Nova Scotia Co-operative Council

Making a Difference in Nova Scotia Communities  

Renewable energy, food security, and healthcare are just some of the important and topical issues addressed by the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council. According to CEO Dianne Kelderman, spawning and growing community businesses that will address local needs and opportunities is the backbone of the Council's most essential work. "We seize opportunities that will make a difference in the lives of our members and in the communities where we do business."
 
The Council is supporting the new Halifax Farmers' Market, set to open on the Halifax waterfront in 2010 not only as an equity investor, but also through business development, technical assistance, partnership building, and various legalities. "The whole issue of food production and safety is on Canadians' minds," says Kelderman. "People are asking questions about where their food is coming from and how safe it is. People want food that is grown closer to home.”  
 
One of nine Farmers' Markets across the province, all of them co-operative, the new Halifax Seaport Market will be run by green energy and will be open seven days a week. "We are also in the process of helping Nova Scotia farmers grow and expand their operations so they can have additional produce available to meet this new demand," says Kelderman. In partnership with the provincial farmers' market association, the Council is pursuing plans to further develop the other farmers' markets across the province.
 
According to Kelderman, it's these kinds of projects that help keep resources and money in Nova Scotia's communities. "We are very focused on local ownership and local control, so we want the outcome of our production – plus our resources and our benefits – to accrue to communities and the people who live there rather than outside shareholders."
 
The economic development arm of the co-operative and credit union system, the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council is made up of 402 co-operative businesses throughout the province who own, govern, finance, and mandate the organization. The Council is governed by a volunteer board of directors and currently has seven employees and three offices. Their mission is to support the creation of new co-operatives, provide government advocacy, and develop new methods of financing. To that end, they help new businesses conduct research, create business plans, and navigate the procedures to form and incorporate co-operatives.
 
When the Council was first born, 60 years ago, it functioned as more of a trade association, concerned with public policy, government advocacy, and marketing. At that time, most of the co-operatives in the province were resource based – agriculture, fishing, forestry – and when they came together as a collective unit, their main objective was to incur less individual costs. "We've definitely evolved," says Kelderman. "We've moved away from looking at individual needs to looking at the shared responsibility for developing communities and bolstering economies." Concern for the community is now one of their central principles and this is represented in the Council's motto - Making a Difference in Nova Scotia Communities.
 
These efforts add up to some "take notice" statistics in the province. Five billion dollars in assets. Seven thousand Nova Scotians employed. One out of every three citizens an owner member of a Co-operative or Credit Union. "We've seen a real increase in our membership and an increase in participation at all levels" says Kelderman. "And the economic impact of the sector continues to grow." The sector accounts for $62 million in annual payroll in Nova Scotia alone.
 
Modesty prevents Kelderman from admitting these changes have come about largely due to her leadership. Since she became CEO ten years ago, the Council has become primarily focused on the economic development of business and the results have been enormously successful. In fact, the Council was recently chosen by Simon Fraser University as a model for a co-operative development system. Their published report – Supporting Innovative Cooperative Development – cites the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council as an active and successful organization "unparalleled in Anglophone Canada." High praise indeed.
 
One of the Council's boldest ventures to date is the launch of Canada's first and only online healthcare clinic. As of January 2009, Nova Scotians have access to a network of medical professionals online. These professionals provide health advice, support, and referrals. Also available is a pre-approved medical library where subscribers can access scientific-based medical information about their symptoms rather than being overwhelmed by thousands of different websites, all offering contradictory information.
 
With an initial investment of up to four million dollars for start-up costs, including software development and privacy provisions, the online clinic will run like a community-owned business with subscribers paying a monthly fee. "It's very exciting," says Kelderman, who cites this initiative as the kind of innovation that the Council does best. "We listen to community needs, explore the opportunities, and respond."
 
According to Kelderman, research proves that the Council is on the right track. "The longevity of co-operative businesses far exceeds any other type of businesses," she says. "Only two out of five traditional private sector businesses succeed. That number is double for co-operative businesses." Co-operatives, while still labelled a “business,” are unique in how they are structured, governed and how profits get distributed. "The co-operative sector is generating significant dividends and the profits don't leave this province."
 
When it comes to talking about "this province," Kelderman is one of Nova Scotia's most enthusiastic proponents. "There's an abundance of opportunity here. It's an environment built for the entrepreneurial spirit." She cites access to foreign markets, the close proximity to the New England states, and a diverse economy as advantages to those in business. "It also has a magnificent quality of life. It's affordable, relaxed, balanced and we have good access to those things we hold near and dear to our hearts, like healthcare and education."
 
This "unique package" makes Nova Scotia the place that Kelderman, originally from Newfoundland, has chosen to call home, and she is simultaneously deeply honoured and fiercely committed to growing and protecting it. "It's a real blessing to get up in the morning and be energized about the work you do. I feel very fortunate to do work that has meaning and contributes to building better communities and a better province. That is indeed a privilege."