Last year, Michael Toye became executive director of sector body Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada. Prior to that, he was chair and president of the Social Innovation Advisory Council and executive director of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network. His experience includes policy analysis and government relations, participatory and secondary research, member and public engagement and mobilisation, nonprofit fundraising and management, reporting, governance and accountability.
How did you get involved in the co-op movement?
I grew up in a part of the province of Ontario (Canada) where co-operatives were not very common. So it wasn’t until I went to the province of Québec with its dynamic co-operative sector that I saw what was possible. As I was studying social work in Montréal, it became clear that many of the problems social workers were trying to help people deal with – poverty, unemployment, addictions – were exacerbated, if not caused, by economic systems that used people as a disposable resource. Rather than trying to treat the symptoms of this reality, I wanted to change the systems that produced it by shifting power and helping to build more democratic economies. It was then that I decided to be a part of the solution rather than the problem: I moved my money to a caisse populaire (Québec’s financial co-operative model), co-founded two worker co-ops, moved into a housing co-op, and started shopping at consumer co-ops.
Related: Canadian co-op sector to hold annual congress in June
At those worker co-ops, I was fortunate to be able to support the development of a wide range of non-profit and co-operative social enterprises. I subsequently had the chance to advance learning and advocacy across Canada in the community economic development movement which has very similar aims. I spent 16 years as executive director of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) before I joined Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) as executive director last year.
What are the main challenges facing the Canadian sector?
Each year, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan publishes the results of a survey of co-operators that asks them to identify their top issues. This year, the same as every year they’ve done the survey, a lack of awareness and poor understanding of co-operatives was once again the top issue. Limited access to capital and the need to nurture more co-operation among co-operatives round out the top three, which I think are pretty common themes.
Those top priorities are the central streams of work in CMC’s new strategic plan, which is inspired by the new ICA strategic plan: rooted in the co-operative identity and oriented towards growth. With that foundation, we’re aiming to make measurable progress improving awareness, focusing advocacy to level the public policy playing field, and improving alignment in the co-operative ecosystem to more effectively support Canadian co-ops.
This year, we will be building on recent public opinion research and talking to our members to formulate a roadmap for strengthening the co-op identity in order to drive growth in the co-operative sector. On that topic, I’d like to invite everyone to join a free international virtual symposium on co-operative identity and branding that will be exploring these opportunities in greater detail.
What are the key areas where co-ops need to deliver in Canada?
In the short time I’ve been at CMC, a couple of points stand out as key for the success of co-ops.
I recently heard someone say the difference between a social entrepreneur and a co-operator is that the social entrepreneur solves someone else’s problem, but a co-operator solves their own. Meeting a valid need is a prerequisite for relevance. Staying rooted in the needs of members is key to ongoing success. It’s helpful if co-ops can be seen as a meaningful response to broader public priorities. Our public opinion research found that Canadians are looking for security, control, and community stability – exactly what co-ops offer. Whether it’s housing, food security, affordability or economic sovereignty, co-ops provide a better alternative. We need to communicate that clearly and provide pathways for people to take action to meet their own needs.
Related: Canadian co-op leaders call for greater advocacy, finance and collaboration
Creating a clear understanding of the business advantage of co-operative values is the best way we can do that. Co-ops are resilient, but the effort needed for co-op organising is best invested in sectors, communities, and applications where the co-op model is more likely to succeed.
How well does CMC work with other co-op organisations in Canada and abroad?
As a large country with a very decentralised federal government, Canada has developed an extensive co-operative ecosystem based on provinces, languages, sectors, and population groups, including Indigenous co-operators. Québec is well known as one of the leading co-op jurisdictions in the world, but outside of Québec, despite commitments to principle six, the challenges of geography, language, and culture too often lead to a siloed and fragmented practice. As part of our new strategic plan, CMC is committed to working closely with ecosystem partners to strengthen the efficacy of the co-operative ecosystem to better serve co-operators from coast to coast to coast.
Canada has a long and active history in the international co-operative movement, with Canadians currently chairing the board of Icmif, active in Cicopa, and playing leading roles at the International Cooperative Alliance, including current consultations on the co-operative identity and work on dues and voting reform.
We are strong supporters of global solidarity and are committed to continuing to contribute to a sustainable and equitable global co-operative movement.
What would you like to see next for co-ops in Canada?
I look forward to our efforts to strengthen the co-op identity, which will create more enabling conditions for sustainable growth.
That will involve educating our members and entrepreneurs on the competitive advantage of co-operative values, and targeting sectors for startups and transfers to grow the co-operative economy.
As we grow, I’m hopeful Canada will move up the list of the global co-operative economy index – it’s not fair to Québec that we’re not already in the top 10!
Co-operatives are builders. We build housing security. We build local wealth. We build durable services. We build trust by giving people a meaningful role in the businesses and organisations that serve them. In a moment when many institutions feel transactional or remote, that builder mentality is one of our greatest strengths.
Over time, I’m hopeful that we’ll help Canadians see that co-ops are a better choice, for everyone.
Click here to read more Meet … interviews with co-operators from around the world
