{"id":249571,"date":"2026-04-23T05:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/?p=249571"},"modified":"2026-04-21T16:05:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:05:51","slug":"building-for-longevity-cmcs-roadmap-for-a-resilient-canada-in-budget-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/building-for-longevity-cmcs-roadmap-for-a-resilient-canada-in-budget-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Building for Longevity: CMC\u2019s Roadmap for a Resilient Canada in Budget 2026\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Canada is navigating a complex economic landscape. Persistent affordability pressures are stretching household budgets, while lagging productivity and a declining rate of entrepreneurship signal that our economy&nbsp;isn&#8217;t&nbsp;reaching its full potential. Coupled with global market volatility, these factors make it clear that Canada needs more than a temporary response\u2014we need core economic infrastructure that stabilizes our domestic market and keeps ownership in Canadian hands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the national voice for the sector, <a href=\"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/\">Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC)<\/a> is calling on the federal government to&nbsp;leverage&nbsp;a model Canadians already trust. Our Budget 2026 recommendations provide a strategic path to strengthen economic sovereignty, boost productivity, and anchor wealth within our communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Co-operative Advantage: A Model People Trust<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an era of uncertainty, co-operatives serve as low-risk, high-impact policy delivery tools. Whether in urban centers or remote northern communities, co-ops consistently outperform traditional SMEs in innovation and durability. This&nbsp;isn&#8217;t&nbsp;just an economic theory;&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;backed by public alignment. Canadians consistently rate co-operatives higher than traditional corporations on fairness, accountability, and &#8220;doing the right thing.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To meet the moment, we must scale this model now.&nbsp;<strong>Inaction risks higher costs, deeper corporate consolidation, and&nbsp;the further&nbsp;erosion of local economies.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategic Pillars for Budget 2026&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Fueling Growth: National Co-operative Investment Fund<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ask:<\/strong>&nbsp;$100M federal capitalization over five years.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Impact:<\/strong>&nbsp;This fund scales domestic ownership and secures economic sovereignty. By providing patient capital, we ensure that as businesses transition, they stay Canadian-owned and locally rooted.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Levelling the Playing Field:&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Expanding the Small Business Deduction (SBD)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ask:<\/strong>&nbsp;Amend Section 125 of the&nbsp;<em>Income Tax Act<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Impact:<\/strong>&nbsp;Levels the playing field for co-operative entrepreneurs. Removing this structural barrier allows co-ops to reinvest millions back into local job creation and community infrastructure.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Securing Our Communities\u2019 Future<\/strong><strong>: Permanent Tax Relief<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ask:<\/strong>&nbsp;Make the $10M capital gains exemption for sales to worker co-ops permanent.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Impact:<\/strong>&nbsp;With&nbsp;$2 trillion&nbsp;in assets set to change hands as owners retire, we must ensure vital community anchors stay Canadian rather than being absorbed by private equity.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Housing as a Productive Asset<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ask:<\/strong>&nbsp;Prioritize the co-operative model within the Build Canada Homes mandate and extend federal rental&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;(FCHI).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Impact:<\/strong>&nbsp;Co-ops are mission-driven partners capable of delivering and protecting deeply affordable housing at cost.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Maximizing Every Tax Dollar<\/strong><strong>: Social Procurement<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ask:<\/strong>&nbsp;Establish&nbsp;&#8220;preferred supplier&#8221; targets for co-ops within the Buy Canadian framework.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Impact:<\/strong>&nbsp;Prioritizing co-operatives in federal contracts is a budget-neutral way to drive regional development and ensure taxpayer dollars&nbsp;stay&nbsp;in Canada&nbsp;to build local wealth.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Bridging the Visibility Gap:&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>National Data Infrastructure<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ask:<\/strong>&nbsp;Invest in a Co-operative Knowledge and Innovation Hub.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Impact:<\/strong>&nbsp;To harness the sector\u2019s $52-billion impact, we must measure it. This infrastructure&nbsp;will&nbsp;ensure co-ops are integrated into every&nbsp;facet&nbsp;of Canada\u2019s economic strategy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Path to a Fairer Economy<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The co-operative sector is a $52-billion engine ready to advance the Build Canada Strong agenda. However, inaction carries a cost: further erosion of public trust, weaker local economies, and higher long-term expenses. By making co-ops easier to finance,&nbsp;procure&nbsp;from, and measure, Budget 2026 can unlock a more resilient and inclusive future for all Canadians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/canada.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CMC-2026-Federal-Budget-Recommendations.pdf\">Click here to read our full 2026 Federal Budget Recommendations<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canada is navigating a complex economic landscape. Persistent affordability pressures are stretching household budgets, while lagging productivity and a declining rate of entrepreneurship signal that our economy&nbsp;isn&#8217;t&nbsp;reaching its full potential. Coupled with global market volatility, these factors make it clear that Canada needs more than a temporary response\u2014we need core economic infrastructure that stabilizes our [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":249611,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":"[]"},"categories":[133],"tags":[137],"class_list":["post-249571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-government-relations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249571","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=249571"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":249628,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249571\/revisions\/249628"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}