montreal social economy

Action-Research: a comment by Greg Macleod

2007-03-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

Published in 2004, this argument defends the evolution of university curriculum in the social sciences away from the obscure and towards relevance to Canadian communities.

As McLeod says:

" Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University contends that university based science has become mainly concerned with the needs of large business rather than the needs of society. (Bok, 2003) Universities need money, and wealthy industry needs science, so it seems an irresistible marriage. On the opposite side are those who claim that the role of the university should be to seek truth and prepare young people to be responsible and democratic citizens. Is the university to serve big business or is to seek simply knowledge for its own sake? Perhaps there is room in the university for these two dimensions. However, we would like to propose a third position..."

Worth reading.

Lucien Bouchard lauds the cooperative model...

2007-03-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

In a recent address to 200 cooperators, former premier Bouchard states that coops hold up against "mondialization", while talking of the bitter Olymel case. I admit I find it hard to sympathize for a pork factory, but 891 jobs are 891 jobs.

Upcoming symposium on the Social Economy at OISE

2007-03-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

April 26 and 27 will see a "green" conference on the Social Economy, organised by Jack Quarter, a one of the key pioneers on this topic in Canada, among others.

An Ontario blog keeps track of all "social economy" in Ontario

2007-03-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

This blog is one to consult now and again.

Making Mega-Projects Work for Communities

2007-03-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

This entry is to mark the deposit of a Community University Research Alliance (CURA) grant to study the impact of the 2 billion dollar McGill Mega-Hospital on the surrounding neighbourhoods. The project aims at action-research that will make a real difference in St-Henri, NDG and Westmount.

Baby is born...

2006-09-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

...the first baby arrived Sept 9, 2006. A kind of social economy, no? ;-)

Chantier is 10 years old...

2006-09-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

The tenth anniversary of the Chantier, a kind of a snow plow for all things "social economy" in Quebec, opening the way politically and economically for experimentation in this field.

The Social Economy `hub...

2006-08-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

A rather evocative name for this national network.

Definition of Social Economy

2006-08-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

This definition is a good starting place.

2006-08-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

This periodical is a staple in the social economy and community economic development movement in Canada. Great place to start reading up on How Things Work.

Non-profit restaurant...

2006-08-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Robin des bois is creating a little stir here in Montreal. Run almost entirely on volunteer labour, all profits (and tips) go to local charities... This redefines "social economy" in many ways. Can we run other businesses this way?

A site that brings together renewable and ethical stuff...

2006-08-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Subscribe to this site www.novae.ca for a weekly update drawing from French and English sources...

Federal perspective on the social economy

2006-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

And so the feds are thinking the social economy is a good idea. Danger.

A new architecture for seniors benefits...

2006-07-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from Caledon...

Montreal's guide to public consultation...

2006-07-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a resource developed by the City for community groups (and others) who want to conduct public consultations...

Case studies in the Social Economy ++

2006-05-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

This UQAM site is a good source for case studies in the social economy. For a good overview on the Technical Resource Groups that develop social and community housing, look here.

Holy Trinity in Latin America

2006-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

A free-trade area of the developing countries. This is the right road, but one difficult to travel... One to watch.

Bolivia takes its oil back...

2006-05-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

Not exactly the social economy, but DAMN, that's a bold move.

2006-05-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Worker controlled Telephone company in Montreal.

Climate Change Program dismantled

2006-04-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Have a gawk at this, Harper dismantles Climate Change infrastructure.

2006-04-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

This guy leads in the development of community land trusts. See chapters in his book The Affordable City for one of the best general overviews of stuff on land trusts.

See also the update on the Burlington Land Trust here.

2006-03-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

St Henri stuff.

2006-03-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

Informed consensus model, for sticky public policy questions. Check it out.

2006-03-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

This Public Health Agency article explores social economy as a determinant of health.

2006-03-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the know about the social economy should know about BCA and the stuff people are doing in Cape Breton. Quite Frankly, it rocks.

2006-03-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

Victoria BC leeds the way in green neighbourhood planning...or does NDG?

Resources for the Social Economy

2006-03-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

This is a link to great stuff...

Chantier responds...

2006-03-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

The Chantier defends itself against what it considers a hostile attack. The conflict raises issues that ought not to be ignored, say some.

Quebec thinks long term...debt

2006-03-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

Quebec establishes a long term fund to pay down the debt. Good thinking.

Chantier and RISQ have a falling out

2006-03-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Social economy hits page one of Le Devoir.

Evidently the disagreement is between certain members of the board of RISQ that supported the coop movement's efforts in a bid for the 28 million$, and those that were aligned with the Chantier de l'economie sociale.

Pity these squabbles can't be settled in house.

2006-03-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

An article from 1910 makes a link between Stoics and modern non-state thinking.

Getting Things Done

2006-03-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

I work with a guy who SWEARS by this dude's organisational system. Worth checking out. I know, it's not rocket science, but...

2006-03-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Cubans are living a post-oil agricultural world, and managing with textbooks from the 1930s, now updated, as reported in Harper's last year.

We will expect much higher costs of growing food, as oil prices increase.

Will old growing techniques come back into vogue, for economic reasons?
Wouldn't it be odd if a return to agriculture is responsible for a job-boom in 2040?

2006-03-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

The key documents of the Benny Farm project, as proposed by the now defunct Fonds foncier communautaire Benny Farm, can be seen in an Internet archive.

There are some interesting questions yet to be answered about this important NDG project:

1) Will the CLSC be a LEED project?
2) Why did the Quebec government require underground parking for a low-income seniors project at Benny Farm, but they won`t require it for the CLSC?

2006-03-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Quebec has wicked resources for supporting the development of the social economy, such as the technical resource groups (GRTs) which develop non-profit housing...CDECs for supporting non-profit business development...

The resources are in place, at least for now.

Chantier de l'economie sociale

2006-03-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Chantier (building site or worksite, in French) is a clearinghouse for information and data on the social economy in Montreal. Lots of good stuff to be found, although sometimes their understanding of what is happening outside Quebec is limited. For academic research check out the CURA on the Social Economy...

2006-03-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

Encyclopedia Britannica 11th edition online. Cool.

Hydro to buy excess energy from wind and solar sources

2006-03-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

It bodes well for people who want to install "off the grid" systems. It seems that Hydro Quebec has accepted the concept of reverse metering.

2006-03-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

I am appalled that anyone is thinking about privatizing the SAQ (liquor board), especially when we are collectively worrying about paying down the debt.

"...In the last ten years the (Ontario Liquor Board)paid the provincial government a total of $8,033 million in profits and taxes, and the federal government $3,661 million in taxes, bringing the total paid to the two levels of government to $11,694 million in the past decade."

And Quebec? Would we kill the goose that lays the golden egg?

2006-03-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

This blog will be used to record the events and work of various projects that are related to the transformation of the social and economic fabric of Montreal, from a simple private-interest driven capitalist economy towards a more complicated, community driven social economy. Occasionally, I will also link to items of general interest.