Federated Co-ops donates $2M to Communities
In the spirit of giving back to the communities it serves, Federated Co-ops Limited has donated a record $2 million this year to improve public spaces in Western Canada. The funds will go to 26 projects such as playgrounds, skating rinks, early learning centres and community gardens through the Feds’ Community Spaces program. Since 2015, this program has provided $8.5 million to 114 projects in the areas of recreation, environmental conservation and urban agriculture.
Vancity announces program to sponsor refugee families
Over the next five years, Vancity will support five refugee families. This is part of a new privately sponsored refugee program announced this week.
In collaboration with the Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC), the credit union will fund the settlement costs for a refugee family for one full year to help them get their start in Canada. A different family will be identified and supported in each of the next four years.
“Vancity has a long history of supporting newcomers in our communities, and this new program builds on that work,” says Catherine Ludgate, Vancity’s senior manager of community investment.
The credit union has put out a challenge to other organizations to join the effort.
Congratulations to Lisa Furfaro, winner of the CEC’s $100,000 Project!
BC Co-op Association Program Manager Lisa Furfaro won the Co-ops and Mutuals Canada’s Emerging Co-operators (CEC) $100,000 Project! CEC members were invited to submit individual proposals on how the funds should be distributed directly to youth for co-op development and education. Lisa’s project outlined how with this funding, co-operative youth will be able to travel to regions such as Bologna in Spain, to gain a broader understanding of the co-operative movement and bring that back to their communities.
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During last week’s CMC Congress 2019, the new Economic Impact of the Co-operative Sector in Canada study was released. Led by Dr. Fiona Duguid in partnership with George Karaphillis, the study confirms that co-ops are a powerful economic driver that contributes significantly to the Canadian economy’s growth and development.
Using data collected in 2015 from 5,730 co-operatives across Canada (the most current and complete data at the time of the study), this study is one of the most comprehensive ever done, and provides a comprehensive portrait of Canadian co-operatives.
The Vancouver River District will dedicate half of the available apartments to Indigenous housing. The other half will be co-op housing. The project is one of the Community Land Trust projects and will be run by the M’akola Housing Society. The plan involves a 26-storey tower and a six-storey building. The land being developed is one of the seven city of Vancouver properties selected for the Community Land Trust to develop affordable housing.
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