Inspiring Communities is a non-profit organization that supports communities to develop collective impact initiatives.  Collective impact is a strategy to tackle complex social challenges through a collaborative approach.

Inspiring Communities (Digby) is currently conducting a survey to better understand what issues are most important for the residents of Digby and surrounding areas.  We want to hear about what is challenging and what is working well.

Please complete the survey prior to November 30^th 2018 to have your opinion heard –  all voices matter!

The survey can be completed on-line at inspiringcommunities.ca/digby-survey/

If you prefer to complete the survey in person, or have any questions about the project, please contact:

Jill Balser, Project Leader

jbalser@inspiringcommunities.ca

902 245 6450

There is a description of this survey in the following video. It starts at around the 7 minute mark:

The town of Digby and the many small communities surrounding it form a wonderfully diverse geographic and demographic area. From the coastal communities on St. Mary’s Bay, Digby Neck and the Islands, to inland villages such as Bear River and Weymouth, each small community has its own identity and strengths. The area is well known for its natural beauty and resources, most notably, perhaps, for the famous Digby scallops!

Despite the many strengths in these communities, the Digby area is struggling. Compared to the rest of Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole, people here are experiencing higher than average rates of poverty, housing insecurity, poor academic achievement and a history of racial discord and discrimination. People in this area rely heavily on seasonal and often precarious employment and many experience difficulties with transportation. Digby has also had a difficult time attracting and retaining health care professionals. These circumstances lead to many young people leaving the community to obtain employment.

The spirit of community in the Digby area is a strength that can be built upon to create positive change. Inspiring Communities will help residents to create a common agenda for change and will then support residents, community organizations and all levels of government to develop and implement a collaborative strategy to realize the goals identified by the community.

Inspiring Communities Digby — the Journey so far…

Inspiring Communities began meeting with interested residents and community leaders in Digby in February 2018. Since that time, we have reviewed existing reports and data on the community and have initiated a survey of residents to better understand their concerns, strengths and ideas. We were very excited to have an enthusiastic and diverse group of 27 people agree to take on the task of administering the survey.

The survey is also available on-line at inspiringcommunities.ca/digby-survey

Every effort is being made to ensure that we receive survey results from every demographic in the community, and that all voices are being heard. Survey results will be compiled in December and used to create a common agenda to move forward.