It is an exciting time for chess in Nova Scotia. Chess is growing in our province and our players are winning laurels across the country! Our organization is gearing up to start this new chapter in our journey. Today, we have some great news to share!
We are delighted to announce that we were successful in our application for funding under the Nova Scotia government’s Recreation Community Development Grant Program. We received $3,798.04 from the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage to support our chess expansion and community capacity building project. The project has 2 goals:
- Build our capacity to successfully host events for a larger player base while keeping the cost of participation low. The funding has allowed us to buy new equipment and supplies-chess sets, clocks, suitcases etc.
- Partner with libraries or community groups to support low cost or free chess clubs/ skill development programs for youth. With the funding, we have been successful in starting new clubs and supported existing clubs. These include:
- Halifax North Memorial Library chess club (Free): This club meets 6 to 8 PM on Tuesday. Open to all skill levels.
- Captain Spry Library, Spryfield (Free): This club meets from 6 to 8 PM on Wednesday. Open to all skill levels.
- Tantallon Public Library (Free): This club meets from 6 to 7:30 PM on Thursday. Scheduled from Oct. 26th to Dec.7. Open to all skill levels.
- Chess Knights Program ($60 for 12 sessions): This club meets on Tuesday from 7 to 9 PM. This is a skill building club geared towards intermediate level chess players.
- Kentville Library Chess Club (Free): This club meets on Tuesday from 4 to 5:30PM. Open to all skill levels.
The Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association is grateful for this funding support from the Province of Nova Scotia. We are pleased to work in partnership with the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage to develop and promote chess as a recreational activity for all youth in Nova Scotia. We are committed to doing our part to contribute to developing strong, inclusive, and vibrant communities.
