The Transition Nelson Story

Transition Nelson began, like many grass roots initiatives, in a cozy living room with a plate of freshly baked cookies and twelve optimistic people. Once every week beginning March 2009 this group gathered together, exploring the common concern of community resilience. Even with diverse personal perspectives, knowledge and passion, the members of this initiating group needed no convincing that the trajectory facing our community was, and continues to be, an unsustainable one.

Aware that local dependency on fossil fuels is largely unexposed and the issues of climate change are, more often than not, wrapped in negativity and a state of overwhelm, the group began looking for ways to positively encourage change. They quickly realized that the journey they embarked upon was to initiate an unprecedented coming together of local community. And by reaching, with a spirit of openness and inclusion, for a common ground where all Nelson and Area residents, business owners, community groups and local authorities can come together to reconnect, rethink and relocalize.

The initiating group recognized the benefits of joining an already existing “movement”, and by aligning themselves with Transition Towns, they had access to a far greater amount of information and wisdom exchange with similar groups.

With what one might call “a fierce momentum”, the initiating group got busy studying ways to work with the Transition model, ensuring the unique values of our community would be supported by the global Transition Town networks. They then helped organize a Transition Training workshop, held in Nelson in July, with help from Selkirk College. Over thirty people from around BC and the Western US attended the fabulous and engaging workshop. It was during that workshop that the group learned they had been officially designated as the fifth Transition Town in Canada after Guelph, Peterborough, Dundas and Victoria.

The initiating group continues to meet regularly at Nelson’s Fire Hall, planning community awareness and engagement events, encouraging a lot of community education and outreach. The ‘Nelson Transition Expo’ is being planned for Spring 2010 and following that event, the group anticipates that community members will contribute toward a community-wide response to transition.