The 1970's - Activity/Training

The Flower Cart was established in the fall of 1970. At that time, four graduates of the Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre had moved back to their King's County community and needed a place to work. With the assistance of the King's County School Board and the Provincial Department of Social Services, the former New Minas Elementary School was selected as the site for an activity centre that focused on work-related training. By 1972, seventeen individuals were participating in a year-round program.

In 1973, The Flower Cart became an incorporated body with a fifteen member board of directors representing business, education, employment and social service professionals from the community. In 1975, the bakery began operations, producing breads and sweets under "The Baker's Dozen" label, and the sheltered workshop began a transition out of handicraft activities and into an approach more compatible with local business.

The 1980's - Real Work in a Sheltered Setting

During this period of time, The Flower Cart became a small arm to big business. Major collation and packaging contracts provided a wide variety of training and employment options. As well, the program areas became more clearly defined: food services, including Meals on Wheels, subs and sandwiches for local schools; woodworking; contract services; and "The Baker's Dozen" became "Baker's Choice Fine Foods", retailing its product from Windsor to Coldbrook; janitorial services were provided to the Kings County Municipal Building; and Valley Frame-It provided wholesale and retail picture framing to local businesses and the community at large.

The 1990's - Community Employment

The Flower Cart developed into a vocational training and employment service. The focus was to provide a wide range of employment options to meet the abilities and needs of the individuals using our service. These options included full and part time work in the workshop setting, as well as work in the community. Partners In Employment Outreach and the Community Employment Program assisted individuals to find and maintain jobs in their community.

2000’s – Work Contracts bloom

Flowercart benefits from the increasing popularity of businesses "contracting out" positions. The Michelin Contract has grown to over 45 clients working in the Waterville plant. Flowercart has become an integral part of the production processes of Just Us! Coffee Roasters Cooperative. Contracts with C.F.B. Aldershot, Kings Detachment of the RCMP, ACA Co-op, Springvale Nurseries, Sarsfields Foods and others resulted in increased community-based work for clients at competitive wages. The Department of Community Services contracted with Flowercart for the provision of Job Developer services to people with a physical disability who are referred from employees of Community Inc. and of the Department of Community Services. The increasing success of Community Employment Services resulted in the purchase of a second property for Flowercart in the Village of New Minas.