nuanced issue of homelessness.

Join us for a panel on Human Rights and the Unhoused, where our expert panelists will bust myths about encampments, causes of homelessness and provide information about best practices in addressing the homelessness crisis. Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle will share insights on national research and recommendations and Professor Catherine Leviten-Reid will share her research evidence supporting community-based care and the role of deeply affordable housing and services in the lives of those in greatest need. Erika Shea from New Dawn Enterprises and Christine Porter from the Ally Centre in Sydney will share a Cape Breton success story and how they are facing renewed resistance after the municipal election.

Background

Recording

December 9th, 2024 - December 9th, 2024 - The Historical Context of Disability

Date: Monday, December 9, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.

An important part of being an ally is to understand history. Learn about the history of disability globally, across Turtle Island (North America), and in Mi’kma’ki (specifically in Nova Scotia). Presented by Maddi Adams on behalf of Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Directorate.

Recording

December 6th, 2024 - December 6th, 2024 - Land Titles, Community Land Trusts, and Housing in African Nova Scotian Communities

Date: Friday, December 6, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.

Join panelists Sunday Miller, Curtis Whiley, Larissa Lee, and Holly Adams to learn how African Nova Scotians are claiming ownership of their lands, turning past traumas into new opportunities, and uniting to ensure future generations can thrive in historic communities.

For more than 400 years, many African Nova Scotians have been living on land passed down by their ancestors without clear land title, without which they can’t get a mortgage, bequeath or sell their land, or access housing grants.

Clarifying land title can be an expensive legal process. Under the Province of Nova Scotia’s Land Titles Initiative (LTI), all fees associated with gaining clear land title are covered. In 2018, the LTI was created to address the historical wrong whereby African Nova Scotian settlers were not granted clear legal documentation of land ownership, resulting in economic disadvantages for the African Nova Scotians who descended from those settlers. Since the LTI’s inception in 2016, 410 parcels of land belonging to African Nova Scotians have been clarified.

In 2014, Akoma Holdings Incorporated acquired the assets from the former Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children which includes 320 acres of property on which there were two child caring residential facilities. Akoma set out to develop this historic property into a place where future generations would be able to come to acknowledge their past and build a bright future for themselves and their children. The Old Home, which was the original orphanage, was renovated and turned into a business hub. The one house school room has become a meeting place for the community.  The acquired Watershed Association Development Enterprises (WADE) building is being used as another office space for Akoma Holdings and the community. 

In October 2023, Akoma opened four duplexes on these lands (“The Fairfax Homes”) reserved for Black families. A committee, composed of shelter workers, identified potential tenants based on established criteria and priority was given to families with children.

The Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust (UHPCLT) was established in 2022 to address growing concerns about the future of the historic African Nova Scotian community. Committed to protecting, preserving, and strengthening Upper Hammonds Plains' historical and sacred lands, UHPCLT has mobilized to deliver transformative projects that highlight the power of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in creating tangible solutions through collective action.

Following years of unified community effort, UHPCLT is proud to present transformational projects currently underway, demonstrating how CLTs effectively address critical needs like affordable housing and renewable energy through community-led development.

UHPCLT envisions Upper Hammonds Plains as a thriving, culturally rich community that stewards land for the benefit of its people, grounded in traditions and social equity. Dedicated to preserving African Nova Scotian heritage, UHPCLT aims to lead the advancement of CLTs in Black communities across Nova Scotia and beyond. By fostering intergenerational wealth, economic opportunities, and affordable housing, UHPCLT is paving the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for Black families and individuals.

Resources

Related

Recording

 

December 6th, 2024 - December 6th, 2024 - Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Support for Newcomers, Migrants, and Refugees

Date: Friday, December 6
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.

How does being new to the country,  status, identity, ability and other intersecting identities increase vulnerability of GBV and increase challenges for accessing supports.

Panelists

  • Briana Miller (Acting) Manager, National GBV Settlement Sector Strategy and NS Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project in Nova Scotia.
  • Stacey Gomez. Executive Director, Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia
  • Najlaa Alzaanin, Settlement Worker , Halifax Refugee Clinic
  • Tammy Bernasky, Assistant Professor, Cape Breton University
  • Rhiannon Makohoniuk, Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia

Recording