LIFE.SCHOOL.HOUSE - Member's Statement

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, Life.School.House is on unceded Mi'kmaq territory in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in a house owned by Jennifer Brenton DeCoste and Scott DeCoste but is one that belongs to, and welcomes, the community.

All kinds of Nova Scotians come through the front door of the DeCoste family home to teach and learn everything from leather bookbinding to basic carpentry skills, taught for free by community members from all across HRM. It answers a number of thorny questions coming from the community, including how to create meaningful connections for newcomers to Canada, and also for those who have lived here for years and have never even met their neighbours.

With crowd-sourced funding, the DeCoste family organizes free classes and provides free use of their family home to build community. This is a part of their family's personal commitment to reconciliation in Canada. Balancing the gifts of shelter and protection for their family with the responsibility to the land and all who share it.

At Life.School.House, facilitators from the community bring their knowledge and expertise and exchange it for bartered goods such as home-made food, plants, crafts, and more. Bartering breaks down the financial barriers many people face when trying to access education. In simple exchange, neighbours meet, share time and tea, connect and learn from each other, in a simple but meaningful way.