News release

Government Announces Funding for Digby Community Centre

Communities, Culture and Heritage (Jan. 2011 - Aug. 2021)

Three communities in rural Nova Scotia are getting help to build a new community centre.

Gordon Wilson, MLA for Clare-Digby, on behalf of Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Tony Ince, announced a $2.25 million investment in a community centre for Jordantown, Acaciaville and Conway.

“Government is committed to building a more inclusive, welcoming and equitable province,” said Mr. Wilson. “I’m pleased to announce our contribution to this facility, which recognizes a long-standing need in the community and will benefit residents and visitors for years to come.”

Led by the Jordantown-Acaciaville-Conway Betterment Association, the proposed 14,905 square foot centre will include space for a pre-school, youth and adult learning, and cultural and recreation programming, as well as retail opportunities.

"This funding provides the African Nova Scotian Community, one of the founding cultures of Digby County, an opportunity to share our struggles and contributions of the past and move forward with diversity and inclusion," said Kerry Johnson, association president.

Plans call for the community centre to be built in the heart of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Acaciaville.

“The African Nova Scotian community of Digby welcomes today’s announcement from the Province of Nova Scotia with excitement and anticipation,” said Brad Barton, facilitator for the black community of Digby. “An undertaking of this magnitude has been a life-long dream of many former and present residents of this black community.”

The Jordantown-Acaciaville-Conway Betterment Association is also seeking additional funding for the project.

Facilities like these help build strong communities, a binding feature of the province's culture strategy, Nova Scotia's Culture Action Plan. The full plan is online at novascotia.ca/culture/.