INTRODUCING CAMP KINDLING: THE EVOLUTION OF 92 YEARS OF CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION
Welcome to Camp Kindling Co-operative Youth Retreat!
Beginning in 2022 Co-op Camp becomes Camp Kindling. It's the most recent incarnation of Saskatchewan's co-operative education and youth experience programming.
Why "Kindling"? As SCA's program officer Tracey Quiring explains, "Everyone holds within us the bright spark of potential which Camp Kindling will help ignite. When we combine that and everyone comes together, that's when we will truly soar.
Camp Kindling will brings together youth from different cultures and different communities across Saskatchewan to learn about, embrace and embody co-op values. Now everyone will be able to experience the camp 'Magic'!"
With our new look comes a brand new experience: Winter Camp! For youth who have attended Intermediate or Graduate sessions in the past, look for invites from Tracey to Winter Graduate and Winter Senior Graduate sessions
We'll also keep you updated through our social media posts (while the camp's name has changed, for now you can use our existing social media handles or the new ones mentioned in the previous article). For more information on participating or sponsoring, feel free to contact Tracey tracey.quiring@sask.coop or 306-343-3583. #TheMagicContinues
Wow! What an incredible Co-op Week 2021. Co-ops and credit unions in almost every corner of the province (and across the country) celebrated their co-op difference, community support and member participation.
Thanks to everyone for their hard work and event planning. So many good deeds, open houses, announcements and random acts of kindness.
SCA was plugged into social media - tweeting, retweeting and amplifying more than 200 co-op sector messages through @CoopNewsSK & @CoopCampRocks (Twitter), @SaskCoopAssociation & @CampKindlingRocks (Facebook), Saskatchewan Co-operative Association (LinkedIn) and @CampKindlingRocks (Instagram).
THANK YOU to our generous Co-op Week sponsors:
Co-op Week overall: Government of Saskatchewan
Co-op Merit Awards: Government of Saskatchewan, with videos produced by Access Communications Co-operative Limited
Regina Co-op Week Luncheon: SaskCentral and Government of Saskatchewan, through our Co-op Week sponsorship funds
Saskatoon Co-op Week Film Screening/Luncheon: SaskCentral and Government of Saskatchewan, through our Co-op Week sponsorship funds
#LocalCoopLove online Scavenger Hunt sponsors: Arctic Co-operatives Limited, Co-operators and Westboine Park Housing Co-op
Co-op Week Proclamation and Flag Raising Ceremony
The Government of Saskatchewan proclaimed October 17-23, 2021 as Co-operatives Week in Saskatchewan to recognize the importance of co-operative businesses for our province's economy and communities.
The Co-op Flag was raised at the Legislative Building in Regina on October 18th. As part of the ceremony Muhammad Fiaz, MLA for Regina Pasqua, presented Jim Deane, president of the SCA board of directors, with this year's proclamation in recognition of Co-op Week.
#LOCALCOOPLOVE SCAVENGER HUNT
For the second year, SCA hosted the #LocalCoopLove online scavenger hunt during Co-op Week, this year in partnership with the Manitoba Co-operative Association.
129 teams participated (more than double last year's players) from all over Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well as Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick.
Most participants played the game through the GooseChase app on their phone and took part in various Covid-19-safe missions such as rewriting lyrics to famous songs to include co-op references, spelling out "co-op", creating co-op art, or showing us their vision of Captain Co-op. Some submissions are shown below, and others are posted on our website and social media. We'll continue to showcase the incredible creativity of our participants in our next few newsletters.
Those who completed all the missions were entered into a prize draw (including the grand prize of this beautiful Inukshuk sculpture by Artist Peter Aningmiuq, donated by Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.). See below for the winning teams.
A huge shout-out to our #LocalCoopLove sponsors: Co-operators, Arctic Co-operatives Ltd, and Westboine Park Housing Co-op.
EIGHT SASK CO-OPS PROFILED IN THE CO-OP WEEK FEATURE
This year’s Co-op Week feature in Planet S and Prairie Dog Magazines is energizing and inspiring!
The 2021 publication contains eight easy-to-read articles, profiling some of Saskatchewan's unique and diverse co-operatives.
And did you know that Planet S and Prairie Dog are the only co-operatively-owned media outlets in Saskatchewan?
CO-OP MERIT AWARD RECIPIENTS RECOGNIZED
SCA presented the 2020 and 2021 Saskatchewan Co-operative Merit Awards on October 18th during a dinner and awards ceremony in Regina. Brief biographies on all recipients can be found HERE.
To see our award recipients unmasked and read about their award categories, click HERE.
Keith Nixon; Josh Noble; Muhammad Fiaz, MLA for Regina Pasqua; Lori Sanders; Brad Schultz
Liz Kerpan; Jim Deane, president, SCA board of directors; Wes Filson; Kim Schmidt; Karla (Kerpan) Kain
Absent: Stuart Dyrland
SASKATOON CO-OP WEEK FILM + LUNCH
An enthusiastic (and socially-distanced) group gathered on October 20th, at the Saskatoon Inn to view "Atautsikut: Leaving None Behind", a film by John Houston. Afterwards, participants enjoyed a bag lunch and conversation.
ICU DAY CELEBRATED ON OCTOBER 21ST
This year’s International Credit Union Day was themed “Building financial health for a brighter tomorrow". Saskatchewan's credit unions used the day to celebrate their co-op roots, their members and their communities through in-person events, and radio, print and social media posts.
Here's a Haiku that Panther4, an adoring credit union member, wrote as a submission in our #LocalCoopLove Co-op Week scavenger hunt:
Our Credit Union
Always helpful
Friendly staff
We are so lucky!
Celebrated on the third Thursday of October, International Credit Union Day reflects on the credit union movement’s history and achievements and raise awareness about the sector. This is the 73rd anniversary of ICU Day, which was first observed in 1948.
Join the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operation and the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy on November 17 from 2:00-3:00pm for the 2021 Fredeen Lecture: The Challenges of Horizontal Governance -The Case of Workers Recovered Enterprises in Argentina
This year's online presentation features Celeste Osses, JSGS MPA Student,who will highlight Argentina’s Workers’ Recovered Enterprise movement and the tension between horizontal governance and market economy pressures.
RSVP HERE. This lecture is being presented through Zoom.
INTRODUCING THE MONTHLY BROWN BAG
The Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives introduces the Monthly Brown Bag - a series of casual online conversations where those working or volunteering in the co-operative sector can learn from other co-op professionals.
"Community-Based Innovation: The story of Conexus Credit Union" is the first in this series. It takes place via Zoom on November 3rd from 12noon - 1:00pm. There is no cost to participate.
The session is presented by Eric Dillon and Mary Weimer from Conexus Credit Union. They will share the story of how Conexus leveraged its co-op and community connections to build the Conexus Cultivator – a small business incubator – and the Conexus Venture Capital fund.
CO-OP TO CAPTURE CARBON AT ETHANOL PLANT AND REFINERY
Federated Co-operatives Limited announced last week that it had signed a memo of understanding with Calgary-based ‘clean energy’ company Whitecap Resources, in which the latter company will store and use carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions captured from Federated Co-op’s fuel plants.
The two companies’ planned operating agreement calls for emissions captured from the Co-op Refinery Complex at Regina — and from the Co-op Ethanol Complex (CEC) near Belle Plaine, about 40 km west of Regina — to be transported to and stored at Whitecap’s unit south of Weyburn for later use.
Whitecap’s Weyburn unit is billed as “the single largest anthropogenic carbon sequestration project in the world,” having so far captured over 36 million tonnes of CO2.
The deal calls for FCL to fund, construct and operate facilities at its Regina and Belle Plaine plants that would capture almost 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year for transport to Weyburn.
FCL currently expects carbon capture at the Co-op Ethanol Complex to be completed in 2024 followed by the commissioning of carbon capture at the Co-op Refinery Complex starting in 2026. Read more HERE.
BLOG POST: THE TOP SEVEN WAYS TO SPOT A CO-OP MEMBER
Just released on our website: "The Top Seven Ways to Spot A Co-op Member", SCA's latest blog post by guest author Heather Hale. It's a fun and light-hearted way to wrap up Co-op Week festivities or to simply brighten your day.
As a tease, here is Heather's fifth method of spotting a co-op member: They brag to friends about a “good/cool/interesting” co-op number.
Missed one of our Co-operative Spotlight newsletters?
Click on this LINK for a quick and informative read about co-ops & CUs in Saskatchewan
and around the world. It's the perfect complement to our social media feeds.
Looking for more co-op and credit union news?
Visit our SCA Facebook and Twitter feeds, and our Camp Kindling Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages for timely co-operative and credit union news updates.
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Saskatchewan Co-operative Association (SCA) is the apex organization for the province’s 800 co-operatives and credit unions. SCA is incorporated as a community service co-operative and is owned by its members, many of which are co-op federations or associations.
On behalf of the Saskatchewan co-operative community, SCA works to support and promote the co-operative model for community and economic development.
For the second year, SCA hosted the 
An enthusiastic (and socially-distanced) group gathered on October 20th, at the Saskatoon Inn to view "Atautsikut: Leaving None Behind", a film by John Houston. Afterwards, participants enjoyed a bag lunch and conversation. 
This year’s International Credit Union Day was themed “Building financial health for a brighter tomorrow". Saskatchewan's credit unions used the day to celebrate their co-op roots, their members and their communities through in-person events, and radio, print and social media posts.
Just released on our website: "The Top Seven Ways to Spot A Co-op Member", SCA's latest blog post by guest author Heather Hale. It's a fun and light-hearted way to wrap up Co-op Week festivities or to simply brighten your day. 
