Thank you very much.
Good morning, Mr. Chair and committee members. My name is Glen Tully, president and chair of Federated Co-operatives Limited, Canada's largest consumer cooperative. With me, as already mentioned, is Vic Huard, vice-president of corporate affairs. We will share our presentation this morning. He will speak with you in a few minutes.
Thank you for asking us to participate in the committee hearings into the cooperative sector.
FCL is a multi-faceted organization. It is owned by approximately 235 retail co-ops throughout western Canada. These co-ops are member-owners. We provide central wholesaling, manufacturing, marketing, and administrative services for our member-owners across a wide range of business lines that feed, fuel, and build individuals and communities across the cooperative retailing system, or as we call it, the CRS. Home office is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Regional offices operate there as well as in Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Vic will be speaking to you about the scope and scale of our operations. But as a retired farmer, I feel compelled to point out that two of Canada's largest annual megaprojects—seeding and harvesting in western Canada—simply could not happen without the fuel production and distribution system provided by the cooperative retailing system.
As a consumer cooperative, we believe that we have the responsibility to provide goods and services to our member-owners who remain committed to the over 500 communities in which our members operate.
A uniqueness of our consumer co-op sector is the link between consumers and producers in providing goods and services that each requires. Whether it is crop inputs in Birtle, Manitoba, or ethnic foods in Calgary, Alberta, or fuel to support the forestry harvest in northern British Columbia, we continue to be responsible to our member-owners.
I'd like to conclude my remarks by commenting on two unique aspects of our business model: our democratic structure and our cooperative's role in leadership development.
The directors of FCL represent 15 districts across western Canada. These districts are not dissimilar to the constituencies that each of you represents. Each director brings the knowledge of the cooperative structure, but more importantly, the knowledge of what goods, services, and community support their constituents will require now and for the future.
If I use myself as an example, I hail from Marquette, Manitoba, where my family farmed. Our family had always supported the local co-op. After being elected to the Marquette Co-op board, I began to participate in the leadership development offered by Federated Co-operatives Limited. In 1995, when the director from my district retired, I was encouraged to let my name stand, and I was chosen to represent our district. After ten years of service, some as vice-chair, I was elected president and chair in 2005. Having the president and chair position be full-time and located at home office allows much better communication between the democratic and operational components of the cooperative. I should point out that general managers of local co-ops are not allowed to be FCL directors, so our board truly comprises democratic representatives from our respective communities.
The leadership development aspect of my path is an example of one of the most underestimated value-adds cooperatives provide to communities. What I'm talking about is the training and leadership development of people. By developing the leadership potential and capacity of people, cooperatives build community capacity. This capacity then strengthens the community. Whether it's the local rink committee, the health district, or local government, co-ops build community capacity that allows communities to thrive and succeed.
I can't emphasize enough how important this grassroots leadership development is for individuals and communities. People from all political stripes come together with a common purpose—to support their cooperative. And many of these people take advantage of the development opportunities to become leaders in their communities and beyond. This is one aspect of the co-op's role in Canadian society that is not well enough understood. And it is one I feel should be explored together to determine if there's a role for government and cooperatives to work together to support and enhance it.
Thank you for your attention.
I'll now pass it over to Mr. Huard, who will finish the presentation. I look forward to your questions.