HALIFAX, June 13, 2024—Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) is proud to announce the winners of the annual CMC Awards for 2024. Every year, CMC honours individuals and organizations working in the Canadian co-operative and mutual sector to recognize their outstanding contribution to the sector. Once again this year, CMC was excited to give two Awards that reflect the ongoing shifts within the sector, highlighting its commitment to JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and environmental priorities. In addition, the Committee tied their votes for the Environmental Initiative of the Year Award, resulting in two award winners. All award recipients were announced during the Gala dinner at the annual CMC Congress, held at the Halifax Convention Centre, in Nova Scotia.
“Our sector is moving in big ways and these award recipients are a prime example,” says Hugues Bourgeois, Executive Director of CMC. “A lot of the conversations and topics discussed from last Congress really translated into this past year. The co-operative ecosystem is continuously making strides, especially when it comes to being inclusive, just, equitable, diverse, and sustainable. These award winners have played a big part in this progress, and with these awards we celebrate them.”
The winners are carefully chosen by members of the CMC Awards Committee. The Committee reviews all applications which were submitted by CMC’s member co-operatives and mutuals. The Committee is comprised of Chair Jim Bettcher as well as Pascal Billard, Mary Nirlungayuk, Karen Miner and Danika Dinko.
Here are the 2024 winners:
CO-OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD: CORY MUNDEN
The CMC Co-operator of the Year Award honours individuals who have contributed outstanding efforts to the cause and the development of co‐operative and/or mutual enterprises. This award provides recognition to an individual who has contributed in especially significant ways to promoting, developing, or uniting co‑operatives and/or mutuals in Canada and/or internationally.
Cory Munden is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in the credit union sector, currently serving as the CEO of Atlantic Edge Credit Union Limited, based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since joining in 1999, Cory has overseen significant organizational transformations, including mergers and strategic expansions, consistently driving strong financial and member satisfaction results.
He holds a Master of Management in Co-operatives and Credit Unions from St. Mary’s University, and he contributed scholarly work to the Journal of Co-operative Accounting. Additionally, Cory has earned numerous certifications, such as the Fellow of the Credit Union Institute of Canada and various leadership certificates from The Banff Center.
Cory’s leadership extends beyond operational management to substantial community and industry contributions. He has been actively involved with the Atlantic Credit Union System Strategy Committee, the Credit Union Central of Canada, the Canadian Co-operative Association, and several mentorship programs both nationally and internationally. His commitment to co-operative social responsibility and ESG leadership is evident in his operationalization of a balanced scorecard approach to organizational management where metrics are developed and tracked based on his credit union’s performance as both an enterprise and association.
As an effective strategist and communicator, Cory has participated and presented at numerous national and international forums, advocating for co-operative principles and strategic leadership. His work has earned him recognition, including the prestigious Moses Coady Annual Community Development Award and the Credit Union Excellence in Leadership Award.
In his personal time, Cory leads an active outdoor lifestyle with his wife, Jacqueline, and three daughters, Chloe, Sophia, and Lauren.
YOUNG CO-OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD: ÉTIENNE DESFOSSÉS
The CMC Young Co-operator of the Year Award honours individuals of 35 years of age or less who have contributed outstanding efforts to the cause and the development of co‐operative and/or mutual enterprises.
As a young co-operator, Étienne Desfossés began his co-operative and mutualist involvement with school co-operatives as Vice-President of Coopsco Trois-Rivières. The following year, he became a director on the board of the Fédération québécoise des coopératives en milieu scolaire, and shortly afterwards, joined the Canada’s Emerging Co-operators (CEC) Committee. In 2022, he became President of CEC and coordinated a consultation on the goals and aspirations of Canadian co-operative and mutualist youth, which was presented at the 2023 Congress of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada.
Étienne is a fervent advocate of youth integration into the co-operatives and mutuals sector, which he has promoted in particular by popularizing the co-operative model in Quebec universities and CEGEPs. In particular, he has written case studies presenting the models and advantages of Coopsco Trois-Rivières as well as the Baseline Artificial Intelligence Co-operative, to provide students with teaching material on the co-operative model in higher education.
Over the past year, he joined the Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité as a Youth Member of its Audit Committee. He has also joined the Board of Directors of Promutuel Verchères – Les Forges as a Director.
SMALL CO-OPERATIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD: NEWFOUNDLAND-LABRADOR FEDERATION OF CO-OPERATIVES
The Small Co-operative of the Year Award honours Canadian co‐operative and/or mutual organizations that have made significant contributions to co‐operatives and/or mutuals in Canada and/or internationally.
The Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives (NLFC) proudly represent the co-ops and credit unions of the province. The NLFC promote the co-operative business model while supporting the growth of the overall sector.
LARGE CO-OPERATIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD: THE FOGO ISLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED
The Large Co-operative of the Year Award honours Canadian co‐operative and/or mutual organizations that have made significant contributions to co‐operatives and/or mutuals in Canada and/or internationally.
The Fogo Island Co-operative Society Limited is a fish-processing business that was formed in 1967 in response to the deepening crisis in Newfoundland’s salt fish industry and the resettlement scheme that ended the existence of many of the province’s outport fishing communities. The people of Fogo Island recognized that it must have a fishing industry to stay on the Island or resettle. With merchants pulling out and other private enterprises closing its facilities, fishers had nowhere to sell fish. After a series of community meetings that were recorded by the National Film Board in conjunction with Memorial University’s Extension Services, people came together to form the co-operative and to take control of the future of Fogo Island. There were 43 films produced that can be viewed on the NFB website documenting life on Fogo Island along with community meetings and the formation of the co-op. It became known as “The Fogo Process” and the model is still used today in remote and rural areas worldwide.
The company began operations in 1967 with a membership of 150 people and share capital of $800. The primary focus in the early years was boat building and fish processing. A fleet of 30 long liners were built at the co-operative shipyard in Shoal Bay on Fogo Island and these vessels enabled fishermen to harvest other groundfish species besides cod. The co-operative then took over some processing facilities that were abandoned by private industry and upgraded them to meet the required standard. The co-operative’s processing began with just a salt fish operation in Seldom and expanded into fresh frozen production in Joe Batt’s Arm and Fogo in 1979. With diversification as its primary goal, the Fogo Plant was transformed into a crab processing operation in 1983 and all groundfish production was moved to Joe Batt’s Arm. Through the rest of the 80’s and until 1992, the co-operative operated three processing plants and two buying stations. A variety of species were harvested by vessels ranging from 16′ wooden to 65′ steel. The species harvested and processed include cod, turbot, flounder, greysole, halibut, grenadier, crab, capelin, herring, mackerel and squid. During the past number of years, it has also processed sea cucumber at our Fogo facility. It also has a shrimp plant located in Seldom capable of processing 130,000 lbs. of landed product per day.
Throughout its fifty-three-year history, the co-operative has made necessary investments in technology and infrastructure to adapt to new harvesting, processing and marketing opportunities. Today, the co-operative has an active membership of 400 members made up of fishers and plant workers. Investments in shellfish, sea cucumber and other species have led to long-term employment for Fogo Island residents, its fishers and new business for the company. The Fogo Island Co-operative Society currently has three licensed processing facilities on Fogo Island and employs up to 200 people in peak season. It also has a thriving fleet of offshore and inshore fishers that sell product to the co-op and keep the processing plants in operation.
The Fogo Island Co-operative is the major employer on Fogo Island, and it is the major supporter of the local economy. The co-operative is owned by its members and the Board of Directors is comprised of both fishers and plant workers. Decisions on investments and development of the company are done in conjunction with the management team and the Board. The Fogo Island Co-op has been instrumental in fisheries and community development and is a business leader in Newfoundland and Labrador and more importantly, Fogo Island.
JEDI (JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION) INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD: COLLECTIVE INTERCHANGE
CMC’s JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Initiative of the Year Award honours Canadian co-operative and/or mutual organizations that have made a significant contribution to integrating notions of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into their practices, their organization and their community.
Collective Interchange provides a co-operative structure for professionals to come to the table to articulate community needs and direct their passion and expertise towards the achievement of community impact. Incorporated in 2015, this lean and flexible nonprofit co-op structure continues to use innovative, responsive, and cost-effective approaches to address multi-stakeholder goals. Evident in its culture, including at the board and senior management levels, is prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Peer-mentoring is a pillar supporting this member network with an emphasis on living out our co-operative values and principles and work with integrity.
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD: RETOURNZY COOP
The CMC Environmental Initiative of the Year Award honours Canadian co-operative and/or mutual organizations that have made a significant contribution, through a project or the implementation of new practices, to reducing their environmental footprint.
Retournzy Coop is committed to the transition to a more sustainable society and facilitates organizations’ transition to reusable, in order to reduce single-use packaging and consumer waste for corporate and event catering. Our services include the rental of a wide range of reusable items (containers, utensils and glasses) as well as professional washing. We work with caterers, event organizers and fast-food outlets, helping them to manage change. Based in Montreal, we prioritize positive social and environmental impact with a carbon-neutral logistics service and personalized follow-up.
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD: GÉOPARC DE PERCÉ
The CMC Environmental Initiative of the Year Award honours Canadian co-operative and/or mutual organizations that have made a significant contribution, through a project or the implementation of new practices, to reducing their environmental footprint.
The mission of a Geopark is to protect and preserve the integrity of a site’s geological heritage, for the benefit of present and future generations. Site enhancement and conservation are the very foundations of the Geopark concept.
The Géoparc de Percé project had all the potential to become a major player in raising public and visitors’ awareness of the fragility of our heritage, but also of the undeniable opportunities it offers. It was ideally suited to become a worthy representative of a global network of exceptional territories based on uniqueness, local ownership and sustainable development. In 2018, it was awarded the UNESCO Global Geopark status.