CO-OPERATIVE SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER FOR MARCH 3, 2021
ARE UPDATES TO THE SK CO-OP ACT ON THE HORIZON?
The Saskatchewan government is planning on updates to the Saskatchewan Co-operatives Act.
Tentatively scheduled for review next year, the government will begin hosting consultations with co-operatives and inviting submissions on the Act. SCA will also be bringing co-operatives together to gather their input.
The boards of directors of all Saskatchewan co-operatives are encouraged to include this topic in their 2021 planning sessions so that they will be prepared with their list of priorities and recommendations for change.
We’ll keep you informed when the government announces their timelines for the review process.
CO-OP CAMP 2021: DAY CAMPS COMING TO A COMMUNITY NEAR YOU!
Co-op Camp is hitting the road! We are running a fantastic day camp this year, and we will be in a community near you. You will spend the day playing co-operative games, learning about yourself and your leadership styles, and of course, having fun while building your skills and making a new friend or two!
We are cramming the camp week into a full day of amazement. Bring your running shoes and an open mind and we will work together to have a day you won’t soon forget!
Cost per participant is $60.00 and covers all supplies including food and drinks. This also gives youth admission to the Virtual Camp elements that we will be hosting throughout the summer as well!
Look for registration and community specific dates on social media (coopcamprocks on Instagram and co-op camp on Facebook) and on our website at www.sask.coop.
CO-OP & CREDIT UNION SPONSORS WANTED FOR COMMUNITY DAY CAMPS If your co-operative or credit union is interested in sponsoring a Camp day in your community, please email the program officer at tracey.quiring@sask.coop and we will put your community on the Road Trip map!
USASK RECEIVES $300K FROM FCL TO RENEW RESEARCH CHAIR FOCUSED ON CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE
The Co-operative Retailing System (CRS) Chair in Co-operative Governance at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) will receive $300,000 over five years from Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), on behalf of the CRS in Western Canada.
The CRS Chair - based in the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC) at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) - supports ambitious research and educational programming aimed at creating new ways of thinking about the unique governance model shared by co-operatives.
“The research completed in the first term was valuable in that it created an innovative framework to support improving co-operative governance,” said Sharon Alford, FCL’s president/chair of the board. “There have always been governance challenges across different sectors, but modern pressures on the co-operative sector underscore the continued need to be accountable to members and maintain our relevance for future generations. This is crucial not only for the CRS, but all co-operatives in Canada and around the world.”
Dr. Murray Fulton (PhD) is the inaugural CRS Chair and Dr. Marc-Andre Pigeon (PhD) remains as CCSC director.
The new chair, once appointed this summer, will help FCL and CCSC build on the existing research program in co-operative governance by looking at some of the sector’s major concerns, including adapting to rapid technological, regulatory and environmental changes. The work will also shed light on governance mechanisms in the larger economy and society, including - but not limited to - the business sector and within Indigenous communities.
For the first time in its history, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) hosted its 92nd Annual Meeting virtually. Nearly 300 delegates representing local co-operative associations from across Western Canada came together online to participate in FCL's democratic governance.
As the second largest business in Saskatchewan according to SaskBusiness Magazine, FCL recorded revenues of $7.9 billion, down 13.5 per cent from $9.2 billion the previous year. From earnings of $177 million, $117.5 million was returned to local Co-ops and their communities, with every dollar staying in Western Canada.
The 2020 FCL Annual Report – including financial information and more highlights – can be viewed at www.fcl.crs/annual-report.
SK HOUSING CO-OP RESIDENT TO JOIN CHF CANADA’S BOARD
Tonya O’Keefe has joined the board of directors of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), representing Saskatchewan. She lives in Rainbow Housing Co-op in Saskatoon.
Congratulations, Tonya!
Read more about Tonya's fight to protect rental assistance for Saskatchewan’s housing co-ops HERE.
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CO-OPERATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PITCH CONTEST
The Mondragon City Challenge encourages teams of young people work together to tackle challenges that motivate them. Issues can range from digitization and cybersecurity to pandemic risks, healthcare or sustainable and smart mobility.
The teams, made up of two to four young people between the ages of 16 and 24, will pitch their ideas for a co-operative business that would tackle these challenges. Projects that reach the final will have the opportunity to defend their idea in front of a professional jury and compete for prizes.
There are only a few days remaining to create your team and sign up. Teams must pre-register by March 7. The names of the 20 teams that will go on to the next phase will be published on March 23.
The competition has two categories: 16-18-year-olds and 19-24-year-olds. The winners in the 16-18 category will win a trip to Europe while the winners in the 19-24 category will get a trip to the Republic of Korea. A prize of €800 will also be awarded for originality.
The competition is aimed at secondary school, vocational training and university students who will develop their own co-operative project in teams over a period of nine months.
More information on the competition is available HERE.
NEW RESOURCE FOR CREDIT UNIONS CONSIDERING MERGER OPTIONS
Dr. Marc-André Pigeon, Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC) director and assistant professor, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, has released a paper that analyzes the considerations for when two or more credit unions attempt to join forces.
In a merger, where might decision points be placed to preserve local autonomy while increasing efficiency?
The paper also looks at various legal and decision-making structures that merging credit unions could consider, such as single entity, federation or confederation.
CO-OPERATIVES ONLINE RESOURCE GUIDE AND STUDENT SCHOLARSHPS ANNOUNCED
myBlueprint is an online education and career planning resource for high school students and teachers. One of its modules increases the understanding of co-operatives and helps meet the guidelines for learning about co-operative businesses found in many provincial education curricula.
Several Canadian provincial co-op associations, including SCA, recently joined together to develop a new myBlueprint guide on co-operative businesses and a scholarship program.
The guide includes lesson plans that will help students learn about and then create co-operatives in a real-word setting, while developing new skills through experiential learning.
The scholarship program will be available this school year and details will be announced soon.
In Saskatchewan, the myBlueprint program is accessible to all Saskatchewan high school students through any school using myBlueprint (and all schools have access to it). To learn more about this resource, check out their Twitter feed @myblueprint.
CANADIAN CREDIT UNIONS HOLD 60+ MEETINGS IN VIRTUAL HIKE THE HILL
Michael Hatch, vice president of government relations for the Canadian Credit Union Association, reports that credit union leaders held more than 60 meetings with MPs and Senators as part of its successful online advocacy week known as Hike the Hill.
The meetings were organized to increase awareness of the Canadian credit union system’s priorities in advance of the 2021 federal budget.
TRACEY'S BLOG: WHY IT IS OKAY TO FAIL SOMETIMES
In her latest blog post, Tracey Quiring, SCA's program officer, drops this memorable line:“Do you have a belly button? Yes, you do, you are human, now prepare to fail 10% of the time.”
She offers a few words of advice (for those who have attended Co-op Camp, and those of you yet to discover it): "Every time you try something new, you have the opportunity to fail. Accepting failure is important at a place like summer camp. If you are new to the camp experience, of course you have the chance to fail. A glorious chance to screw something up. Whether it is a new game, a new craft, or learning to work in a new community of people, (Hello Co-op Camp!), learning how to communicate, learning how to compromise, you will perhaps fail a little at first. You will have to expect to make a few mistakes and accept that you have done so. Simply accept this fact. Do it. 😊 Because once you do, then you can learn from the mistake, and you can learn the successful habit or skill that you need to make the situation better."
Read Tracey's full blog post (a 5-minute read) HERE. And to catch up on any SCA blog posts you might have missed, go to https://sask.coop/about-us/blog.
Co-op news is even better when it's shared! If this copy of the SCA Co-operative Spotlight newsletter was forwarded to you, please SUBSCRIBE so you can stay connected. We usually publish about twice a month.
Click on the links below to share this newsletter to others.
Saskatchewan Co-operative Association (SCA) is the apex organization for the province’s 850 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.
Co-op Camp is hitting the road! We are running a fantastic day camp this year, and we will be in a community near you. You will spend the day playing co-operative games, learning about yourself and your leadership styles, and of course, having fun while building your skills and making a new friend or two! 
For the first time in its history, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) hosted its 92nd Annual Meeting virtually. Nearly 300 delegates representing local co-operative associations from across Western Canada came together online to participate in FCL's democratic governance.
Tonya O’Keefe has joined the board of directors of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), representing Saskatchewan. She lives in Rainbow Housing Co-op in Saskatoon.
