Celebrating Progress in Upper Hammonds Plains with OEA Support

We’re proud to share an update from Upper Hammonds Plains, a historic African Nova Scotian community shaped by generations of resilience, resistance, and deep care for one another. Like many African Nova Scotian communities, our efforts to steward and develop our land have long been impacted by systemic barriers, especially when it comes to land ownership and access.

That’s why we’re so thankful to the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives (OEA) for awarding us a Community Network Grant to support our project: African Nova Scotian Pathways to Inclusive Development. This support came at a pivotal moment. For years, we had been working to secure formal access to parcels of historically African Nova Scotian lands now held by the Province.

With OEA’s support, we were able to complete a feasibility study on these key parcels. That study provided the technical and environmental analysis we needed to confirm the land’s potential for community-led development. It also gave us something even more important: momentum.

This project helped us demonstrate that with the right support, Black communities can lead our own development processes, on our own terms, and in ways that reflect our values, history, and collective vision. It’s a major milestone in our broader effort to ensure that land in Upper Hammonds Plains is stewarded for the benefit of our people today and for generations to come.

We are grateful to OEA for believing in our work. This grant didn’t just fund a study, it strengthened our capacity, lifted community voices, and helped move our long-term vision closer to reality. 

We’d love to connect with others compelled to do this work. Whether you're navigating land access, starting a community land trust, or reclaiming space in your own way. Let’s keep learning from one another and building together.

In solidarity,

Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust