Supporting innovative co-operative development

As a result of such changes, the registration of co-operatives is now in the hands of the provincial Registry of Joint Stock Companies; co-operative regulation lies with the provincial Office of Economic Development; and, co-operative development is now the domain of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council. [...] Further to the discussion in Section 3.2, the devolution of co-op development from the provincial government to the NSCC resulted in a collective partnership agreement between the provincial Office of Economic Development, the Department of Community Services and the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council. [...] The terms and conditions (including interest rates) of each loan are negotiated between the local credit union and the applicant and vary based on the purpose of the loan and the cash flow of the business. [...] Because of the success of the NSCC in advancing the co-op sector in Nova Scotia, Dianne has been approached to consult and assist in the development of co-operative councils in the other Atlantic provinces, based on the NSCC model. [...] Although this relationship may seem obvious, in the case of the NS-CDS, the ability of the NSCC to situate and promote itself and the co-op sector as leaders in innovation is the direct result of the particular leadership style present within the system and the combination of leaders that have come together to initiate innovation in co-op development.