Though few projects concluded this year, a lot of groundwork was covered.
In terms of the number of cooperatives started, the year 2022-2023 may not be representative of what truly transpired. The pandemic indeed slowed down collective promoters’ enthusiasm and the progress of ongoing initiatives.
Therefore, despite CDRQ overseeing the establishment of only 2 cooperative projects, the team’s fieldwork was intensive. These two cases were accomplished in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine: the Flotille solidarity cooperative for artisan booksellers and the Foëne solidarity cooperative for artists.
Regarding the Îles-de-la-Madeleine territory, CDRQ was specifically mandated in February 2023 to intervene following the bankruptcy announcement of the seafood processing company ‘La Relève’. The challenge was immense, and the goal was highly ambitious.
The aim was to establish a cooperative of Fishermen from the Îles to submit an offer to the bankrupt company’s creditors. CDRQ’s resources were prioritized on this case for nearly four weeks. Kudos to the excellent work by Jacynthe Beauregard, Martin Noel, Charlie Plante, and Caroline Martineau. While the fishermen’s cooperative successfully set sail, unfortunately, the bidding was ultimately won by a third party.
Note: As of August 25, 2023, the Fishermen’s Cooperative of the Îles still exists and is very active.
Once again this year, the most beneficial aspect of territorial integration was the networking conducted by Patrice Blais, the regional director. A tour of SADC-MRC-CLD partners was conducted in November 2022, resulting in the final cooperation agreement with an MRC, namely that of Côte-de-Gaspé.
This initiative also successfully filled several vacant seats on the regional cooperative committee (CCR). Currently, all MRCs are represented, with at least one local economic partner and a cooperative representative. With these partnerships, the future looks promising for the development and promotion of collective entrepreneurship in the region.
From a communications perspective, during the cooperative succession week in February 2023, the regional director was invited as a panelist to present the innovative model of cooperatives for foreign worker housing. This 5-to-7 event was organized by the Côte-de-Gaspé MRC in collaboration with the Social Economy Pole of Gaspésie-Les Îles. About forty people learned more about collectively governed housing.
The upcoming year is already very promising, with several startup agreements already signed. Collective business transfer files are increasingly prevalent, indicating the success of our communication efforts on this subject!
Lastly, the year 2023-2024 will focus on cooperatives and NPOs established in response to territorial occupation issues. As known, the labor and housing crisis affects all regions, particularly critical in Gaspésie and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. CDRQ collaborates closely with its MRC partners to find sustainable collective solutions.
