Finance committee  Sure. You gave the automotive industry $400 million for an investment fund, and they employ, let's say, 110,000 in direct employment, and only in southern Ontario. Co-ops employ 650,000 across the country. We don't want $400 million; we want $50 million.

Finance committee  We're hoping to have $25 million for the fund from within the sector, so it's a 2:1.

Finance committee  Definitely. The models that we have used to create this national fund are based on several provincial and regional funds that currently exist. One of the great examples is Arctic Co-op. It's based in Winnipeg, but as the name implies it deals with the territories and it's exactly

Finance committee  We're looking for the development of this fund to help with the innovation side. Cooperatives are formed when there's a need within a community, within a region, within a group of people. When these individuals set up, there will come a time when they hopefully would like to expa

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. First, please allow me to thank you as well as all the members of the committee for your kind invitation. Today I'll be speaking directly to the topic of how the Canadian cooperative sector can increase the competitiveness of Canadian enterprises through i

Official Languages committee  One was here in Ottawa, where a funeral home cooperative wanted to go in and get financing from the BDC. They were told, sure, we'll give you the financing, but you have to give 100% up front. Well, if they had 100% up front, why would they be at the BDC? So there's that discon

Official Languages committee  No. What is happening right now, especially with the credit unions, is that the small credit co-operatives are starting to merge using the co-operative model. They are merging because they are aware that their small size is preventing them from doing the day-to-day work, as a res

Official Languages committee  To address the issue, when it comes to regulatory changes and other things that would be necessary right now, I think one of the biggest issues that has been touched on is that there's a disconnect between what happens here in Ottawa and what's happening on the ground. Whether it

Official Languages committee  I don't think we really have anything to say on it right now. Thank you.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wish to begin by thanking you and the committee members for inviting Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada to appear before your committee as you are undertaking a study of the economic situation of Canada’s minority linguistic communities. Before I address