Canadian CED Network News | Ontario CED News | National CED News
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Co-organized Social Enterprise Bus Tour a Success
 A diverse group of people interested in social enterprise met in Winnipeg on June 25th and boarded a bus for a tour of two First Nation reserves and an exciting new social enterprise. Over thirty people toured a variety of Aki Energy worksites on Peguis First Nation and Fisher River Cree Nation. Aki Energy is an aboriginal social enterprise that trains community members who face barriers to employment to install geothermal retrofits to local housing.
Participating in the tour were members of community groups, representatives from Manitoba Hydro, trainees from BUILD and members of the Manitoba media. CCEDNet-Manitoba was a co-organizer of the event along with Shaun Loney, BUILD's executive director. Special thanks to the reserve communities for their hospitality and grace.
CCEDNet Members Meet in Cape Breton
On July 10, Atlantic members of the Canadian CED Network met in Cape Breton as part of the Creative Community Business Conference held at Cape Breton University. The event was called CED in Atlantic Canada: Strategies for Development and featured CCEDNet's Executive Director Mike Toye and Manitoba Regional Coordinator Brendan Reimer.
Brendan spoke about the exceptional strength of the Manitoba CED community, which has resulted in a strong membership for CCEDNet. He emphasized the importance of procurement policy, building relationships, and patience, emphasizing that growth takes time and hard work. Mike covered the history and evolution of CCEDNet, as well as the historical and current challenges that have and continue to influence this evolution. Looking forward, Mike stressed the important role of the CCEDNet in fostering a thriving CED community across Canada. A big thanks to all hosts and organizers at the event!
Rural Social Enterprise Constellation Project – Practitioners’ Institute
On July 15 and 16, 2013 the inaugural Rural Social Enterprise Practitioners’ Institute was held at the University of Guelph. Thirty-three emerging and current social enterprise development practitioners’ including, nonprofit and private sector consultants and co-op developers, community economic development interns, and post secondary students, participated in the event. It focused on the processes, knowledge, skills and resources needed to provide effective coaching supports to nonprofit social enterprises.  The RSEC Project is the first initiative of the provincial Rural Social Enterprise Constellation, which aims to contribute to the success of nonprofit social enterprises as a strategy for building community resilience, particularly in rural communities in Ontario. After two days of dynamic workshops fortified with relevant examples of social enterprises and opportunities to network, participating practitioners’ agreed that such an institute is important for this sector’s continued development. CCEDNet-Ontario was thrilled to sponsor the attendance of six interns from the CreateAction program to expand their network and bring new skills and knowledge back to their host organizations.
The Institute was designed and facilitated by Cathy Lang, C. Lang Consulting and Mary Ferguson, Eko Nomos and hosted by RSEC in conjunction with the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) at University of Guelph. Funding for the Rural Social Enterprise Constellation Project is provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
London's First Ever Social Good Mapathon
On Thursday July 25, the CCEDNet team was excited to be a part of Socialsca.pe's first Social Good Mapathon workshop held at the Covent Garden Market in downtown London,Ontario.  Hosted in partnership with Pillar Nonprofit Network, close to 20 community members from a broad spectrum of neighbourhoods and sectors across London gathered to map out the landscape of all the “social good" happening in the city — all of the initiatives, projects and organizations involved in making London a great place to live, work and play. Nick Soave from Impact Junk Solutions commented that this Mapathon enabled this group to make connection  s that could lead to new collaborations and opened his eyes to everyone’s different definitions of “social good”.
Mapping is a data intensive social process with the potential of a multitude of perspectives. The London Mapathon demonstrated the importance of the social process of convening community builders and connectors, enabling them to build out their own map of their community.
COIN - Twentieth Anniversary Celebration
The Community Opportunity & Innovation Network (COIN) is celebrating its 20th year of pioneering in the social economy! On September 18th, 2013, at 5pm COIN will host a celebration at its new co-working office space at 120 Murray Street in downtown Peterborough. The event will host previous and current board members, staff and clients as well as community leaders, partners, and friends of COIN. 
COIN would like to extend an invitation to YOU! Come check out the silent auction, enter to win some great draw prizes, and find out what their social enterprises are up to. COIN is a non-profit community economic development agency, United Way member and long-standing member of CCEDNet. It was formed in 1993 to address Peterborough’s lack of job opportunities for people with barriers to employment.
In the past 20 years, COIN has achieved a lot worth celebrating, including creating hundreds of new job opportunities for unemployed community members, partnering to generate over $10 million in new economic activity and investment, and the development of dozens of enterprises. It currently operates four social enterprises: Peterborough Eats, reBOOT Peterborough, TekDesk and an exciting new co-working space in its pilot phase. Social enterprise may be nothing new but COIN’s years of experience demonstrate the imperative for constant reinvention to stay relevant and have impact.
Un Chantier d'Action Francophone
 L’ Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario est un organisme sans but lucratif qui œuvre comme une entreprise sociale. Créée en 1977, l’AFNOO chapeaute 24 groupes membres représentant divers secteurs d’activités ce qui fait de l’organisme le principal acteur dans la représentation de la francophonie dans la région du Nord-Ouest. L’AFNOO quadrille son plan stratégique sur quatre chantiers d’action à savoir les actions politiques, les jeunes/aînés, le développement communautaire e  t économique, la communication.
Pour atteindre ses objectifs et générer des revenus, l’AFNOO à développer une stratégie axée sur l’expérience de ses employés pour offrir des ententes de services à ses groupes membres, ses partenaires et le grand public. Ainsi les revenus générés permettent de stabiliser les assises de l’organisme, mais aussi de supporter les différents services et projets qui sont offerts ou organisés pour la communauté.
L’AFNOO travaille toujours à innover et agrandir son champ d’expertise afin de favoriser l’émergence de la francophonie à travers le Nord-Ouest. Pour ce faire, l’organisme a élaboré depuis le mois de mai dernier une refonte du répertoire des services en français dans la région du Nord-Ouest qui paraissent ce mois.
New Horizons for the Conseil de La Coopération de l'Ontario
 Conseil de la coopération de l’Ontario (CCO) is broadening its horizons and scope! Not only will it remain the provincial association for all co-operatives, CCO will be representing social enterprises as well. A new mission, vision, and action plan will be accompanying this new mandate.
Given that CCO is already involved with numerous social enterprises, the organization wanted their strategic plan to reflect this commitment. This change will be presented to members of CCO at the Annual General Assembly in October.
While embarking on these strategic changes, CCO has added social finance to their areas of focus and created an eighth principle: sustainable development. These changes will bring the co-operative and social enterprise movement to the forefront of CCO and open the doors to a stronger social economy for francophones in Ontario.
Creat[ing]Action at United Way Greater Simcoe County
 In the heat of summer, Jessica Davis has been acting as a sponge during an exciting past three months as an intern through CreateAction at the United Way Greater Simcoe County (UWGSC). Similar to other interns, before Jessica started her position as a Community Development Analyst community economic development (CED) was an elusive term to her. Through the UW’s support, Jessica has attended meetings, workshops and participated in projects that have provided her with firsthand experience about the kinds of CED initiatives that are taking place in the Greater Simcoe County.
As Jessica pointed out, the UWGSC uses the CED approach in the work that they do. In addition to funding agencies, the UWGSC creates community impact through capacity building workshops that build on the strengths and maximize the capacity of non-profit organizations in their community.
Using her ‘sponge’ technique, Jessica has soaked up quite a bit of information. Professional development through CCEDNet, such as webinars, have been beneficial to further understanding the social economy landscape; topics are selected by interns and can range from social finance to policy setting for CED.
For those of us just getting started in the area of CED, Jessica would suggest to be patient with the learning process because the economic, environmental and social challenges are complex. As well, developing a network with community members is essential because that is where she has found her most important information and learning.
ONN Conference 2013 - Nonprofit: Reframed
Register now for the only provincial nonprofit conference gathering inspiring leaders and thinkers that span this diverse sector!
It’s time to work that network. The ONN Conference attracts over 250 experts and leaders across the sector, bringing together community builders, funders and government representatives coming from all over Ontario. This is the only province-wide event for all nonprofits from all sub-sectors. 2013 includes spotlights on h  ot button issues, strategic responses to trends and tactics, and results from Phase 1 of ONN’s work on the first sector-wide human capital renewal on leadership. Check out the program: Sector Snapshots and Trends in the Real World
Get up to speed on the latest sector news, policy, trends and resources. The Canadian CED Network in Ontario (CCEDNet Ontario) has implemented the first ever survey of social enterprise in Ontario. The full report of the 2012 Social Enterprise Survey for Ontario will be launched as part of the conference and the survey findings will be presented in conference workshops. ONN will present broad-scope information and delve into the nitty gritty so you can leverage the ideas that can support your community impact.
Client-run Out of this World Cafe Attains 50% in Revenue Spike
 Before Out of this World (OTW) Grill opened at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) last month, clients of the centre were not permitted to step foot in what was then a staff cafeteria. “Now they’re running it,” says Warren Hawke, business manager of the restaurant and Out of this World Café.
OTW Cafe, a CCEDNet member, was initially developed by the vocational resource centre at CAMH in 1994. The program provided value to clients for several years, but it reached the point where the centre required further business expertise to adapt to many clients who developed the potential for increased responsibility in managing the café. The resource centre initiated a community economic development process to explore the best way to enable clients working at the café to assume full ownership of the business.
National CED News
Canada on the Global Stage: Social Enterprise World Forum
 CCEDNet is pleased to be a supporting partner in this year’s Social Enterprise World Forum. Registration is now open but early-bird registration rates only run until July 25 so be sure to register soon. This world class event is not to be missed. The impressive roster of speakers include the leading thinkers and actors in the social enterprise sector from across the globe. Among the presenters are several CCEDNet members, including our own Manitoba regional coordinator Brendan Reimer. CCEDNet members are invited to a special gathering just prior to the Forum, on October 2, 1-4 :30pm. This session will look at CCEDNet’s strategic directions, inspired by new local economy initiatives internationally. So plan to come a bit early when you book your travel to the SEWF! For more information on this session, email Philippe at p.menard-cote@ccednet-rcdec.ca
A Historic Decision for a United Canadian Co-op Movement
At the Annual General Meetings of the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and the Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité (CCCM), in Edmonton July 3rd, delegates voted to create a single bilingual organization to represent co-ops, credit unions and mutual insurance companies for all of Canada. 
Also at the Congress, CCEDNet member and longtime CED leader Melanie Conn received CCA's Canadian Co-operative Achievement Award. Congratulations to CCA, CCCM, Melanie and all of Canada's dedicated co-operators who are building a better world.
2014 Co-operative Summit to Tackle Major Global Challenges
 The co-operative community is set to tackle important global challenges like food security, access to health care, and the global job crisis at the International Summit of Co-ops next year. Last month, Summit organizers announced those three topics as the central themes that will be discussed at the event, which takes place in Quebec City, October 6-9, 2014. In addition to focusing on cooperative development and strengthening, Summit participants will discuss innovative ways cooperatives can make a difference and address these enormous global challenges.
The State of Homelessness in Canada
At least 30,000 Canadians will experience homelessness tonight. By the end of this year, an estimated 200,000 Canadians will have experienced homelessness. These and other startling facts are highlighted in the recently released report, The State of Homelessness in Canada: 2013. The document examines what is known about homelessness, the historical, social and economic context in which it has emerged, demographic features of the problem, and potential solutions. Take Action Against Homelessness:
Following up on their efforts to support Bill C-400 and a national housing strategy, the Dignity for All campaign is sending a letter to the Premiers in advance of the Council of the Federation meeting July 24-26. The letter urges Canadian Premiers to put housing at the top of their agenda for this meeting. Click below if you or your organization supports housing as a human right, download the postcard below and send it to Premier Katherine Wynne (who is hosting the meeting on July 24-26), or send her an email by clicking here.
CED Book Club - Gather: the Art & Science of Effective Convening
The feature event of the Canadian CED Network's year is the Gathering, held every October in Winnipeg, which brings together over 600 people. Gather, a recent publication of the Rockefeller Foundation, attests to the importance of coming together to learn, improve, celebrate, and heal. The book is a manual of sorts for social planners seeking to convene the right group, and it offers some clarification on the distinction -- and thus more appropriate use of -- between conference, workshop, meetings, etc. The book is available for free download by following the link below. Enjoy!
A Little Bird Told Us: Top Tweets of the Month
Here is a brief sampling of some of our most popular tweets from the past 30 days. Click here to follow us on Twitter.
- calls on The Apprentice to include social enterprises: via
- Happy International Co-operative Day! Thank a or cooperator for their community impact today!
- "Social enterprise is not a political football, no party owns social enterprise" - British MP, Chris White http://ow.ly/mAz6M
- Canada to host Social Enterprise World Forum at a "pivotal time." October 2-4 in Calgary
- If you support as a human right, help put it on provincial agendas by signing this letter
Check out a short video that sums up the CCEDNet-RCDEC Twitter feed here: https://www.vizify.com/ccednet-rcdec/twitter-video
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