Community Innovation

This week, I have run into the term ‘community innovation’ in two different contexts. First, in last week’s Annapolis Spectator there was an interview with Bill Crossman about a project to install solar panels at the Centrelea Community Hall site. Second, at the latest Valley REN (Regional Economic Network) board meeting, Gerard D’Entremont was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board. In his introduction, Gerard described his position at (Nova Scotia Community College) NSCC Kingstec as the Community Innovation lead for the Annapolis Valley region. Intrigued, I requested a meeting this week with him at the Green Elephant in Kingston to learn more about this initiative.

The reason for my interest was simple. I see myself as a member of the rural community of Paradise and its surrounding geography. In my pre-retirement capacity, I was both an educator and a research scientist. Thus, I appreciated the function of innovation in both research and business. I am also familiar with the role of applied research and its potential benefit to our geography (i.e. local communities and landscape).

My conversations with Bill and Gerard has led to the following questions.

a) What issues (problems) defined by the community can be addressed by innovation?

b) Can we find innovative solutions in our community that can be applied across the larger landscape? For example, can all community hall sites support solar panels?

c) Given the mandate of the NSCC:  who defines/owns ‘community innovation’?

d) With the type of specialist resources at COGS and AGRG what innovative approaches can be applied to economic development in rural communities?

e) Should the approach be restricted to economic issues?

f) What about social issues? or environmental issues?

g) Who gets to select the issues?

Seven years ago, I remember trying to engage local municipalities in the concept of a ‘community information utility’. The idea was to organize and maintain information about the assets of rural Nova Scotia. This included both its geography and its people. How many opportunities have been missed because the information was not readily available to potential investors?

To end on a positive note, there are a couple of upcoming events.

1. the Centre for Local Prosperity centreforlocalprosperity.com is hosting two events next weekend in Shelburne and Hubbards. October 20th Expanding Community Wealth: re-localizing strong economies for Shelburne County. NSCC Shelburne Campus Cafeteria 9-3:30 pm and October 21 Expanding Community Wealth through Import Replacement. 2:30-4:30 Ocean Swells Community Centre, Hubbards.
2. October 24 th., at the Kings Municipal building, Kentville there will be a showing of the video. Climate Change and the Human Prospect. 6:30-8:00 pm

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bill Crossman for showing the way, by ‘thinking globally and acting locally’ and to Gerard D’Entremont for sharing his understanding of ‘community innovation’ at the NSCC.