District 5 residents help award $50,000 to community groups

A participatory budgeting process held on June 17 in Dartmouth has awarded $50,000 in municipal funds to community projects and organizations — including four in South Dartmouth.

According to HRM District 5 Councillor Sam Austin, 237 people came to the Findlay Community Centre to cast ballots for organizations they believed should receive a portion of the funds.

The following South Dartmouth organizations were allocated funds in the process:

• Bide Awhile Animal Shelter, $5,000: Surgical procedures and medications for mother cats in the North Woodside shelter’s Mom’s and Babies Program
• Common Roots Urban Farm, $4,715: A new shed, tool closet, and water catchment for the garden on the grounds of the Nova Scotia Hospital in North Woodside
• North Woodside Community Centre, $10,000: Upgrades to the women’s bathroom including replacing stalls that date back to early 1990s, floors, and painting
• South End Baptist Church, $1,000: New sewing machines for the community sewing program

Other Dartmouth recipients included:

• Back to the Sea Society, $5,000: Technology upgrades for education programs and animal care at the Touch Tank
• North Grove, $10,000: Lumber for broken garden beds, new accessibility ramps, and upgrades to the playground
• Park Avenue Community Oven, $5,000: Safety equipment, accessibility upgrades and supplies to run the community oven on the Dartmouth Common
• Dartmouth Players, $9,285 (partial award): Electrical upgrades for theatre lighting at the Player’s new home in Stairs Memorial Church

Groups that received funding last year were limited to awards of $5,000.

Austin told the Post that he started participatory budgeting in District 5 in 2017. “Councillor Waye Mason pioneered it and it has been used in North End Halifax by Councillors Watts and Smith, in West End Halifax by Councillor Cleary, and once in Cole Harbour by Councillor Nicol.” Right now, he said Councillors Cleary and White are actively using the process, in addition to himself.

Austin said he intends to invite his colleagues to the next participatory budgeting event in Dartmouth so they can see the democratic process in action.