FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HOLDS CO-OP POLICY FORUM
More than 40 co-op leaders, consultants and social enterprise experts from across Canada gathered in Ottawa on March 23-24 to talk to the federal government about policies and programs in support of co-operatives.  
"Towards 2012: Building a Conducive Environment for Co-operatives" was the first in a series of dialogues organized by the government's Co-operatives Secretariat aimed at shaping federal policy and setting the stage for the 2012 International  Year of Co-operatives.
 
The policy forum, which was attended by The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, who is responsible for co-operatives in his capacity as Minister of State (Agriculture), included round table discussions on how the co-operative business model can respond to emerging trends, what kinds of government support for co-ops should be considered and what the priorities should be in developing a co-op policy framework over the next 10 years.
 
Participants included representatives of national, provincial and sectoral co-op associations, such major co-operative organizations as Co-op Atlantic, The Co-operators, Arctic Co-operatives Limited, Federated Co-operatives Limited and Desjardins, as well as others involved in the co-op and social economy sectors.

To view the Cooperative Secretariat's news announcement, click here.