ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 2 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

Table of contents

President and Executive Director’s Message...... 3

Two factors impacted how we connected with others last year...... 4

Advocacy...... 5

Youth...... 5

Research...... 6

International...... 6 Building a national ecosystem of co-operatives and mutuals through data...... 6

Congress 2020...... 7

CMC – Virtual institutes...... 7

ACE – Virtual institutes...... 8

International Centre for Co-operative Management Webinars...... 9

Membership – Strength in numbers...... 9 Number of co-operatives and mutuals per region in the CMC database...... 10

Members...... 11

Board of Directors...... 12

Our team ...... 13

Statement of revenue and expenses...... 14

Balance sheet...... 15 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 3

President and Executive Director’s Message

For most of us, this past year has been the This past year was also about addressing strangest of our lives. Our homes became our challenges. We established a national coalition places of work, we engaged with colleagues with our members across Canada in response and collaborators through computer monitors to the sale of Canada’s largest retail co- and zooming officially became a verb. operative — Mountain Equipment Co-op or But through it all, we adapted, we stayed MEC. Our national coalition included the Save connected, and we took our co-operative MEC group, the Alberta Community and Co- mission to new heights. operative Association, and the On behalf of CMC, we would like to welcome Co-op Association. With the support of our you to our 2020-21 Annual Report. It tells the members, we advanced this coalition, took story of connections — how CMC is building legal action, published op-eds, and gave them, learning through them, and leading with numerous media interviews. We informed you, them in collaboration with its members. -our members- at every step, which culminated in our first National Town Hall. Your voices CMC spent the last fiscal year putting to work encouraged us to turn concern into action by your collective vision, which we heard through creating two national leadership tables: surveys and consultations, for the future of your national bilingual association. We advanced a • A Legislative Leadership Review Table, which number of new connections with the federal is currently reviewing the legal framework government to bring to life changes in programs regulating co-ops and insolvencies, as well and funding. Measurable results include: all as addressing legislative inadequacies in COVID-related funding programs for traditional protecting members’ rights. businesses being opened to co-operatives; • A National Governance Leadership Table, renewal of the Tax Deferred Co-operative which is reviewing co-operative governance Share Program; opening of the CanExport SME practices and standards across Canada. program to co-operatives; and an investment This table will develop recommendations in 58 co-operatives across Canada of more and assess the potential for a national than $3.3M through the Investment Readiness governance program that could be linked Program (IRP), where CMC was pleased to take to an accreditation model. a leading role as an Ecosystem Mobilization CMC members also responded to our invitation Partner. to financially support the member-led national Advocacy, on behalf of our members, continues leadership tables by contributing over $110,000 to be based on policy recommendations driven towards CMC’s One Co-op/Every Co-op by research. To support this work, we recently campaign. Thank you for your solidarity and launched a research project investigating trust. the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian co- The slogan of this campaign is reflected in every operatives and mutuals. We are in the process aspect of the new draft strategic plan that we of publishing data from a three-year joint study are developing and will soon be available for on business conversions to co-operatives. We your review. Our goal is to create a roadmap are also developing indicators and measuring to better serve our members and Canada’s the sector’s contributions to the internationally- ecosystem of small, medium, and large co- set sustainable development goals. operatives and mutuals. 4 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

Over the past year, CMC established a Diversity, So, despite the challenges of the pandemic, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee. This will we were privileged and proud at CMC to help develop a better understanding of the DEI continue making connections and advancing landscape and identify opportunities for the the priorities of our members. We are fortunate co-operative/mutual sector. We also launched to contribute to an on-going mandate to build an ad hoc Dues Review and Membership a co-operative/mutual sector economy for all Committee to review our current membership Canadians. dues structure and program offerings. The new Thank you for being the foundation and the structure will be based on the principles of inspiration for our work. fairness, predictability, and practicality and will be shared with CMC members later in 2021. We were also busy enhancing our communications toolbox to better amplify the voice of our membership and sector. We grew John Kay our national database to include 95 per cent President of Canada’s co-operatives and mutuals. We bolstered our online presence by developing a new website that was launched this May. We refreshed the look of our Co-op/Mutual Sector News bulletin (formerly FullIntel); we André Beaudry produced a new communications plan; and Executive Director recently launched a new on-line service to post employment opportunities and RFPs within our sector. All of these new developments were based on input from you, our members.

TWO FACTORS IMPACTED HOW WE CONNECTED WITH OTHERS LAST YEAR.

The global pandemic has impacted our daily lives. It has forced our sector to re-evaluate how to remain relevant and connected with members and customers, and in some cases, led to re- assessing businesses models, work environments, sales platforms, and purchasing practices. A surprising development amidst the impact of the pandemic was the sale of Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) to Kingswood Capital Management, which echoed across our sector. In the wake of the sale, we connected with the British Columbia Co-operative Association (BCCA), the Alberta Community Co-operative Association (ACCA) and a newly formed group called Save MEC. Together, we hosted a national town hall meeting – the One Co-op, Every Co-op National Town Hall — where leading subject matter experts from our sector outlined the challenges that MEC faced, and opened up a discussion on ways to prevent similar events in the future. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 5

Advocacy We advocated with parliamentarians, their staff • Success in extending the Tax-Differed members, and departmental employees on an Co-operative Share program (TDCS), almost daily basis over the course of the year. through December 2026. By making these connections as a non-partisan • More than $3 million awarded in non- organization, we were able to impact public policy repayable loans (grants) to 58 Canadian to advance the priorities of our members and build co-operatives via the government’s Canada’s co-operative economy. Investment Readiness Program (IRP). In 2020/21, we learned how do this remotely and • Inclusion of co-operative enterprises in with an extremely busy federal government. The the government funded Futurpreneur pandemic “kept us on our toes” as we monitored program. the government’s activities and their COVID-19 economic response plans. By doing so, we were • Annual data now being collected able to ensure that federal plans were accessible to on non-financial co-operatives by Canadian co-operatives and mutuals. Some wins Innovation, Science and Economic for the co-operative/mutuals sector resulting from Development (ISED) and Statistics working with the federal government included: Canada.

HOWEVER, OUR ADVOCACY DID NOT STOP THERE: • We connected with others in the sector, as well as social economy stakeholders, to submit joint advocacy letters pertaining to Canada’s post COVID-19 economic recovery. • We consulted with our members and submitted to policymakers a fall economic statement and pre-budget submissions. • We also produced comprehensive reports and analysis on the fall economic statement and the federal budget for our members.

Youth CMC is proud to partner with Canada’s Emerging Co-operators (CEC), a working committee established by CMC to promote and support youth within the co-operative/mutuals sector. CMC and CEC were also instrumental in launching the Emerging Co-operators Education Fund (ECEF). We also support youth by coordinating a scholarship program with the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC), to support CEC in implementing the new Emerging Co-operators Education Fund (ECEF). 6 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

Research CMC is very engaged with a number of post-secondary groups across Canada to produce research that is foundational to growing our Canadian co-operative economy. Studies advanced this year by CMC in co-operation with our post-secondary research partners include:

A comprehensive study on A study titled Measuring A business conversions to co- the impact of COVID-19 on Sustainable Development operatives research project Canadian co-operatives and Goals: Impact in the Co- and the related promotion mutuals, which will include a operative Sector. around its findings and tools. 2019 Jobs/GDP study on the The advancement of this economic impact of the co- three-year project regarding operative sector in Canada. co-operative conversions is nearing completion and currently in the process of releasing its findings.

All CMC research is first shared with our members, launched in collaboration with our members, and serves to raise awareness about our sector.

International CMC continues to represent the Canadian co-operative economy as a member of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). This past year we were selected to be a member of the ICA G20 Working Group. Our involvement is within two G20 engagement groups. These groups are currently meeting to discuss and develop action-oriented and impactful policy recommendations related to the most relevant and urgent priorities of the global, economic, social, and environmental agenda. The recommendations from these groups will be conveyed to G20 leaders with specific policy actions for consideration, adoption and implementation.

Building a national Over the past year we continued to develop ecosystem of Canada’s most comprehensive database on co-operatives and mutuals. It currently has data on approximately 95 per cent of co-operatives Canada’s co-operatives and mutuals. This CRM tool is foundational to advancing our and mutuals mission to unite and promote co-operatives through data and mutuals. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 7

Congress 2020

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we We held a series of Co-operation Virtual were unable to gather in Halifax, Nova Scotia Institutes bringing together co-operators, last, June as we had planned. However, it was researchers, community advocates, collective still important for CMC as a national association entrepreneurs, public servants, subject-matter to engage its members in advancing priorities experts, and co-operative educators. This that would be of interest to the co-operative allowed for a robust exchange of information and mutuals sector. As a result, CMC’s Co- on subjects relevant to the Canadian co- operation Virtual Institutes were born in co- operative/mutualist sector. operation with other collaborators.

THE TOPICS AND LINKS TO THE WEBINARS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

CMC – Virtual institutes:

• Another way?: How about Business • How Inter-cooperation Strengthens Co- Conversions to Co-operatives with Fiona operatives, Economies, and Communities Duguid, Principal Researcher; Marcelo with Karen Miner, Managing Director, Vieta, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Social International Centre for Co-operative Economy Centre, Ontario Institute for Studies Management, Sobey School of Business, in Education, University of Toronto and Saint Mary’s University; Cory Munden, CEO at Josée Charbonneau, Research Professional, Leading Edge Credit Union (Newfoundland); IRECUS, Université de Sherbrooke. Kelly Storie, Executive Director, La Siembra • Passing the Torch: Propelling Co-ops and Colette Lebel, Director, Cooperative Forward with Josh Noble, Manager of Affairs, Sollio Cooperative Group. Deposit Support at Synergy Credit Union; Erin • Social Acquisitions for Business Recovery Hancock, Program Manager, Co-operative with Meg Ronson, MEDI, Project Manager — Management Education International Legacy Leadership Lab, Waterloo Institute for Centre for Co-operative Management at Social Innovation and Resilience, University of the Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s Waterloo; Fiona Duguid, Principal Researcher University; Tim Ross, Executive Director, Co- and Marcelo Vieta, SSHRC Postdoctoral operative Housing Federation of Canada Fellow at the Social Economy Centre, Ontario and Iva Jankovic, Education Program Institute for Studies in Education, University of Coordinator , British Columbia Co-operative Toronto. Association. • Democratic vitality in 21st Century Co- • Social Value and Supply Chains: How operatives with Simon Pek, PhD Assistant Co-operatives Can Leverage Social Professor, Sustainability and Organization Procurement Opportunities as Suppliers with Theory; Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, Tori Williamson, Manager of Communications University of Victoria; Kevin Millsip, BC Libraries and Engagement, Buy Social Canada. Cooperative and Sarah de Heusch, Smart Cooperative. 8 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

ACE – Virtual institutes

• Crisis: Fertile Ground for Cooperation with • Difficulties and Opportunities of Car Sharing William Nelson, Principal Consultant, Board Co-operatives with Dardan Isufi,Co-founder, Advisor, Strategic Planning Consulting, EVA; Philip Mikulec,Operations Manager, Peg Speaker; Colette Lebel, Director, Cooperative City Car Co-op and Patrick Nangle,CEO, Affairs, Sollio Cooperative Group and Modo Coop. Rebecca Fisher-McGinty, Communications • Financial Co-operatives During the Crisis: Wizard, RoundSky Solutions. What Role Do They Play? with Elvy Del • The Co-operative Model: An Employability Bianco,Cooperative Portfolio Manager, Solution for Young People in Times of Crisis Community Business & Investment, and Beyond with Nathan Schneider, Assistant and Billy Boucher, General Manager and Professor of Media Studies, University Chief Operating Officer, Desjardins Ontario of Colorado Boulder and Cathy Statz, Credit Union. Education Director of the Wisconsin Farmers • The Role of the Co-operative Movement in Union (WFU). the Economic and Social Reconstruction • Marginalized Populations and Crises: How to Come with Andréa Renaud,President, to Get Out of Reinforced Marginalization ACE; John Kay, CEO, Realize Strategies, and Through Cooperation? with Jessica Gordon- Doug O’Brien,President & CEO, National Nembhard, Professor of Community Justice Cooperative Business Association CLUSA and Social Economic Development at John International. Jay College, City University of New York and Claudia Arroyo, Co-Director, Prospera. • Health and Home Care: Co-operative Responses with J. Benoit Caron, Executive Director, Consortium; Doug Dowhos, Recovery Supports Supervisor, St. Joseph’s Care Group, Mental Health and Addictions, Danny Spitzberg, Researcher and Sociologist and Louis Cousin, Researcher and Consultant with the Co-operative Development and Innovation project. • Agricultural Co-operation: Between Resilience and Sustainability with Mark Biedenfeld, Vice President, Cooperative Resources, CHS Inc and Ghislain Gervais, President, Sollio Cooperative Group. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 9

International Centre for Co-operative Management Webinars

• Co-operatives and New Economic • A Broader History of Co-operation: From Paradigms with Sonja Novkovic, Professor Europe to the World with Dr. Nazik Beishenaly, of Economics and Academic Director of postdoctoral researcher at KU Leuven the International Centre for Co-operative and Research Advisor at the International Management at Saint Mary’s University. Cooperative Alliance. • The Co-operative Advantage with Daniel • Digging into the Global Research on Côté, Professor, International Centre for Youth and Co-ops with Jeffrey Moxom, Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s Research Coordinator at the ICA, under University. the ICA-EU Partnership for International • Indigenous Rights and Inclusion in Co- Development; Simren Singh, Program Officer operatives with Dr. Priscilla Settee, Member at the International Cooperative Alliance of Cumberland House Swampy Cree First (ICA) Asia and Pacific Office in New Delhi Nations and a Professor of Indigenous (India) under the ICA-EU Partnership on Studies, University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Cooperatives for Development and Melvin Isobel Findlay, Professor Emerita, Department Khabenje, currently in charge of research of Management and Marketing and Fellow projects under the ICA-EU Partnership within in Co-operatives, Diversity, and Sustainable the ICA Africa regional office (Nairobi). Development, Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan. • Indigenous Rights and Inclusion in Co- operatives - the Practice of Inclusion with Mary Nirlungayuk, Vice President of Corporate Services at Arctic Co-operatives Limited; Joanne Stone-Campbell, Indigenous Portfolio Manager, Community Investment City Savings Credit Union (Vancity) and Lisa Clatney, Executive Director at Saskatoon Community Clinic.

Membership – Strength in numbers

One national townhall with Prior to the start of 2020/21, we set out on a journey to over 130 participants understand the issues and priorities of our membership. One national fundraising event for the One Co-op, While we keep our members abreast of major policy shifts, Every Co-op Fund to be truly connected, we also need to listen to the wants Over three-thousand and needs of our membership and learn more about subscribers to CMC social “what keeps them up at night”. media accounts Seven CMC Impact Reports While the CMC office is a small team, with the support Published and collective voice of our membership, we are loud and Over seven-thousand strong. Canadian co-op and mutual entries in our CMC database 10 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

Number of co-operatives and mutuals per region in the CMC database

YT NT 5 19 NU 27 NL 74 BC AB SK MB QC 528 618 585 327 2805 PE ON 114 1361 NS 340

We want to see a Canada where the co-operatives and “ mutuals sector can thrive. Everything we do is in pursuit of that goal. ” ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 11

Members 12 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

Board of Directors

John Kay Julien Geremie Jeannie Van Dyk President Director Director

Meeting Meeting Meeting Attendance: Attendance: Attendance: 94% 96% 71%

Stephanie Guico Randy Graham Alexandra Wilson Vice-President Director Director

Meeting Meeting Meeting Attendance: Attendance: Attendance: 84% 87% 100%

Karen Miner Maggie Miland Vice-President Director

Meeting Meeting Attendance: Attendance: 100% 95%

James Bettcher, Sylvie Naud Director Director

Meeting Meeting Attendance: Attendance: 80% 100%

Martha Durdin Mark Needham Director Director

Meeting Meeting Attendance: Attendance: 90% 92%

Stéphane Forget Timothy Ross Director Director

Meeting Meeting Attendance: Attendance: 75% 60% ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 13

Our team

André Beaudry René Bernatchez Hugues Bourgeois Executive Director Manager – Finances Manager – Culture, Talent and Governance

Daniel P. Brunette Grace Busanga Lesley Foster Director – Advocacy Coordinator – Manager – and Partnerships Communications Communications

Martin Roy Executive Assistant 14 CO-OPERATIVES AND MUTUALS CANADA

Statement of revenue and expenses Year ended March 31, 2021 2021 2020 $ $ Revenue Membership dues 1 648 028 1 961 543 Grants, registrations, sponsorships and 119 695 273 810 others Investment income 121 119 15 562 1 888 842 2 250 915 Expenses Salaries and benefits 794 072 875 249 Consultants and contractuals 234 811 381 018 Administrative, office and others 206 791 257 205 Membership fees 199 098 189 454 Rent 75 935 76 895 Travel 26 405 332 737 1 537 112 2 112 558 Excess of revenue over expenses 351 730 138 357 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2021 15

Balance sheet As of March 31, 2021 Assets Cash, short/long-term investments 3 303 399 3 615 896 Prepaid expenses 198 113 159 391 Others assets 24 162 51 828 3 525 674 3 827 115 Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued 151 364 126 122 Deferred contributions 1 127 187 1 805 600 1 278 551 1 931 722 Net assets Unrestricted 747 123 395 393 Internally restricted 1 500 000 1 500 000 2 247 123 1 895 393

3 525 674 3 827 115