BC/Yukon Newsletter - January 2008

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Nicole Chaland
CCEDNet - BC /Yukon Coordinator
nchaland [at] ccednet-rcdec.ca

BC/Yukon Members-here is what you said!

During the month of December, CCEDNet staff embarked on a massive phoning exercise. We have 170 members; we left messages for 110 of you and actually spoke with 65 of you. Here is what CCEDNet members in BC told us are priority issues for the upcoming year.

Overwhelmingly, climate change is on people's minds. CED folks who live in cities are more concerned with mitigation and adaptation; CED practitioners in rural areas talked about the importance of upgrading infrastructure. Everyone is concerned about the potential loss of habitat as a result of climate change and the lack of protection that exists in BC!

The second most important issue you mentioned is poverty reduction, followed by childcare.

Another top issue affecting CED practitioners province-wide is the lack of media coverage on important topics. You want to see topics such as biodiversity and social enterprise in mainstream media! You also told us to check out the UK for some good examples of media that cover topics relevant to real people in real communities. You said that your communities are still suffering from the effects of colonization on First Nation's reserves and that you need career transition support for older workers as well as help to create effective mechanisms and policies that support local procurement.

In Fall 2007, CCEDNet's National Policy Council unveiled a revised CED policy brochure which provides a framework for CCEDNet members to use in gaining support for these priorities. Our policy brochure is a Communities' Agenda for sustainable communities, poverty reduction, child-care, local procurement and more. Join a growing movement of CED practitioners in using this as a common framework to educate decision-makers in your community. Click here to download our policy brochure.

We weren't surprised that you had a few questions of your own. We liked them so much that we thought we'd have it as a regular feature in our newsletter. Send your queries to bcced@ccednet-rcdec.ca. We're also looking for folks to share answers, if you would like to volunteer send a note bcced@ccednet-rcedc.ca

Question: How does community economic development help our economy?

CCEDNet's Answer: In some ways, it's not so much that CED helps our economies, it's more that there is an absolute necessity to re-localise our economies and CED is a field of practice that has focused on re-localization strategies and practices for almost 100 years. But why is re-localization so critical?

Think of just one aspect of our economy-exports. The single largest share of greenhouse gas emissions is due to our export-based economy. See the report here.

For that, and many other good reasons, we need to start weaning ourselves off the export-based economy and create re-localised, people-centred economies. CED has revised the old economic development approach which relied on attracting outside investment. Community economic development strategies encourage us to make things ourselves - instead of importing. CED prioritizes economic development that is good for people. CED de-emphasizes smoke-stack chasing and makes efforts to diversify our local economies and reduce our reliance on one big employer. That's what CED is - that's why it's necessary.

Question: Can you demonstrate the importance of non-profits as economic drivers in community?

CCEDNet's Answer: Good question! There is a lot of attention in Canada and internationally on understanding the impact and potential of the social economy (that is: not private sector or government) in our economy as a whole. To learn more about the social economy, go to CCEDNet's website and type in 'social economy' in the search field. Buckets of resources and papers will be at your fingertips in seconds.

In Canada, the core non-profit sector - which excludes hospitals, universities and colleges - is a larger part of the economy than the entire accommodation and food services industry. Check out this Statsitics Canada report.

Also, keep your eye on this research project Understanding the role of the social economy in advancing rural revitalization and development which will be completed this year by the BC-Alberta Research Alliance on the Social Economy.

Finally...
This is the beginning of a member engagement and policy development process for our members in BC. We will continue to phone you and find out your priorities; we will also be sending a short (very short) survey to you in the near future. We are also working hard to organize regional forums leading to a provincial summit. Let us know if you want to partner or participate in anyway.

Download CCEDNet's policy brochure.

If you have questions or your own stories to tell, contact:

Nicole Chaland
CCEDNet - BC/Yukon Coordinator
nchaland [at] ccednet-rcdec.ca

 

SFU Certificate Program for Community Economic Development Professionals

Register now for upcoming courses of the SFU Community Economic Development Certificate (CED) Program for Professionals!

The program provides opportunities for thoughtful exploration and practical learning in the critical elements of CED values and principles, enterprise development, financing, planning and research, community participation and sustainability. The range of courses provides an excellent grounding for practitioners in a variety of workplaces and settings.

"This type of professional development in CED can really help in putting together workable ideas that achieve financial, social & environmental results." Dave Mowat, former CEO, Vancity

IN VANCOUVER

February 8 - 9 2008: Developing CED Ventures
This is the course that examines the nuts and bolts of the CED approach to business. The instructor, Victor Cumming brings many years of experience and an irresistible enthusiasm to the course. (website)

April 18 - 19 2008: CED Approaches to Affordable Housing
This course examines housing stock from the point of view of how it influences a community's environmental, social and economic health as well as pragmatic tools to develop affordable housing. Nicole Chaland spearheaded an innovative model of co-operative housing in Victoria BC. (website)

IN VICTORIA

March 7 - 8 2008: Co-operative Models for CED
This course explores opportunities for establishing co-operatives to create and sustain community resources for employment, financing, natural resource management, marketing, and services (housing, transportation, media, health, home and child care). Topics include co-op types and principles, legal requirements of co-op incorporation, choosing a model that fits the purpose, and supporting the developmental process. (website)

May 9 - 10 2008: CED Approaches to Affordable Housing
This course examines housing stock from the point of view of how it influences a community's environmental, social and economic health and also provides pragmatic tools for the development of affordable housing. Nicole Chaland & Pascale Knoglinger are founding board members of a co-operatively-owned development company for affordable housing in Victoria BC.(website)

2008 National CED Conference

 

May 21-24, 2008, University of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon, Sask.


Catch the Waves of Change with 400 other community practitioners, civil society representatives, academics, government partners, and citizens from across Canada in vibrant Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!

Key themes for 2008 include:

  • Building Fairer & Stronger Local Economies
  • Tackling Poverty & Homelessness
  • Investing in Sustainable Communities

WHY ATTEND?

Over 30 participatory learning and information sessions, engaging keynote speakers and plenaries, excellent networking opportunities, an opportunity to shape the development of the Canadian CED Network policy agenda, exciting site visit tours and social events, and so much more!

Registration will be open in mid-February 2008; please watch your inbox for more details to come, and check www.ccednet-rcdec.ca for regular updates!

The 2008 National CED Conference is hosted by the Canadian CED Network in partnership with Quint Development Corporation.

Proposal to Include Social Enterprises among BC Tax Credit Investment Opportunities

Currently, the BC government offers a 30% tax credit incentive for investments in certain business sectors (technology, film, etc.) through the provincial Venture Capital Corporation (VCC) legislation.

We are proposing that the province's current VCC program be amended to include Social Enterprise as an eligible investment option in Section 11 of the legislation. This concept is supported by both leaders and organizations engaged in the social enterprise sector. Of note, this concept is also supported by philanthropic and community minded business leaders in BC.

To read the brief, click here.

How to Support Canadian Co-ops in Under Five Minutes

To all BCCA Members, Friends, and Supporters:

Time is running out to support the renewal of Canada's only generic co-op development program.

This March, after five very successful years, the current Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI) is set to end. Launched in 2003, CDI is a five-year, $15 million partnership between the Canadian government and the co-operative sector to help people develop co-ops and test innovative ways of using the co-operative model.

Since it began, the program has helped to create over 135 new co-operatives and has provided assistance to approximately 1,000 new and emerging co-ops. In BC alone, the CDI program has resulted in over 1 million dollars being invested in new co-op projects promoting economic and social development.

Canada's two national co-op associations, the Canadian Co-operative Association and the Conseil Canadien de la Coopération, have submitted a proposal for a renewed and expanded CDI.

If we are to succeed in having the government include this very important initiative in *next month's Federal Budget*, we need to act now -- and we need your support. As members of co-operatives and credit unions, you know how working together makes us all stronger.

Individually, your voice carries weight with the federal government, but collectively we can make our elected representatives sit up and take notice.

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Visit www.CoopsCanada.coop/advocacy to send an e-mail to your Member of Parliament, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz and/or Secretary of State (Agriculture) Christian Paradis telling them how important it is to renew and expand the Co-operative Development Initiative.

This need only take you a few moments as sample text (which you can alter or replace) is provided.
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For more on the CDI renewal campaign, visit www.CoopsCanada.coop/CDI.

We thank you for your continuing support for co-op development and our efforts to extend and expand the CDI Program.

Sincerely,

John Restakis, Executive Director
British Columbia Co-operative Association

Canadian Executive Services Organization unveils the Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow Program

The Aboriginal Women for Tomorrow Program offers a unique, culturally sensitive approach to engage Aboriginal women in the Canadian economy through training that is developed specifically for Aboriginal women. The workshop series provides participants with practical knowledge for personal success, and develop the skills necessary to take leadership roles in Boards and Councils in the community, as well as various areas related to economic development.

The AWFT workshop series consists of 5 workshops:

Building Personal Skills
Communication
Starting Your Own Business
Governance - Skills development for Boards and Councils, and
Budgeting/Financial Management.

Contact CESO to complete a Request for Service Form and select dates that work for your community.

Contact: Jo-anne Hawkins 1999 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC. V7P 3J3

F: 1-604-984-3584 T: 1- 800- 986- 4566 or jhawkins@ceso-saco.com

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

GENERAL STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND (GSPF) AND INNOVATIONS FUND (IF) PROGRAM. The second intake of applications for the General Strategic Priorities Fund and the Innovations Fund under the Gax Tax/Public Transit Program are now being accepted.
Program guides, application forms and other information are available for download on the UBCM website. (website)

The Social Economy Research Network of Northern Canada invites applications for research projects dealing with the Social Economy in the North. Funding is available to support research that fits within the context of the Social Economy Research Network of Northern Canada. The overall goal of this Research Network is to bring together researchers and practitioners working on issues relevant to the social economy in northern Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Labrador). The Network has established four broad research themes for Social Economy research with coordinators located at four Canadian Universities. Subprojects should fit within one of these research themes and complement the overall activities and objectives of the program. (website)

For more funding opportunities click here.

EVENTS

  • Community-University Exposition (CUexpo) May 4-8, Victoria (website)
  • National Community Economic Development Conference May 21-24, Saskatoon (website)
  • Association for Non-Profit and Social Economy Research (ANSER) - June 4-6, Vancouver (website)
  • BC Healthy Communities Provincial Conference June 12-13, 2008 Vancouver, BC (website)

 

JOBS

  • The Canadian CED Network is looking for an Administrative Assistant. (website)
  • Economic Development Coordinator, City of Parksville. (website)
  • The BC-Alberta Research Alliance for the Social Economy (BALTA) is seeking a student research assistantship for research on Co-operative Models of Social Care. (website)

 

NEW KNOWLEDGE

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