LIVERPOOL - Queens County Community Radio (QCCR) in Liverpool is getting Canada 150 funding.
South Shore-St. Margaret’s Member of Parliament Bernadette Jordan announced the funding, which was earmarked for a specific project. The community radio station has created five short documentary programs that it will air. Each documentary shares Mi’kmaq perspectives on Canadian issues, explained Jordan at the Sipuke’l Gallery in Liverpool Dec. 9.
“Additionally, this project engaged community youth, offering them both an introduction to radio production and a chance to be integrally involved with perspectives of elders within their own communities,” said Jordan.
“I’m pleased to be here today to announce that the government of Canada has provided $17,000 to fund and support QCCR’s project.”
David Dagley, mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality, also spoke at the funding announcement.
He said it’s important to have a radio station in the community.
“It’s excellent in that you’re doing community radio and that there is now funding to do a little more research and tell the stories of our Indigenous people that reside in Southwest Nova Scotia,” said Dagley.
The mayor added that he, council and Region staff are pleased to have Sipuke’l Gallery in the old town hall, now known as the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.
Nick Moase, project coordinator for the documentaries, also spoke and started by thanking Kinsey Francis, the student he worked with.
“Without her, I don’t think I could have gotten this project off the ground,” he said. “She’s my contact in the First Nations community, she has been the one that’s come up with the story ideas, she’s been finding people to interview (and) she’s been really keen on this project.”
Moase said he loves telling stories. As project coordinator, he’s been guiding Francis on how to get stories from people that listeners will want to hear.
The documentaries are set to air some time in the New Year. Moase said there’s no set date because it will depend on scheduling. So far, one is complete, and he and Francis are hoping to finish the others in the next couple of weeks.
