By Kenzie Love
Jessica Provencher, who previously served as the Quebec region director on CWCF’s board, concluded her tenure last November. Provencher was inspired to join the board by CWCF Executive Director Hazel Corcoran, whom she had met at a worker co-op Summit in Quebec City in 2011. Corcoran recently expressed her appreciation for Provencher’s service.
“Jessica joined the CWCF board as a young adult and made enormous contributions during her 12 years of service,” she said. “Her wisdom, strength of character, and kindness all shone through as she participated in board deliberations, chaired committees, facilitated conference sessions, served as vice president, and more. She will be greatly missed at the CWCF board table, but her work as a director has left CWCF in a stronger position.”
CWCF Co-President Reba Plummer echoed Corcoran’s sentiments.
“Working with Jessica on the CWCF Board has been such a wonderful experience!” she said. “Her ideas and commitment really stood out, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have her as both a colleague and a friend!”
Provencher was drawn to serving on the board by the chance to meet other worker co-operators throughout Canada and gain more familiarity with the worker co-op sector outside Quebec. The viewpoint this gave her into worker co-ops in the rest of Canada was a highlight of her time on the board.
“It was just realizing that it wasn’t only a Quebec movement,” she says. “And realizing there were dynamic and really grassroots co-ops outside of Quebec. Co-ops that were really thinking outside of the box and outside of the boss.”
Provencher travelled throughout much of Canada during her time on the board as she attended CWCF Conferences, experiences she recalls fondly.
“All the in-person conferences that we had at CWCF were always a moment of reinforcing the conviction that we were doing the right thing, that it was worth it and that there was really a network we could learn from and be in touch with,” she says. “So the conferences were always great moments.”
Serving on the board also provided Provencher with a glimpse into the challenges facing the worker co-op movement. However, she came away convinced that the worker co-op model is the right way to go. While it was hard to witness some worker co-ops that were forced to close during her tenure, she believes more of them succeeded because of the resiliency inherent in the worker co-op model.
“Entrepreneurship is always a challenge,” she says, “but at the same time, it’s easier when we share in the challenge.”
Along these lines, Provencher believes that CWCF has been critical to the success of worker co-ops in Canada that have endured and would like to see broader recognition of this.
“The fact is that the Federation is strong, is well run, and they’re a very good centre point for co-ops to relate to and to be in touch with. I think the members should be in touch more with their federation, and I think it’s so relevant to have that.”
Looking ahead, Provencher hopes worker co-ops will continue to work towards a better world, both in Canada and abroad.
“I hope the worker co-ops can be strong enough to continue to make a difference and have an impact in their communities,” she says. “I think the next few years will be difficult, with politics and climate change and social justice issues. Co-ops are examples of unity and common good, which our world desperately needs these days. Having stronger co-ops that can make their voice heard, that’s always been my wish. And I think it’s more relevant now than ever.”