Living for over 2 decades without a grocery store in the neighbourhood has made residents of the Gottingen Street area tough and tenacious.

 

It takes both toughness and tenacity to make it through Aviva Community Fund’s many rounds of voting to qualify for some of the $1 million they are giving away to worthy community causes across Canada.

 

We achieved great results in Round #2: 2,000 registered supporters, 4,215 votes and 15th place in the Large Project category.

 

We’ve spent the week between rounds mustering the troops, plotting strategy on both Facebook and Twitter, and up-dating our posters around town. We are thrilled with the outpouring of support within the North End and across Halifax and know that we have a good chance at gaining 10,000 votes in Round #3 so that we proceed to the Semi-final voting round.

 

Sometimes it takes a good fight, especially a national one, where a community gets to see what makes it special compared to other places across this vast land, for pride to surface and resolve to stiffen. Certainly as winter’s cold winds blow down Gottingen St. it is doing nothing to cool the enthusiasm and commitment this community has to finally having a real grocery market on the street.

 

And a co-op store for the neighbourhood is a bonus because it is owned by the community, decisions are made locally and we have priorities besides making money. Healthy, affordable, accessible food is our top priority. But great service, convenient location, home delivery & education aren't far behind.

 

Once we get the $115K of start-up funding we’ve requested, we know that the real fight starts. It will take enormous community support, many skills and lots of volunteerism so that our Community Carrot Co-op store can be opened by Spring, 2013. Imagine, in a few short months folks could be shopping locally and leaving their hard-earned dollars right in the community.

 

Voting starts at Noon today:  http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf14945

 

More information about the Community Carrot Co-op and the Aviva Community Fund $1M giveaway is available from Gwen McCauley and Norman Greenberg, Steering Committee members.