What is BALLE?

BALLE stands for Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.
It is an international movement in which local, independently-owned businesses are working together to build sustainable and vibrant communities.

Why is BALLE the fastest growing business movement in North America?
Because the time for dynamic local economies is right now! We believe in the power of local independent businesses to transform communities, build local self-reliance, align commerce with the common good, and bring transparency, accountability, and a caring human face to the marketplace.

We are approaching our first anniversary for BALLE Nova Scotia. Thanks to all of our sponsors and members for their support in the past year. We had a busy year hiring a new co-ordinator ,Shannon MacLean. Although initially part time we have recently have changed her status to a full time position.
We would also like to send a huge thank you to LiL MacPherson for her work as chair of BALLE Nova Scotia this past year and her continued efforts for Local Living Economies. It is also with great sadness that we say goodbye to Lara Ryan, Marla MacLeod and Jeff Moore. They were instrumental in getting the BALLE ball rolling across the province. Although stepping down from the board they will continue to provide BALLE with their expertise and support. We love you guys.
Our AGM will take place in the New Year in Halifax. Stay tuned for more details.
In the past year we have talked to various government levels and departments across the province about the importance of buying locally. In conjunction with the Provincial government and the Federal government we presented a series of workshops that helped businesses gain an understanding about procurement procedures by government. The workshops were held from Sydney to Clare and we reached out to almost 150 businesses to help them sell to government.
During the year we felt it was vital to connect with the public about the importance of buying local and to highlight issues facing our environment. We had several screenings of the film Dirt across the province in partnership with Taproot Farms and Slow Food Nova Scotia. We also teamed up with the Nova Scotia Farmer’s market to present Food Inc which was followed by a lively panel discussion and great input from the audience. The Ecology Action Centre invited us to participate in the screening of Manufactured Landscapes which was also followed by a great discussion after the film.
Bridgewater had its first Sustainability Festival this year and we were pleased to participate. We also had a chance to meet a lot of great businesses at the Eco Expo in Halifax this fall.
Over all we reached well over 1000 people in person and our online presence has grown exponentially every month. We have had articles in The Coastguard, The Coast, Le Courier and the Cape Breton Post. We have also given interviews to CKBW Bridgewater, CBC Sydney, and The Giant Cape Breton Radio. We hope to launch a 10 % shift campaign across the province to help consumers see how shifting money they already spend really benefits the community. For our membership we are launching sustainability workshops that will guide and help market their businesses and their sustainable efforts. We will have a full workshop description posted in the coming weeks on our website. If you are interested in having a workshop in your area contact us at info@ballens.ca
BALLE has extended our online presence with the integration of Facebook and Twitter and will launch a quarterly newsletter dedicated to the news of our members and important issues in our province. We will be creating new media pieces and would love a chance to highlight your business so please email Shannon with pictures!!!!
As CEO of Cassie populaire de Clare, I am a proud supporter of our local businesses and community. I look forward to working with BALLE members across the province to keep Nova Scotia prosperous and beautiful.
Yours Truly
Paul Emile LeBlanc
Caisse populaire de Clare
Directeur général
Chief Executive Officer