During October and November, CMC had the pleasure of meeting stakeholders in the co-operative and social economy ecosystem, as well as Members of Parliament. CMC attended the launch of various ICA and BDC initiatives, and took part in a panel at the Univet conference. October and November were fruitful months for CMC to advance the priorities of the Canadian co-operative movement!
On October 8, Véronique Boucher was pleased to attend the Chantier de l’économie sociale‘s event “Inclusion en économie sociale : Bilan et perspectives” at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, co-organized with the Institut de recherche sur l’immigration et sur les pratiques interculturelles et inclusives (IRIPI) and the Comité sectoriel de la main-d’œuvre en économie sociale et action communautaire (CSMO-ÉSAC).
CMC was pleased to hear the fascinating preliminary findings of the action-research on diversity inclusion in the social economy. Stories of social economy enterprises that include under-represented groups were also shared with participants.
The breakout sessions engaged the audience while providing a great opportunity for sharing and networking. The results of the discussions were shared, enabling participants to learn about inclusion in various aspects of the social economy (governance, human resources and much more).
On October 27, Daniel Brunette was pleased give a presentation on the Canadian co-operative movement and on business conversions to co-operatives, as part of a panel titled Transferring a business internally: a winning formula. The panel was part of the annual conference of the coopérative des vétérinaires du Québec (Univet).
In 2010, the co-op was created by veterinarians who wanted to remain independent while joining forces to gain greater purchasing power with suppliers and offer the very best in veterinary care. Since then, the co-operative has grown steadily and now has more than 143 independent co-operative establishments across Quebec and aspirations of growing beyond. Fellow panellists included Gregory Brasseur from the Centre de transfert d’entreprise du Québec (CTEQ), Rachel Bachmann from Employee Ownership Canada, and Sylvie Martel from the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec. Quebec is currently undergoing a review of its Professional Code (Bill 67), seeking to modernize its professional system and broaden certain professional practices in the health and social services sector. This will likely create opportunities for the 422 000 members of Quebec’s forty-six professional orders (doctors, lawyers, agronomists, architects, veterinarians, accountants, etc.) to consider new business models under which to operate. In anticipation of this review, UNIVET is proactively raising awareness for models such as co-operatives, to help their members consider how it can help with business succession, employee engagement and recruitment, shared services and more.
Traveling back through the Laurentians, north of Montreal, following the Univet Congress, Daniel took the opportunity to stop in at the Coopérative de solidarité – Café O’Marguerites an amazing 70-seat restaurant with an attached specialized grocery store and boutique offering a wide range of bulk and local products carefully selected according to sustainability criteria. The 5 000 square foot location is a non-profit multi-stakeholder co-operative established in 2011, with the goal of helping to revitalize of Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson’s downtown area.
On November 11, Daniel Brunette from CMC was pleased to attend the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF) Ottawa Mixer, and connect with the CWCF board and staff, as well as local worker co-ops, co-op developers, educators and allies.
On November 21, Daniel Brunette and Véronique Boucher from CMC were pleased to participate in the public launch of BDC‘s Collaborative Financing initiative in Montreal. This initiative will enable BDC, through trusted partners, to provide financing and advice to create a strong and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. In addition, it will enable BDC to “tap the potential of small businesses that don’t always fit the mold of typical business models”, such as cooperatives.
Following the BDC Community Banking launch in Montreal, Daniel Brunette and Véronique Boucher from CMC took the opportunity to grab a bite with PhD Candidate Jason Rivest, at the HEC Coop Bistro in the Hélène Desmarais Building downtown. If you are looking to promote co-op procurement through food consumption, you are invited to stop at that location or consider the other 60 other co-op restaurants, café, bistros, cafeterias on the CMC map. Daniel then met with Dr. Rafael Ziegler, the Director of the Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins International Institute for Cooperatives, in regard to the Co-op Gateway‘s digital library and the upcoming ICA Committee on Cooperative Research – Global Research Conference 2025 in July.
On November 26, CMC met with Ottawa Centre MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Health Yasir Naqvi, to discuss the need for increased awareness and innovative uses of the co-op model. MP Naqvi has been a longtime supporter of co-operatives and credit unions/caisses.
On November 27, CMC took part in the launch of the Association acadienne des parlementaires du Canada, a proud moment for the parliamentarians and civil society representatives in attendance. With 71 francophone co-operatives in the Maritime provinces and a rich co-operative heritage, the movement is well known and recognized from Chéticamp to Clare in Nova Scotia and from Abram-Village to St- Timothee on Prince Edward Island, as well as from Caraquet to Lamèque in New Brunswick!
CMC was proud to attend the International Cooperative Alliance Conference for the launch of the #IYC2025! The President of CMC’s Board, John Kay, was in New Dehli, India with fellow Canadians, Alexandra Wilson and Sanjeev Singh of the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada on November 28.
On November 26, CMC met with Carol Hughes, the MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, a 100,103 km2 Riding. Proud Franco-Ontarian and NDP member, she was first elected in 2008 and is a stalwart proponent of co-operatives. She is currently serving as Assistant Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole in the House of Commons.
