Co-op week is the opportunity for Canadian co-operative and credit union members to celebrate the fact that they have collectively helped to build this country. Co-op Week is recognition of their continuing contributions at home and abroad.
Co-op Week is always celebrated during the same week as International Credit Union Day, which is the third Thursday in October of each year.
Co-op Week 2015 will take place from October 11-17.
This year the theme is Our Co-op Advantage. Share your views on the co-operative advantage with others across the country by contacting Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada. Don't forget to share your event dates and event photos and show your co-op pride this October.
For more information visit Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada
The History of Co-op Week in Canada
Co-op Week has been celebrated by francophones throughout Canada since 1958. In 1981 celebrations were held among anglophone co-ops in the Maritimes and Saskatchewan. The event went national in 1982 with the encouragement of the Co-operative Union of Canada, a predecessor of the Canadian Co-operative Association.
Co-op Week appears to be a uniquely Canadian phenomenon. In the US, October is Co-op Month, and the International Co-operative Alliance and United Nations have an International Day of Co-operatives on the first Saturday in July.
International Credit Union Day, co-ordinated by the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), has been celebrated on the third Thursday of October since 1948.