Apply Now! Bursary program for Community Economic Development

The Canadian CED Network, together with Coast Capital Savings and the Vancity Community Foundation, are pleased to announce for the 2nd year, ten dedicated community leaders will receive a $1,000 to complete SFU’s Certificate Program for Community Economic Development Professionals. The bursaries are now available for mid-career professionals to upgrade their CED skills and knowledge through SFU’s Certificate Program for CED Professionals. Practitioners from Aboriginal communities and newcomer communities are especially encouraged to apply.

Click here to
download the application. The deadline to apply is June 30,
2009.

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Ottawa, May 21, 2009 – The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) is very pleased with the federal government’s decision to renew and enhance the Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI), a program aimed at providing support to new and emerging co-operatives across Canada.

The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture) announced today that the government will invest $19.1 million over the next four years to support the establishment of new co-operatives and test innovative methods of using the co-operative model. The previous CDI program, which began in 2003, expired on March 31 of this year.

“This is wonderful news for the co-operative sector, for Canadians who use the services co-operatives provide and for the communities in which co-operatives are located,” said CCA Executive Director Carol Hunter. “By renewing and enhancing CDI, the government has recognized that co-operatives create jobs and bring enormous value to Canada’s economy.”

The new program will have two major components:

• Advisory Services, which will improve access to co-operative development information and services that will assist in the formation of new co-operatives. This component of the program is an expanded version of the Advisory Services component of the previous CDI; it will continue to be managed by CCA and its francophone sister organization, the Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité (CCCM) through provincial and sectoral co-operative associations across Canada and will also provide new national services.
• Innovative Co-operative Projects, which will provide project support for new and emerging co-operatives. This will include value-added agriculture projects, which had been supported by a separate Ag-CDI component within the previous program. This component will now be fully managed by CCA and CCCM.

In addition, there will be a Research and Knowledge Development component, which will support new and applied research to support co-operative development. This component will be managed by the federal Co-operatives Secretariat, which is part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Ms. Hunter said she was pleased that the two national co-operative associations have been given the opportunity to fully manage the two major components of the program; under the previous program, the associations only managed Advisory Services and Ag-CDI. “We are happy that the government has confidence in the co-operative sector to administer these funds on its behalf, for the benefit of co-operatives, communities and all Canadians,” she said.

CCA and CCCM have actively lobbied for the renewal of the CDI program for the past two years, with the help of individuals and organizations across Canada, from both within and outside the co-operative sector.

“We would like to thank all the people and organizations who participated in our CDI renewal campaign, and who let their elected representatives know how important this program was to their co-operatives and communities,” Ms. Hunter said. We would like to particularly thank the superb efforts of our member co-operatives and credit unions which helped this campaign succeed.”

The previous CDI program supported more than 1,500 co-operatives through Advisory Services and project funding, and helped create some 200 new co-operatives.

Information on how to apply for the Innovative Co-operative Projects component of the new program, including criteria and deadlines, will be available on CCA’s website, www.coopscanada.coop, within the next few weeks.

The Canadian Co-operative Association is a national association for co-operatives in Canada, representing more than nine million co-operative and credit union members from over 2,000 organizations. CCA members come from many sectors of the economy, including finance, insurance, agri-food and supply, wholesale and retail, housing, health and the service sector. CCA provides leadership to promote, develop, and unite co-operatives and credit unions for the benefit of people in Canada and around the world. CCA is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Visit our web site at www.coopscanada.coop

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Small Loans, Big Help
May 8, 2009 (Runs 4:49)

CCEDNet member ACEM is one of Canada’s oldest and most successful non-profit micro-credit loan organizations. Lynne Robson meets some of the entrepreneurs they’ve helped.

 http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/canadiana/small_loans_big_help.html 

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Well, since you asked…’

City Hall wants to know Winnipeggers’ thoughts on how we can make our city a sustainable one
By Marlo Campbell

Don’t worry if, like me, you weren’t able to attend Mayor Sam Katz’s recent symposium on sustainability.

The day-long forum on April 25 – at which some 250 people shared their thoughts on what Winnipeg needs to do to become a sustainable city – was really just the kickoff of a year-long process aimed at getting ordinary citizens participating with experts and activists in the development of a new, long-term planning document for our city.

The result of this collaborative effort will be OurWinnipeg, which will replace our current civic policy blueprint, Plan Winnipeg. The new plan will act as a guideline for the next 25 years, meant to shape future development and decision-making at City Hall.

More public events will be taking place over the coming months. However, right now, the best (and easiest) way to get involved is through the city’s new website, www.speakupwinnipeg.com.

Dubbed the “online interactive home” of OurWinnipeg, the site allows people to post comments and submit videos (there’s already one good one up, posted by a women who’s lived here for a year; among other things, she suggests the addition of a guard rail to the Osborne Bridge so that pedestrians can cross it without fear of death, something I wholeheartedly support). Currently, it’s a tad shy on content – I’d like to see more links to information about initiatives happening in other cities, for example – but one has to assume this is the kind of thing that will significantly improve once more people get involved.

The city is asking Winnipeggers, “What does sustainability mean to you?” and it wants us to give specific consideration to the social, economic and environmental aspects of that overall concept.

For what it’s worth, here are just two of my suggestions:

Invest heavily in new community economic development and support existing CED programs.

Winnipeg is already considered a leader in the CED field, and the model fits perfectly with the stated purview of OurWinnipeg. The term refers to eco-friendly, grassroots initiatives that create economic opportunities and better social conditions for local communities – a ‘triple bottom line’ approach to development, if you will – and it makes a lot of sense for Winnipeg since our city is home to both the largest urban Aboriginal population in Canada and a growing newcomer community, two groups that tend to struggle with poverty and other forms of marginalization.

Sustainable cities are places where every citizen has a safe place to live, enough to eat and access to employment opportunities. CED can get us there.

Follow through!

Plan Winnipeg contained all sorts of smart recommendations: a downtown-first approach to development, policies that are inclusive to all, the creation of safe, affordable housing, public safety strategies, and a focus on environmental stewardship. The problem is that over the years, the city hasn’t followed its own advice. If we’re ever to move forward, this needs to change.

There’s still plenty of time to make your opinions known, and I recommend that you do. Citizen engagement is not our strong suit here in Winnipeg and, while bitching and moaning can be satisfying, it’s usually not all that effective when it comes to actually getting things accomplished.

Besides – if we all get involved in shaping our city’s future, it will be much harder for City Council to ignore us.

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A call for nominations was sent to all CCEDNet members on March 10th for the three (3) seats that are up for election in 2009. The deadline to receive nominations was April 22nd, 2009.

Nominations were received for two (2) candidates in good standing. Consequently, in accordance with section 5.3 of CCEDNet’s General Bylaws, the Elections Officer has declared that there will be no election and that the two (2) nominees are elected by acclamation. The vacant position will be filled by the Board in accordance with by the by-laws.

The report of the Elections Officer will be submitted to the AGM on June 4th, 4:15 pm, at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Congratulations to the acclaimed candidates whose terms will start on June 4th, 2009. To view the biography of each officer, please click on the name below.

To view other documents related to the 2009 AGM such as the agenda and minutes from 2008, click here.

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CCEDNET Emerging Leaders member to sit on national advisory committee

Project aims to better understand the characteristics and motivating factors of early career employees in the non-profit sector.

Jesse Gair, CCEDNet Emerging Leaders member and the Youth Outreach Coordinator with The Spence Neighbourhood Association and has been selected along with seven other young people from across Canada to sit on one of two parallel national advisory committees for a research project spearheaded by the HR Council for the Voluntary & Non-profit Sector (HR Council).

The HR Council’s project, Tapping into the Talents of Early and Late Career Employees, seeks to improve the non-profit sector’s understanding of the characteristics and motivating factors of both early career and late career employees. The project will assess prospective workers’ awareness of and degree of interest in careers in the sector. The project will also identify perceptions and expectations of the sector as a workplace and the factors that would influence a decision to join and continue to work in the sector. Based on surveys of prospective workers, focus groups and a literature review, the project will suggest strategies that organizations can employ to attract and retain early career and late career workers.

As a member of the Early Career Advisory Committee, Jesse Gair will play a key role in furthering the research and developing recommendations for the HR Council. Project Manager Maureen Kellerman commented “Committee members bring a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector as employees and volunteers, as well as diverse academic backgrounds.”

For more information about this project or the HR Council, please contact:

Lee Rose
Communications Manager

www.hrcouncil.ca
613.244.8332 ext 225

For information about finding a job in the sector, see: http://www.hrcouncil.ca/about-the-sector/job-in-sector.cfm

For more information about CCEDNet and Emerging Leaders please see:
http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/

For more information about The Spence Neighbourhood Association please see:
www.spenceneighbourhood.org

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2009 Call for Resolutions

The Canadian CED Network’s annual general meeting is being held on June 4th at our National CED Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba. All resolutions must be submitted to Bianca Mathieu at no later than April 22, at 4:00 p.m. (PST). Late resolutions will be held over to the AGM in the following year.

All sponsors of resolutions will be contacted no later than May 13. At
that time, sponsors will be notified that their resolution will be
presented at the AGM or that the resolution has been rejected because
it does not fulfill the requirements.

An Emergency Resolution may be submitted later then deadline if it meets the all of following conditions:

1. the subject matter deals with events that have arisen after the submission deadline
2. it complies with normal submission requirements
3. it is submitted no later than noon PST on May 15 2009, seven (20)
   days prior to the date of the AGM at the CCEDNet Victoria office.

Call for Resolutions (PDF)

Submission Requirements

Resolutions may be submitted by any two (2) members in good standing (a
mover and seconder) and should meet the following criteria:

1. deal with a policy matter of national or regional scope, or: deal with the internal operations of CCEDNet.
2. falls within the broad jurisdiction of community economic development
3. request a specific action on the part of CCEDNet.

Submission Form

The resolution shall be submitted in a single hard copy, and deal
with only one subject. The resolution should contain no more than two
(2) recital clauses (starting with the word “whereas”), one operative
clause (starting with the phrase “Therefore be it resolved”) and may be
accompanied by a note of up to 250 words explaining the origin of the
resolution. (See – Guidelines on Preparing Resolutions for CCEDNet)

Circulation of Resolutions

The Resolutions Committee will ensure that the resolutions (as amended
or consolidated) are accurately translated and posted on the CCEDNet
website by May 3rd. In the case of Emergency Resolutions, the
Resolutions Committee shall ensure accurate translation and that hard
copies of the resolution are distributed at registration for the AGM.

Please email all materials with the subject title to Bianca Mathieu () or fax to: (250) 386-9984 or mail to 211-620 View street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1J6.

MODEL RESOLUTION

SHORT TITLE Promoting C.E.D.

Sponsor’s Name: Mary Smith, seconded by Bob Jones

WHEREAS; Community Economic Development is insufficiently understood
by the general public;

AND WHEREAS: Visibility is the first step in building awareness;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the CCEDNet Board of Directors wear
bright orange t-shirts with the organization mission statement
emblazoned on the back.

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2009 CALL FOR BOARD NOMINATIONS

March 10, 2009

The Canadian CED Network’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is being held on June 4 at our National CED Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Nominations are currently being sought for three positions on CCEDNet’s Board of Directors. Anyone with energy and a vision for the CED movement in Canada is encouraged to submit a candidacy. The deadline to receive nominations is April 22, 2009.

Board Vacancies
CCEDNet’s Board of Directors is made up of twelve (12) representatives of our membership who serve three (3) year rotating terms. The twelve representatives are comprised of four directors selected by the membership of CCEDNet’s four Standing Committees with the other eight directors being elected at-large by the general membership. Elections are conducted online and the results are announced at the AGM. Member Associates are not eligible to sit on the Board.

Board members whose terms are expiring are eligible to be re-elected. However, their election is not automatic. They must be elected by the members through CCEDNet’s official election process.

Candidates must be nominated by two (2) other CCEDNet members, preferably from their region. If you don’t know any other members well enough to ask them to nominate you, contact Bianca Mathieu at the number indicated below. She will inform the Nominations Committee of your situation so they can help you find someone.

Members interested in letting their name stand for CCEDNet’s Board are asked to communicate with us by fax or email by April 22 to submit their candidacy, including the names of the two other CCEDNet members who are nominating them. Candidates are required to provide a short biography (including a photo) to the CCEDNet office for translation and printing to be included in election materials.

If you wish to nominate another CCEDNet member for a position, please ensure that the other member is willing to let their name stand and has given their approval to be nominated before communicating with us. Once again, the deadline for nominations is April 22, 2009 and nominations should be emailed to , faxed to (250) 386-9984 or mailed to:

Please note: information regarding online voting will be forwarded by email to all members in good standing. In order to be considered a member in good standing, all fees must be paid in full by April 30, 2009. If you are unsure about your membership status, please contact Bianca Mathieu (or call 1-877-202-2268 ext.111.

For a printable version of this page, please click below:
2009 Call for Nominations (PDF)

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Legislative Innovations and Social Enterprise: Structural Lessons for Canada

By Richard Bridge and Stacey Corriveau, for the BC Centre for Social Enterprise

“Social Enterprise” is not a legal expression in Canada. There is no national or provincial social enterprise act or regulation that defines it or gives it legal form or structure. It is not addressed in the voluminous federal Income Tax Act as something distinct and worthy of unique treatment.

This paper argues that governments should modernize the organizational infrastructure that applies to social enterprise to better enable it to flourish. A relatively modest start would be new legislation enabling the creation of a legal structure specifically for the purpose of social enterprise.

Click here to download the full paper from www.centreforsocialenterprise.com.

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February 26, 2009 – There is growing recognition that Canada’s major public policy challenges play out in local spaces. For example, analysts of social inclusion encounter the many barriers that individuals and families face living in distressed neighbourhoods. Rural areas and smaller centres confront another set of risks in managing change with declining, often aging populations. Common to all is an appreciation of how local geographic contexts – the form and nature of places – shape people’s life chances.

For national governments, these dynamics frame a novel set of challenges. Policy interventions must increasingly work from the ground up to generate solutions rooted in the particular concerns of local communities and the specific needs and capacities of their residents. But what policy frameworks and institutional arrangements will enable multi-level collaboration to actually work? The conceptual and practical challenges remain daunting for national governments everywhere as they rethink and retool for an era of more intensive global-local interaction.

In Canadian Social Policy in the 2000s: Bringing Place In, CPRN Research Associate Neil Bradford of Huron University College, University of Western Ontario, explores departures in Canadian social development policy towards more place-based approaches. Bradford uses innovations in policy thought and governing practices among OECD countries to bring Canadian policy communities more fully into the international conversation on place-based policy. The paper shows the degree of federal policy experimentation aimed at better integrating policies for places and people, but which is still disparate and not yet systematically conceptualized.

To read or download Bringing Place In, click here. To send us your feedback, email .

The paper was originally published in Plan Canada, January-February 2009.

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