Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC), in collaboration with the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC), is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 annual scholarships. Each year, CMC supports and recognizes individuals studying in the co-operative and mutual sector to acknowledge their interest in and contributions to the field. Congratulations to this year’s recipients:
Amy and Tim Dauphinee Scolarship (3 000 $)
The Ontario Credit Union Foundation established the Amy and Tim Dauphinee Scholarship in recognition of the outstanding contributions these two leaders made to the development of the credit union movement and the Ontario Credit Union Foundation. Tim, a retired scientist from the National Research Council, and Amy, who passed away in 2010, were deeply committed to co-operatives, education, and research. Both served as local board members for several organizations. Amy was the first woman elected to the board of the Credit Union Central of Ontario, where she served for 22 years. The scholarship, valued at $3,000, is awarded to graduate-level students.
Recipient : Jason Rivest – Ph.D. candidate in Administration – Management, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship (HEC Montréal)
Jason’s research is titled “The impact and role of co-operative meta-organizations in the dissemination and application of circular economy practices”.
Alexander Fraser Laidlaw Scolarship (1 000 $)
The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada established the Laidlaw Scholarship in honour of Dr. Alexander Fraser Laidlaw, the father of the non-profit co-operative housing movement in Canada. A distinguished Canadian adult educator and co-operative leader, Dr. Laidlaw served the co-operative movement for over 40 years. Author of Cooperatives in the Year 2000, Dr. Laidlaw championed the social purpose of the co-operative movement while advocating sound business practices for co-operative organizations. The Laidlaw Scholarship, valued at $1,000, is awarded to graduate-level students.
Recipient : Serena Bahadur, Master of Arts, Political Science – University of Toronto
Serena’s research examines how informal institutions—such as the community-based practices of co-operatives, mutuals, and rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs)—shape the social mobility of Black communities in the Greater Toronto Area.
Lemaire Award for Co-operative Studies (1 000 $)
Louis Lemaire, a pioneer of co-operatives, dedicated much of his life to organizing co-operatives in Saskatchewan and bequeathed part of his estate to the Co-operative College of Canada (now Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada) to support co-operative studies. Offered to undergraduate and graduate students, the Lemaire scholarships aim to encourage students to pursue studies and research that will help them contribute to the development of co-operatives or to support students who have been involved in co-operatives, preferably in leadership roles as volunteers or employees. This award is managed by the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada.
Recipient : Candice Minott, Master of Public Policy – University of Saskatchewan
Candice’s research is titled “The effectiveness of moral suasion—defined as the application of ethical appeals rather than legal or regulatory coercion— as a soft policy tool influencing how Saskatchewan credit unions operationalize Indigenous reconciliation frameworks”.
The recipients are carefully selected by the members of the scholarship committee. The committee reviews all applications submitted by the various candidates. The committee is composed of:
- Dr. Mümtaz Derya Tarhan (University of Guelph)
- Dr. Daphne Rixon (St-Mary’s University)
- Dr. John Simoulidis (York University)
- Ben André (Co-operative Development Foundation)
Submissions for next year’s scholarships will open soon. In the meantime, you can find all the information related to the application process here.