The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the distinctive qualities of a community development corporation. The focus of the study is one such organization, New Dawn Enterprises Ltd which is the oldest community development corporation in Canada. The research approach is a scholarly discussion of the concepts, events and circumstances judged as fundamental to the subject matter. The goal of the dissertation is to provide a deeper understanding of the meaning of this organization. New Dawn is analyzed from a variety of perspectives including: the influence of the Antigonish government, the history of Cape Breton Island particularly insofar as that history pertains to patterns of economic underdevelopment, the culture of Cape Breton particularly those cultural features that prejudice the Islands economic circumstances, the meaning of New Dawns organizational structure, and the conceptual elements and developmental processes that New Dawn shares with the community economic development movement in North America. On the basis of the analysis, it is suggested that New Dawns philosophy is grounded in the adult education principles and practices established by Moses Coady and Jimmy Tompkins, the founders of the Antigonish Movement. Furthermore, the dissertation points to the unmistakable relationship between New Dawn and the history and culture of the community it attempts to serve. Also, it advises that New Dawns organizational status is especially significant in the context of a depleted community such as Cape Breton and, finally, the research project places New Dawn in the progressive social tradition, meaning that its ultimate goal is educational.