November 16-18, 2021
Worker co-operatives have demonstrated resilience and solidarity throughout the Covid19 pandemic, although many have faced significant challenges. We will share strategies of worker co-ops in dealing with crises such as the pandemic. Further, this theme will cover how communities would benefit from building more worker co-operatives, including through the lens of racial and economic justice. As always, there will be sessions on topics of practical interest for worker co-operators, including a keynote panel on the challenges and opportunities co-ops are facing, a peer learning session, workshops on co-op financing and marketing, and a presentation on Building on Anti-Racism in Worker Co-ops, organized by CWCF’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion (“JEDDI”) Committee.
CoopZone will host a session on Co-op Conversions as part of the Conference, and the Freedom Dreams Education Co-op will host a webinar on Nourishing Belonging: Forging Co-operation in Food and Farming which CWCF is also promoting. There will be opportunities for networking and exchanging.
Each session lasts 90 minutes, and participants may attend all or part of the Conference. CWCF will also hold its AGM on November 17th at which we will also present Awards. This year, we are pleased to give the Worker Co-op Merit Award to Eric Tusz-King of Aster Group Co-op in Sackville, NB for his exemplary contributions to the worker co-op movement, and the Worker Co-op Best Practices Award to London Brewing Co-op for its innovative organic, local practices.
Some speakers and facilitators who have already been confirmed include:
- Victor Beausoleil (Social Economy Through Social Inclusion Coalition (SETSI), Toronto)
- Esteban Kelly (Executive Director, USFWC, Philadelphia)
- Kelly Storie (La Siembra Co-op, Ottawa)
- Jessica Provencher (CWCF Board, Québec City)
- Susanna Redekop (Local Food and Farms Co-op Network, Toronto)
- Bernard Ndour (MCE Conseils & CWCF Fund Investment Committee, Montreal)
- Julia Vlad (Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund, Toronto)
- Brian Iler (Lawyer, Iler Campbell, Toronto)
- Hazel Corcoran (Executive Director, CWCF, Calgary)
- Russ Christianson (Co-op Developer, Campbellford, ON)
- Sandra Allen (Shift Delivery Co-op, Vancouver)
- Colin MacDougall (Sustainability Solutions Group, Ottawa)
- Jaime Cuevas Mercado (REM Solar Worker Co-op, Puerto Rico)
- Joey Pitteollo (Just Us Coffee Roasters’ Co-op & CWCF Board, Wolfville, NS)
As this Conference is a free, online event and will feature simultaneous English-French interpretation, we encourage anyone with an interest in the worker co-op movement to participate. More information, including the complete program and registration link, is available here.
