African Nova Scotian Affairs adding 3 regional offices

The province's associate deputy minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs says three new regional offices will better connect historic Black communities with government services.

The government announced new regional offices on Monday for Digby, New Glasgow and the Preston area. They're in addition to sites already in Yarmouth, Sydney and Truro.

Dwayne Provo said shortening the distance people have to travel to access the offices means services and staff are closer to where people live, which removes a barrier to access.

"Anyone who's gone out to some of our rural areas and had some conversations in some of our historic communities would know that the need was always there," he said in an interview.

"I think it's a really big step for our Black communities in the province."

Six people will be hired to staff the offices.

While it means people will have shorter distances to travel when accessing services, Provo said it also means there will be a government presence in and around those communities, which can improve the flow of communication in both directions.

"Not only does it allow us to provide information to members of our community, it also allows community to provide input and feedback on policy decisions that may be happening within government departments," he said.

The job openings will soon be posted on the government website and the offices are expected to open in the coming weeks.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

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