A coalition of Community Economic Development (CED) experts, practitioners, and organizations collaborated to create a brief on CED opportunities in Alberta. Their recommendations highlight ways in which the Government of Alberta can pursue its commitment to investing in job creation, economic diversification, renewable energy, and being the best place to start and grow a small business. The innovative tools of CED can amplify these economic initiatives by enabling the creation of more social and co-operative enterprises, providing jobs for disadvantaged Albertans, and advancing community-owned renewable energy.
Ontario Launches New Social Enterprise Strategy
Ontario has launched a new five-year strategy that will help social enterprises grow their businesses, enter new markets and create jobs, while addressing complex social and environmental challenges. The province will invest more than $6 million in the first year of this renewed strategy.
Ontario's Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-2021 sets out significant commitments in three key areas: Equipping social enterprises with solid business fundamentals; Connecting social enterprises to markets and capital to grow and scale; and Demonstrating the value of social enterprise and social finance to investors, government, and communities.
Highlights from CCEDNet's 2016 Annual General Meeting
A few weeks ago, CCEDNet members gathered online to participate in the annual general meeting (AGM). CCEDNet's Executive Director, Mike Toye, presented highlights from 2015. CCEDNet's Treasurer, Christine Landry, presented the audited financial statements. One item of special business was on this year's AGM agenda: an update to CCEDNet's articles of incorporation, to better reflect the Network's evolving position and role since its founding in 1999.
Synergia Launching First Summer Institute in Italy, September 4-23
For change makers everywhere this program offers an opportunity to explore real pathways to system change with leading experts in their fields. Transition to Co-operative Commonwealth – Pathways to a New Political Economy, is an intensive 3-week program that links the global with the local through the diffusion of transformative ideas, models, and practices that advance game-changing solutions for progressive change.
Provide Your Input on the Formation of a Winnipeg Food Policy Council
CCEDNet-Manitoba has supported Food Matters Manitoba and other community organizations to encourage the City of Winnipeg to establish a food policy council. In June of 2015, Winnipeg’s Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development approved a recommendation that the Winnipeg Public Service “…engage key stakeholders to investigate and provide recommendations related to the formation, role and governance structure of a Winnipeg Food Policy Council”, with a mandate of providing continued advice on agricultural and food related policy.
Deadline:July18
Community Interest Companies Now Available in Nova Scotia
New and existing social enterprises now have the choice to apply for designation as a Community Interest Company.
Effective June 15, legislation and regulations allow businesses formed under the Companies Act to be designated as a Community Interest Company. These companies will have characteristics of both businesses and non-profits, combining entrepreneurship with a social purpose.
Aboriginal Social Enterprise Program Launched in BC
Urban Matters, a Community Contribution Company (C3), has launched the Aboriginal Social Enterprise Program – an Aboriginal-led, independent social enterprise that will help create meaningful Aboriginal employment opportunities and support First Nations businesses whose goals include profits as well as bettering their communities. The Aboriginal Social Enterprise Program will identify budding social entrepreneurs, mentor and coach individuals and organizations through the early years of starting a social enterprise and support the long-standing spirit of innovation and respect for community and cultural values that help Aboriginal social enterprises succeed.
Quint Calls on Saskatchewan Government to Invest in Community Priorities
In the upcoming Saskatchewan budget, Quint Development Corporation, a member of the Canadian CED Network, hopes that Saskatchewan will follow the federal government's recent expansionary approach of creating better jobs, promoting a cleaner environment, and building more livable communities through investments in people and the economy.
Funding Opportunities
Grants for Young Canadians to Participate in the GSEF2016 in Montreal
The 2016 Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF2016) organising committee is happy to announce grants for young Canadians to participate in GSEF2016 which will take place from September 7th to 9th in Montreal.
Deadline: July 7
Funding for Innovative & Entrepreneurial Youth Employment Initiatives
Does your organization help at-risk or homeless youth find and keep jobs? Do you accomplish this by providing youth with the skills and experience employers are looking for as well as the support and connections to available job opportunities? Virgin Mobile RE*Generation is looking to identify and invest in innovative and entrepreneurial youth employment initiatives so as many youth as possible have a meaningful income and a long-term career pathway.
Deadline: July 12
Ontario's Indigenous Economic Development Fund to Invest $70 Million
Ontario will invest $70 million over the next seven years to extend the Indigenous Economic Development Fund, originally launched in 2014 as the Aboriginal Economic Development Fund. With a total combined investment of $95 million over ten years, the fund will continue to:
Help Indigenous communities develop long-term strategies to diversify their economies
Increase access to employment and training opportunities for Indigenous people
Provide access to financing to start and expand Indigenous businesses
Enable communities and businesses to collaborate on region-wide employment and skills training projects.
Deadline: March 31, 2017
Funding to Improve Accessibility and Safety in Your Workplace or Community
You could receive up to $50,000 through the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) to help improve accessibility in your facility or venue. If you are a business with less than 100 employees or a community-based employer, you may be eligible for funding from the Workplace Accessibility Stream to help remove barriers to accessibility in your workplace.
Deadline: July 26
Advance Your Food-Based CED Project through Green Internships
Do you need help making environmental improvements to your organization involved in providing environmental benefits to the agriculture sector? Canada's Agricultural Youth Green Jobs Initiative will provide $1.9 million to help farmers, non-profits and other organizations involved in the agriculture sector create jobs for post-secondary graduates who are 30 years or younger and want to work in agriculture.
Internships must be at least four months in length and be completed by March 31, 2017
CED Blogs
Manitoba Post Election 2016: Change in course?
Blog by Kirsten Bernas
The new provincial government has subtitled its budget documents with the phrase “Correcting the Course” and it has repeatedly stated its goal of making Manitoba the “Most Improved Province.” What will this new course mean for those working to create economic opportunities and improve social conditions for those most in need? Will this vision of improvement align with CCEDNet-Manitoba’s vision of reduced poverty, greater social inclusion, and equitable and sustainable local economies and communities? In some areas, it’s too soon to tell. At first glance, it appears that not a whole lot has changed in Budget 2016. But a careful look at some of the language in the throne speech, ministerial mandate letters, and budget reveals plenty.
Social Enterprises Create Pride through Decent Work
Blog by Josh Brandon & Molly McCracken
Social enterprises fill an important gap in Manitoba’s economy for those struggling to enter the workforce. The provincial government has seen the value of investing in social enterprises through funding training and procuring housing retrofit services. This in combination with financing from the Manitoba Hydro Pay As You Save (PAYS) program is producing great results. For instance, 194 people are employed in the six social enterprises involved in this study.
All members are encouraged to post blogs on their experiences, lessons and successes. If you're interested, contact us.
CED Resources
Realising the Promise of Social Enterprise: From Rhetoric to Reality
This report brings together half a year of conversations with SE managers and other stakeholders to review the state of the sector and examine Social Enterprise Toronto's (SET) role. Much of this report was published in the form of blog posts over this period. SET hopes that this report will encourage social enterprises and stakeholders to reconsider not just how, but also why, we are engaged in social enterprise – and what we hope to achieve.
We Can Design Belonging
This report is the culmination of ‘Belonging Is, a project for The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation’ (The KWCF). The project emerged as a result of Waterloo Region's Vital Signs®, an annual checkup through which The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation measures the vitality of our Region, identifies significant trends and examines the priority areas critical to Waterloo Region's quality of life.
CED Videos
The Gathering 2015 - Keynote from Clayton Thomas Muller
In case you missed The Gathering 2015 or would just like a recap of what transpired in Winnipeg, listen on to another one of Clayton's great speeches.
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CCEDNet Members Can Now Submit Events, Tools, Blogs & Jobs Directly to the Website
Great news for CCEDNet members: you are now able to submit CED-related events, toolbox resources (e.g. research reports, case studies, books, videos, etc.), blog posts, and jobs directly to the CCEDNet website to be viewed by thousands of of people from across Canada and beyond!
To get started, all you need to do is sign in; then click on "Post Content" under the User Menu at the top of the right column on the website.
Highlights from CCEDNet's 2016 Annual General Meeting
Aboriginal Social Enterprise Program Launched in BC 
Quint Calls on Saskatchewan Government to Invest in Community Priorities
Advance Your Food-Based CED Project through Green Internships
