On July 4th, 2024, KCN Seniors Co-op has officially been certified (effective June 12, 2024). See the posting on Facebook.
“Seniors Taking Charge” – KCN Seniors in the news…
Our co-op development has recently been covered by Saltwire. You can read the article here.
Co-ops in development in NL
Another opportunity to get the word out. Ignore the misspelling of my name, and, no, I am not Heidi. But otherwise well written. Review the CBC article here
First Funeral Co-operative in NL
Very soon, Sunrise Funeral Co-operative, will be incorporated in NL. With the help of the Network of Funeral Co-operatives (FCFQ; mainly Quebec, but several members in Atlantic Canada, US, and South America) and the NL Federation of Co-operatives (NLFC) a steering committee of local members – which I joined in April – has been working with a support group of experts towards establishing this community co-operative in the province. Recently, CBC did an interview with one of the experts, David Emond, about this project. You can listen to this interview here. I am excited about this soon to be new member of the co-operative movement and network in NL.
KCNseniors.coop – Pilot events on the go…
May 1 through May 3 the project team for the Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative development is piloting its first events:
On Air – The Signal with Adam Walsh (April 30, 2024
This show looked at a new co-operative incubator pilot program on the northeast Avalon Peninsula. Host Adam Walsh spoke with folks about the ideas they’ve pitched, which include composting, assisting seniors, securing car insurance for newcomers and helping people overcome barriers to the commercial fishery.
Our Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative (to be incorporated in July 2024) website is live…
Additional Funding and support for Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative (to be incorporated in July 2024)
On Monday January 22, 2024 our project signed a partnership agreement with The Good Companions, Ottawa, a non-profit multi-service seniors’ centre, providing opportunities for older adults to participate in social, recreational, educational and volunteer activities and benefit from social and health services. The Good Companions are partnering with Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative on accessing and running their Seniors’ Centre Without Walls (SCWW), a phone-based group sessions program in the Killick Coast North region.
To support Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative in accessing and running this program in our region, The Good Companions have also awarded us with a Micro-grant of $ 4,000 for 2024. In addition, the partnership supports Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative with their onboarding and training program for our program coordinator and facilitator.
Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative – ‘Aging Well At Home’ (to be incorporated in July 2024)
Mid-January we received confirmation from the NL Federation of Co-operatives (NLFC) that our project “Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative – ‘Aging Well At Home’ has been selected as one of the five co-operative incubator pilot projects (https://nlfc.coop/start-a-co-op/co-op-incubator/). Yay! 
. This was only possible through a dedicated effort of a committed project team, through the endorsement of various community, municipal, and provincial organizations, and through the connection with and support of the Village-to-Village Network (https://www.vtvnetwork.org).
From February through to July 2024, NLFC will guide us through and support us in mastering the process of creating and incorporating the co-operative. Further, a seed funding amount of $ 5,000 will be awarded to the project upon completion of the program. The project team will meet next week to discuss next steps and to move the project forward.
Stay tuned
RECENTLY RETIRED
On March 1, 2023 I have retired from the University of New Brunswick. At the same time, we relocated to our new home in Pouch Cove, NL. Currently, we are settling in and while my writing projects continue, my focus is on reorganizing and reenergizing. Stay tuned for future updates!