Causeway Work Centre and Causeway Foundation are hosting an Open House in recognition of the 30th annual Small Business Week in Canada. This event will showcase Causeway's three Social enterprises: Krackers Katering, marking 10 years of operation; Good Nature Groundkeeping, in its 5th year of business; and Cycle Salvation, celebrating its first anniversary. We would like to invite you to participate in this celebration, which will take place on October 20, 2009.

Social enterprises provide real employment for marginalized members of our community, in a setting of good business practice where financial success comes only in balance with social and environmental goals. It's an alternative model for small business with a triple bottom line - people, planet, profit!

Krackers Katering, our first social business, has grown adept at keeping the triple bottom line balanced; Krackers has maintained 10 years of steadily increasing reputation and revenues while providing over 150 individuals with substantive training and work experience in the food services industry. It is this stamina and conviction that all our social businesses require.

This event will also showcase the 100th anniversary of Causeway's home at 22 O'Meara Street, the former St. Conrad's school built in Hintonburg in 1909.

The Open House will commence at 12:30pm and will include a presentation of Causeway's three social enterprises, giving a grassroots look at the nature of social business. The event will last approximately one hour. Paul Dewar MP and Councillor Christine Leadman are among the community leaders who will be sharing their support of Social Enterprise with us.

Please contact us to let us know if you are able to join us in celebrating Small Business Week in Canada.

The Canadian Worker Co-op Federation ("CWCF") is pleased to announce its 2009 national Conference: operations

• The focus at the 2009 CWCF Conference will be on practical training and sharing which will be highly relevant for worker co-ops. An additional focus this year will be on how worker co-ops can be part of the solution, survive and even thrive in times of economic crisis such as the current period, as well as in the face of environmental crisis. Last but not least, we will focus on having fun: WC Trade Fair, WC Jam Session, time for socializing together, etc.
• Keynote speaker will be Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, who has stated that one of the three most influential people in her life was Moses Coady, founder of the Antigonish Co-operative Movement.
• Video link from the CICOPA Conference occurring in Geneva, Switzerland, sharing information on what's happening with worker co-ops internationally. (CICOPA in the international worker co-op federation.)
• Focus on welcoming a diversity of participants including immigrants, aboriginal people, youth, etc.
• Participatory training workshops, including "Worker Co-ops 101", and on various issues of relevance to running a worker co-op - for worker co-op members, co-op developers, and the general public. There will be information on resources available to assist in developing worker co-operatives.