Bridgetown businessman mobilizing against poverty

from the Chronicle Herald

By PAUL PICKREM

BRIDGETOWN — A Valley man is planning to walk to Halifax to pressure the Nova Scotia government to take the necessary steps to eliminate poverty.

Bridgetown businessman Bill Knowlton has been preparing for a year to walk the 208 kilometres from the Valley community to the provincial legislature.

On the way, Mr. Knowlton will gather postcards signed by Nova Scotians who want the government to set aside money in the budget to act on recommendations outlined in a 2007 poverty-reduction strategy.

"I just got tired of nothing being done," he said. "There has been a lot of talk and very little action."

Mr. Knowlton criticized the government for not providing funding for affordable housing, for not making enough food available to all Nova Scotians for a basic nutritional diet and for not improving the health-care system by improving Pharmacare.

"I’m just somebody who wants to rally communities together to prove that if I can be passionate about people going to bed hungry at night, then everyone can," he said.

"If we can have every person in Nova Scotia properly fed and properly housed, then we have eliminated grinding poverty."

Wendy Knowlton, the walk organizer and Mr. Knowlton’s partner, said rallies are planned in 15 communities along the way during the seven-day trek, which begins in Bridgetown on Oct. 20 and ends at Province House on the afternoon of Oct. 26.

Members of the public are invited to join Mr. Knowlton in the walk as he passes through their community and to sign the postcards.

More information is available on Mr. Knowlton’s blog at www.theballsyfeminist.blogspot.com.

Link to full article. May expire in future.