While cooperation is a fundamental principle of community economic development, a "co-operative" is a user-owned and controlled business in which benefits are distributed according to a member's use of the business. Co-operatives have a long history of contributing to CED in Nova Scotia and are a force to be reckoned with! Today, there are over 300 co-operatives in Nova Scotia today, holding some 300 million dollars in assets with total annual sales of approximately 700 million dollars.

For more information on co-operatives in Nova Scotia, check out the web site of the Co-operatives Branch of the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development at http://www.gov.ns.ca/ecor/ced/coop/index.htm

Other co-operative-related sites include:

Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA)
http://www.coopcca.com

The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) is the national umbrella organization of anglophone co-operatives. The CCA supports and promotes co-operative enterprise in Canada and around the world. Included on this site is an excellent introduction to co-operatives and how they operate.

Co-operatives Secretariat
http://aceis.agr.ca/policy/coop/accueil.html

The Co-operatives Secretariat was created in 1987 from the Co-operatives Section of Agriculture Canada to improve the relationship between Canadian co-operatives and the numerous federal departments and agencies known to have legislation or policies affecting co-operatives. The Co-operatives Secretariat, working closely with the Minister responsible for co-operatives, acts as a coordinator for interaction between the government and the co-operative sector.

Nova Scotia's Credit Unions
http://www.ns-credit-unions.com

Credit unions, financial institutions owned by people who use their services, have an important role to play in CED. This site is a guide to credit unions in Nova Scotia.

Mondragón Co-operative, Spain
http://mondragon.mcc.es/ingles/mcc.html

Mondragón is a business co-operative of 120 companies organized into three groups: financial, industrial and distribution, together with research and training areas.