The latter part of August and throughout September saw Dan continue to connect with local co-operatives and co-operators, with work-related travel providing additional opportunities to deepen these relationships and expand his engagement across the co-operative sector.
In Lévis, Dan met with Isabelle Gagné, Director of Communications and Associative Life at the Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité (CQCM). The meeting focused on developing a preliminary framework for Congress 2027, including brainstorming programming ideas, exploring opportunities for collaboration, and discussing key planning considerations for CMC’s signature event, which will be hosted in historic Quebec City next year.
Congress sessions, the CMC Awards Gala, Annual General Meeting, and organized tours are scheduled for Monday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 14, while peer group meetings will take place on the preceding Sunday.
Be sure to save the date and plan to join us in Quebec City for this landmark co-operative gathering.
In Drummondville, Dan and CMC Executive Director Mike Toye met with three distinguished co-operative leaders to discuss priority sectors for co-operative development, with a particular focus on the success of the Fédération des Coopératives Funéraires du Québec’s acquisition fund. The conversation explored the factors that led to the creation of this innovative financing tool, which enables the timely acquisition of funeral homes while providing the necessary time to establish an effective co-operative governance and membership structure.
The federation’s experience, along with an overview of the acquisition fund model, was previously documented in a case study developed through the Conversion to Co-operatives Project (CoopConvert). The case study highlights how the fund supports successful business conversions while preserving community ownership and co-operative values.
Pictured with Dan and Mike Toye are, from left to right, Garry Lavoie, Alain Leclerc, and Jean-Pierre Girard.
A fan of scenic backroads over multi-lane highways, Dan keeps CMC’s Find a Co-op Map close at hand, with a shortcut conveniently saved to his home screen. During his travels, he was delighted to discover a remarkable cluster of co-operatives in Saint-Guillaume-d’Upton, a predominantly agricultural community of approximately 1,500 residents.
The local BMR Express is part of Agiska Coopérative, one of Canada’s largest co-operatives, with annual revenues of $545 million and a presence across the Montérégie, Centre-du-Québec, and Estrie regions. Through a network of more than 27 locations, Agiska serves 5,600 members and employs 860 people across the agriculture, agricultural machinery, dairy processing, and retail sectors.
Agiska is also a member of the Sollio Cooperative Group, Canada’s largest agri-food co-operative, reflecting the interconnected strength and scale of the country’s co-operative agricultural network.
When the merger that created Agiska was completed, Agrilait became its dairy processing subsidiary. Today, Agrilait processes approximately 40 million litres of milk annually and operates three well-known Quebec food businesses: Fromagerie St-Guillaume in Saint-Guillaume, Fromagerie de l’Isle in Isle-aux-Grues, and Aliments La Bourgeoise in Lévis.
Shortly before Dan’s visit, on August 13, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) announced a $2.5 million investment to support the acquisition and installation of new production and wastewater treatment equipment at Fromagerie St-Guillaume. The funding forms part of a broader $12.5 million modernization project, which also includes a $6 million commitment from Investissement Québec. The investment highlights the co-operative’s ongoing commitment to innovation, sustainability, and long-term growth within Quebec’s agri-food sector.
The final stop was at the local service centre of the Caisse Desjardins des Chênes, whose head office is located in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham, approximately 22 kilometres away. The presence of a service centre in Saint-Guillaume is a natural fit, given the community’s strategic location roughly equidistant from Drummondville, Sorel-Tracy, and Saint-Hyacinthe, making it a convenient hub for residents and businesses across the surrounding region.
A few weeks later, Dan found himself 4,617 kilometres west in Abbotsford, British Columbia, attending the BC Co-op Association’s Further Together Summit. The event brought together co-operative leaders and advocates from across the province for meaningful discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities within the sector.
The first photo features Dan alongside Tara Chernoff, Executive Director of the BC Co-op Association and CMC’s newest Board member, while the second captures the many attendees who gathered for the summit.
Professional photography services for the event were provided by Tyche Media Co-op (Tyche Studio), a Vancouver-based worker co-operative established in 2024. The co-op offers a wide range of creative services, including photography, content strategy, branded campaigns, documentary production, storyboarding, and other communications and media solutions.
Arriving in Abbotsford the evening before the summit, Dan took advantage of a few free hours before closing time to walk to a nearby food store operated by Otter Farm & Home Co-operative. Based in Langley, British Columbia, Otter Co-op has been serving its communities for more than a century and reported sales of $471.8 million in 2025.
Otter Co-op is also a member of the Co-operative Retailing System (CRS), a network of approximately 150 retail co-operatives across Western Canada. As a result, the iconic CO-OP brand and red shield logo are a familiar sight throughout the region. For visitors from other parts of Canada, where the brand has a more limited presence, the scale and visibility of the co-operative retail network in Western Canada is often striking.
The liquor stores operated by Otter Co-op are branded as Angry Otter Liquor, and one of the chain’s locations was conveniently situated next to the grocery store Dan visited. According to a popular story, the distinctive name originated from regulatory restrictions that prevented the stores from using the Otter Co-op name directly. Whatever its origins, the playful branding has proven successful since its unveiling in 2020 and is now featured at 30 locations across British Columbia.
During his visit, Dan had the opportunity to meet Logan and Karstein, who enthusiastically introduced him to one of the store’s newest exclusive offerings: Lazy Lager. Their pride in both the product and the co-operative they represent was evident, reflecting the strong community-focused culture that has become a hallmark of the Angry Otter brand.
Following the BCCA Further Together Summit, a small group of participants decided they still had enough energy for some additional networking and conversation. Once again, CMC’s Find a Co-op Map quickly helped answer the question of where to go when the group discovered that Otter Co-op owns the Highwayman Pub, located just a short drive away.
Always eager to lead by example and support co-operative procurement whenever possible, the group headed to the pub to continue building connections, reconnecting with friends, and making new ones within the co-operative community.
Those gathered included Karla Monterrosa of the Animation Co-op; Zsuzsi Fodo and Michelle Tsutsumi of Sunflower Facilitation & Counselling Co-op; Tara Williams of GIA Consulting Co-operative; Christine Clarke of the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation and co-founder of Freedom Dreams Co-op Education; Mario Cimet of Slate Surrey Bookkeeping Co-op; and several dedicated co-operative allies, including Professor Michelle Stack of the University of British Columbia, Charles Buchanan of Technology Helps, and Daniela Guerrero-Rodriguez of Daniela GR Consulting.
The informal gathering served as a fitting extension of the summit, demonstrating once again how co-operative networks continue to create opportunities for collaboration, learning, and relationship-building long after the formal program has ended.
If you would like to invite Dan to visit your co‑operative, credit union, caisse, or mutual during his travels, please contact him at dbrunette@canada.coop.