Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives

06/03/2026

One of the highlights of our many co-operative community communications is Dan Brunette's monthly "Dan's Co-op Adventures" segment of the Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada / Coopératives et mutuelles Canada newsletter—so we were delighted to see our Professional Research Associate Natalie Kallio made the May edition!

Here they are, grinning ear to ear at the Arctic Co-operatives Limited gala outside the spectacular Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden at the Assiniboine Park & Zoo in Winnipeg (thanks, ACL, for inviting us to your AGM—an annual favourite occasion).

Our team is looking forward to seeing Dan and so many co-op colleagues and friends as we share and learn at the back-to-back Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation and CMC conferences at York University in Toronto this weekend. Hope to see you there!

06/02/2026

Our friends at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre have taken the online "Community Powered: Celebrating Canadian Co-operatives" exhibition next level! In this new interactive component, you can join the exhibit's hosts—Tuugaalik, Stella, and Donna—in the digital world to explore the co-operatives through puzzles, matching games, and classic co-op cook book recipes!

Click here to peruse the Community Powered exhibit—and skip right to the games with the yellow "games" hexagon on the homepage! https://viewer.pandasuite.com/gVEbjvF5?utm_source=pandasuite&utm_medium=online_exhibit&utm_campaign=community_powered&wid=f6a89af2d3453bb4000504

Huge shout out to our collaborators: Canadian Arctic Producers- Co-operatives Limited, University of Saskatchewan University Library - University of Saskatchewan, Kenderdine/College Art Galleries, and Saskatchewan Co-operative Association.



https://www.facebook.com/reel/1494474522457968

05/29/2026

New publication alert 🚨: this new article by Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives director, Dr. Marc-Andre Pigeon and Hanif Amoozadeh-Mahdiraji sketches a first-ever map of the scholarly literature on co-operatives and public policy using a scoping review methodology. The paper finds that while co-operatives are often framed as solutions to societal problems, few scholars draw on formal public policy theories.

You can find this new article in the Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apce.70055

05/13/2026

🚨New Paper Alert: Drawing on legislative and case law analysis, this paper explores how Canadian policymakers, and the courts, have defined and conceptualized co-operatives and the taxation of co-operatives over time. The paper finds that policymakers and the courts have long struggled with devising taxation policy and legal interpretations that respect the unique co-operative balance between associational and business objectives.

Read the entire paper here:https://usaskstudies.coop/documents/research-reports/taxation-of-canadian-co-operatives.pdf

05/08/2026

This afternoon, we had the pleasure of joining the broader University of Saskatchewan community for a celebration officially welcoming friend of the Centre and Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy alum Vincent Bruni-Bossio as the 12th USask President and Chancellor.

Congratulations, Vince, and your team who put together this amazing event (with a special nod to the beautiful voices of the Greystone Singers). Looking forward to doing great things together.

05/05/2026

Our next Co-op Conversation happens tomorrow! We look forward to Ma**ca Vazquez Tagliero and her talk, "Advancing the Safety and Wellbeing of Waste-pickers through Co-operatives: The Story of Coop Les Valoristes". You can still register to this free online talk here: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a3RLD913Zk6pK4e

05/04/2026

We are excited and looking forward to attending and presenting at the upcoming International Centre for Co-operative Management's International Symposium: Co-op Identity and Energizing the Co-op Brand! This Symposium is taking place online and it is free to attend!

You can register for a free ticket today at www.identitysymposium2026.coop!

Co-ops will be the best-kept secret no more! The International Centre for Co-operative Management ’s symposium on ‘Co‑op Identity and Energizing the Co‑op Brand’ will gather leaders from around the globe to share insights and practices on co-op marketing, grow the network, and inspire co-op collective action.

The symposium will run across May 19 – May 21, 2026, with a pre-symposium workshop on May 14. Anchored in alignment with the co-operative identity, the event will tackle brand image and its intersections with marketing, communications, and culture.

40+ speakers from 11 countries! Themes include:

✅ Assessing authenticity
✅ Effective branding
✅ Co-operative identity, positioning, and messaging
✅ Marketing the co-operative advantage
✅ Communicating identity internally vs externally
✅ Resonating in the contemporary digital landscape

In collaboration with sponsors coop and Northwest Cooperative Development Center and supported by Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada / Coopératives et mutuelles Canada.

Register today at www.identitysymposium2026.coop !

04/30/2026

World Fair Trade Day is taking place this year on May 9! This day serves as a global platform to raise awareness about Fair Trade principles and practices, promoting social and economic justice. Learn more at Fairtrade Canada.

04/30/2026

Learn about how the co-operative model can serve to advance the safety and wellbeing of waste-pickers and benefiting the recycling industry in Quebec in this free online talk!

The talk takes place on May 6. Click here for details and registration: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a3RLD913Zk6pK4e

04/27/2026

The recording of “What do Canadians think of Co-operatives?” featuring Charlie Graves of Modus Research is now available on our Youtube channel. Click on the link below to watch the talk! 👇

What do Canadians think of Co-operatives? webinar featuring Charlie Graves