Installing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Akoma is a Black-led, Black-run, and Black-serving organization with 320 acres of land holdings in the Cherrybrook, Westphal, Lake Loon area. They will be installing two EV charging stations on site to help green the property and educate the surrounding community on the value of green energy as a part of their overall development plan.

Grant award: $10,000

Shifting to electric vehicles (EVs) is an important part of reducing the carbon footprint of our transportation system, but access to EV chargers is still limited. Akoma Holdings has installed two EV chargers so that the African Nova Scotian communities they serve – Lake Loon/Cherry Brook, East and North Preston and communities along the eastern shore – can be part of the move towards low-emissions vehicles.

Akoma Holdings is a non-profit organization that manages 320 acres of Black-owned land that includes a children’s residential centre, a Black business hub, 8 affordable homes for women and children, a greenhouse, hydroponic farm, community garden, and a community centre. Akoma is integrating clean energy as a key component of their work; installing two Level 2 chargers at Kinney Place, with help from HCi3’s Accelerating to Zero grant program, is one of these initiatives. Kinney Place is a business hub that houses a café, a hair salon and spa, the local MLA’s office and other businesses. Locating the EV chargers here allows users to visit the services in the building while waiting for their car to charge.

This project meets two pressing needs: to assist in meeting HRM’s EV charger network needs for increased usage of EVs, and to assist the African Nova Scotian community in becoming a part of this transition. The next six years are critical as HRM has set an ambitious target that 100% of new vehicle sales will be electric by 2030.

Akoma’s chargers help fill a significant gap in the current EV charger network. Before their chargers were installed, there was no charger between the North Brewing Brewery in Cole Harbour and the Lawrencetown area. Akoma’s chargers are now listed on the PlugShare app, which maps a network of chargers across the world, so that EV drivers will know where to find them. The chargers will provide an additional revenue source for Akoma, while also bringing the green transition right to the doorsteps of their community. “What we want to do is educate our folks so that they have the appropriate information if they chose to purchase an electric car.” said Veronica Marsman, Property Manager at Akoma.

Marsman emphasized how important it is for the African Nova Scotian community to be actively involved in the future of clean energy. This charger installation project is just one of Akoma’s initiatives. “We completed a presentation last month with a group of young students from the Business is Jammin’ [program] under the Black Business Initiative that spoke about the energy efficiency things that we have undertaken at Akoma. Hopefully, when they see a house being built, they question if the water heater in it is energy efficient; will there be a heat pump to heat it, and are they using energy efficient insulation. They are questions they may not have considered previously.”

Not only is Akoma exposing their community and youth to energy efficiency; they’re also talking about the job opportunities that come with a green transition. “We want them to think jobs that focus on efficiency such as an energy advisor, HVAC technicians, energy engineers, and contractors that have that mindset, that they want to be energy efficient. It’s a win for our economy, but it’s also a win for the young person who gets employed in that field,” said Marsman. Having infrastructure like EV chargers in their community will help their youth connect with the green sector and see it as something they could be a part of.

Akoma plans on running two educational sessions related to the green transition. The first of these sessions will be taking place on February 21st at the HG Bauld Centre at 35 Wilfred Jackson Way. For more information, make sure to visit Akoma’s website, and stay up to date with their social media!