CDENE - Le Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse

Julie Oliver’s office invites you to experience Acadia. A wooden sign fashioned in Pubnico declares “Bienvenue.” Artwork portrays images of the Grand-Pré deportation cross and Acadian dancers. The Acadian flag is on display, as are symbols of the Cajun connection, such as a festive Mardi Gras mask.

Promoting Acadian culture and products is all in a day’s work for Oliver, Executive Director of Le Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ). As she explains, the CDÉNÉ is a nonprofit organization which, through economic development, works towards the betterment of Acadian and francophone communities in Nova Scotia.

Take, for example, Expo Acadie, an event conceptualized and organized by the CDÉNÉ. Held in Halifax in June 2008, the expo, which happens every two years, has also traveled to Louisiana. 

“Expo Acadie is an international trade mission,” Oliver says. “It provides businesses in Atlantic Canada the opportunity to promote their products and services on an international level. It’s probably the only one in Canada that helps to promote products and services of an Acadian and francophone flavour.”

Through exhibition displays and one-on-one meetings, Acadian and francophone businesses from the region bring their work to the attention of potential clients from other Canadian provinces, France, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and the United States. Oliver says that in addition to the business and networking opportunities there are information and training workshops on relevant topics such as business expansion and distribution networks.

“Most of these businesses are micro-enterprises or small businesses that do not have the human resources available to do the research, to make the contacts, or to go and explore new markets. So, really, we provide all of that for them in one place.”

Connections that were first developed at the expo resulted in Acadian artist, entrepreneur, and CDÉNÉ member June Deveau showing work at Cité des Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana. 

Deveau owns June Deveau Galerie Studio in the Acadian village of Saint-Alphonse on the French Acadian shore of Nova Scotia. She describes the theme of her work, which often depicts Acadian scenes from the past, as “art in an Acadian dialect.”

About the CDÉNÉ Deveau says, “They’ve been extremely helpful in finding the right contacts and giving me the opportunity in various ways to show my work and to promote my business.”  

Another CDÉNÉ project which promotes Acadian and francophone businesses in Nova Scotia is an awards program recognizing entrepreneurial excellence. 

“One thing about the Acadian population is that they’re very modest, and they don’t like to talk about themselves too much because they think that they’re bragging,” Oliver says. “But, little by little, we’re teaching them that if you want other people to believe in your product or your service and you want them to value what you have to offer, then you have to show them that you believe in it yourself.”

The CDÉNÉ’s organizational structure is designed with the needs of the Acadian and francophone communities in mind. As Oliver explains, underneath the CDÉNÉ umbrella are:
Acadian tourism – ensuring that the Acadian experience is part of tourism in Nova Scotia. “I think that the Acadian culture adds to the richness of what tourism has to offer in the province of Nova Scotia, and a lot of people are interested by that,” Oliver says.

 Le Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité Nouvelle-Écosse (RDÉE) – working with Acadian and francophone communities in Chéticamp, Isle Madame, Halifax, Clare and Argyle to develop their capacities for sustainable economic development. According to the CDÉNÉ, from 2005-07 the  RDÉE was involved in 28 projects with a total value of $6 million.

Le Centre d’aide en affaires et en entrepreneuriat (CAAE) –  Nova Scotia’s only bilingual University Business Development Centre, in partnership with Université Sainte-Anne – providing  a range of high-quality business services for companies and nonprofit organizations in the Acadian and francophone regions of Nova Scotia, and delivering employment services in the regions of Clare and Argyle. Within the employment services category, there were more than 1,700 new client contacts from April 2008-March 2009.  

An innovative initiative by the CAAE combined concern for the environment with the identification of potential employment opportunities. With funding from the Resource Recovery Fund Board and in collaboration with western Nova Scotia’s Waste Check, CAAE undertook a “feasibility study on the recycling of upholstered furniture by local sheltered workshops.”

Charles Gaudet, at the time interim director of the CAAE, explains: “We said any diversion from the landfill saves the taxpayer a lot of money. And this might be a way to provide them (sheltered workshops) with employment and stop a lot of waste being sent to the landfill.”

Through the efforts of two sheltered workshops, it was determined that about 90 per cent of every item that came in could be recycled. Gaudet continued, “Now, is it financially feasible for the sheltered workshops to do this on their own without government assistance? We don’t know yet. But we were surprised at the amount that we can actually recycle.”

Creativity is one of the CDÉNÉ’s strengths. Another is the dedication and hard work of its nearly 30 employees. “They want to see their communities prosper,” Oliver says, adding that employees and clients appreciate working and being served in their language.

Oliver highlights the provincial and federal funding support and recognition that the CDÉNÉ receives. “You need to know that what you’re doing in the eyes of your funding partners is benefiting the community and they’re pleased with our results,” she says. “As we are results-oriented ourselves, that’s very important.”

Oliver also values the business and lifestyle advantages that Nova Scotia offers. She cites Halifax’s international airport and port as benefits for CDÉNÉ members, many of whom do business with international customers. 

From a lifestyle perspective, Oliver enjoys the variety of outdoor activities and beauty of the province. “Nova Scotia has everything to offer, really,” she says. And while there is much to do in one’s own community, there are rewards that come with exploring the province. “It seems that everywhere you go you discover something new. The nature and culture together provide a richness that isn’t found everywhere.”