FCL’S CEO, SCOTT BANDA, TO RETIRE AFTER 20 YEARS Scott Banda of Federated Co-operatives Limited has announced he will retire in May 2022.
During his 12 years as CEO and through his career at FCL, Scott has made a lasting impact on the entire organization and on Co-op’s across Western Canada.
FCL has experienced significant growth and evolution under Scott’s leadership, always with a sharp focus on creating value and ensuring the sustainability of the entire Co-operative Retailing System (CRS).
Scott’s belief in the cooperative model and the virtuous circle of shared success has positioned FCL to thrive and ensure these Co-ops can continue to benefit their communities for future generations.
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL: UPDATING THE SASKATCHEWAN CO-OPERATIVES ACT
Join us for this no-charge webinar February 8th, 12 PM - 1 PM
Join SCA and panelists to learn more about discussions co-operatives are having about the Saskatchewan Co-operatives Act and have the opportunity to compare ideas and discuss potential changes to the Act with different types of co-operatives.
Panelists:
Sheldon Stener, Federated Co-operatives Limited
Maria Vaiaso, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
Jim Deane, Access Communications Co-operative Limited
Patrick Lapointe, Community Health Co-operative Federation Limited
Kevin Harding, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan and Technical Safety BC
Click on the image above to download a copy of the webinar brochure, suitable for emailing and sharing with others. And click on this LINK for five suggestions on how you can consider what feedback and ideas your co-op may have and how to get involved in the process
FCL ENTERS JOINT VENTURE TO CONSTRUCT INTEGRATED AGRICULTURE COMPLEX
The partnership with AGT is a 51%-49% split, with FCL holding the majority ownership stake.
Federated Co-operative Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture partnership with AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. The newly formed partnership will look to construct a $360 million canola crush facility.
The canola crush facility will supply approximately 50% of the feedstock required for a 15,000-barrel-per-day renewable diesel plant, with the remainder of the supply contracted from other canola crush facilities. Read MORE.
The canola crush plant is part of a $2 billion investment FCL is making in the construction of an Integrated Agriculture Complex (IAC). This announcement builds on the company’s recent announcement that FCL is advancing plans to construct a renewable diesel facility in the Regina area.
The IAC will include the recently announced renewable diesel plant and canola crushing plant that will produce the feedstock for the plant-based fuels produced at the renewable diesel facility.
CO-OPERATORS PLEDGES $350K TOWARD INITIATIVE AIMED AT REDUCING LANDFILL
The first project will be re-purposing salvaged building materials from insurance claims.
Co-operators, the City of Guelph, Wellington County and the Guelph Smart Cities Office launched the Zero Waste Economic Transformation Lab. It aims to apply circular economy theories to develop and test new opportunities to reduce or redirect waste.
As the lab’s founding corporate supporter, Co-operators pledged $350,000 to establish the lab and fund its first project to divert construction and demolition materials from landfills. Ongoing operations are expected to be funded through public and private grants.
Chad Parks, Co-operators vice-president of sustainability and citizenship, said the program is particularly interesting and relevant to the insurance company because it mitigates downstream impacts of waste and emissions that are generated from rebuilding aspects in insurance claims. Read MORE.
Be part of this inclusive and safe space where young people strengthen their leadership, communication and self-awareness skills.
Camp Kindling is a program specially designed for Saskatchewan youth ages 12 to 18.
You will have the chance to develop your communication, teamwork and co-operation skills through fun activities and games.
You'll be outside.
You'll develop - or strengthen - some of your skills.
The skills you develop will look great on your resume, too, when you begin to look for a job or start to volunteer.
And as you progress through the various levels of Camp, you'll take on more leadership and responsibility for the goals and design of the camp.
WINTER SESSIONS: We are organizing two invitation-only winter camps. If you should have gone to your Graduate or Senior Grad Camps in the summers of 2020 or 2021, and your camps were cancelled because of the pandemic, do not fret. Graduate Camp will be held February 20-26, 2022 and Senior Grad will be April 16-18, 2022. Eligible campers should have already received a postal-mailed invitation. If you think you were missed, send us an email.
SUMMER SESSIONS: Our summer camps are currently being planned. We'll be posting details soon.
WE WANT YOU TO STAFF WITH US
The dedication and commitment of the Camp Kindling Staff teams is a key component to the success of our youth programs. With our training and your life experiences, you'll be set for an incredible, enriching and enjoyable experience.
Camp Kindling is currently seeking staffers for its 2022 winter camps. If you’ve staffed a previous Camp, we invite you to apply to staff either our Graduate Camp or Senior Grad.
We’re looking for NEW staff, too! If you’re a co-op sector or credit union system employee, elected official, Co-op Camp/Camp Kindling alumnus or volunteer aged 17 years of age or up, consider volunteering to staff one of our new winter camps.
We’ll be releasing the details about our summer Camp sessions soon. So consider staffing this winter, this summer ... or maybe even both!
For more information, or to apply for a staffing role, contact Tracey Quiring, Program Officer. Email: tracey.quiring@sask.coop, Direct Line: 306-343-3583. More about Camp Kindling at https://campkindling.coop/.
HAND IN HAND: A CO-OPERATIVE GUIDE FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA
A great resource for ESL teachers, newcomers and those who want to learn about co-ops.
Hand in Hand is a series of handbooks developed by Saskatchewan Co-operative Association. It's appropriate for adult ESL/EAL learners and designed for instructors of English language/LINC, and employment and career related classes.
The series provides newcomers with the opportunity to learn about co-operatives and to consider co-ops as an opportunity for business development and employment.
Hand in Hand provides lessons, handouts, exercises, and activities for instructors to incorporate learning about co-operatives into their teaching. Volume 1 is focused on Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels 1-4. Volume 2 is suitable for learners at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels 5-12.
SCA FIRST NATIONS GUIDE CITED IN AMERICAN CO-OP JOURNAL ARTICLE
Co-ops share many of the values and beliefs found among First Nations.
In 2015, SCA partnered with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network (formerly the Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network) to develop "Local People, Local Solutions: A Guide to First Nation Co-operative Development in Saskatchewan". The handbook was designed to support First Nations' co-operative development.
We are pleased to announce that the document has been used as a reference in an article entitled “Relative to the landscape: Producer cooperatives in native food sovereignty initiatives”, published in the Journal of Co-operative Organization Management. (JCOM) The authors are Becca Dower and Jennifer Gaddis, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin and the article was published in the December issue.
HERE is the link to the academic article posted on the JCOM site. If you'd like to read SCA's "Local People, Local Solutions: A Guide to First Nation Co-operative Development in Saskatchewan" for yourself, download it from the Guides and Publications section of our website or from this LINK.
SARAH FIRBY RECEIVES SOCIAL ECONOMY AND CO-OPERATIVES AWARD
Sarah is a Camp graduate and former staffer!
Sarah Firby is the inaugural recipient of the Leo and Bruce Thordarson Social Economy and Co-operatives Award, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives recently announced. “My interest in co-operatives started with my involvement as a youth participant then camp counsellor in Camp Kindling: Co-operative Youth Retreat (formerly the Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Program),” said Firby.
For over eight years, Firby has and continues to work for the Co-operative Retailing System in Saskatchewan. After recently completing the Graduate Certificate in the Social Economy and Co-operatives program, she is currently pursuing the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.
Congratulations, Sarah!! Read about Sarah and her and the award HERE.
GEOTHERMAL HEATING CO-OP SHARES WARMTH AMONG MONTREAL NEIGHBOURS
Seven homes are benefitting, with a goal to connect up to 50.
In 2015, a group of environmentally conscious neighbours in Montreal came up with a bold idea to slash carbon emissions — and heating bills — in their neighbourhood of Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie.
What if they installed a geothermal energy system in the shared laneway behind their homes, so many of their residences could be efficiently heated with electricity instead of gas or oil? They started a co-operative organization called Celsius and began doing research and applying for grants.
It's been a long and complicated journey, but this winter, for the first time, Celsius is heating seven homes in the neighbourhood retrofitted with geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground source heat pumps or geoexchange systems.
Individually, the homeowners would never have been able to afford the heating system or navigate the complicated legal process involved in sharing it among multiple homes without the co-operative. Read the full article HERE.
Many of these opportunities will close soon. Check out the website of your local credit union to see what positions are being offered and in which locations. The Canadian Credit Union Association maintains a directory of all credit unions in Canada. This LINK will help you locate the ones in your region.
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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.
In 2015, SCA partnered with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network (formerly the Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network) to develop "Local People, Local Solutions: A Guide to First Nation Co-operative Development in Saskatchewan". The handbook was designed to support First Nations' co-operative development.
Sarah Firby is the inaugural recipient of the Leo and Bruce Thordarson Social Economy and Co-operatives Award, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives recently announced. “My interest in co-operatives started with my involvement as a youth participant then camp counsellor in Camp Kindling: Co-operative Youth Retreat (formerly the Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Program),” said Firby.
