Danielle Potter

We have recently added a “Recommended” section to our blog that contains links to material on co-operatives and credit unions that we believe will be of interest to readers. This menu item features a collection of curated content in three general subcategories: Reading, Viewing, and Listening. On each of these pages, you will discover links to books and articles, videos, blog posts, and podcasts. We have provided titles, authors and speakers where appropriate, and brief descriptions.

We would like to bring attention to Motion M-100, which recently passed in the Canadian House of Commons. Our Reading and Listening pages provide some of the history and context behind the origins of this motion.

Inspired by the work begun by the late Hon. Mauril Bélanger, Liberal Advocate for Co-operatives, MP Alexandra Mendès introduced Motion M-100 to further the work of Bélanger’s Special Committee on the Status of Co-operatives in Canada.

Alexandra Mendès, MP for Brossard—Saint-Lambert

In her speech in the House of Commons on 13 February 2017, Mendès explains why a motion would be the best means to implement the committee’s recommendations. A motion uses “stronger language and, if successful, would firmly establish the support of the House of Commons for the development of a strategy to further Strengthen Canada’s Co-operatives.”

Her hope was that “implementing a framework to promote the development of co-operatives and mutuals in Canada” and developing a strategy that would allow co-ops to flourish would diversify and invigorate the economy for the benefit of all Canadians.

Our recent blog post “The Hope for a Federal Co-op Development Strategy” outlines the concrete steps that need to be taken now that M-100 has been adopted. What will a national co-operative development strategy provide? How will it help Canadians — especially rural and Indigenous communities? Rural areas are struggling with challenges such as depopulation, resource development, and the influx of newcomers. Can co-operatives help? And can we find synergies between co-operative forms of enterprise and the social-economic-political realities of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities?

Our new Reading page has two blog posts from Co-operatives First that consider some co-op options for rural and Indigenous communities. One looks at New Generation Co-operatives, the other at cross-community partnerships. Both examine how the co-operative model may offer a solution to the distinctive challenges and needs of these communities.

The co-operative model is adaptable and versatile enough to suit the needs of different regions and sectors, and with a new federal co-op development strategy, it could provide Canadians with the tools to prosper in their community.

These are just a few examples of the new material available on our blog. Take a few minutes to explore further. There will be regular updates to these pages, and we invite readers to make suggestions of their own in the comments section on each page.

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