Media advisory - Co-operative leaders from across Canada to gather in Edmonton June 26-28

EDMONTON, June 24, 2013 /CNW/ - More than 250 leaders of co-operatives and credit unions from across Canada will gather in Edmonton from June 26-28 to share their success stories and talk about where the co-operative movement is heading in the future.

Sharing our successes; building the future is the theme of the Congress organized by Canada's two national co-operative associations, the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and the Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité (CCCM).

Congress participants will look back at the successes of the 2012 United Nations International Year of Co-operatives, a global celebration of the contribution co-operative enterprises make to the social and economic development of communities around the world.

Another focus will be the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade, an action plan produced by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) aimed at making co-operatives the world's fastest growing business model by the year 2020. Participants will explore the themes of the Blueprint and their implications for the future of co-operatives in Canada.

The Congress will take place at the Westin Edmonton, 10135 100th St. NW.

Highlights of the Congress include :

• Wednesday, June 26, 6 p.m.: Reception at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Speakers include Edmonton city councillor Kelly Diotte and Garth Warner, president and CEO of Servus Credit Union.
• Thursday, June 27, 10:45 a.m.: Speech by the Hon. Mauril Bélanger, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier and the Liberal Party's advocate for co-operatives.
• Thursday, June 27, 11:20 a.m.: Speech by Iain Stewart, assistant deputy minister at Industry Canada regarding the transfer of federal responsibility for co-operatives to Industry Canada.
• Thursday, June 27, 1 p.m.:  Plenary session on Canada's Co-operative Decade. Speakers include Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators; Gaston Bédard, Desjardins Group; Carol Hunter, The Co-operators; Trevor Carlson, Federated Co-operatives Limited; Colette Lebel, La Coop fédérée; Bernard Brun, Desjardins Group and Ian Glassford, Servus Credit Union.
• Thursday, June 27, 7 p.m.: Awards gala with emcee Corey Loranger and the Edmonton-based band My Dog Sam.

All events on June 26 and 27 are open to the media.

Co-operatives in Canada
Canada's 9,000 co-operatives have more than 18 million members and 150,000 employees. They generate annual revenues of more than $50 billion and have assets of more than $370 billion. Canadian co-operatives are represented by two national associations, the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and the Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité. (CCCM)

SOURCE: Canadian Co-operative Association

For more information and to arrange interviews, contact:

Donna Balkan
Communications Manager
Canadian Co-operative Association
Cell : 613-314-1032
[email protected]

Visit our website at www.coopscanada.coop.

Michaël Béland
Director of communications and programs
Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité
Cell: 613-265-7579
[email protected]

Visit our website at www.cccm.coop