On May 5, during the Community Futures Network Canada (CFNC) Conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, CMC’s Senior Director of External Affairs, Dan Brunette, visited the Co-operatives First booth and connected with fellow speaker Kyle White, Director of Education, and panel moderator Ryley Hawkeswood, Community Engagement Coordinator. Co-operatives First, a co-operative development organization focused on rural and Indigenous communities across Western Canada, is supported by the Co-operative Retailing System and Federated Co-operatives Limited. The organization recently celebrated a significant milestone—helping to launch over 125 new co-ops.
While at the CFNC Conference, Dan also met with Tori Williamson, Chief Operating Officer at Buy Social Canada (BSC). A longstanding partner of CMC and a leader in social procurement, BSC works to build healthier communities by shifting how goods and services are bought and sold. Among their contributions to the co-operative sector is Using the Power of Purchasing: A Simple Guide to Co-op Procurement, developed in collaboration with CMC.
On May 6, Dan was joined by Kristen Murray from the Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives (NLFC) and Kyle White from Co-operatives First to present a session titled “Co-operatives and Community-Led Economic Development” as part of the CFNC national conference programming. The event, held every three years, brought together approximately 900 participants representing the network of 267 federally funded, volunteer-led community economic development offices.
On May 7, at the invitation of NLFC, Dan and Ryley, along with Kyle White—a native of Newfoundland and Labrador now working in the Prairies—participated in a networking session with leaders of several St. John’s-area co-operatives. The gathering provided an excellent opportunity to exchange stories, discuss common challenges, and explore future collaboration.
On May 14 and 15, Dan represented CMC at the Sommet de l’économie sociale 2025 in Montreal. The event drew 1,200 attendees and was made possible by the efforts of over 150 staff and volunteers. Over two days, participants engaged in inspiring sessions and plenaries focused on innovation and trends in the social economy.
The Sommet de l’économie sociale traces its roots to the 1996 Sommet sur l’économie et l’emploi, the founding of the Chantier de l’économie sociale in 1999, and the 2006 Sommet de l’économie sociale et solidaire. These milestones laid the foundation for the Social Economy Act of 2013 and have helped make Quebec a global leader in social and solidarity economy policy. Today, nearly 45% of Canadian co-operatives and mutuals are based in the province.
As expected, new connections were made, and many familiar faces were in attendance. Among the partners present at the Summit were major organizations such as Sollio Cooperative Group, support networks for collective entrepreneurship like the Consortium de coopération des entreprises collectives, and cooperative federations such as the Fédération des coops d’alimentation du Québec (FCAQ). Their presence greatly enriched the discussions and reflects a shared commitment to advancing the social and cooperative economy in Quebec and across Canada.
On the morning of May 15, Dan traveled to Bromont for a breakfast meeting with Manuel Nogales, CEO of Acodea, and Constanza Fernández-Grenno, Manager of Strategic Alliances and the Agripool Expert Network. Acodea, the Spanish agri-agency for international development, was in Canada to participate in the Annual Assembly of AgriCord, a global alliance of agri-agencies. Discussions focused on coordinating an upcoming study tour for Spanish agricultural and agri-food co-operatives.
Serendipitously, the meeting took place at a hotel that is a founding member of Ôrigine artisans hôteliers, a solidarity co-operative network of independent hotels and tourism-related organizations. Established to offer shared marketing, booking, and loyalty services, the network includes 35 properties across 15 regions of Quebec—showcasing the diversity and innovation of the co-operative model in the tourism sector.
CMC was proud to take part in these events and conversations and thanks Buy Social Canada, Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives (NLFC), Community Futures Network Canada (CFNC), Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative, NewfoundSAND, Co-operatives First, Women’s Fishing and Cultural Co-operative, Killick Coast North Seniors Co-operative, Réseau d’investissement social du Québec (RISQ), Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives, Research and education institute for co-operatives and mutuals of the University of Sherbrooke. (IRECUS), Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, Coop de solidarité Paradis, Consortium de coopération des entreprises collectives, Desjardins Group, Caisse d’économie solidaire, Coopérative funéraire des Deux Rives, Expertise Hub, Coopérative de développement régional du Québec, Coopérative de développement régional du Québec, Fédération des coops d’alimentation du Québec, Fondation du Grand Montréal, Community Foundations of Canada, Collective Interchange Co-operative, Acodea et Ôrigine artisans hôteliers, Coopérative de solidarité for their warm hospitality and inspiring contributions to Canada’s co-operative landscape.
We look forward to continued collaboration and to advancing co-operatives and mutuals across the country.
Want to see Daniel in your town soon so that your co-operative can be featured? Get in touch with him to see when he’ll next be in your province or territory so you can appear in a future edition of Dan’s Adventures! Email him at: dbrunette@canada.coop.