English – Page 14 – Canadian CED Network

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network is excited to invite organizational members to apply to host a work experience youth through the CreateAction: Inclusive Social Innovation program. Not already a member? Check out how you can join the network (including barrier-free options) by visiting CCEDNet’s membership page.

**About CreateAction**

The purpose of CreateAction is to provide employment and career-relevant learning opportunities to young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and facing barriers to employment. These placements will take place under the terms and conditions of a contribution agreement between the Canadian CED Network and Employment and Social Development Canada as part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) and the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) are working in partnership to deliver the CreateAction program with funding by Employment and Social Development Canada and with evaluation support from the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.

All work experience placements will support youth to further their career interests in community economic development and the social economy and/or off-reserve Indigenous service delivery infrastructure and provision of culturally enhanced programs and services to urban Indigenous residents.

This call for proposals is for placements taking place from June 21 to December 17, 2021 (26 weeks). The CreateAction program will provide to youth a wage of $19.50/hour for 37.5 hours/week. Employers may volunteer to increase their youth’s wages at their own expense. The deadline for submitting applications is April 9, 2021 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.

Employers will be selected according to the following criteria:

commitment to supporting and accommodating the needs of youth facing barriers, and a willingness to increase organizational capacity accordingly;
a commitment to the principle that the CreateAction program is first and foremost a program designed to support youth with barriers to employment;
a willingness to hire a youth who is a best fit for the program goals;
have a position available that aligns with the level of a youth with barriers to employment, and be willing to adapt the position based on the skills/abilities of the youth that has been identified for the position;
commitment and organizational capacity to assist youth with their daily work, providing coaching and career development support;
geographic diversity (e.g. rural, remote, Indigenous, northern, francophone communities outside of Quebec, and urban disadvantaged communities with recent immigrant populations);
demonstrated ability to recruit and support people who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, newcomers to Canada, francophone, and/or live with disability;
commitment to participate in a peer support network of employers;
dedication to leveraging the work experience into full-time employment or study for the youth;
ability to recruit and support youth not in employment, education or training (NEET);
ability to recruit and support youth from diverse backgrounds with barriers to employment;
capacity to adequately support skills development for youth, with additional support from the CreateAction partners;
relevance of proposed work experience to community economic development and social innovation (visit CCEDNet’s definition of CED) and/or off-reserve Indigenous service delivery infrastructure and provision of culturally enhanced programs and services to urban Indigenous residents (visit NAFC’s website).

Priority will be given to organizations that provide social supports for adults or youth as part of their mandate (e.g. organizations serving or supporting newcomers, refugees, survivors of violence or people escaping abuse, formerly incarcerated people, and people experiencing/overcoming mental health challenges, substance use disorders, precarious housing, etc).

Employers will:

offer a meaningful 26-week employment opportunity;
actively seek out youth candidates from diverse backgrounds with barriers to employment;
hire a youth who is a best fit for the CreateAction program;
provide youth with an orientation to the employer;
develop, at the beginning of the placement, a Learning Plan with youth;
develop and implement a plan to provide sufficient support services to enable the youth to succeed at their placement;
provide sufficient resources and time to effectively supervise and mentor work experience youth;
commit to weekly meetings with youth to support their learning objectives;
set aside a minimum of:
- six (6) hours per month for the work experience youth to participate in peer learning activities, and
- three (3) working days for the youth to participate in an in-person or online learning event.
provide, with support from the CreateAction program, career advice, regular feedback and guidance to youth and assist youth in laddering into further career relevant employment or education at the end of the placement;
provide youth with all reasonably required working materials;
provide the Canadian CED Network with periodic progress reports and report on outcomes at the end of the work experience;
participate in three (3) employer national virtual sessions with the Canadian CED Network and other selected organisations;
work with the CreateAction program evaluators on evaluation related activities, such as activities involved with midterm and final evaluations;
identify candidates by June 4, in order for work experience youth to start placements on June 21;
become a member of the Canadian CED Network, if not already a member.

CreateAction partners (CCEDNet, NAFC and SRDC) will:

directly cover full-time employment costs for work experience youth at a rate of $19.50/hour (though employers are welcome to top up the amount);
assist employers with the necessary advice and support to carry out the activities and realize the objectives of the program;
provide, in concert with employers, tailored wraparound supports for youth including supporting the capacity of employers in their ability to provide social supports for youth;
provide a robust peer learning and mentoring program for work experience youth’s ongoing professional development for the duration of the placement;
coordinate weekly video conference calls for youth to learn, share experiences, and to network;
host a virtual platform for youth to connect and share experiences throughout the CreateAction program;
coordinate three (3) video conference calls for employers to share experiences and to network;
work with employers to offer mediation support or resolve disputes arising with work experience youth;
work closely with employers in the event of crisis or conflict with work experience placement, including any decision to terminate the work experience placement as a last resort;
conduct mid-term evaluations and exit surveys with youth and employers to monitor progress, track youth learning, and capture youth outcomes, career expectations and satisfaction.

To participate in the CreateAction program, eligible youth must be:

not in education, employment or training (NEET);
a youth experiencing barriers to employment;
between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at start of placement;
Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or protected persons as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
legally entitled to work in Canada;
legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations.

How to apply?

Complete an application online here

If you require an offline application, please contact Matthew Thompson at the coordinates below. The deadline for submitting applications is April 9, 2021, at 11:59pm Pacific Time.

Youth interested in the program should apply directly to the employers. The successful employers will be announced on the Canadian CED Network’s website.

For more information, please contact Matthew Thompson, Director of Engagement, or Adriana Zylinski, Network Engagement Lead, at .

CCEDNet’s 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on…

June 11
10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, 12pm Central, 1pm Eastern, 2pm Atlantic, 2:30pm Newfoundland

This year’s AGM repeats the success of the last six years by being entirely virtual and bilingual. Members are able to make motions, vote and comment in English or French, all from the comfort of their computer.

For additional background information, you can consult CCEDNet’s by-laws.

AGM Documents

Meeting documents will be posted here as they become available.

AGM Resolutions

We are no longer accepting resolutions.

Board Nominations

Nominations are now closed. This year, there were four vacancies to be filled. Four eligible nominations were received, leading our Elections Officer to declare the candidates elected by acclamation. Meet the new board members.

Stronger Together Awards

We are no longer accepting nominations.

This year, we are pleased to offer a day of supportive member learning and networking, in addition to our annual business meeting. To register, be sure to sign up to attend the AGM and receive a link to a day of special member events! Here’s what the day entails…

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET – RIDING THE WAVES OF LEADERSHIP THROUGH COVID-19

Whether you’re an Executive Director or in the early stages of your career, there’s no doubt that this last year has tested you, both personally and professionally. Working toward sustainable, equitable and inclusive communities through a pandemic has likely required you to hone many new skills, let go of a lot of control, and become responsive to nearly constant change.

Intentional leadership has never been more valuable. Suzanne Gibson, our fabulous Community Leadership Program facilitator, will take you through exercises about leadership styles, change management, and power.

This 90-minute session will also provide you with guided time to contextualize what you’re experiencing along your personal leadership journey, as well as a chance to hear from peers in the CCEDNet membership about the challenges and possibilities of leadership through COVID-19.

12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. ET – MUSICAL GUEST LAUREN EDDY

Headshot of Lauren Eddy Lauren Eddy is a musician, singer- songwriter, and sound technician from Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador. She now resides in St. John’s. Lauren’s current musical focus is her pop-rock group, Saint Scarlett. The group released their debut 6 song EP in January 2020. The project was nominated for two MusicNL awards in 2021. Lauren is also First Light’s new full-time Arts Technician. She also does a variety of freelance sound technician work for local businesses, music venues, and community events. Lauren graduated from the College of the North Atlantic with a diploma in Sound Recording & Production and diploma in Music Performance, Business, & Technology. Lauren has a passion for music, art, and community. In her free time she enjoys hiking and gardening.

12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET – Break

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET – AGM BUSINESS MEETING

2:00 p.m.- 2:20 p.m. ET – STRONGER TOGETHER AWARDS

A celebration of the indispensable leadership role our CCEDNet members play in communities across Canada.

2:20 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. ET – Break

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET – FRONT PORCH VISITS: BUILDING THE MEMBER NEIGHBOURHOOD

The more we know our neighbours, the better we can collaborate to make great places to live. A member neighbourhood is no different! It’s time to celebrate making it through this year, to fortify ourselves for the road ahead, and to pool our collective expertise as we look toward what’s next.

What is most alive for you and your community right now? How does this fit into the direction you want our Network to take?

Join us on the porch, and get to know your member neighbours as we map out our neighbourhood assets and notice any gaps. Bring your experience to share!

By knowing and listening to one another more deeply, we can practically shape our efforts toward a future that supports us all. With open doors and open windows, let’s become good neighbours.

Canada's Parliament The Canadian CED Network’s Policy Council submitted a response to the Minister of Finance’s invitation for pre-budget submissions for the 2021-22 federal budget.

Last August, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance called for submissions that addressed restarting the Canadian economy as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, CCEDNet made a submission.

Unusually, this year, the Minister of Finance asked for pre-budget submissions again, to hear Canadians’ very best ideas on how to create new jobs and build a greener, more competitive, more innovative, more inclusive, more resilient Canada. Again, CCEDNet made a submission, which is very similar to the one from August, but with a different pre-amble and framing.

Read the full pre-budget submission

If you also submitted a brief we’d love to hear about it…
Please send your pre-budget submission to Ben Losman at b.losman at ccednet-rcdec.ca.

Our Recommendations for the 2021-22 Federal Budget

1. Accelerate Social Innovation and Social Finance
a.	Implement a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy including all 12 recommendations of the Co-Creation Steering Group.
b.	Ensure equity seeking groups play a leading role in the implementation and subsequent evolution of the SI/SF strategy to build on existing local capacity and strengthen the expertise of the community economic development, non-profit, and co-operative sectors.
2. Support Resilient Local Enterprises
a.	Promote local and social procurement policies.
b.	Enable employee and community-based ownership succession and buyouts.
c.	Establish a national program to grow community investment funds in each province.
3. Build Economies for All
a.	Advance the decent work agenda to support good quality jobs and workers’ rights and well-being.
b.	Improve the efficacy of Labour Market and Workforce Development dollars to reach vulnerable groups seeking workplace skills and training, and ensure that an increased percentage of LMTA funding is directed at vulnerable groups.
c.	Accelerate the timeline of the Universal Broadband Fund, and use it to encourage community-owned broadband.

Read the full pre-budget submission

During the week of February 8-12, CCEDNet had the great pleasure of visiting – virtually of course – nine examples of innovative community leadership across Canada. These visits were part of a tour organized by CCEDNet for the Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

We learned about successful employment transition initiatives from Mother Earth Recycling, Embers Staffing Solutions, and Build Up Saskatoon. We were inspired by community revitalization efforts from the Greater Dorchester Moving Forward Co-op, Shorefast, and Community Seniors Co-operative. We saw how models can be successfully scaled while retaining a community-centred approach with SE Health.

We learned about small business ventures that focus on people and community, not profits, with Akoma Holdings and Kaapittiaq. Many of our tour guides spoke about the importance of ecological sustainability in their philosophy and in their operations. They provoked deep reflections about some of the major and complex challenges facing our country: housing, seniors’ care, the justice system, and more.

All in all, we were simply blown away by the amazing leadership and innovation going on in communities across the country. (And, we realized that we are really anxious for a post-COVID world so that we can actually MEET some of these amazing people face-to-face!)

We capped off the tour with a round table discussion between Minister Hussen and members of the People-Centred Economy Group. During the round table, Minister Hussen shared his appreciation for the good work that organizations are doing in their communities, and for the innovation that they bring to solve complex social challenges. Quebec’s social economy ecosystem was raised as an example of what is possible in every region of Canada, with the right government supports and investments. Representatives from Indigenous and women’s organizations affirmed that social innovation and social finance can create opportunities for those hardest hit by the pandemic.

It was a great way to spend a week. But, we weren’t doing it just for fun. The whole purpose of the tour was to see first-hand some of the impacts of the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) to date, showcase examples of the kinds of initiatives that can be expanded as part of the Social Innovation and Social Finance agenda (building on our campaign from late last year), and explore ways to create jobs and contribute to a strong economic recovery in ways that promote inclusivity and resilience while protecting the most vulnerable Canadians.

At every stop along the tour, our tour guides reinforced the need for social finance, social procurement, knowledge-sharing from community to community, increased access to federal innovation, business development, and skills training programs, and a supportive social economy “ecosystem”. They spoke about the need for co-creation, with government, to ensure that changes to policy and legislation meet communities’ needs. Coincidentally (or not!), these recurring themes are all part of the 12 recommendations of the Social Innovation and Social Finance Co-Creation Steering Committee. Here at CCEDNet, we are working hard to raise awareness among decision-makers about these recommendations. In particular, we are advocating for allocations in the upcoming federal budget to expand and renew the IRP, accelerate the Social Finance Fund, and implement a comprehensive Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy, addressing all 12 of the recommendations.

Enabling social innovation across Canada would powerfully and fundamentally change the way communities and community leaders see themselves as agents of positive change. There are two ways you can help spread the word:

Contribute to the federal pre-budget consultations that close this Friday, February 19. You can have your say by clicking here.
Contact your MP about social innovation and social finance anytime. Click here for some tips and ideas.

*The opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of CCEDNet

COVID-19 has seriously impacted our access and use of public spaces which are the glue to our communities. They are a big part of what makes communities safe, vibrant and connected.

The Healthy Communities Initiative is a $31 million investment from the Government of Canada to support communities as they create and adapt public spaces to respond to the new realities of COVID-19. We are proud to be working with Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Urban Institute with the support of the Government of Canada to support organizations that are showing creativity and resourcefulness in creating solutions that enable people to connect and access public spaces safely while still respecting public health measures.

Organizations can apply until March 9, 2021, at 5:00 PM PST. A second application period for funding will take place starting in May 2021.

Visit healthycommunitiesinitiative.ca to find out more about how to apply, explore resources for applicants and sign up for community mobilization sessions.

Learn more

For more than 20 years, Mitacs has worked with over 100 universities and academic institutions, thousands of companies, not-for-profits, and federal, provincial, and territorial governments to build partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada.

Scotiabank and Mitacs have partnered to create the Scotiabank Economic Resilience Research Fund (SERRF). This $300,000 partnership over three years will support research to advance economic resilience in communities across Canada, based on the principles of:

Inclusion: Broad access to, and participation in, economic opportunities
Stability: The ability to maintain financial well-being through uncertainty and challenge
Mobility: The ability to improve economic and financial circumstances

The objective of SERRF is to:

Support the next generation of problem solvers to ensure that students are actively engaged in innovative, useful, and relevant community research
Enable Canadian NFP organizations and charitable organizations to access talent from academic institutions in order to provide insights related to the economic resilience of Canadian communities
Narrow the gap between the need for academic research and community impact
Strengthen relationships between Canadian NFPs and academia through collaboration and knowledge sharing
Reduce financial barriers for Canadian NFPs to access research expertise
Increase the number of researchers representing the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) community
Continue to inform Scotiabank’s social impact strategy to ensure that it invests for impact

SERRF Research Themes

Through this initiative, the partnership will solicit research applications that support the three key themes below:

Accelerate newcomer integration
- Successful and rapid newcomer integration enables financial self-reliance and contribution to society. Canada’s prosperity and economic resilience are closely tied to the number and success of its immigrants.
- Proposed research projects will target newcomers to Canada (in past three years) including immigrants, refugees, and temporary foreign workers to help fast track meaningful employment for newcomers to the country. Integration essentials might include language, culture and life skills, training help qualifying for and finding employment, and support networks.
Increase high school graduation and post-secondary participation
- Secondary and post-secondary education increases employment prospects, life opportunities and the likelihood of financial success.
- Proposed research projects will target disadvantaged populations, including Canadian Indigenous communities and at-risk youth to ultimately facilitate a higher rate of high school graduation and post-secondary participation. Post-secondary education is defined broadly, to include university, college, and trades programs.
Remove barriers to career advancement for marginalized groups
- Disadvantaged people and groups experience barriers to career entry and advancement more frequently than others. This is both unjust and unproductive.
- Proposed research projects will be targeted to support women, BIPOC, and other equity seeking groups to determine how to remove barriers to meaningful employment, reduce the gaps in leadership representation, and find solutions to career entry and advancement.

Deadline for submission of EOIs: February 11, 2021

Learn more and apply

Updated February 24, 2021

The Canadian CED Network and the National Association of Friendship Centres are thrilled to announce the first cohort of CreateAction placements! If your application wasn’t accepted this time around, or you missed the last deadline, we encourage you to apply when we issue our next call for proposals in April.

In this cohort, 21 CreateAction youth participants will fill positions at 19 organizations, all of which reflect a wonderful diversity in terms of mission, geography, and placement focus. They are:

First Light | St. John’s Friendship Centre

Location: St. John’s, NL

Placement titles: Intern (2 positions)

Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre

Location: Inuvik, NWT

Placement title: Finance & Operations Trainee

Atikokan Native Friendship Center

Location: Atikokan, ON

Placement title: Ec. dev. assistant

Skillcity Institute

Location: Edmonton, AB

Placement title: Social Innovation Assistant

The Social Innovation Assistant will assist in coordinating projects related to social innovation, design thinking and lean startup, and will also contribute to knowledge and skills development materials preparation.

Moving Forward Co-operative

Location: Dorchester. NB

Placement title: Youth Engagement Coordinator

The Youth Engagement Coordinator will help develop and coordinate recreational, social, and cultural activities for children and youth in the community, including a school-based food sovereignty project that incorporates elements of social innovation and social entrepreneurship.

Alberta Community and Cooperative Association

Location: Stony Plain, AB

Placement title: Co-op Development and Research Intern

The Co-op Development and Research Intern will support the development of the Co-operative Intelligence Unit – a think tank which is providing advanced and applied research and planning for Canadian co-operatives, as well as advance ACCA work in conjunction with the BC Co-operative Association to promote education on co-operatives in BC and Alberta post-secondary institutions.

Co-operative Enterprise Council of New Brunswick

Location: Salisbury, NB

Placement title: Youth LED Facilitator

Youth LED (Learning & Engagement Design) Group is an innovative approach to engaging youth in co-operative and social enterprise development through digital approaches to learning. The Youth LED facilitator will help facilitate and support the Youth LED Group and their work.

Greater Trail Community Skills Centre

Location: Trail, BC

Placement title: Program Development Assistant

The Program Development Assistant will manage the Skill Centre’s funder database, research program and project opportunities, write draft proposals and applications, and collaborate with multi-sector partners toward inclusive and sustainable workforce development.

Ottawa ACORN

Location: Ottawa, ON

Placement title: Community Organizer

The Community Organizer will work on social justice campaigns as determined by ACORN’s low-income members. Responsibilities will include doing community outreach, organizing community meetings and events, fundraising, cultivating local leadership, and listening to the people in the communities in which ACORN organizes.

Chartered Professional Accountants of BC

Location: Vancouver, BC

Placement title: Indigenous Community Outreach Assistant

The Indigenous Community Outreach Assistant will support an Indigenous event focused on community economic development. To do this, the assistant will be liaising directly with Indigenous students, communities, and organizations, plus representatives from the business community.

Manitoba Cooperative Association

Location: Winnipeg, MB

Placement title: Engagement Advisor

The Engagement Advisor will be researching co-ops across Canada and around the world, investigating the roles that co-ops play in CED, social innovation, and the social economy. The Advisor will also contribute to MCA’s communications and engagement efforts.

OnePeopleTO

Location: Toronto, ON

Placement title: Operations Associate

The Operations Associate will support BIPOC entrepreneurship by maintaining the day-to-day operations of OnePeopleTO through admin/ email management, appointment booking/ scheduling, social media marketing and promotion, event management and grant sourcing.

With the financial support of the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Community Data Program (CDP) of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) has launched a Solutions Lab project called “Developing easy-to-use community decision-making tools to help achieve National Housing Strategy goals”. This project will help organizations find the best way to measure and respond to local housing and housing-related issues through relevant data, visualization and reporting tools. These organizations include, but are not limited to, municipal governments and local authorities, community-based non-profit organizations, and private sector industry associations.

We want you to be in on the ground floor of this project. With your involvement, the resulting data and decision-making tools will be of substantial value to organizations that are part of a housing system being delivered at a local level.

Please follow this link to the survey

This should take about 5 minutes of your time.

Note: The survey is intended for individuals working for organizations or departments of organizations with either a direct or indirect role in the housing field and offering their own professional perspective. Please feel free to share it with multiple individuals within your organization, your department or across your network, each of whom can also respond if they wish to.

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact . We look forward to receiving your response, if at all possible by December 14, 2020.

Please see the information below for more details about the CDP, CCEDNet and the Solutions Lab project.

The Community Data Program (CDP) is a membership-based community development initiative open to any Canadian public, non-profit or community sector organization with a local service delivery or public policy mandate. The CDP offers data products, analytical tools, and services that are unique in Canada and exclusive to CDP members. The CDP makes data accessible and useful for all members with training and capacity building resources. Through its vibrant network, the CDP facilitates and supports dialogue and the sharing of best practices in the use of community data.

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) is a registered charity and national association of community groups and citizens taking local action to improve social, economic and environmental conditions. CCEDNet has members in urban, rural and Indigenous settings, building sustainable and inclusive communities throughout Canada. CCEDNet’s national and regional programs provide learning and capacity building opportunities for our members and other stakeholders and advance innovative, community-led practices to reduce inequality and foster well-being.

The CDP Solutions Lab project

With the financial support of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Community Data Program of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network has launched a Solutions Lab project called “Developing easy-to-use community decision-making tools to help achieve National Housing Strategy goals”. Working in partnership with municipal and community sector organizations active in the housing sector, the CDP Solutions Lab project will strengthen evidence-based planning and decision making using innovative methods and tools to transform municipal and neighbourhood scale data into better programs, policies and operational decisions. These methods and tools will respond to the real constraints of time and analytical staff support needed to apply data to housing-related decisions affecting neighbourhoods and communities.

The project is being delivered over eighteen months, from October 1, 2020, until March 31, 2022, in the form of structured and facilitated workshops, webinars, tools development and testing, and technical guidance. The project aims to integrate several innovations into the work of local planners, policy analysts, and decision-makers, including:

Common indicators relevant to measuring housing results at the municipal and neighbourhood scale
New data sources and uses of data, including data modelling
Use of new software to support data visualization and data access
Shared learning between provincial jurisdictions
More effective feedback loops to better understand the impact of data on local decision making

This project entitled “Developing Easy-To-Use Community Decision-Making Tools To Help Achieve National Housing Strategy Goals” received funding from the National Housing Strategy under the NHS Solutions Labs.

At EconoUs2017, I hosted Dave Mowat from ATB Financial in a fireside chat about what’s needed to grow the good work of community economic development and the social economy across Canada. He raised an idea during that final plenary that has continued to ring in my mind – that in this alternative economic development model we’re all building, we need a new concept of scale and growth.

Economies of scale are not traditionally good community wealth builders – they often end up concentrating power and benefit, and inevitably begin to blur the distinctions of place, context, and local need for the sake of growth. As the intertwined and ever more urgent crises of inequality and climate change sharpen into focus for more and more people, it is increasingly clear we need a new logic, a new way of understanding economy, of development and community.

So, to move towards our vision of sustainable and inclusive communities, we’ve long been aiming at a strategy to build regional economies of network.

Our Network has been slowly developing a regional networks approach over our 20 year history. Sometimes it’s been mightily successful — I’ve had the distinct pleasure of experiencing the sense of movement and connection this brings every year at our family reunion, The Manitoba Gathering of Community Builders. But often it feels slippery, hard to grasp and understand and sustain.

Enter the federal government’s Investment Readiness Program, where we have been given an opportunity to focus effort on this strategy in the context of building regional leadership and ecosystem support for social innovation and social finance.

Since last September, I have been meeting leaders across the country in efforts to bring regional conversations together, instigate the development of shared priorities, and weave people and ideas together as best I can. It’s been a treat and a challenge.

In Manitoba, there have been challenging adjustments as the provincial government moved away from stable support for community-led efforts. But we also saw the beauty and resilience of the Network as they pull together to do essential work supporting people through the pandemic. We are moving together, calling for support because Community is Essential.
We have forged a new, deepening relationship with SETSI — supporting the inclusion of BIPOC leaders in the Investment Readiness Program and examining our own internal biases and the places where racism shows up in the social economy and social innovation. The brilliance and generosity of these developing friendships are generative and pulling us deeper towards intersectional and anti-oppressive work.
The regional leaders around the new AB SEED (Alberta Social Economy Ecosystem Development) table have been knocking it out of the park — they insightfully used previous regional gatherings, Econous 2017 in Calgary, leveraged organizational contributions, and a well-crafted plan for development to jump the moment resources became available. Their monthly meetings are quickly developing a shared sense of movement, action, and potential.
A small group of members in Atlantic Canada has burrowed into an emerging strategy, bolstered by a sense of urgency to save local economies at risk due to both an oncoming wave of retirements and the uncertainty of global pandemic. They are pulling together the best resources on the concept of ‘social acquisition’ where a retiring or struggling business is transitioned to a community business and will work with three local communities over the next year to put this strategy into action.
Network members have elevated community investment in the federal social finance conversation, bringing in new resources to gather regional learning communities and build back office tools to accelerate development of this part of the ecosystem. In community investment, not only do local enterprises and social purpose initiatives get financing they need, the funds are also raised locally by community people. Local folks decide through co-operatives and nonprofit loan funds where to invest this ‘repatriated’ capital that would otherwise be contributing to leaky bucket economies.

And, there’s more to come as more regions coalesce and this work gains momentum.

So, as we continue building the infrastructure of solidarity for community economic development and we find new meaning in this work during a time of global crisis, we are grappling towards a powerfully aligned set of strategies.

I believe as we weave these regional initiatives together, we can move toward a deeper networked approach that balances local autonomy and alignment across key national priorities, contributing to an economy of network that will scale impact out towards a future where there is enough, for all, forever.

*The opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of CCEDNet

Sarah Leeson-Klym is CCEDNet’s Regional Networks Director. She believes that communities are the experts of their lived experience and that CED provides great approaches for them to develop creative and grounded solutions to the biggest challenges we collectively face. She first obtained an Arts and Cultural Management certificate from MacEwan University, then worked and volunteered in a range of capacity building programs before graduating with a BA (Honours) degree in Social Justice Theory and Practice from the University of Winnipeg in 2012.

Starting in 2011, her previous position as Learning and Engagement Coordinator focused on engaging CCEDNet’s Manitoba members, creating learning programs, coordinating The Manitoba Gathering, and the Enterprising Non-Profits program for social enterprise development. Sarah is active in her neighbourhood as a board member of the Daniel McIntyre St. Matthews Community Association. She is also a dedicated board member of the growing Rainbow Trout Music Festival and a regular volunteer for the LITE Wild Blueberry Pancake Breakfast.

The Co-operators’ Pathways to Employability Initiative was established in 2020 as a response to the economic shutdowns of COVID-19 affecting youth across Canada employed in low-skilled sectors. As part of the Co-operators Community Funds (CCF), this program focuses on providing employability supports through life skills training and employment reskilling opportunities for marginalized youth who have lost jobs or educational opportunities due to COVID-19.

The goal of the initiative is to facilitate movement into higher quality, sustainable, secure jobs through:

Connecting youth to small business employers and wrap-around employment, life skills and psychosocial supports.
Supporting small business employers to find, hire, train and retain youth.
Partnering with service providers (employment, counselling, training, industry and business, government) to leverage offerings and financial support towards meaningful youth employment.

#ImpactCOVID: Road to Recovery Project
The #ImpactCOVID: Road to Recovery Project is the first program being offered under the P2E Initiative. In partnership with the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity (CCYP), RBC Future Launch, and Magnet, the Co-Operators are developing a youth-led pandemic economic recovery plan. Over the course of two project phases, youth are co-designing the plan with small businesses (SMBs) followed by testing the plan through employment at SMBs and participation in community programs across Canada. Youth will gain valuable and impactful work experience with SMBs (including co-ops, non-profits and social enterprises) and community partners and SMBs will build capacity to hire, train and retain youth.

Learn more about the Pathways to Employability (P2E) Initiative

Applications are due January 15, 2021.

TELUS has announced the launch of its new TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, a $100 million social impact investment fund created to power responsible and sustainable startup businesses. The fund will invest in entrepreneurs building solutions aimed at improving healthcare, furthering social and economic inclusion, ensuring sustainable food production, and reducing our environmental footprint. The TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good will fuel social innovation in Canada through investments in companies that generate both financial and social returns.

Investments will focus on for-profit companies and founders committed to driving social innovation and economic growth in the following four areas:

Transforming healthcare: Digital solutions that make safe and quality physical and mental healthcare accessible and efficient for all Canadians.
Enabling inclusive communities: Startups building solutions to further social and economic inclusion and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential.
Supporting responsible agriculture: Companies providing innovative technology-first solutions that empower the agriculture industry to improve Canada’s food systems.
Caring for our planet: Companies and entrepreneurs building solutions to better the planet and reduce our environmental footprints.

An advisory board of entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders with expertise across the impact areas is being formed to advise on strategy, markets, and deal sourcing. Early-stage companies receiving investment will benefit from the insights and expertise from TELUS’ depth and breadth of resources, including the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, TELUS’ Community Boards, TELUS Health, Sustainability, and TELUS Ventures with its broad-reaching network within the venture capital space, to drive meaningful social impact in Canada.

Learn more about the Pollinator Fund for Good

Learn more about CCEDNet’s campaign to implement a pan-Canadian Social Innovation & Social Finance Strategy

CCEDNet is excited to offer this learning series to increase capacity among our members for policy and advocacy work. The offerings listed were developed based on members’ responses to a survey completed in September and October 2020.

Webinars are structured around presentations, followed by Q & A and some time for informal networking.
Campfire chats provide opportunities for members to learn from one another’s experience in an informal peer-to-peer learning environment.

Note: Except for the first two webinars, which were open to all, this series is designed to strengthen the work of CCEDNet members! To join CCEDNet or to find out more about our barrier-free membership policy, click here.

November	Unblocking Social Innovation, Empowering Communities Key Policy Recommendations for Strengthening Community Economies
December	Government Relations – Triumphs & Tragedies
January	Advocacy 101
February	Exploring Common Ground and Working Together
March	The Power of Partnerships in Your Campaign
April	Building Effective Coalitions and Partnerships
May	Using the Media – Easier Said than Done!
June	Creating an Internal Advocacy Policy

WEBINAR: Unblocking Social Innovation, Empowering Communities
November 2, 2020

Hear from social innovators about how social innovation and social finance (SISF) supports their work, why they’re pushing for action on SISF now, and how you can be part of a campaign that will help you have your voice heard on this strategic issue.

WEBINAR: Key Policy Recommendations for Strengthening Community Economies
November 19, 2020

Learn about CCEDNet’s current policy priorities, how they can accelerate economic recovery in a COVID and post-COVID world, and opportunities to get involved.

CAMPFIRE CHAT: Government Relations – Triumphs & Tragedies (No recording available for campfire chats.)
December 10, 2020

Have you had interactions with the government that were a resounding success? What about ones that went very, very badly? Join us to learn from others’ experiences and share your own lessons learned. If you’re a novice, no worries! The more the merrier.

WEBINAR: Policy & Advocacy 101
January 14, 2021

Whether we like it or not, we operate in a policy framework that can either help, or hinder, our work! Whether your work is at the local, provincial, or national level, join us to learn about public policy, how it works, and key components of an advocacy strategy.

CAMPFIRE CHAT: Exploring Common Ground and Working Together (No recording available for campfire chats.)
February 11, 2021

We are stronger when we work together! Explore the overlaps between your policy priorities and those of others, and figure out ways to complement each others’ efforts.

WEBINAR: The Power of Partnerships in Your Campaign
March 11, 2021

We can’t always do it alone and, in fact, our voice is louder when others join in! Finding a common agenda and building partnerships are key elements of an effective advocacy campaign. Join us to learn more!

CAMPFIRE CHAT: Building Effective Coalitions and Partnerships (No recording available for campfire chats.)
April 8, 2021

Everyone has a “bad partnership” horror story. On the flipside, effective coalitions take effort and a few critical ingredients. By sharing our experiences, we’ll help each other be better coalition partners, and maybe even share a few laughs!

CAMPFIRE CHAT: Working with the Media – Easier Said Than Done! (No recording available for campfire chats.)
May 6, 2021

The media is an important tool in advocacy work, but it can be tricky to figure out how to use it to your advantage! From figuring out who the right contacts are, to crafting your message, and identifying the right medium for your audience, there’s a lot to think about. Bring your questions and tap into others’ knowledge.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Creating an Internal Advocacy Policy
June 3, 2021

There are some key questions for organizations to think about when starting to do advocacy work. From what issues we take positions on to who our spokespeople are, and lots more! Join us if you are new to advocacy, or if you’ve been doing it a while but without any real direction from your supervisor or board of directors.