Natalie Ibbott Smith – Director

While president of the board of directors of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, Natalie promoted the province’s farmers markets’ expanding opportunities for economic development, rural livelihoods, community growth, and a thriving sense of place.

Natalie led the Yarmouth Façade Program “What the façade program was intended to do is, number one, to make the town in general – which is a micro-economy – safe and inviting. If people are there, then the lights are on when the business is open. It’s safe, it’s walkable, Number two is to make it inclusive, so that people feel welcome in the downtown. The third thing, is that the program has helped with economic stimulation. She says it’s even provided some level of trust for business owners who may have been the original anchors in the downtown to feel that they can sell their properties and that someone will want to purchase them and set up shop.

“We have finite resources, but we have infinite possibilities. How do we prioritize those?” Smith says. “Staff looks at those priorities, and we say, okay, what can we do with what we have?