The 335 MPs in the federal House of Commons voted unanimously on March 24th, 2021 to motion M-36 “That the House recognize that: (a) the British Parliament abolished slavery in the British Empire as of August 1st, 1834; (b) slavery existed in British North America prior to its abolition in 1834; (c) abolitionists and others who struggled against slavery, including those who arrived in Upper and Lower Canada by the Underground Railroad, have historically celebrated August 1st as Emancipation Day; (d) the Government of Canada announced on January 30, 2018, that it would officially recognize the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent to highlight the important contributions that people of African descent have made to Canadian society, and to provide a platform for confronting anti- Black racism; and (e) the heritage of Canada’s people of African descent and the contributions they have made and continue to make to Canada; and that, in the opinion of the House, the government should designate August 1st of every year as “Emancipation Day” in Canada.”

For more than 400 years now, Acadians have been on the Nova Scotian territory and have hence, become part of the community. Today they contribute to the province’s economy, culture, political life and education, just like all other Nova Scotians. Everywhere in the world, August 15th is recognized as Acadian Day and Halifax is no exception to that fact. This time of celebration is very important for the Acadian community of the area. Be sure to drop by L’Acadie de Chezzetcook Museum and Information Centre anytime at 79 Hill Road in West Chezzetcook. Check

out their Facebook Page (en francais) or their website,  www.acadiedechezzetcook.ca  for more information on events throughout the year.

HRM has extended its Service Agreement with the Association of Nova Scotia Museums that provides Operating Grants to 13 community-based museums. Here’s a link to the full report:  www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/210629rc1165.pdf  

This year, the following amounts have been allotted to our local museums in District 2:

The 2021 HRM Community Grants Program received a total of 90 eligible applications with almost $850,000 in requests. This year’s uptake is slightly higher than last year, which was anticipated as the non-profit sector adjusts to the practical and financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Overall, 61 grants were approved, totaling $479,646.00 in grants. Here is the link for the full HRM Grants report:  www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/210629rc1166.pdf And here is a list of local successful applications:

HRM provides the ability to award up to three-year funding to organizations with Special Event Grants under the Established Community Festivals and Cultural Events & Showcases programs. Unfortunately, the impacts of COVID-19 continue to impact the ability to host in-person festivals and events. Many volunteer organizers and cultural organizations have spent the past months revising event plans and budgets to move forward, only to have to redesign the programs as impacts from COVID-19 evolve and there continues to be many unknowns. All the not for profit event and cultural organizations remain reliant on municipal funding to sustain their event programs, while concurrently managing operations and creating and implementing a recovery plan for future. Therefore, it is more important than ever this year to provide support to festivals and events as they adapt to the effects of COVID-19, while providing public benefit to help restart events as restrictions are eased. Here is a list of local events that still have funding available to them if they wish to hold their events: