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CoopZone Developers' Network Co-operative
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| Spring 2013 Newsletter | www.coopzone.coop |
Vol 3, Issue 1
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| Report on CoopZone, by Hazel Corcoran |
Bonjour, CoopZone Members and Newsletter readers,
Here are some of the activities in which CoopZone has been engaged in recent months.
New Members: CoopZone is pleased to welcome three  new allied members: the Canadian Co-operative Association, as well as individuals Colin MacDougall (Ontario) and Dena Hunter (Manitoba). In addition, Legal Network members continue to join CoopZone.
Tele-learning Sessions: CoopZone hosted a session in December on financing co-op development, and the proposed National Co-op Investment Fund. The presentation and notes from that call are available here. (Update: since that session, Assiniboine Credit Union has pledged $500,000 to the Fund.) In March, another session was held on Offering Statements, with a focus on Ontario; the notes and presentation from that call can be found here. Both of these sessions were offered to Legal Network members as well as all other CoopZone members. A session on charities law and co-ops is being planned for late in May. This topic was the subject of much discussion on the CoopZone developer listserv. For June, we are planning to hold a tele-learning session in French on renewable energy co-ops. These sessions are open to all CoopZone members.
CoopZone Legal Network: Many new legal resources --useful for lawyers as well as developers-- have been added to the Legal Resources page, including model bylaws, sample offering statements, and documents regarding charities and co-op law. There are now 47 lawyers and other legal professionals on the CoopZone Legal Network listserv. Slightly more than half of that group can be found on the public listing pages: Lawyers in Private Practice, and Other Legal Network members, for corporate counsel, etc.
Co-op Development Strategies: The Canadian Co-operative Association ("CCA") has finalized its multi-year co-op development strategy. CoopZone member Lynn Hannley of the Communitas Group was our representative on its Advisory Committee. The strategy's objectives are to: facilitate delivery of technical assistance, improve access to capital, support specific sectors and foster partnerships. There will be a tele-conference for CoopZone members only about the CCA strategy on May 8th (3:30 pm ET until 5 pm ET), with a focus on how CoopZone can collaborate to support this overall strategy. CoopZone also seeks to create its own co-op development strategy, and the discussion will start on the same call, if time permits.
CWCF-CoopZone Conference 2013: The CoopZone Board has decided to again join the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF) in its Conference this year, which will take place on November 7th - 9th in Edmonton, with the theme: Educating Each Other for Empowerment. One goal for CoopZone is to finalize its co-op development strategy by then. We hope to see many of you there.
Training Program: We are starting to do promotion of the CoopZone training program, for the courses starting in the fall of 2013; see the article below with details as well as testimonials from some of this year's students. Most of the nearly 20 students enrolled this year are approaching the end of their courses and should finish by the end of June.
Unity Discussions of CCA and CCCM: CoopZone has participated in the consultation sessions this spring about the unity of CCA and CCCM. The unity of the two organizations was agreed upon in principle at the AGMs of both CCA and CCCM last year. The issue of the relationship with CCA's International Development division has been addressed; it will be a subsidiary of the new apex organization. Final issues including the new organization's name and board structure are being negotiated, and it is expected that a vote will be held at the AGMs of both CCA and CCCM in late June in Edmonton. With what has been seen to date, the CoopZone Board is supportive of CCA and CCCM coming together to create a new national apex organization for all co-operatives in Canada, believing that this would help to strengthen the co-op movement in Canada, and have it more able to speak with one voice to government and the international co-operative movement. We encourage members and others to attend the CCA-CCCM Congress, information is here, or ici (fran�ais).
Newsletter articles: See below for articles on other topics which we think will be of interest to co-op developers. As always, we invite all members to submit articles which may be of interest to other members, for our quarterly newsletter.
Distribution list of this newsletter: We are sharing this quarterly newsletter not only with CoopZone members but also with others who we think would find its content of interest. If you prefer to not receive it, please notify me, [email protected].
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CoopZone Training Program 2013-14: Information Webinars Announced
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CoopZone is pleased to again be offering its co-op development training courses in 2013-14, starting in September. The basic information about the courses is available here: www.coopzone.coop/Courses. CoopZone is offering various levels of training: the Advanced Program (Years 1 and 2) for those who wish to become active developers; the Foundation Program for those who may become developers or work in the early stages of development, and the Introduction to Co-op Development course. The shorter Introductory course will be appropriate for people interested in understanding the types and roles of co-ops, and the basic co-op development process. All of these on-line courses are designed to fit around a full-time job. The Course Director is Peter Hough, and experienced co-op developers provide mentoring to students. Here's what some of the students this year have had to say: "I've been applying what I have learned from the course to my day-to-day work with co-ops right from the start of the program and would highly recommend it to anyone who works with co-ops, social enterprises, and those involved in community economic development on any level." (Mark Sparrow, NSCC). "After working and consulting with non-profits for over 20 years, Co-op Zone training has given me the understanding and tools to finally be able to work with co-ops. During the course I had 4 groups engage me to help start or transition their co-op, and my assigned mentor as well as the CoopZone network helped guide me through it. Thank you!" --Rick Juliusson, FreeRange Consulting, BC. "I would absolutely recommend the CoopZone program to anybody interested. The course is pretty amazing in the way that it creates a common community amongst us aspiring co-op developers and several fully established and tremendously experienced ones. The instructors are great, and the mentoring system gives me the chance to have hours of one-on-one time with an expert in my desired field." --Joel Ratcliffe, Ontario "The Advanced Co-op Developer training has enabled me to connect with other Co-op Developers and a Mentor which allowed me to apply what I am learning directly to the groups and projects I am working on, in real time. I would recommend this program for anyone interested in Co-op Development as we are often working alone or in small teams in communities; the course allows you to feel part of a co-op team!" --Amanda Hachey, CEC-NB
For those who are thinking about taking one of the courses, there will be a webinar held on May 22nd, and another on June 19th, each time at 12 noon Eastern Time for 60-90 minutes. These webinars are open to anyone. Please RSVP to Hazel Corcoran ([email protected]) by the end of the day prior; you will receive the dial-in information by the start of the day of the call. (If you do not receive it by then, please write again at that time.)
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Move to Industry Canada Announced
|  (Voir ci-bas pour un lien vers la version fran�aise.)
The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, has announced that the Government of Canada has completed the transfer of responsibility for co-operatives to Industry Canada from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which was a key recommendation in the report of the Special Committee on Co-operatives published last year.
Work on co-operatives will continue at Industry Canada with a number of initiatives, including: (1) assessing Industry Canada programs and services that are relevant to and accessible by co-operatives; (2) advancing a cross-government network with other federal departments that have responsibility for co-operatives; (3) developing an engagement strategy with provincial counterparts to build working relationships and increase understanding of the co-operative business model; and (4) releasing Co-operatives in Canada in 2009, a report on the activities of co-operatives across the country.
"This change will ensure that there is a single focal point in government to facilitate development, innovation and growth in Canada's co-operative sector," added Minister Paradis. "Our Government welcomes the opportunity to engage with co-operatives and to further review our business programming to support co-operatives."
Industry Canada has also launched its website that now includes Co-operatives:
--Re-printed from the Government of Canada's News Service. --Cet article est disponible en fran�ais ici: Le Centre des nouvelles. |
Aron Theatre Co-op
|  Many small towns and large cities alike have seen the loss of independent theatres over the past decade. Campbellford, Ontario has recently rebounded from the the likely loss of their theatre. Thankfully, community members found an increasingly popular solution, turning the business into a non-profit co-operative that will ensure the longevity of the theatre for the community to continue to enjoy. To find out more about the Aron Theatre, developed with the support of CoopZone member Russ Christianson, please follow this link to an article in the Dominion Newspaper Co-op. |
Fire at St-Albert Cheese Co-op / Incendie � la Fromagerie coop�rative St-Albert
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(Le fran�ais suit) On Sunday, 3 February, the factory that produces the famous St-Albert Cheese caught fire and was destroyed. An emblem of the local franco-ontarian co-operative movement, St-Albert had been producing cheese since 1894 and employed some 120 people. It was devastating news for inhabitants of the Ottawa River valley, though the community has vowed to rally back. Please follow this link to check out the article. Un incendie a d�truit la fromagerie St-Albert le 3 f�vrier. La coop�rative �tait, depuis 1894, une ic�ne de l'Est ontarien. La commaunit� franco-ontarienne est d�vast�e: une grande partie de l'�conomie locale est endommag�e et la commaunit� a perdu 120 emplois. Les gens veulent reconstruire St-Albert, et il y a un �panchement de soutien. Pour en savoir plus, suivez ce lien. |
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Exciting Development in Edmonton
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 A new co-operative residential development, Stage Pointe Greens, is in the planning stages. This vibrant, mixed-use community was initiated by the city of Edmonton and features CoopZone member Communitas as a partner. The development is planned to have more than two hundred units alongside commercial and retail space. In addition, there are some bold sustainability guidelines that the developers are looking to meet. There are high hopes for the project "because the co-ops are to function as a neighbourhood association and take responsibility for the common property and systems, [ensuring] the long-term viability of the community features". For more information, please follow this link. |
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CDI Seminar
|  More than 50 representatives of new and emerging co-operatives from across Canada met in Ottawa on January 29-30 for the final event organized by the Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI). The CDI seminar included sessions on such issues as member recruitment and engagement, communications, capitalization and governance. Participants heard success stories about such innovative co-ops as the Aron Theatre, the West End Food Co-op and Sustainability Solutions Group, and were given time for networking and group discussions. The seminar was the final event organized by CDI, a federally-funded co-op development program which has ended as a result of budget cuts. Marshall Gallardo, Manager of the CDI program, described the seminar as an inspiring event.
"It was exciting to see first-hand the successes these co-ops have achieved with the help of CDI," he said. "And the fact that so many younger co-operators attended the seminar bodes well for the future of the co-operative movement."
(Re-printed from the CCA's Co-operative News Briefs.) |
Le mouvement coop�ratif, une solution de rechange... m�me au Yukon!
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 Keith Halliday, une �conomiste du Yukon, a recemment partag� des perspectives aux organisateurs du Sommet International. Ses reflexions n'�taient pas seulement sur le mouvement coop�ratif, mais aussi sur les avantages qu'il offre par rapport au capitalisme, particuli�rement en ce temps de crise financi�re qui bouleverse encore aujourd'hui un grand nombre de pays � l'�chelle plan�taire. De l'Ouest canadien � Yellowknife, on ne peut tirer qu'une conclusion : les bonnes id�es ne manquent pas. On peut lire l'article ici. |
New Book about Co-ops
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"Empire and Co-operation", written by British academic Dr Rita Rhodescharts, charts the ICA's influence in ensuring the implementation of co-operative principles throughout the world, which led to the British Empire promoting co-operatives as part of its development strategy. The text focuses on the role played by the Plunkett Foundation and the ICA, with both organisations playing a key role in preparing territories for greater autonomy and self-governance. To find out more, please check out the ICA's website.
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CoopZone is a network of people and organizations which help others to start and develop co-operatives.
Please send any comments, suggestions and ideas for articles to:
Editor of CoopZone Newsletter
(418) 524-5161
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