CED News

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.
 

Recommendations Sought for Canada's National Housing Strategy

On June 28, the federal government announced its long awaited consultation process on the development of a National Housing Strategy. The government is looking for your input now. CCEDNet members have been calling for the development of a national housing strategy for many years.

 

Help put Action for Community Economies in the 2017 Federal Budget

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has launched its pre-budget consultation process, and is inviting the participation of Canadians by August 5. A report on the consultations will be tabled in the House of Commons in December 2016. The suggestions made by Canadians, and the report on the pre-budget consultations prepared by the Committee, will be considered by the Minister of Finance as the 2017 federal budget is developed.

CCEDNet's National Policy Council will be preparing recommendations based on our policy priorities.  Last year's recommendations can be found here. 

More than 90 Social Economy Initiatives from 35 Countries at GSEF2016

More than 2,000 people from around the globe are expected at the Palais des congrès de Montréal this coming September 7 to 9 to take part in the Global Social Economy Forum – GSEF2016. This third edition, organized jointly by the Ville de Montréal and the Chantier de l’économie sociale, will focus on the theme Local Governments and Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) Stakeholders: Allies for the Intelligent and Sustainable Development of Cities.

Summer Reading Ideas from Staff and Board Members

What are you planning on reading this summer, both vocationally and 'vacationally'? 

We asked CCEDNet Board and staff members for their reading lists, and the result provides an interesting window into the personalities and interests of those involved in the daily operations and the oversight and vision building of CCEDNet.

We hope you might be intrigued by some of the titles, and that you'll share what you're reading too! 

Social Enterprise for Northern Ontario CoStarter for Change Offers Social Entrepreneurs Access to Capital and More 

For over 20 years, PARO has been a launch pad for starting and growing businesses in Northern Ontario. PARO's clientele are diverse: each program is tailored to the needs of women including Francophone women, youth, people with disabilities, low-income individuals and new Canadians.

Recently, PARO has partnered with a dynamic collaboration of purpose-driven agents of change to ignite motivation inspired by social development.

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.

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: July 18

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Funding Opportunities

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
 

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
 

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

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CED Blogs        

National Housing Strategy Long Overdue

Blog by Tyler Pearce

Canada has not had a national housing plan since the mid-1990s. In the intervening years, the housing market has all but been restructured. We’ve all heard about the condo bubbles in Toronto and Vancouver, and the $1- million, 800-square-foot single detached houses in Vancouver. Young adults can’t afford mortgages — at least without major backing from their parents — making home ownership the intergenerational privilege of a shrinking middle class.

Indigenomics, and Why the Time Is Right

Blog by Megan Devlin

Carol Anne Hilton wants Canadians to add a new word to their dictionary: Indigenomics. Definition: The practice of bringing an Indigenous perspective to economic and social development. Hilton, who is of Nuu-chah-nulth heritage, launched the word four years ago as a Twitter hashtag: #Indigenomics.  

Canada, says Hilton, needs a new language to move toward reconciliation. It's a language she speaks to the federal government after being appointed advisor to the finance minister. She speaks it as CEO of her company Transformation, which helps First Nations with economic and social development. She's also director of the B.C. First Nations Health Society, a member of the World Fisheries Trust chair of the Victoria Community Micro-Lending Society, and teaches a class on Indigenomics at Simon Fraser University. And she's authoring a book,Indigenomics: A Global Power Shift...

All members are encouraged to post blogs on their experiences, lessons and successes. If you're interested, contact us.

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CED Resources   

Women's Empowerment Promising Practices Manual 

This manual is not intended to be a complete program, but rather provides a framework for a program which meets at minimum 3 times a week, 4 hours per day for at least 10 weeks, or around 120 hours of class time. These modules should take between a third and a quarter of the total time of a program. The remainder of the program material should be developed taking into account your community’s and organization’s mission and priorities.

This compendium from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) contains 20 case studies of public programmes in European countries that are successfully supporting business creation by people from disadvantaged and under-represented groups in entrepreneurship. The populations targeted by these programmes include youth, women, seniors, the unemployed, immigrants, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Each programme description details the programme’s activities and approach, assesses the challenges faced in development and implementation, and offers tips for successful transfer to other contexts.

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CED Videos

The Gathering 2015 - Keynote from Elder Stan McKay

In case you missed The Gathering 2015 or would just like a recap of what transpired in Winnipeg, listen on to another one of Elder Stan's great speeches.