Bryony House Letter

Premier Darrell Dexter
Office of the PremierPO Box 726Halifax, Nova ScotiaB3J 2T3

October 2009

Dear Premier Dexter,

As a resident of Nova Scotia, I am concerned with the operational funding for Transition Houses in this province that has been stagnant for over a decade. I applaud your government for moving the $500,000 in Year 2 of your platform to the next budget year of 2010. But lets be perfectly clear, $500,000 divided by ten transition houses and eight women’s centres does not amount to very much.

Transition Houses have been operating on budgets set in the 1990s! It is the women and children of the province who suffer most because of these funding freezes. We have to acknowledge the social infrastructure our society as much, if not more, than our physical infrastructure. The women and children of the province deserve more than talk, they require action. Bryony House in Halifax has had to cut staff and services to decrease costs, and still they are in a deficit position.

I urge you to address the deficit position of Bryony House to ensure the Outreach Program can be operational once again. I also ask that your government start a dialogue with Transition Houses to ensure they have stable and secure funding for the future. We cannot wait any longer.

I look forward to your response.


Sincerely,




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