By Kenzie Love
Martin Van Den Borre of Ripon, Quebec was acclaimed as the Quebec director on CWCF’s board at the AGM in November 2024. He was inspired to serve on the board by his belief in democracy and its importance in the workplace. Van Den Borre sees worker co-ops as part of a movement that brings democracy into our work spaces, fostering a culture of equity and solidarity.
Van Den Borre has over 30 years of experience as a co-op developer and has worked in a variety of different worker co-operatives. He is currently involved within the Fab City and Fibershed movements and with his community in Ripon, Quebec, to set up a collective food, material, and cultural hub with a focus on human and biological diversity, and also works as an agricultural developer for the MRC Papineau As a board member, he’s interested in bridging the gap between worker co-ops across Canada, which can be a challenge given the country’s vast size. He hopes to strengthen connections and facilitate knowledge sharing between worker co-ops across different regions.
Raising awareness and understanding of worker co-ops is another one of Van Den Borre’s objectives. He notes that many people are still unaware of worker co-ops and their potential. He hopes to increase visibility and promote the worker co-op model as a viable option for new and existing businesses, and help people realize worker co-ops are applicable to any sector and can exist in any industry.