November 2017
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CANADA<br />
Massive<br />
volunteering effort for<br />
national Co-op Week<br />
Co-ops and credit unions celebrated<br />
national Co-op Week from 15-21 October.<br />
The event was first celebrated in 1958 by<br />
the country’s francophones and, in 1981,<br />
anglophone co-ops in the Maritimes and<br />
Saskatchewan also adopted it. A year later<br />
the event was marked across the country<br />
with the support of the Co-operative<br />
Union of Canada, a predecessor of sector<br />
body Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada.<br />
To open the week, a flag raising ceremony<br />
was held at the Saskatchewan Legislative<br />
Building, and the Saskatchewan<br />
Co-operative Merit Awards were held to<br />
honour individuals and organisations that<br />
have made an outstanding contribution to<br />
co-operatives and credit unions.<br />
The week saw more than 7,000 staff from<br />
credit union giant Desjardins help young<br />
p The HQ of Desjardins, which ran a youth volunteering effort to mark Co-op Week<br />
people in a series of volunteer efforts.<br />
The organisation also donated $1.5m to<br />
schools and groups that support youth.<br />
Efforts included work by 250 colleagues<br />
with residents at Quebec’s 30 Auberges<br />
du cœur shelters for vulnerable young<br />
people. These provide shelter and support<br />
for more than 3,500 at-risk youth between<br />
the ages of 12 and 30.<br />
Guy Cormier, president and chief<br />
executive at Desjardins Group, announced<br />
that, over the next three years, the<br />
Desjardins Foundation will be donating<br />
$90,000 to the scheme. Mr Cormier<br />
added that in his 18 months at the head<br />
of Desjardins Group, he has reached out to<br />
young people in Ontario and Quebec.<br />
“Many young people tell me that what<br />
they want most is for our society to make<br />
room for everyone,” he said.<br />
“They want to be accepted despite<br />
their differences. They also question<br />
an economic model that only values<br />
short-term profit, with no consideration<br />
for people or the environment. I share<br />
their concerns.”<br />
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NOVEMBER <strong>2017</strong> | 19
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