{"id":247409,"date":"2025-06-25T14:57:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T18:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/?p=247409"},"modified":"2025-07-31T15:26:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:26:57","slug":"co-operatives-step-into-their-moment-highlights-from-the-2025-cmc-congress-in-regina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/co-operatives-step-into-their-moment-highlights-from-the-2025-cmc-congress-in-regina\/","title":{"rendered":"Co-operatives Step Into Their Moment: Highlights from the 2025 CMC Congress in Regina"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In June 2025, over 100 participants<\/strong> from across Canada and beyond gathered in Regina, Saskatchewan for the Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) Congress<\/strong>. Held during the United Nations\u2019 International Year of Co-operatives<\/strong>, this year\u2019s Congress\u2014titled The Future is Co-op<\/em>\u2014was more than a conference. It was a heartfelt, energizing call to action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over powerful and meaningful days, co-operators met to exchange bold ideas, face hard truths, and celebrate what makes this movement not only resilient, but necessary. From provocative panels to joyful reunions, Congress became a reflection of the moment we\u2019re in: urgent, interconnected, and rich with possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CMC Congress 2025 was proudly sponsored by Co-operators<\/a>, whose support helped make the event possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Grounded in Place: Opening Reflections on Unity, Sustainability, and Action <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Congress opened on June 10 with an Indigenous welcome by Buffalo Child and Robert Moreau, grounding the gathering in ceremony and respect for Treaty 4 territory. This intentional beginning reminded attendees of our responsibility to listen, learn, and act in support of truth and reconciliation\u2014not as an add-on, but as central to our work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That tone carried through the first keynote as Jeroen Douglas<\/strong>, Director General of the International Co-operative Alliance<\/a>, celebrated the International Year of Co-operatives with a global lens\u2014reminding us that our movement is part of something far-reaching and powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later that afternoon, David Coletto<\/strong> of Abacus Data<\/a> shared fresh public opinion research on economic precarity in Canada, highlighting a unique opportunity for co-ops to lead in restoring trust, equity, and community control. The day closed with compelling dual sessions on collective entrepreneurship and reimagining co-operation in a distracted age, with leaders like Amina Dibe, Nathalie Villemure, <\/strong>and Jeffrey Boutilier<\/strong> sharing sharp, on-the-ground insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Deep Dives and New Directions<\/strong>: Resilience, Responsibility, and Renewal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In “The Fall of Titans”, a panel of academics and sector leaders including Marc-Andr\u00e9 Pigeon and Dionne Pohler<\/strong> examined lessons from notable co-operative failures and demutualizations. The message: transparency, strong governance, and continued reinvention are essential to long-term resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most moving moments came mid-morning when Cadmus Delorme<\/strong>, former Chief of Cowessess First Nation, delivered a stirring talk on intergenerational responsibility, urging co-operatives to take up their role in the work of Truth and Reconciliation with courage and humility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The afternoon turned toward future thinking. A collaborative workshop on \u201cDiverse Perspectives, One Movement\u201d brought together voices like John Kay, Karen Miner<\/strong>, and Jeroen Douglas<\/strong>, sparking rich dialogue about inclusion as not just a goal, but a method. Concurrent sessions on data ownership and internal governance pitfalls gave participants tangible takeaways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Food, Youth, and the Future: The Co-op Sector in Motion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By late Wednesday afternoon, the Congress reached a crescendo. The session \u201cCultivating the Future: Innovation, Sustainability & Security in our Food Systems\u201d brought together food and agri-co-op leaders, including Jim Bettcher, Alison Davie, and Bluesette Campbell<\/strong>, who shared grounded stories of resilience through co-operative food systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, a vibrant youth panel featuring Laetitia Ramanantsoa, William Prest, Caeli Martineau, and Mansib Rahman<\/strong> lit up the ballroom with honesty and vision. They didn\u2019t just ask for a seat at the table\u2014they invited everyone to build new tables together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The energy carried into the evening with a joyful Awards Gala, honouring outstanding contributions from across the co-operative movement. These included long-time community leaders and rising youth changemakers, reminding us that leadership comes in many forms\u2014but always rooted in the same principles of equity, solidarity, and democratic control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Closing Reflections and a Call Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As participants departed\u2014with business cards, new ideas, and maybe a few less hours of sleep than they arrived with\u2014the feeling was clear: this wasn\u2019t the end of something\u2014it was a beginning. The 2025 CMC Congress in Regina reminded us that co-operatives aren\u2019t waiting for permission. They\u2019re building new systems now\u2014with communities at the centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relive the highlights of the Congress by exploring our official photo gallery<\/a> \u2014 a chance to revisit the faces, conversations, and energy that made this gathering so memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future is co-op. And the work continues.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The momentum of the co-operative movement continues well beyond the Congress. CMC is excited to carry this energy forward into Co-op Week 2025 and encourages everyone to take part in celebrating and promoting co-operative values across the country. Whether you’re planning a local event, workshop, or celebration, we invite you to be part of this nationwide effort. Share your co-op\u2019s activities and help build visibility by posting your event <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our sponsors for their generous support of the CMC Congress 2025. Thanks to your commitment, trust, and valuable contributions, this event can shine and offer a rewarding experience to all participants. Thank you for being an essential part of our success!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In June 2025, over 100 participants from across Canada and beyond gathered in Regina, Saskatchewan for the Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) Congress. Held during the United Nations\u2019 International Year of Co-operatives, this year\u2019s Congress\u2014titled The Future is Co-op\u2014was more than a conference. It was a heartfelt, energizing call to action. Over powerful and meaningful […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":247393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Co-operatives Step Into Their Moment: Highlights from the 2025 CMC Congress in Regina","_seopress_titles_desc":"Co-operatives Step Into Their Moment: Highlights from the 2025 CMC Congress in Regina","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[133],"tags":[244],"class_list":["post-247409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-cmc-awards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=247409"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247819,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247409\/revisions\/247819"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/247393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}