Funding to help restore historic African Nova Scotian church as community hub

Funding from the Government of Nova Scotia will help protect a historic African Nova Scotian church in Digby County from climate change and set the stage for it to reopen as a community hub.

The Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust is receiving $453,531 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to help restore the Mount Beulah United Baptist Church.

“This funding will help breathe new life into the church, not just to preserve this historic building, but to restore an important gathering place for people connected to Weymouth Falls,” said Minister of Service Nova Scotia and MLA for Digby-Annappolis Jim Balser. “I want to acknowledge and thank the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust, whose vision and dedication is creating a vibrant new place for connection, culture and belonging. Their leadership will help to preserve and protect the African Nova Scotian community of Weymouth Falls.”

The trust will use the funding to design an energy efficient and climate-ready building that will help the community better adapt to climate change impacts. This will become a space for the community to gather, while honouring African Nova Scotian history and the cultural significance of the church. It will also provide a safe space for people to gather in the event of emergencies.

“The Mount Beulah restoration project will show how climate-ready infrastructure and heritage preservation can work hand in hand. By centering African Nova Scotian culture and community resilience, the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust is modelling a locally driven, replicable approach to climate adaptation in rural Nova Scotia,” said Shekara Grant, founder and president, Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust.

The Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust, established in 2023 to help protect the community’s land, history and cultural traditions, acquired the Mount Beulah United Baptist Church last year. The church opened in 1921 and served the community for many decades before closing in 2015.

“Across Nova Scotia, communities are seeking innovative ways to respond to climate change while safeguarding what matters most to them. Through the fund’s adaptation stream, the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust is advancing a project that demonstrates how heritage preservation and climate-ready design can be integrated in rural communities. The restoration planning for this historic African Nova Scotian church offers an adaptable model for protecting built heritage, improving energy efficiency in aging infrastructure, and enhancing local emergency preparedness,”  said Juanita Spencer, CEO, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities.

Featured image: (Government of Nova Scotia)