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The Blockhouse School Project

A project of the South Shore Social Ventures Co-op Ltd.

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Category Archives: Progress on site

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The Project is Ending

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on September 24, 2015 by Heather HolmJune 2, 2022
SSSVC logo image

Dear Members and Supporters,

I am disappointed to announce that the Blockhouse School Project is coming to an end. The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg have given us until October 18th to vacate the property. The barriers to success overcame the vision. We are told MODL is planning to tear down the school soon. [EDIT: It was sold to a private individual.]

old school and busThe Blockhouse School was initially built by the municipality. The school was given to the province with the stipulation that it given back to the community when the Department of Education was finished with it so as not to lose the asset.

When the Department of Education no longer had need for the school, it was returned to the municipality, but due to its condition, it is now considered a liability. This building still has tremendous potential to become an economic and social hub for the community, but only if council can be persuaded to spend its funds on renovation, rather than demolition, which is expected to cost at least $150,000 of taxpayers’ dollars.

Art from used booksRegardless of what the future holds, much was learned from this experience. The project provided significant opportunities for individuals, small business and local organizations over the three short years of its existence. Some students of the Permaculture Design courses have already successfully gone into commercial food production. Mi’kmaw language renewal blossomed at the Blockhouse site. The collaborative Hinchinbrook Farm/Mahone Bay Farmers Market “We Dig Food” garden therapy bloomed and thrived here as well. Artists and craftspeople made and displayed new work, local young musicians jammed, and the famous recycled book-wall made the pages of a professional international library journal as well as a nationally distributed textbook for young people. We ate fabulous celebratory meals, danced, shared skills and wisdom, gardened, dribbled basketballs and built a Tiny Studio.

IncrEdible Picnic (Bea Schuler photo)It is challenging to fit a creative project within the restraints of government regulation. Success can only be achieved through effective communication and collaboration between the project managers and those on the government side. Unfortunately, sufficient collaboration was not developed in this instance.

We dreamed big, but bit off more than we could chew…it would have been a shame not to have tried.
South Shore Social Ventures Coop logoUltimately, we would like to say thank you to the many people who gave time, energy and resources to this project. The experiences that were created will never be torn down.
Ann Bromley for the Directors of SSSVC, past and present.

Posted in News Releases, Progress on site

We Dig More Food!

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on July 9, 2015 by Heather HolmJuly 9, 2015

The We Dig Food! therapeutic garden project with Hinchinbrook Farm is expanding. It’s sporting an arbour, a bean teepee and new raised beds!

garden

We Dig Food!’s new raised beds, arbour and teepee for beans.

Posted in Gallery, Gardening, Gardening, Therapeutic Garden

We Dig Food! Garden is Expanding

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on May 10, 2015 by Heather HolmMay 10, 2015
Truck with beams

Hemlock beams for new beds in the We Dig Food garden were delivered last week. The soil will arrive this week. The We Dig Food! garden is a partnership project of neighbouring Hinchinbrook Farm, which works with special needs children, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Gardening, Therapeutic Garden | Tagged autism, Hinchenbrook Farm, Horse Boy, therapeutic gardening, We Dig Food

Achievements and Shortcomings: Summary, March 2015

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on March 4, 2015 by Heather HolmMarch 4, 2015
SSSVC logo image

The following list of positive achievements and areas where our project has needed more growth was presented at the special meeting on March 4, 2015. The original grid format has been changed a bit for the website, with the areas … Continue reading →

Posted in Meetings and minutes, Progress on site

Work on the Wetland Trail – now with photos

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on October 31, 2014 by Heather HolmDecember 2, 2014
pic of 4 people on trail through bushes

The Wetland Trail is now well begun. Helping Nature Heal (Rosmarie Lohnes and a crew of 3) came yesterday and forged a trail through the fence and the humongous rosebush then across the tiny tinkling stream that comes from the cattail … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Progress on site, Wetland Trail | Tagged Helping Nature Heal, MODL, rail trail, Rosmarie Lohnes, wetland, wetland trail

Hawthorne Hedge

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on September 29, 2014 by Heather HolmSeptember 29, 2014

Jeanette Poirier has been planting a hedge along the edge of the Blockhouse School lands fronting School Road. It is half finished! We also have 1-year-old European Hawthorne trees for sale from our permaculture nursery. European Hawthorne (Crataegus oxyacanthoides) is an … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture, Progress on site | Tagged Crataegus oxyacanthoides, European Hawthorne

Permaculture Work Parties Friday Afternoons

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on July 10, 2014 by Heather HolmMarch 15, 2016
buckwheat seedlings

Putting Gardens To Bed The Permaculture Way Join us Friday afternoons now til Dec 15 as we whack weeds, deepen lasagna beds, fill swales, heel-in new stock etc.

Continue reading →
Posted in Past events, Work parties

Project achievements in our first two years

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on March 29, 2014 by Heather HolmApril 3, 2014

In its first two years, on a shoestring budget, the Project has: Twice run the full 2-week Permaculture Design Course, with a third PDC happening in June-July this year; Become the venue for the Mahone Bay Area Farmers’ Market which … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014conversation, News, Progress on site | Tagged alternative energy, Artisan Showcase, commercial kitchen, Farmers' Market, open mics, PDC, permaculture, project, septic system

Nice job on the gate posts

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on September 19, 2013 by Heather HolmSeptember 19, 2013

Nancy Sherwood has rustpainted the rusty gateposts and slapped some green paint on top. Looks much better! Thanks, Nancy.

Continue reading →
Posted in News, Progress on site | Tagged gate, gateposts

The Septic Field is Done!

The Blockhouse School Project Posted on August 28, 2013 by Heather HolmSeptember 18, 2013

We did it! The septic field is finished and paid for. Graham Langille of Langille’s Excavation in Blockhouse (902-624-9844) did the work. (He was able to work around the pine tree, which lost only a couple of small roots.) Tim … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013 Tiny Studio Raffle, Permaculture, Septic

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What he said…

"What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet. We don't know what details of a truly sustainable future are going to be like, but we need options, we need people experimenting in all kinds of ways and permaculturists are one of the critical groups that are doing that."
            ~ David Suzuki
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