Let’s explore housing re-localized in episode #5! Join our panel of passionate housing advocates as we sample a few “alternative” housing opportunities in Nova Scotia (and across the region): co-op housing, community land trusts, and a first-in-Canada community investment company for housing!
Our intention is to host deep dives into these, and other housing types in upcoming episodes in 2026!
Dr. Lynn Jones – DownTheMarsh Community Land Trust (Truro, NS)
Dr. Lynn Jones is the Founder and Chair of the board of DownTheMarsh Community Land Trust in Truro, Nova Scotia. DownTheMarsh CLT envisions housing on community-owned land that promotes wellness, wealth, and wholeness for African Nova Scotian families. Their mission is to create thriving African Nova Scotian communities by developing collectively-owned land assets.
Lynn is also a longtime labour and human rights advocate, community historian – her 15,000 document archive, the Lynn Jones African Canadian & Diaspora Heritage Collection is housed at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, NS, and is a recipient of the Order of Canada.
Mark Kennedy – Everbloom Homes Community Investment Company (CIC) (Dartmouth, NS)
Mark Kennedy is the Founder and CEO of Everbloom Homes CIC, a community interest company delivering affordable housing through cross-sector collaboration and innovative financing. With decades of experience in project management and business strategy, Mark is focused on sustainable, community-driven housing solutions. A deep-seated belief that housing can and should be a vehicle for social impact and prosperity is a driving force in his life and business.
Laurie Cook – Compass Nova Scotia Co-operative Homes (Nova Scotia)
Laurie Cook is a Community Development Coach, Educator and Researcher who specializes in helping people and organizations build inclusive, healthy communities. She is currently doing a lot of work around housing and the goals of the Remedy Human Rights case. Laurie is also Executive Director of the Housing Innovation Cooperative and she is on the board of Compass Nova Scotia Housing Cooperative. She is also Co-Chair of the NSNPHA HRM Rural Housing Network.
Webinar context:
The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, leaving many individuals and communities with a sense of uncertainty, and in many cases, worry. How do we respond to this rapidly changing world? How do we strengthen our local agency and resilience, socially, economically, and ecologically? With newly imposed tariffs that threaten to worsen the financial realities within our communities, we want to shine a light on thriving examples of re-localization in our region!
Re-localization is a concept and movement with an aim to become more self-reliant in our production and consumption (while reducing reliance on distant supply chains) in everything from energy, to food, to climate solutions, and beyond.
This series is held on the last Thursday of each month from 12-1pm Atlantic and will explore examples of re-localization across Atlantic Canada.