Meet the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives
In 1984, The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Federated Co-operatives Limited, and Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan partnered with the University of Saskatchewan and the Province of Saskatchewan to support the creation of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (now Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, or CCSC), a research and education centre devoted to co-operatives. At the time, this type of partnership between the co-operative sector, university, and government – as well as the model of the Centre – was unprecedented and a first of its kind.
Since its inception, the CCSC has both produced interdisciplinary research, analysis, and conceptual tools that strengthen the co-operative sector and provide postsecondary-level educational programming for students and co-operative practitioners. The CCSC has produced multiple noteworthy research projects that have advanced the knowledge and understanding of co-operatives, including Dr. Lou-Hammond Ketilson’s work on a national study to understand the emergence of social enterprises and the larger social economy sector in Canada.
In the mid-2010s, the CCSC’s Co-operative Innovation Project studied the potential and feasibility of the co-operative model in 21st-century rural and Indigenous communities. The findings from this research led to the creation of Co-operatives First – a non-profit organization that provides resources and education to help the development of co-operatives in Western Canada with a keen focus on rural and Indigenous communities.
CCSC research has also served as constructive and critical of co-operatives. This can be seen in the analysis of the downfall of the former Mountain Equipment Co-operative by CCSC director and strategic research Fellow Dr. Marc-André Pigeon or the paper “When Big Co-ops Fail” by former director Dr. Murray Fulton. The hope is for other co-operatives to act on warning signs and increase the chance of survival.
Since 2014, the CCSC has offered the Graduate Certificate in the Social Economy, Co-operatives, and Non-profit Sector, which is designed to help mid-career professionals improve their understanding of the third sector. Most recently, in 2020, the CCSC developed the Advanced Co-operative Governance Program for co-operative directors to enhance their knowledge and understanding to govern their co-operatives.
While national in scope and global in reach, the CCSC continues to be rooted in Saskatchewan and driven by matters important to the Saskatchewan co-operative sector. This can be seen in a recent pilot survey where the CCSC explored whether co-operative employees in Saskatchewan co-operatives buy and consume the goods and services of their place of employment and other co-operatives to create a ripple effect to benefit the larger co-operative sector.
The CCSC is in the midst of a multi-year research study to compare patient outcomes of Saskatchewan healthcare co-operatives vis-à-vis comparable community clinics to gauge the impact of the co-operative difference in healthcare.
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the CCSC, and we celebrate the fact that the CCSC has consistently served as a shining example of advancing Co-operative Principle 5 (i.e., providing education, training, and information to members, co-operatives, and the general public).
