This weekend, Transition St. Margaret’s Bay is coming out. The “Great Unleashing: Building Resilience in an era of Limits to Growth” is at St. Luke’s Church on St. Margaret’s Bay Road.
“Once a transition group has had a certain amount of success, they have this sort of coming out party,” says organizer David Wimberly.
A transition group is affiliated with the global transition town movement, a grassroots network of communities preparing for life after the triplet calamities of climate chaos, peak oil and economic crashes. There are nearly a thousand worldwide, mostly in Europe and North America, with a handful in Nova Scotia.
One of the most active is Transition St. Margaret’s Bay, which has been busy for 18 months, starting a farmers market in Tantallon, a community garden by the parking lot of a strip mall, experiments making algae biofuel and workshops on traditional homesteading skills.
“The event says we’re here, and we have a lot to offer,” Wimberly says. “People are apprehensive about the crises we face. But transition has a very helpful approach that empowers communities to direct their own futures.”
Friday evening features insight from Nicole Foss, renowned lecturer and co-editor of The Automatic Earth, a website about economics, energy and environment. Saturday will be open-house day, featuring about 20 environmental organizations and talks on local money and economies, slow and local food, energy and transportation. Then it’s a party with local food and music by acoustic fusion duo Andy and Ariana.
One hope is to inspire transition groups around the city and province. “You’ll learn how the world is changing and how to participate in making it a good news story with your neighbours,” Wimberly says. “Nova Scotia is a perfect place to do that. We’re not too lost in the latest trend, anger or aggression.”
