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Freeport Community Development Association
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Home - Community Events - Local Publications - Contact Us - Community Calendar - LINKS
Sponsored by: The Freeport Community Development Association
PO Box 39 Freeport N.S. B0V 1B0 - 902-839-2675 |
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The Freeport Community Development Association is a not for profit organization made up of community members from all walks of life; fishermen, teachers, people who are retired, students, and tourism operators. We have a simple mandate: Make Freeport, the Islands, and Digby Neck a better place for those who live here, and for those who visit. We are involved in many major activities including:
Passages:
Passages reports the Long and Brier Island News. It is a monthly publication produced by volunteers and over 750 copies are mailed throughout North America and around the world.
Freeport Development Centre:
Is the FCDA’s office. Home to Passages and the Islands Historical Society Archives. The building is also used by community groups, such as the Freeport Rug Hookers, as a meeting place, and is an ideal location for small meetings. In the past it has been used by the WVDA, the wind energy co-op, the Discovery Centre committee, The Islands Spay-Neuter Fund, a group investigating high speed Internet for the Islands, and school groups. The building has housed art exhibits by local artists and a book sale by the Historical Society. |
Freeport Development Centre
located at 247 Highway 217 in Freeport. |
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Support for Community Projects:
The Association has given financial support to the annual Freeport Days celebration. In addition, the Association has helped the Freeport Days Committee with government applications for funding. The Association has supported the concept of an ecosystem interpretive centre for Digby Neck and the Islands. We are financial supporters, and proud advocates of, the proposed Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre.
Partnerships with other community groups:
We have partnered with groups such as the Recreation Association and the Baptist Church. Working together, we played a role in several "Heritage Storytelling Nights" the past two summers. The effort has been a success - both in execution and in profitability, and we look forward to doing it again in 2006. We are members of the Evangeline Trail Tourism Association and have started the first phase of
development of tourism programs for Freeport. |
Residents of Freeport gather to have their picture
taken for CBC's "A Day In The Life Of Canada". |
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Working with Islands Consolidated School:
The Association has worked with students to publish the yearbook for the school. Providing students with valuable knowledge in publishing, and saving the school money by printing the publication at the Development Centre.
Saving our Built Heritage:
In partnership with the Village of Freeport and the Islands Historical Society, the Association is working to save two historically important properties in the village - the Warner House and the Lent House.
Our Culture: Working with various groups to celebrate our culture, crafts, art displays, Freeport Days, and Heritage Storytelling Nights. |
The Warner house is owned by the village and is
one of Freeport's many heritage properties. |
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One of the many old photographs available for copying at Island Archives. |
Pride in our Place:
The adoption of a section of Highway 217 through the village of Freeport. Where members keep the roadsides clear of litter. Members of the Association are actively involved in developing walking trails in the village, as well as other interpretive possibilities.
Lobbying and Political Activities:
Active in convincing the government to pave Highway 217 on the Islands. Active in assuring on-going health care for the Islands. During the past Provincial Elections, the Association has sponsored all-candidates meetings on the Islands.
Islands Archives:
Step back in time! Interested in Genealogy? Want to research how life was lived on Long and Brier Islands in past years? Islands Archives located in the Development Centre has a large amount of biographies, family history information, scrapbooks and taped interviews available for public use. Local history books and CD's are available to purchase. Summer hours are 9 to 5 Monday to Friday. During the off season we are open everyTuesday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m.
Summer Programs:
In 2005 we have developed a self-guided Cemetery Tour Booklet that is for sale at the Development Centre for $5.00. It has several stories of people who rest at Hilltop Cemetery as well as a bit of history of Freeport. We also host Heritage Story Time where groups gather at Freeport Church for a home cooked meal, then rotate in groups to different venues to hear stories about the past. Each of the three stories last approximately 20 minutes and focus on local stories told by people who have lived (or researched) them. Everyone enjoys reliving the memories and perhaps adding some of their own.
In 2006 we have produced an historical village tour book titled "The Village of Freeport...A Walk Through Time". This book has over 80 historical photographs and tells stories about businesses and people that were in Freeport in the early 1900s.
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Students and guides check out some of
the terrain around Freeport. |
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The community pitched in to provide
food and lodging. |
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Students at Overcove Road in Freeport.
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Above Photos by Paul IIlsey
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Current Projects:
Centre of Geographical Sciences
and Islands Community Earns A+
By Roger Outhouse
The entire Digby area is renowned for its hospitality and never was it more evident than in the Freeport area this past month when a year of planning and work came together to see Nova Scotia Community College students arrive on Long Island for two days of field work. The immediate goal of the project was to bolster developmental planning for area recreation and ecotourism while providing a wonderful opportunity for Islands Consolidated students to learn about and share in the fieldwork conducted by college students from the NSCC system.
One might say that the variety of participants gave this project an amazing flavour that can serve to inspire rural communities everywhere. The perfect recipe requires quality ingredients and it was no exception in this case. The Freeport Community Development Association, Nova Scotia Community College Centre of Geographical Science (COGS), Islands Historical Society, Village of Freeport, the Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association, the Applied Geomatics Research Group, staff and students of Islands Consolidated, and the Freeport Baptist Church all blended their efforts to make this an extraordinary experience.
Ed Symons and Paul Illsley, instructors, both remarked how they and the students felt it was great to be in on the beginning stages of an exciting community project. Temporarily trading their desks and computers in Lawrencetown for the great coastal scenery was also a big plus. These dedicated college professors are passionate about assisting their students develop their professional skills. The Centre of Geographical Sciences / Annapolis Campus offers unique programs which are sought after by employers around the globe as well as right here in Nova Scotia.
Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 15 and 16th, sixteen NSCC students and two instructors arrived in Freeport for two days of exploring the entire village for possible hiking trail potential and points of interest for residents and tourists alike. Martin O’Hara representing the Applied Geomatics Research Group was also present. An introduction to the area was given through a guided hike to Dartmouth Point and this was followed by a meet and greet with some Freeport Community Development Association members. The afternoon was both productive and very busy with groups of COGS students and local guides going to preplanned field excursions. First year students in the GIS Technician Program and second year Planning students collected GPS readings and notes covering the area from six sites: (1) the Lent House to the Fundy, (2) Beautiful Cove to Fish Point along the shoreline, (3) Highway 217 to St. Mary’s Bay by the old back road running behind ICS, (4) the Warner House on Northeast Cove to Saint Mary’s Bay, (5) the crest of the hill running the length of the north side of the Village, and (6) the Freeport Park to the Back Road. (Many of the students specifically mentioned how great it was to have Malcolm Bates act as their guide. His knowledge of the local area was invaluable to them. Thanks Malcolm.) In addition, cemeteries, roads and specific landmarks were recorded to support the Freeport Community Development’s “Hilltop Cemetery Self Guided Tour” booklet and “A Walk Through Time” book.
The Freeport Vestry was a popular spot for dinner on Wednesday as volunteers provided a wonderful meal and they did a repeat performance for lunch on the next day. We had more gracious hosts offer accommodations and breakfast than we needed and all are to be thanked profoundly for their work and gracious hospitality. The grade eleven and twelve students were on hand to round out the evening with a fun game of volleyball in the gym while Mac Bishop, I.C.S. principal chaperoned and provided tours of the school to our visitors.
Thursday morning was an opportunity for eleven participants from ICS’ senior classes to see some of the previous day’s info portrayed on maps in a short power point presentation. After assigning the ICS students to NSCC groups the fieldwork began and additional data was gathered to be used in future design and project planning.
Prior to departing Ed Symons thanked all who opened their homes, prepared and served food, provided information and support, and acted as guides. He also made it clear that now that they have the information to work with they will be preparing to come back in the spring with their findings and deliver a presentation to the students at Islands Consolidated and the community at large.
Congratulations to everyone who made up the “team effort”. These two days have set wheels in motion from which we all stand to benefit. Cooperation and hospitality are powerful gifts and in this instance we need to give all who participated an A+! | |
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The Future:
We’re lucky to live in one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas of the world. It is up to us to protect and develop it wisely. There is much to be done, and much to be maintained. If you’d like to lend a hand, or would like more information, please give us a call. The Association meets at 7 pm on the third Monday of every month at the Development Centre. All are welcome.
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Freeport at Haines Brothers wharf in the early 1900's.
Post card courtesy of John Thurber |
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-- ©2005 Freeport Community Development Association --
PO Box 39 Freeport Digby County, N.S. B0V 1B0 - 902-839-2675
Email customerservice@freeportns.com | |
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