Health committee  I am a member of the Aylmer cooperative. It has 9,000 members. Every year I attend the annual general meeting. I asked one physician why he worked at the cooperative. He replied that it was because the services he receives from the cooperative allow him to put the emphasis on hi

Health committee  I should point out that 46% of co-ops are created because the clinic is on the verge of closing or has closed. Furthermore, 54% of co-ops are created because people are having a lot of difficulty getting health care services nearby. They have to travel for hours to get access to

Health committee  In conclusion, I would say that the co-operative model is first and foremost centred on the individual. We believe this model is one of the innovative solutions that can potentially maximize taxpayers' investment in their public health system.

Health committee  Thank you, Madame Chair. First, we would like to thank you and the members of the committee for your invitation to present on the cooperatives in the health sector. My presentation will be in French, but we also speak English—with a big accent. We can answer in the way you would

Health committee  During the International Year of Co-operatives, which just ended, we made a presentation to the Special Committee on Co-operatives on the issues and specific characteristics of the Canadian co-operative movement. We would like to bring your attention to the following recommendat

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  First of all, they are rooted in the community. Second, they answer the direct needs of the community. Third, they're democratic, in the sense that it takes so much time to have a consensus among the people who want to start the cooperative that, when it's done, it not like a sho

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  For the other cooperatives outside of the financial system, I would say that they have the same challenge as any other enterprise, which is the international market and opening markets. They have to be extremely strategic and begin to think outside of their own primary vision, I

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  First off, as you know, the Rural and Co-operatives Secretariat was the idea of the Conservative Party a few years back. Since then, the secretariat has been working with cooperatives, who see the organization as the gateway to the federal government. The fact that all the secret

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  That idea has actually been bouncing around for a few years now. I can recall a standing finance committee a few years back when I was asked the same question. Because of the way the cooperative movement is evolving, the purpose it serves in an extremely diverse range of sectors

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  As I said at the beginning of my opening statement, I don't think it is our job to tell the government what to do or what approach to take. But we do think the government should continue providing leverage to the cooperative movement so it can take charge of its growth and develo

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  I want to add this. When the federal government set up the Co-operative Development Initiative, the small sums that were distributed throughout each of the provincial councils and each province, to help with the start-up costs of an advisory service, did provide a boost. A numb

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  As we see it, the possibility of accessing start-up advice across Canada in both official languages hangs in the balance because the CDI has been terminated. There is no doubt that it has a direct impact, especially in official language minority communities. So it is extremely im

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  We will definitely send you the Mallette study this afternoon. As for business transfers, another study was done recently. We know this is a special challenge for the cooperative movement. While it is challenging for traditional businesses, it is quite serious for the cooperativ

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  That is a good question. Mr. Laflamme, can you answer that?

Special Committee on Cooperatives committee  Through the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of Canada is currently holding public consultations, pretty much across the country, on the government's role and on the outcome of the roadmap, the strategic plan for official languages. The consultation process will wr