IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE! INTERNATIONAL
YEAR OF THE CO-OPERATIVE!
A year long celebration of the amazing things that
happen when people work together to meet a common need. Stay tuned for lots of
great stories about co-operatives in New Brunswick and beyond! Happy IYC!
Minister of Justice supports a
new Co-op Act for New Brunswick
A
recent letter to the Co-op Ambassador Committee from Justice Minister
Marie-Claude Blais congratulates the co-op sector for coming together in a bid
for a new Co-op Act for New Brunswick.
Following an advocacy campaign and meetings with government officials
earlier this summer, Minister Blais confirmed her intent to “inform Cabinet of
the challenges facing co-operatives and the need for new legislation” and has
asked for the Committee’s help in drafting the new Act.
The Co-op Ambassador Committee brings together both English and
French co-ops, credit unions and caisses populaires from across the province in
a unified effort to bring about positive change for co-operatives. Minister Blais was impressed by the
cohesiveness of the group and her letter stated that “Such unity contributes to
the efficiency and effectiveness required to bring such a project to a fruitful
conclusion.”
To begin the process of drafting a new Act, a Legislation Working
Group has been established from within the Ambassador Committee that includes
Dr. André Leclerc, Chair of the Université
de Moncton’s Co-op Studies Program, Dr. Luc Theriault from University of
New Brunswick’s sociology department, Leo LeBlanc, Corporate Secretary for
Co-op Atlantic, Eric Tusz-King of the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation, Wayne Dempsey and Ken Elliot from Brunswick
Co-op Housing, Melvin Doiron of Coopérative de développement régional -Acadie,
and CECNB staffers David Daughton and Wendy Keats. The Legislation Working Group held their
first meeting in late June to develop an action plan. Stay tuned for ongoing developments!
And a very special congratulations to the Ambassador Committee’s
Co-Chair, Camille Thériault, for receiving the Ordre du mérite coopératif et
mutualiste canadien at the joint CCA-CCCM Congress in Halifax in June!
News Flash
The Council offers a wide variety of services to help facilitate the continued success, growth, and competitiveness of co-operatives
and credit unions in New Brunswick. Whether you're a new or existing co-operative, or are just interested in finding out more about
how to start a co-op, the Council has something for you.
