IONS is situated in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaw people. Unceded means that the Mi’kmaq have never relinquished, sold, traded, or transferred ownership of their land to European settler colonies, yet land was taken over without their consent through various processes of settler colonialism. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik people first signed with the British Crown in 1726. These Treaties did not involve the surrendering of rights to the lands and resources they had traditionally used and occupied. We are all Treaty People.

We further acknowledge that Nova Scotia is the birthplace of Black culture and heritage in Canada. People of African descent have shared these lands for over 400 years, and over 50 strong and resourceful African Nova Scotian communities exist here today.

We are committed to the struggle against systems of oppression that have resulted in profound inequities and the denial of self-determination rights. We are working actively to deepen our learning at an individual level, provide learning opportunities about anti-racism and decolonization, and to develop partnerships with organizations serving and led by underrepresented groups.
  • We’ll Get Back to you Monday: Reclaim Friday, Rest, and Repeat

    We’ll Get Back to you Monday: Reclaim Friday, Rest, and Repeat

    Reg Manzer Research & Evaluations Manager When I tell people that IONS is piloting a four-day work week, I am immediately met by curiosity and interest, “You must work longer days then?” and “How much was your pay reduced?” When I respond that I don’t work extra hours to make up for it and that my…

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  • Going Slow to Go Fast: Finding Our Focus and Flow

    Going Slow to Go Fast: Finding Our Focus and Flow

    Annika Voltan Executive Director, IONS Reaching Our Limit These days everywhere we turn there are conversations about burnout, staffing challenges, and how to create boundaries around work. In our research, we consistently hear that heavy workloads and burnout are the top issues affecting the Community Impact Sector – second only to funding challenges.   IONS is…

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  • Art for Impact: Applying a JEDDI Lens to Design

    Art for Impact: Applying a JEDDI Lens to Design

    Alexandra Theroux Operations Manager Lydia Phillip Communications Manager I’ve called myself an artist for as long as I knew what the word meant, always having been drawn to experimenting with acrylic paint, pencil, and ink. As an avid reader who found inspiration from book illustrations and fantasy novel covers, I wanted to be a children’s…

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  • Moving Beyond Profits and Market Failures

    Moving Beyond Profits and Market Failures

    Annika Voltan Executive Director, IONS Today, as we launch our new identity as Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia (IONS), it’s important to reflect on why we need to distinguish and celebrate the Community Impact Sector for all its diversity and uniqueness. Going forward, we see “impact organizations” as the nonprofits, charities and voluntary organizations who…

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  • Take Flight: Embracing a Culture of Failing Forward

    Take Flight: Embracing a Culture of Failing Forward

    Lydia Phillip Communications Manager Emma Beukema Director, Learning & Innovation Remember when, with skinned knees, we were encouraged to get back on our bicycles? The expectation wasn’t perfection when we first peddled, wobbly on two tires. We knew we were bound to fall. But each time we hit a curb, unsteadily ventured further, or earned…

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  • Ubuntu and Radical Generosity at Work

    Ubuntu and Radical Generosity at Work

    Karen Mutyabule Learning & Engagement Coordinator Annika Voltan Executive Director October is Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month, a theme that we have been reflecting on for quite some time and are excited to share some thoughts. This month’s blog is a collaborative effort between Executive Director, Annika Voltan and Research & Project Coordinator, Karen Mutyabule. From…

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  • Reflections on Our Decolonization Learning Journey

    Reflections on Our Decolonization Learning Journey

    Nicole Cammaert Director of Network & Sector Development Much of the focus of my work and relationship building over the past year has been around decolonization and reconciliation, particularly through my role with the Decolonization Learning Journey (DLJ), offered to the sector in partnership with Unama’ki College. In recognition of the first (and long overdue) National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I am sharing some of what…

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  • Shelf-Love: Re-examining my Pride Reading List

    Shelf-Love: Re-examining my Pride Reading List

    Alexandra Theroux Operations Manager Our team at the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia (CSCNS) is constantly sharing interesting and thought-provoking podcasts, articles, and books with each other. Working remotely for the past few months, this gives us a way to connect virtually over new ideas and content. This informal way of knowledge-sharing and reflecting allows…

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  • Apples, Onions & Peaches: Learning Organizations for Impact

    Apples, Onions & Peaches: Learning Organizations for Impact

    Annika Voltan Executive Director On Friday afternoons, the CSCNS team closes out the week with our A.O.P. meetings. They started several months ago when our colleague Emma shared that she uses “Apples, Onions, and Peaches” at the dinner table to encourage her young daughters to share what’s happening in their lives. This practice came up at a time when we were consciously looking for ways…

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  • Working For Impact: A Millennial’s Perspective on Navigating Labour Systems

    Working For Impact: A Millennial’s Perspective on Navigating Labour Systems

    Lydia Phillip Communications Manager Okay, so I grew up reading (and still enjoy) dystopian fiction – Hunger Games, Divergent, Handmaid’s Tale, The Pretties, anyone? Dystopian novels seem to revolve around ‘work’ given that labour is such a major part of life and survival. Through the imaginations of authors, I’ve been introduced to various worlds of unorthodox work – the highly gendered labour, the hyper-surveillance of labour, work and…

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