Media Releases

‘A’ Fresh Start Community Initiative grants presented

The recipients of the first-ever ‘A’ Fresh Start Community Initiative picked up their grants recently at Amherst town hall.

The Amherst Area Heritage Trust, received a cheque for $1,200, for its project – an Evening of Art and War.

The event, held in conjunction with the Nova Scotia Highlanders Museum, is being held at the Col. James Layton Ralston Armoury on Nov. 16 following Amherst’s annual Christmas Light Up.

Seven Arthur Lismer lithographs depicting scenes from the First World War will be on display during the evening. Lismer, a member of the famous Group of Seven landscape painter that was formed in 1920 and an Order of Canada recipient, painted the scenes during the war, which ran between 1914 and 1918.

The lithographs are part of the museum’s collection of war memorabilia that is located in the armoury. During the evening guest speakers from the art world will make presentations on the historical significance of the lithographs.

The Trust hopes the event will bring attention to the efforts to save the historic armoury and the artifacts in the museum that would be lost should the building close. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

The Valentine Run Committee received a $3,200 cheque that it will use to introduce a one-kilometre run/walk, aimed exclusively at students in the grades 4-6 range, to the sixth annual Amherst Valentine Run, which is slated for Feb. 16.

The event currently holds run/walks of three, five, 10 and 21.1 kilometres.

Organizers believe adding the one-kilometre run/walk will attract about 100 new participants while providing those in the grades 4-6 age bracket the opportunity to learn about team building, proper stretching and nutrition as they train together.

The Sexual Health Centre for Cumberland County received a $3,200 cheque. They will use it to host a youth engagement forum that will facilitate broader awareness of sexual health among the area’s youth.

The forum will include a high-profile speaker who will talk on the theme of technology and sexual health. The centre believes the forum is needed because statistics it has collected show there continues to be pour sexual health outcomes among the area’s youth.

The cheques received by the three groups represent 80 per cent of what was awarded in October following presentations made by each organization and a public vote. The remaining 20 per cent will be given to the groups upon the completion of the events and the receipt by town council of a report on the activity.

The cheques were handed out by Mayor David Kogon and Deputy-Mayor Sheila Christie, both of whom praised the organizations for developing new events for the town or enhancing existing activities.

All three groups thanked the town for providing the grants.