WELCOME
A brief history of the Coop...
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In the small municipality of Bonne Esperance, on the Lower North Shore of Quebec, a dedicated group of residents formed the BerryLicious Committee in July of 2006. The BerryLicious committee came up with the idea of creating an enterprise by developing recipes using the many different types of berries that grow wild across the Lower North Shore.
Fast forward three years to July 2009, and a fifty-eight month project was funded by the Ministère des Affaires municipals, des Régions et de l’Occupation de Territoire (MAMROT). The groundwork for this new industry was laid under this project, entitled “Revival and Diversification of Activities and Exploitation of Resources on the Lower North Shore”.
Then, in February 2010, Canada Economic Development (DEC) came on board by funding an additional project for 27 months towards the development of a Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) industry on the Lower North Shore.
Two additional projects were funded in 2010 by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Rural and Coop Secretariats. Through the Rural Secretariat, “Power of Partnerships: Initiating Economic Diversity of the Lower North Shore” provided a foundation for long-term sustainable partnerships and support of the Wildberry/NTFP initiative. The Coop Secretariat provided a 16 month project to set-up a coop structure that would eventually allow to take over the business aspects of the project.
In 2011 the Conférence régionale des élus de la Côte-Nord (CRÉ) and Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation (MDEIE) have come on board with funding to further assist as the project prepares to transfer the knowledge and work carried out so far to the Coop structure.
During the course of all these projects, three inventories of Wildberries and NTFP’s were carried out in Bonne Esperance, as well as the neighboring municipalities of Blanc Sablon and St. Augustine. The inventories were funded by the Council of Mayors/MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, in partnership with the Municipality of Bonne Esperance under the Volet II program.
Additional financial partners throughout the past seven years include the CLD de la Basse-Cote-Nord, Emploi Quebec, Young Canada Works and Service Canada.
It has been a long road to get to this point but with the support of many partners, dedicated project workers and the population of the Lower North Shore, the Lower North Shore Bio Products Solidarity Coop has become a reality.
Fast forward three years to July 2009, and a fifty-eight month project was funded by the Ministère des Affaires municipals, des Régions et de l’Occupation de Territoire (MAMROT). The groundwork for this new industry was laid under this project, entitled “Revival and Diversification of Activities and Exploitation of Resources on the Lower North Shore”.
Then, in February 2010, Canada Economic Development (DEC) came on board by funding an additional project for 27 months towards the development of a Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) industry on the Lower North Shore.
Two additional projects were funded in 2010 by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Rural and Coop Secretariats. Through the Rural Secretariat, “Power of Partnerships: Initiating Economic Diversity of the Lower North Shore” provided a foundation for long-term sustainable partnerships and support of the Wildberry/NTFP initiative. The Coop Secretariat provided a 16 month project to set-up a coop structure that would eventually allow to take over the business aspects of the project.
In 2011 the Conférence régionale des élus de la Côte-Nord (CRÉ) and Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation (MDEIE) have come on board with funding to further assist as the project prepares to transfer the knowledge and work carried out so far to the Coop structure.
During the course of all these projects, three inventories of Wildberries and NTFP’s were carried out in Bonne Esperance, as well as the neighboring municipalities of Blanc Sablon and St. Augustine. The inventories were funded by the Council of Mayors/MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, in partnership with the Municipality of Bonne Esperance under the Volet II program.
Additional financial partners throughout the past seven years include the CLD de la Basse-Cote-Nord, Emploi Quebec, Young Canada Works and Service Canada.
It has been a long road to get to this point but with the support of many partners, dedicated project workers and the population of the Lower North Shore, the Lower North Shore Bio Products Solidarity Coop has become a reality.