By Kirk Starratt
Kings County council has approved $5,000 from the grants to organizations budget to help fund a visit by a world-famous philosopher, environmental activist and the vice-president of Slow Food International.
Deputy Warden Janet Newton told her council colleagues at the Feb. 4 session she had checked and the visit by Dr. Vandana Shiva would qualify for funding if council agrees it’s an exceptional circumstance. Newton said she has $1,000 left of the $4,000 in grants to organizations funds each councillor gets to recommend how to spend and she’d contribute it to the cause.
Coun. Patricia Bishop said this was brought to council as a late addition to the agenda because it wasn’t long ago they received confirmation of Shiva’s visit.
“I felt it was a good opportunity to be involved in an exciting event,” Bishop said, pointing out she would recommend spending her entire $4,000 allotment for the event.
Bishop said Shiva speaks to new and different ideas and questions the status quo. She said the topic matter would hold relevance to the municipality’s Kings 2050 regional planning project.
Coun. Eric Smith said he couldn’t support the motion without more information.
“I don’t feel comfortable passing out $5,000 on this,” he said.
However, the motion carried.
Coun. Wayne Atwater asked if Shiva’s presentation could be video recorded so those councillors who couldn’t make the event could watch or listen to it later. Bishop said the visit would be “very well documented.”
Shiva visits Kings County Feb. 24. She’ll give a talk at Horton High School in Greenwich at 7 p.m. entitled The Future of our Food: Community and Culture. Tickets are $25 for adults or $5 for students and can be purchased at Box of Delights Books in Wolfville.
Shiva will visit Just Us! Coffee in Grand Pre at 10 a.m. Feb. 24, followed by a tour of local farms and the region at noon, the Valley Sustainability Showcase at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market at 2:30 p.m. and a fundraising dinner at the Tempest in Wolfville at 5 p.m.
For more information, visit Facebook and search Vandana’s Valley Visit.
