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| MORE THAN 4,300 "ATE ATLANTIC" ON SEPT. 4 |
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More than 4,300 Atlantic Canadians heeded Co-op Atlantic's call to eat only locally-produced food on September 4.
The Eat Atlantic Challenge was organized by Co-op Atlantic to promote the eating of local food in an effort to strengthen the region's economy, environment and future.
The event included a friendly competition among the Ministers of Agriculture for the four Atlantic provinces to see which province would claim the most "Eat Atlantic" pledges. On a per-capita basis, Prince Edward Island was the victor, with 644 Islanders pledging to eat Atlantic for the day. Nova Scotia had the most total pledges, with 2,098. |
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| MEC TARGETS YOUNG PEOPLE WITH NEW MEMBER PROMOTION |
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In an effort to attract young people to the benefits of outdoor recreation, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) has launched a special promotion for new members aged 16 to 24.
People in that age category who sign up to become MEC members before October 31 will receive a free reusable shopping bag, a free LED "Turtle light", discounts on a number of items and an entry in a draw for a $1,000 MEC gift card.
"MEC may have matured since its inception in 1971, but the cost of an individual membership is still $5 and we certainly haven't lost our youthful passion for discovering the outdoors," MEC wrote on its website. "We want to share that passion and instil it in others, so one of our goals is to support and encourage young Canadians in discovering the benefits of outdoor recreation."
Mountain Equipment Co-op now has over three million members across Canada. |
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| CUMIS RAISES $50,000 FOR KIDSPORT CANADA |
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The CUMIS Group Ltd has raised $50,000 for KidSport Canada through its first annual CUMIS Insurance Charitable Golf Classic, a series of customer golf tournaments held across the country.
CUMIS, which partners with credit unions to deliver insurance and other financial products, held the tournaments at golf courses in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
"CUMIS is proud to host an event that has brought together credit union leaders from across Canada in support of a cause that reflects our shared commitment to the communities in which we do business," said Kenn Lalonde, CUMIS president and CEO.
KidSport Canada raises funds to remove financial barriers to children's participation in organized sports. |
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| FOUR STUDENTS WIN CASC SCHOLARSHIPS |
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Four students attending Canadian universities are the winners of this year's Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC) scholarships, administered by the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA).
Marcelo Vieta, a PhD candidate at York University, is the winner of the $3,000 Amy and Tim Dauphinee Scholarship, established by the Ontario Credit Union Charitable Foundation. Mr. Vieta is conducting research on worker co-operatives in Argentina.
Wassila Merkouche Tir, a Master's student at HEC Montréal, won the $1,000 Alexander Fraser Laidlaw Fellowship to support her research on outreach to multicultural entrepreneurs by a Desjardins caisse populaire. The Laidlaw Fellowship was established by the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada.
John McNamara and Andrew McLeod, both students in the Masters of Management - Co-operatives and Credit Unions program at St. Mary's University, will each receive a $1,000 Lemaire Co-operative Studies Award, which is aimed at students who are active in the co-operative sector. Mr. McNamara is looking into how co-operative management theory translates into practice through a study of Union Cab, a worker co-op in Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. McLeod is researching co-operative food systems, including producer, distribution and consumer co-operatives.
In addition to the scholarship money, the award winners will each receive a free membership in CASC and free registration at the 2010 CASC conference, which will be held at Concordia University in Montreal next spring. |
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| CONCENTRA PRESIDENT AND CEO ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT |
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Myrna Bentley, president and CEO of Concentra Financial Services, has announced she will retire next March.
Ms. Bentley has been with Concentra for 35 years, the last 12 years in her current position. An executive search is under way to appoint a successor. |
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| TORONTO MUSIC CO-OP RECOGNIZED BY UK MUSIC MAGAZINE |
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Blocks Recording Club, a Toronto-based worker co-op which releases music in a variety of formats, has been recognized by UK rock music magazine NME as one of the top 50 innovators who are changing the face of contemporary music.
Blocks was listed as the 11th-most influential entry in NME's Future 50. Founded in 2003 by Steve Kado and Mark McLean, both members of local indie bands, Blocks' offerings range from opera-trained art-pop singers to electro-punk performance artists.
Unlike traditional record labels, Blocks splits the inventory of each album with the artists; the musician keeps all the profits when he or she sells the album on the road, while Blocks handles record store and mail orders. |
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| NB MEDIA CO-OP LAUNCHES INDEPENDENT NEWS WEBSITE |
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The New Brunswick Media Co-op has launched a province-wide, independent news website as well as a monthly print publication. The Brief, a two-page broadsheet, will be distributed free of charge across New Brunswick.
"We aim to give voice to alternative views while covering communities and events that are ignored by the virtual media monopoly held by the Irvings," said co-op member Alex Murphy.
The Co-op was formed at a day-long conference in May and held its official launch on New Brunswick Day, August 3.
The New Brunswick Media Co-op is seeking members, contributors and journalists from across the province and will accept submissions in both English and French. They can be reached at info@nbmediacoop.org. |
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| US HEALTH CARE DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS CO-OPS AS POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
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As Americans look for ways of making their health care system more equitable and affordable, health care co-ops are being touted as a possible solution.
The National Co-operative Business Association (NCBA), the national association for US co-operatives, supports the use of co-ops to address the country's health care needs. NCBA is working to ensure that any co-op health care proposal complies with co-operative principles and protects consumers.
NCBA has published articles, research reports and other information about health care co-operatives on its website at www.ncba.coop/abcoop_health.cfm. The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) is also following the debate, and has posted links to the NCBA material and a variety of recent media articles at www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/UShealthcoops. |
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| REPORT ON HEALTH CO-OP CONFERENCE AVAILABLE ONLINE |
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If you're interested in health care co-ops but weren't able to attend last year's international conference in Saskatoon, a full report of that conference is now online at www.usaskstudies.coop/pdf-files/Health-Care-Conf-rpt-final-1.pdf.
Prepared by Catherine Leviten-Reid of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan, the report summarizes presentations on health care co-ops around the world, including Canada, the United States, Japan and Spain. |
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| WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR CO-OP WEEK? LET CCA KNOW! |
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The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) wants to know about the activities co-ops and credit unions across Canada are planning for Co-op Week, October 11-17, 2009.
CCA will be posting a day-by-day listing of Canadian Co-op Week events on its website, in an effort to create an inventory of Co-op Week and International Credit Union Day activities taking place across the country.
CCA will be also be hosting a Co-op Week blog in which co-operators and members of the public can write about what co-operatives mean to them. They are looking for guest bloggers from different parts of the country to talk about their own experiences in the co-operative sector and how their co-ops contribute to the economic and social lives of their communities.
To send in a Co-op Week event listing, or to volunteer to be a guest blogger, contact Donna Balkan, CCA communications manager, at donna.balkan@coopscanada.coop. |
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| "SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ANGELS' TO BE FEATURED AT SECC CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER |
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Do you have a great idea -- but need investment -- for a social enterprise venture? Your wish may be granted if you make a successful pitch to a panel of "Social Enterprise Angels".
Inspired by the CBC television series "Dragon's Den", Social Enterprise Angels will be featured at the Third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise, which will take place in Toronto in November. Three social entrepreneurs, selected from among a pool of nationwide applicants, will have an opportunity to pitch their social enterprise to a panel of judges, in front of a live audience, in hopes of securing up to $30,000 for their project.
The Social Enterprise Council of Canada is requesting letters of intent from social enterprises (defined by the Council as non-profit organizations or non-profit co-operatives) operating in Canada who are seeking investment toward the start-up and/or growth of their enterprise and would like to participate in the event. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m., Monday, September 14.
Click here for more information and the letter of intent form. |
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| NEW CCA FACES IN COLOMBO AND KAMPALA |
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The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) has appointed a new field manager for its international development program in Sri Lanka.
Uwe Foehring takes up his new post as CCA's Sri Lanka field manager in Colombo on September 18. A resident of Chelsea, Quebec and former senior program officer for the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), Mr. Foehring has extensive experience directing vocational programs in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, and worked with farmer co-operatives in Malawi and Kenya.
Mr. Foehring replaces long-time CCA field manager Ingrid Fischer who arrives in Kampala, Uganda this October to assume her responsibilities as CCA Region Director for Africa, replacing the departing Terry MacDonald. Prior to managing CCA's Sri Lanka rebuilding efforts with the SANASA Development Bank Ltd. for the past three years, Ms. Fischer developed rural savings and credit co-operatives in Mongolia. She brings over thirty years of credit union experience to her new posting. |
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| ILO SEEKING WRITERS FOR TRAINING MATERIALS ON AGRICULTURAL CO-OPS |
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The Cooperative Facility for Africa of the International Labour Organization (ILO) together with other partners, is looking for writers for the development of training manuals on the management of agricultural cooperatives.
In particular, they are looking for trainers and experts who work with agricultural cooperatives and producer organizations and their structures (unions, federations) in fields such as : supply management , marketing and export marketing as well as the basic functioning of an agricultural cooperative. The writing will be based on existing ILO training manuals for the management of agricultural cooperatives, which need to be updated in line with current production and marketing technologies. The writing will take place in a small team of four to five experts during a three-week-writers' workshop in Lusaka, Zambia in October and November of this year, in addition to a week of home-based preparation.
To apply for the assignment, which will be paid and include travel and lodging costs, send your CV with a covering letter clearly indicating the expertise you would bring to the workshop and samples of your work to Carlien van Empel at vanempel@ilo.org by September 18.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and more details on the workshop and assignment will be shared with them. |
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| WIN AN AWARENESS TOUR TO BURKINA FASO WITH DESJARDINS! |
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Développement international Desjardins (DID) invites you to join its virtual rally during which you will learn more about the world of international development, the microfinance sector and the co-operative values that are so important to co-operatives.
Grand prize is two awareness tours in Burkina Faso (West Africa) with a total value of $15,000. The contest is open to any Canadian citizen between the age of 18 and 30 who is a member of a co-operative. The contest closes on November 16, 2009.
For more information, go to www.doingmypart.coop/ |
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| THE MEETING PLACE |
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September 24-27: Impact: The Co-operators Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership, University of Guelph, Guelph ON.
September 25-26: Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives Annual Meeting and conference, Holiday Inn, St. John's
September 26-29: Credit Union Central of Canada Marketing Spectrum conference, Westin Bayshore, Vancouver BC
October 1-2: 2nd International CIRIEC Research Conference on the Social Economy , Östersund, Jämtland, Sweden
October 9: First International Symposium on Education in Co-operation and Mutual Assistance, Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité, Lévis, QC
October 13: 39th Annual Saskatchewan Co-operative Merit Awards, Ramada Hotel and Convention Centre, Regina SK. For more information, email sca@sask.coop.
October 14: Ontario Co-operative Association conference and gala, Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, ON.
October 23-24: 1st ICA-SNCF Business Seminar for Co-operative Leaders, Singapore. For information, contact info@icaroap.coop.
October 26-27: PeopleFocus 2009: credit union human resources conference, Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside, Vancouver, BC
November 4-6: Central 1 Fall Conference and 29th Annual Credit Union Trade Show, Hyatt Regency, Vancouver BC
November 4-6: Credit Union Professionals Association (CUPA) conference, Toronto Hilton, Toronto, ON.
November 9-10: 12th Annual Farmer Co-operatives Conference, St. Paul, Minnesota
November 18-20: Third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise, Toronto, ON
November 23-26: University-Community Engagement for Sustainability Conference, Penang, Malaysia |
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