English – Page 54 – Canadian CED Network

new brunswick flag New Brunswick posted draft regulations for the creation of a Community Economic Development Investment Fund tax credit program today for public consultation.

The new initiative was published originally announced in the 2014 budget.

CEDIFs are pools of capital from individuals, corporations and trusts within a defined community that are used to operate or invest in businesses within the defined community – a big boon to local CED initiatives. CEDIFs have been used with great success in other jurisdictions – since 1999, Nova Scotia has seen 48 CEDIFs established, mobilizing 7500 investors, with total assets at more than $56 million. (See CCEDNet’s webinar on Nova Scotia CEDIFs for more)

The deadline for feedback on the draft regulations is October 8

Read the Public Review of Draft Regulations

The Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick has also posted the draft capital raising rules for CEDIFs.

The closing date for public comments on the draft capital raising rules is November 10.

September 10th, 2015. On the occasion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit to be held on 25-27 September in New York, Madani Koumare, President of the National Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (RENAPESS) of Mali will be an official speaker in the plenary roundtable “Fostering sustainable economic growth, transformation and promotion of sustainable consumption and production”.

For this important meeting in which the UN Member States will be adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will shape the international development agenda for 2015-2030, the General Assembly of the United Nations requested a wide consultation with civil society organizations (CSOs). This was with a view to recommending a list of candidates for speaking roles in the high-level plenary meeting to the office of the President of the General Assembly. RIPESS was part of the selection committee that recommended a list of around 100 people to fill the 21 speaker positions. Madani Koumaré was selected by the President’s office as one of three speakers on this theme.

Madani Koumaré,
President of RENAPESS

RENAPESS is a member organization of the African Network of Social Economy (RAESS), and as such is part of the RIPESS network. It is a broad national network of over 60 organizations in Mali that woks to build a development strategy aimed at providing all sectors of the Malian society with effective development tools for ensuring a better life for the country’s different peoples and ensuring the future of generationsto come.

In recent years, RENAPESS has worked closely with the Government of Mali on building a National Policy for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (PNPESS – available online in French). The national policy was adopted in October 2014. It aims to foster the creation of economic activity by and for the people and enable them to escape poverty and improve their standards of living, while protecting the planet.

In his application form, the President of RENAPESS affirmed that his speech will focus on “alternative economic models based on inclusion, ethics in international cooperation and on low-carbon, labor-intensive technologies centered on renewable resources and domestic consumption”.

Madani Koumaré is also a member of the Board of the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS). In 2014, the network conducted a worldwide consultation with its members on the Sustainable Development Goals. The network’s recommendations were signed by 500 organizations from all continents and officially submitted to the UN in July 2014.

Source: Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS)

For information: info at ripess.org

SOURCE: RIPESS

Madani Koumaré’s speaking notes from the September 26th meeting can be found here.

British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Canada are jointly engaged in the implementation of the Cooperative Capital Markets Regulatory System (Cooperative System). The Cooperative System is designed to streamline the capital markets regulatory framework to protect investors, foster efficient capital markets and manage systemic risk while preserving strengths of the current system.

The provinces and territory participating in the development of the Cooperative System have published for comment the revised consultation draft provincial/territorial Capital Markets Act (CMA) and draft initial regulations under the provincial/territorial legislation. The consultation draft of the CMA was initially published for comment in September 2014. This marks the first publication of the draft initial regulations. The comment period will run until December 23, 2015. The revised consultation draft of the CMA and the draft initial regulations are available on the Cooperative System website. Additional draft initial regulations will be published for comment in the coming months including a harmonized set of prospectus exemptions and a fee regulation.

The CMA and initial regulations are intended to modernize and harmonize the legislative frameworks of the participating provinces and territory. Once operational, the Capital Markets Regulatory Authority (Authority) will administer the provincial/territorial legislation, the initial regulations and the federal Capital Markets Stability Act.

Read the draft regulations and comment

Background

The participating jurisdictions are working to develop and implement the Cooperative System that will incorporate the following elements as set out in the Memorandum of Agreement Regarding the Cooperative Capital Markets Regulatory System (MOA):

The Cooperative System will feature a single regulator, the Authority, which will administer a single set of rules designed to protect investors and support efficient capital markets.
Accountability to the legislative bodies of participating jurisdictions and oversight of the Cooperative System will be through a Council of Ministers comprising Ministers responsible for securities regulation in each provincial and territorial participating jurisdiction and the federal Minister of Finance.
The Council of Ministers will be responsible for appointing the expert board of directors, proposing amendments to the Cooperative System legislation and approving regulations.
The Authority will maintain staff and resources that are commensurate with the capital market activity in all participating provinces and territories.
The Authority will deliver common standards and service across participating provinces and territories through local offices.
The Authority will be funded through a single, simplified fee structure set at a level that doesnot impose unnecessary or disproportionate costs on market participants

New Research on Co-op Economic Impacts Recent research on the economic impact of the co-operative sector in Canada show that its activity contributes over $50 billion dollars to the Canadian economy and supports over 600,000 jobs.

Researchers George Karaphillis, Alicia Lake, and Fiona Duguid from the Measuring the Co-operative Difference Research Network (MCDRN) conducted economic impact analyses on the co-operative sector for the years 2009 and 2010. The results showed that co-operatives, credit unions, and co-operative insurance enterprises had a direct economic impact (GDP) of $22 Billion in 2010 – and, through indirect and induced spin-offs, this impact multiplies to over $54 Billion. This represented 3.4% of the total economic activity in Canada in 2010.

Further, nearly 270,000 full-time jobs were created in the sector and through spin-off effects, this activity supported over 614,000 jobs in many sectors throughout the country. Co-operatives between 2009 and 2010 also created jobs at nearly five times the rate of the broader economy.

The study was conducted based on the latest data available from Industry Canada’s annual co-operative survey, data on financial co-operatives via Statistics Canada, and the annual reports of the six main co‑operative insurance companies. A summary of the study is available on the project’s website and the papers are expected to be published in academic journals in the winter of 2015.

Denyse Guy, Executive Director of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC), who is also the co-chair of the MCDRN, pointed out that the data was from a very important period where economic instability had a major effect on confidence and growth. “This is the first time that co-operative economic impacts have been calculated the same way as other sectors. The ability to compare this data during that time period is important.” stated Ms. Guy. “We are confident that with the right policy supports and strategies going forward, co-operative enterprises will continue to create jobs, prosperity and good social outcomes in Canadian communities.”

CMC is currently lobbying for Federal Government participation in a National Co-op Development Strategy that would substantially increase the economic impacts reported in the study. The co-operative sector is also investing in a capital fund that will make appropriate financing accessible to co-ops, a key solution to capitalizing new co-ops and expanding established ones.

With the federal election campaign well underway, it is important for co-operatives to make their voices heard and to advocate for co-operative solutions with candidates and their parties.

Visit the Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada election page

SOURCE: Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada

Sean Markey doesn’t mince words. “We have been neglecting rural Canada,” he said. “There is no question about it. Despite the vital role of rural places in this country we have ignored rural Canada and run down the capital invested in rural regions by previous generations.” Markey, an associate professor at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, is a co-author on the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation’s State of Rural Canada report exploring the current state of rural Canada set for release on September 17 at the Building Community Resilience Conference in Summerside, PEI.

Markey and his colleagues from across Canada identified key trends within each province and territory and came up with a series of recommendations for advancing rural development in this country.

“Despite the challenges, the situation is far from bleak,” said Al Lauzon, a professor at the University of Guelph and the president of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) which produced the report. “What we found is that there is tremendous rural resilience, diversity, and vibrancy in rural Canada. Yes, there are problems and challenges, but there are also opportunities and possibilities we need to recognize and support,” he said. “We have work to do, at all levels, if we want a sustainable future for rural Canada in the 21st century.”

The key findings of the report show that rural Canada is facing a mix of demographic, economic, and social challenges including an aging population and a need to provide new development opportunities for younger workers. However, the report also points out that rural Canada has proved itself to be highly innovative in terms of responding to the pressures of low-cost global competitors. With limited resources, but drawing on strong social ties, rural regions and local organizations are models of innovation, doing more with less and achieving positive impacts for their communities. Environmentally, rural regions are on the front line of such issues as sustainability, food security and balancing resource developments and economic diversification with the social and environmental impacts on their communities.

“There is a lot to learn from rural Canada. We are thrilled to partner with CRRF and hope that this is practical document will be useful to policy-makers who are seeking to better understand and engage with the rural regions and rural people upon which and whom our food, water, resources, energy, recreation, and ecosystem depend,” said Bill Reimer, sociologist at Concordia University, former CRRF president, report reviewer, and lead researcher on a seven-year partnership called Rural Policy Learning Commons – a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded international partnership focused on building better rural and northern policy.

Access the State of Rural Canada 2015

Source: The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation

The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) was established in 1989 to contribute to the revitalization and sustainability of rural Canada. CRRF works to create credible insights and to improve understanding of rural issues and opportunities. Ryan Gibson, President of CCEDNet’s Board of Directors and former president of CRRF, was co-editor of this report.

The Board of Directors of RDÉE Canada, a member of the Canadian CED Network, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jean-Guy D. Bigeau as President and Executive Director of the organization.

Hailing from Tracadie, New Brunswick, Mr. Bigeau received his primary and secondary education in Timmins and completed his university studies at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. Mr. Bigeau was Executive Director of Carrefour francophone in Sudbury, CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and of Canadian Crossroads International, Executive Director of Katimavik (OPCAN) and of the Municipality of Chelsea, and has also been involved in volunteer activities, including serving as president of the ACCO (Assemblée des centres culturels de l’Ontario).

Jean-Guy Bigeau Mr. Bigeau has a background in sociology, public administration and industrial relations. He has managed several teams of employees working on community projects in regions across Canada. He has implemented numerous strategic plans, led working committees as well as national and international conferences, and effectively handled negotiations to increase and diversify the funding of several of the organizations for which he worked. He is also very knowledgeable in marketing and communication and has a broad spectrum of administrative and legal expertise.

“I am delighted to have been appointed President and Executive Director of RDÉE Canada and look forward to working with the member organizations of its Canadian Network. In the current political and economic context, I have big entrepreneurial and employability ambitions and am excited about working with each of the Network partners. Together, we need to establish solid guidelines to guarantee the long-term development and growth of Canada’s Francophone and Acadian communities across the country,” he said on the day he took office.

Gilles Lanteigne added: “As Board Chair of RDÉE Canada, I want to extend a very warm welcome to Mr. Bigeau to our team. I am confident that he will have every success in his new position.” For the past 17 years, RDÉE Canada, building on the expertise and support of its provincial and territorial members, has been the leader of economic development in Francophone and Acadian communities. In both the short and longer-term, RDÉE Canada supports projects and trade initiatives by maintaining sustainable partnerships in promoting the leadership and innovation that the country needs.

Welcome, M. Bigeau!

Source: RDÉE Canada

The Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub is calling for applications for their 2015 cohort. This is a great opportunity to join a select group of entrepreneurs for a 12-month accelerator program to grow your social venture to the next level. There is no cost to the program but your passion and commitment is needed!

The vision for the Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub is to propel social entrepreneurship forward in BC, establish the province as a world class centre for social innovation and social venture development, and create a dynamic and supportive space for social ventures to grow.

The Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub is designed for ventures wanting to embrace social innovation while using business models to create impact in society. The accelerator program brings together early stage social ventures with BC’s social innovators, seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, faculty, alumni, and students to:

Accelerate the growth of promising social ventures and the impact they create
Increase the number of social ventures focused on tackling social and environmental issues facing our communities
Build the skills and networks of social entrepreneurs
Provide applied learning opportunities for the top students in the province and build the talent pipeline for the social venture sector
Promote economic, social and environmental change in BC communities

Application details (apply by November 5)

The Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub provides promising social ventures with:

A co-working space
A workshop series tailored to the unique needs of social ventures
Access to knowledge capital from the ISIS Research Centre and the Sauder School of Business
Peer learning and support
Business coaching and advisory services
Mentorship from industry experts
A full-time student intern during the summer period
Opportunities for exposure and access to networks

How to find out more:

Oct 8, 2014: Social Venture Re-Vue
Oct 15, 2014: CCS iHub Info Session

Visit our website or email Joanna at

The Canadian CED Network and CEDEC are pleased to announce that the national community economic development conference is coming to Montréal, May 18-20, 2016!

The 2016 National CED Conference will feature leading speakers, engaging sessions and tailored networking opportunities on the latest innovations in community enterprise, workforce development, and local economies that are creating sustainable prosperity for all.

One of the goals is to create an interactive experience and it starts at the beginning of the planning process. We want to hear your suggestions for speakers, workshops and conference activities.

Fill out this short survey

If you would like to be a presenter at the conference, complete the Expression of Interest form instead.

All respondents will be entered for a draw to win an autographed copy of Mike Lewis and Pat Conaty’s book The Resilience Imperative.

The deadline has been extended to September 30th.

In June 2000, the Province of Manitoba launched Neighbourhoods Alive! (NA!) as its “long-term community-based social and economic strategy“ for urban revitalization. The Manitoba New Democratic Party had recently formed government in 1999, after over decade out of office. At that time, Winnipeg was being identified by the news media as the arson capitol of Canada and inner city neighbourhoods in Winnipeg, as well as other Manitoba communities, had been in decline for many years or even decades.

Downtown Brandon Skyline

NA! initially focused on Brandon, Thompson, and five inner city Winnipeg neighbourhoods. While Winnipeg comprises almost half the population of Manitoba, Brandon and Thompson were Manitoba’s second and third largest cities respectively (Portage la Prairie has since surpassed Thompson in terms of population). The five inner city Winnipeg neighbourhoods were identified as the highest need neighbourhoods in Winnipeg having experienced significant long-term decline in both physical (built environment) and socio-economic terms.

While Winnipeg has a history dating back to the first permanent settlement in 1812, the current City of Winnipeg was incorporated through the amalgamation of 13 municipalities in 1972. The inner city of Winnipeg had a history of major urban revitalization programs, dating back to before the Winnipeg Core Area Initiatives (CAI), tri-partite government agreements beginning in 1981. Over a ten-year period, CAI had invested $196 Million. CAI was, however, criticised for contributing much of its resources on mega projects such as North Portage Place. The Winnipeg Development Agreement and Winnipeg Partnership Agreement followed CAI, investing a further $150 Million over a ten-year period, although not restricted to the inner city nor coordinated in the same way as CAI.

Brandon has a history dating back to its incorporation in 1882 and experienced significant growth following the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The history of Thompson is more recent, initially established as a nickel mining town in 1957. Although part of rural and northern initiatives, in the recent past, neither of these communities had been part of the type of urban revitalization programs that Winnipeg had experienced. In 2000, both of these communities had experienced declining populations, as well as other signs of decline.

One of the key features of NA! is that it employs a Community Led Development (CLD) model. The most significant aspect of this model has been the evolving partnership with Neighbourhood Renewal Corporations (NRCS). While NA! initially partnered with five NRCs in 2001, there are currently thirteen NRCs in Winnipeg (6) and seven other Manitoba communities. Through the Neighbourhood Development Assistance (NDA) program, NA! provides core operating funding to NRCs. In return, NRCs consult with their respective communities in developing five-year Neighbourhood Renewal Plans and in coordinating local revitalization efforts.

While situated in a specific provincial department (currently Housing and Community Development), NA! has an interdepartmental approach to community revitalization. Beyond directly administering funding programs such as NDA and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF), NA! has attempted to coordinate revitalization efforts with other provincial government departments, other levels of government and other funders (e.g., Charitable Foundations), as well as with the NRCs. Whether as part of more formal agreements such as the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative or less formal arrangements, this has perhaps been one of the most challenging areas for NA!

Initially serving Brandon, Thompson, and five inner city Winnipeg neighbourhoods, NA! currently serves seven Manitoba communities and 13 inner city Winnipeg neighbourhoods. This occurred through program expansions in 2005, 2007, and 2011. NA! programs that follow the CLD model include NRF with an annual budget of approximately $3 Million, NDA at almost $2 Million, and Neighbourhood Housing Assistance at approximately $1 Million. Other departments also administer NA! programs such as Lighthouses (youth recreation) and Urban Art Centres that may go beyond the communities that core NA! programs serve and do not necessarily follow the CLD model, but contribute towards sustaining long-term projects.

While not having the resources of tri-partite agreements such as CAI, NA! has demonstrated an impact on the communities targeted. Working with its partner NRCs, NA! has focused on targeted communities. Revitalization efforts have ranged from housing renewal to projects that address social and economic issues for local residents. While there may be NA! involvement in some multi-million dollar projects such as the Merchants Hub in Winnipeg (the redevelopment of a notorious former hotel to mixed housing and commercial space), most projects have been relatively small including developing community gardens and supporting social and recreational programming for families.

In following instalments of this blog, I want to further explore the evolution of the NA! partnership with NRCs, whether the communities NA! has targeted are being revitalized, and some of the opportunities and challenges in the near future.

For more information on NA!, check out the resources below:

Neighbourhoods Alive! Blog Post Part 2
Neighbourhoods Alive! Blog Post Part 3
Government of Manitoba Neighbourhoods Alive! program
A Guide for Developing Neighbourhood Plans (Neighbourhoods Alive!)
A Guide to Community Development

Richard Dilay is currently a self-employed Organizational Consultant. For 11.5 years, between 2000 and 2014, he was the Manager of Neighbourhoods Alive! (on secondment to the department of Family Services between 2010 and 2012). Previously, he worked as a Community Organizer, Child Welfare Worker, and Immigrant Counsellor in Winnipeg. He has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba.

Although it draws on practices of organizing and solidarity that go way back in history, CED emerged more recently in the U.S. a half century ago as a social innovation primarily to address concentrated, persistent poverty, especially in urban areas.

Today, CCEDNet members do all sorts of amazing things, but the common thread of values motivating action to build on assets and create inclusive economic opportunities can still trace its roots to a goal of helping people escape poverty and live fulfilling lives.

Poverty has been a tough nut to crack, however. Progress was made over the 20^th century, mostly due to public programs, but some groups and regions are still stuck with unacceptably high rates.

Why?

We have a better understanding now that poverty is a complex, multifaceted problem requiring joined-up solutions. In recent decades, faced with the retreat of government services and supports, CED practitioners have had an increasingly uphill battle because so many of the factors related to poverty are systemic problems that must be addressed though public policies. Although CED can do a lot, it can’t solve poverty without favourable macroeconomic and policy environments. As Elwood Hopkins wrote last December in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, both place-based initiatives and place-conscious policy that draws from and informs local work are needed. “By creating opportunities for poor communities through enlightened policy, while simultaneously ensuring that those communities have the infrastructure to connect their residents with those opportunities, we may begin to mitigate the problem of concentrated poverty in our prosperous society.”

The way we define and describe poverty also influences the public (and therefore political) will to act, and whether we think reducing or eradicating poverty is even possible.

So it was this elegant illustration of the connections between essential policies and local action in a framework for economic security that caught my eye when I saw the Insight Centre for CED’s new campaign this summer. The integration of supportive public policy with place-based initiatives in a framework that sets measurable goals reflecting the multi-faceted nature of poverty seems like an important new perspective.

I’m grateful that Paul and the folks at the Tamarack Institute agreed and have partnered with CCEDNet to organize a webinar with Annette Case of the Insight Centre for CED on September 23 so that we can find out more directly.

It should be a very interesting discussion. Please join us.

mike_small.jpg

Michael Toye is the Executive Director of the Canadian CED Network, having worked in various other capacities with CCEDNet since 2000. Michael has also taught courses on CED and social enterprise at Concordia University and has written a number of articles and other publications on CED and the social economy, including co-editing the book, Community Economic Development: Building for Social Change.

Read Michael’s blogs

Follow Michael on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Visit our Action for Community Economies page for resources and recommendations on how community investment and spending can be strengthened to promote inclusive and sustainable local economies.

Let’s put action for community economies on the agenda of all election candidates this fall.

Take Action

Sneak Peek: This Year’s THEME and KEYNOTE!

October 23rd

Beginning at 8am
Garden City Collegiate

Visit the Gathering webpage

The 2015 Gathering will take place Friday October 23rd at Garden City Collegiate, and the theme for the day is “Connecting the Dots” – encouraging people to see the connections between various social challenges and solutions to deepen their understanding of community renewal and social justice.

We have just confirmed one of our keynote speakers!

Please welcome Clayton Thomas-Muller:

Clayton Thomas-Muller

Clayton Thomas-Muller is a member of the Treaty #6 based Mathias Colomb Cree Nation also known as Pukatawagan located in in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Based in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa, Clayton is an organizer with 350.org, the Co-Director of the Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign of the Polaris Institute and a founder and organizer with Defenders of the Land. Clayton is involved in many initiatives to support the building of an inclusive movement globally for energy and climate justice. He serves on the boards of Black Mesa Water Coalition, the Global Justice Ecology Project and the Bioneers. He is also a steering committee member of the Tar Sands Solutions Network.

Clayton has been recognized by Utne Magazine as one of the top 30 under 30 activists in the United States and as a “Climate Hero 2009” by Yes Magazine. For the last twelve years he has campaigned across Canada, Alaska and the lower 48 states organizing in hundreds of First Nations, Alaska Native and Native American communities in support of grassroots Indigenous Peoples to defend against the encroachment of the fossil fuel industry. This has included a special focus on the sprawling infrastructure of pipelines, refineries and extraction associated with the Canadian tar sands. Clayton is an organizer, facilitator, public speaker and writer on environmental and economic justice.

Visit the Gathering page on the CCEDNet website for updates and information on previous Gatherings, including a video of last year’s keynote. Tweet us at #gath2015.

Registration opens September 14th!

For more information, contact Molly Dunbar at gathering at ccednet-rcdec.ca

The Gathering is an annual pay-what-you-can event designed to provide professional development and networking opportunities for staff of community organizations, civil servants, representatives of funding organizations, active community members, students, academics and anyone interested in community development and community economic development.

Hosted by the Canadian CED Network – Manitoba and planned collectively by over 15 organizations.

Event Partner: Celebrating Sponsor:

Thank you to all our other event sponsors and partners

ABOUT THE CANADIAN CED NETWORK

CCEDNet is a national member-led organization committed to strengthening Canadian communities by creating better economic opportunities and enhancing environmental and social conditions.