In this issue
- Profile: Yukon Artists @ Work
- Canadian CEDNET News
- Saskatchewan CED News
- CED Tool
- National CED News
- Job Postings
Profile: Yukon Artists @ Work
For over seven years, Whitehorse, Yukon has been home to one of Canada’s most unique art galleries. Aside from the incredible local art, the Yukon Artists @ Work Gallery is extraordinary because of its co-operative business model and commitment to its Northern community. The artist-run co-operative showcases original work by many Yukon artists who have dedicated themselves to a unique and creative vocation in the Yukon.
Before YA@W, Whitehorse had one of the highest populations of artists per capita in Canada, and but a desperate lack of places to display the local work. As a founding member, Harreson Tanner has helped fill that void by establishing the co-operative fine art gallery. Tanner recalls, “The only way to get it [a gallery] was to create ourselves. No one was in a position to pay them self, but together we all chipped in.”
YA@W’s members pay a one time buy-in fee of $100, and then contribute $1 a day and a 25% commission on the work they sell. For the artists, these nominal fees are a sound investment. “Without the gallery, they’d have to send their work down south,” explains Tanner. The highly competitive nature of the wider art market, and the costs associated with exporting their work makes YA@W an invaluable resource for local artists. Most importantly, YA@W provides its artists a sense of ownership. “This can be their gallery,” which means that the workspace “doesn’t just generate revenue, but it also generates opportunities.”
Although the gallery belongs to the artists’ co-operative, YA@W has continually opened its doors to the Whitehorse community. “We wanted to dispel the notion of the starving artist with their hands out,” says Tanner. Instead, the gallery has extended a hand to the Whitehorse community by hosting art lessons and seminars, and donating the use of the gallery space for local fundraisers. YA@W invites community members to an open house at least once a month, and has hosted numerous events to raise money for injured and struggling artists. The gallery has also established linkages with the wider business community by creating an emergency fund for artists who lack access to employment insurance.
With a collaborative show set to open in New York, a recent artist-exchange in Siberia, and brand new facilities in Whitehorse, YA@W’s future looks promising. Where ever they travel, YA@W not only exhibits art, but also the success of a co-operative business with a social conscious. While international success is great for the artists, the gallery remains deeply committed to the community.
For more information and upcoming events, visit YA@W's website.
Canadian CEDNet News
A Gigantic Gathering in Winnipeg
On October 19th, communtiy leaders and engaged citizens from across the country came to Winnipeg for the 8th annual CED/CD Gathering. The record setting 605 participants enjoyed a day of networking, knowledge sharing, and workshop learning. The number of workshops also set a new standard, as those in attendance had over 25 learning events to choose from. This year's theme was “Cultivating Co-operation,” which allowed us to explore the co-op model as an effective CED tool. Ian MacPherson appropriately set the day's tone with his keynote speech, Cultivating Co-operation: The Roots Run Deep, which focused on the long history of co-ops and cooperative action in Manitoba.
The momentum the Gathering has gained over the past eight years now extends beyond the boundaries of Winnipeg, and it has become a leading conference opportunity for CED practitioners and enthusiasts. CCEDNet would like to thank the many people whose hard work made the event a huge success. We look forward to seeing you all next year!
Visit MAFRA's vimeo page for video footage of some of the 2010 Gathering's workshops.
Emerging Leaders Recruiting
CCEDNet's Emerging Leaders Committee is a group of young people with the purpose of increasing the contributions of young people entering into the CED field, and ensuring an active and meaningful voice in CCEDNet. The ELC is currently seeking new members for its national team.
Anyone who is interested is encouraged to apply by sending a cover letter and resume outlining your experience to Stacia, EL Co-Chair by November 30, 2010 (5pm PT).
Social Economy Research
CCEDNet, in conjunction with the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnership (CSERP) recently released Building & Strengthening Communities Through the Social Economy. The case studies included in the brief are a representation of the 1000's of organizations that are involved in the social economy in Canada. The report is intended to inspire and increase awareness of the organizations across Canada that are run like businesses, but who redirect their surpluses back to the community.
Intelligent Donations
Inner City Rennovations, Jubliee Fund, and Momentum Calgary, all CED-driven organizations and CCEDNet members, were recently featured in Charity Intelligence Canada's annual Recommended Charities 2010 report. Charity Intelligence helps publicize and celebrate effective charities, and holds organizations accountable to their donors through result-based research.
Click here to download the full Charity Intelligence document.
Saskatchewan CED News
CreateAction Interns
The Saskatchewan Co-operative Association recently welcomed two new interns to their office. The positions were made possible through CCEDNet's CreateAction Internship Program.
Carla Paul, a graduate of the Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Program, is working with the SCA as a Regional Events Cooridinator. She holds a degree from the University of Regina in Kinesiology, Recreation and Sports Administration. After graduating, Carla worked as a project co-ordinator planning and organizing various cultural events in Saskatoon. In her new role, Carla will be tasked with the planning and co-ordination of a regional Community Economic Development (CED) event. This event will provide an opportunity to organizations and individuals that are interested in and involved in CED and co-operatives to share concepts, practices and experiences and learn from each other and network.
Alieka Beckett is SCA's Sustainability Officer. She grew up in Saskatoon and is a recent graduate of the University of Saskatchewan. She holds an undergraduate degree in History and a certificate in Theology from Eston College. As Sustainability Officer, she will focus on improving SCA’s sustainability practices and supporting communities who are interested in developing environmentally sustainable enterprises. This will include creating online registration and payment options for the SCYP website, and facilitating and promoting the co-operative business model to develop worker and agricultural co-operatives in Saskatchewan.
New Research: Poverty Reduction Policies and Programs - SK
This report was commissioned by the Canadian Council on Social Development and created by the Community-University Institute for Social Research. The report examines a compilation of indicators that describe poverty in Saskatchewan, and evaluates the current policy and program responses to the poverty challenge in the province. The results of thereview indicate that, while there have been substantial efforts in many sectors to eliminate or reduce poverty, there has been very little change in the province’s overall level of poverty.
Download the full document.
Self Determination in Action - The Entrepreneurship of the Northern SK Trappers Association Co-operative
This report — based on a literature review, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews (individual and group) — focuses on the integration of traditional trapper governance and co-operative governance in Saskatchewan. The document is part of a collection of research reports prepared for the project Linking, Learning, Leveraging Social Enterprises, Knowledgeable Economies, and Sustainable Communities.
Download the full document.
CED Tool
Cooperative Development Curriculum
Co-operative development is an important tool in community economic development and the creation of healthy sustainable communities. Skills development, management and leadership are key components of successful cooperatives. A series of modules have been created as learning tools for groups and individuals who are interested in cooperative development.
This learning tool takes readers through a six-step guide of a cooperative's development. The goal of each module is to present concepts in a brief and interesting way, focusing on core concepts and utilizing quantitative techniques, checklists and self evaluation to allow the user to understand the key concepts from assessing a business idea, to creating the business tooperating a cooperative.
Visit the Manitoba Housing & Community Development website to download the guide.
National CED News
Northern Summit on the Social Economy a Success
From November 2 – 4, over 75 social economy and CED actors met in Whitehorse to share information, celebrate innovation, hear about research, talk about collective action, and build relationships that will strengthen this work across northern Canada. Participants came from communities across the north, as well as from various other regions of Canada. Topics included food security, poverty reduction, informal and community economies, co-operatives and social enterprise, affordable housing, as well as an interesting and informative tour to Raven Recycling (a social enterprise), Yukon Wildlife Preserve, and the Yukon Artists @ Work Co-operative.
More information on the Summit will be available in the next newsletter, but for more information on the Social Economy Research Network of Northern Canada Committee (SERNNoCa), click here.
CED Book Club - Humanizing the Economy
A recently published book by John Restakis, Humanizing the Economy, shows how co-operative models for economic and social development can create a more equitable, just, and humane future. With over 800 million members in 85 countries and a long history linking economics to social values, the co-operative movement is the most powerful grassroots movement in the world.
Highlighting the hopes and struggles of everyday people seeking to make their world a better place, Humanizing the Economy is essential reading for anyone who cares about the reform of economics, globalization, and social justice
SECC Presents: Social Enterprise 101 Webinar
The Social Enterprise Council of Canada is hosting a free, 75-minute webinar is taking place on November 25, 12:00 EST. The Webinar will provide a great overview of the practice of social enterprise, from two leading social enterprise practitioners - Sonia Pouyat and Andy Horsnell.
Job Postings
For the latest CED postings visit the National and Regional job pages on CCEDNet's website
National | AB | SK | MB | North
Positions to post? Send them to breimer@ccednet-rcdec.ca