Coady Institute and Connecting the Dots Network Launch Community Conversation Series Across Northeastern Nova Scotia
Volunteers are at the heart of strong communities. From local festivals and sports programs to community organizations and essential services, people giving their time, skills, and energy help make communities vibrant places to live.
But as communities change, so too must the ways people come together to contribute.
Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University, in partnership with Connecting the Dots Network, is launching a new People’s School series through the Topshee Memorial Program. The series will bring residents across northeastern Nova Scotia together to explore important issues affecting their communities and imagine new possibilities for the future.
“A people’s school brings community members together to discuss an issue of importance to them starting with their knowledge,” Pauline MacIntosh, Coady Institute teaching staff member, says. “We are pleased to partner with Connecting the Dots Network to host these important conversations.”
The first gathering, Reimagining Volunteerism, takes place November 26, bringing participants together at four locations — Antigonish, Guysborough, Louisdale, and Whycocomagh — connected virtually for a shared day of learning, discussion, and community-driven ideas.
“In Guysborough County we have an aging population of volunteers who have been holding leadership positions for years,” Nancy O’Regan, Community First: Guysborough County Housing Association, says, “Our models of governance need to change to be more inclusive and welcoming to the diversity in our communities.”
The goal is simple: bring people together to explore how volunteerism can evolve to meet the needs of today’s communities and future generations.
“Community members hold a great deal of knowledge about what keeps people volunteering,” Shannon MacLean, Project Coordinator, Culture & Community Development, Municipality of the County of Inverness, says. “The People’s School will give people across our region a chance to say what is working, what is hard, and what they would change.”
Future People’s Schools will focus on guaranteed livable basic income and climate action in January and March. This year’s series will conclude with a larger in-person gathering in the spring.
Building on a Legacy of Community Action
The series marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Topshee Memorial Program, which honours Rev. George Topshee, a former director of both the StFX Extension Department and Coady International Institute.
Established in 1984, the Topshee Memorial Conferences created opportunities for people from different backgrounds to come together to discuss important social and economic issues affecting Atlantic Canadians.
Through its partnership with Connecting the Dots Network, Coady Institute is renewing this tradition with community gatherings designed to encourage dialogue, strengthen regional connections, and explore opportunities for collective action.
The series builds on the principles of the Antigonish Movement and Coady’s commitment to community-led change, recognizing that communities themselves hold the knowledge, experience, and ideas needed to shape their futures.