Social Enterprise in Atlantic Canada

Abstract

This article explores the history and experience of social enterprise within Atlantic Canada. As part of the International Comparative Social Enterprise Models (ICSEM) research project, this article aims to describe the unique historical, contextual, and conceptual approaches to social enterprise in Atlantic Canada. Four case studies are provided to illustrate the diversity of social enterprise in the region. The article argues that the historical roots of social enterprise in Atlantic Canada can be found within the Antigonish Movement, and that the founding political economic vision of that movement can inform a progressive and transformative approach to social enterprise in the region.