Canadian Public Policy and the Social Economy Canadian Public Policy and the Social Economy Edited by Rupert Downing © 2012 University of Victoria © 2012 University of Victoria The moral rights of the authors are asserted. Published by University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2 ISBN 978-1-55058-453-0 (print) ISBN 978-1-55058-454-7 (PDF) ISBN 978-1-55058-455-4 (epub) Printed and bound in Canada by University of Victoria Book design by Linda D. Flath Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Canadian public policy and the social economy / edited by Rupert Downing Includes bibliographical references. Issued also in electronic format. ISBN 978-1-55058-453-0 1. Economics--Canada--Sociological aspects. 2. Political planning--Canada. 3. Social capital (Sociology)--Government policy--Canada. I. Downing, Rupert HM548.C36 2012 306.30971 C2012-900369-7 Research for this book was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Victoria. Canadian Social Economy Hub http://www.socialeconomyhub.ca This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons License, Attribution-Noncom- mercial-No Derivative 3.0 Unported Canada: see www.creativecommons.org. The text may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that credit is given to the original author(s). To obtain permission for uses beyond those outlined in the Creative Commons license, please contact Copyright Office, University of Victoria at [email protected] Table of Contents viii Acknowledgements ix Introduction Chapter One 13 ADVANCING THE SOCIAL ECONOMY FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOP MENT: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES Crystal Tremblay Chapter Two 61 PUBLIC POLICY TRENDS AND INSTRUMENTS SUPPORTING THE SOCIAL ECONOMY: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES Crystal Tremblay Chapter Three 111 PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE SOCIAL ECONOMY: BUILDING A PEOPLE-CENTRED ECONOMY IN CANADA Sarah Amyot, Rupert Downing, and Crystal Tremblay Chapter Four 155 GOVERNANCE AND MOVEMENT BUILDING FOR THE SOCIAL ECONOMY IN CANADA Rupert Downing and Alexandre Charron Chapter Five 197 FINANCING SOCIAL ECONOMY ORGANIZATIONS George Karaphillis, Seth Asimakos, and Stephen Moore Chapter Six 217 PROCUREMENT AND A PEOPLE’S CENTRED ECONOMY J.J.McMurtry and Darryl Reed Chapter Seven 229 SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE CO-CONTRUCTION OF PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT Yves Vaillancourt v Chapter Eight 263 LOOKING FOR THE ‘POLICY WINDOW’: THE SOCIAL ECONOMY AND PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA IN ATLANTIC CANADA Jan Myers and Martha MacDonald Chapter Nine 283 BUILDING A FEDERAL POLICY FRAMEWORK AND PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Kirsten Bernas and Brendan Reimer Chapter Ten 329 CONVERGING AGENDAS FOR THE SOCIAL ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Rupert Downing, Rachelle McElroy, Crystal Tremblay, and Sarah Amyot APPENDIX I 375 Storytellers’ Foundation and The Learning Shop APPENDIX II 380 Momentum APPENDIX III 385 Ontario Sustainable Energy Association APPENDIX IV 392 Toronto Renewabl Energy Co-ooperative (TREC) APPENDIX V 399 Diversity Foods APPENDIX VI 404 The Edmonton Social Enterprise Fund APPENDIX VII 411 Ecotrust Canada APPENDIX VIII 419 The David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) vi LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 19 Figure 1.1. The Social Economy Quadrilateral 21 Figure 1.2. The Social Economy and Civil Society 26 Figure 1.3. Civil Society Organization Employment 333 Figure 10.1 Three Pillars of Sustainability: Economic Limits 334 Figure 10.2. Three Pillars of Sustainablilty: Environmental Limits 342 Figure 10.3. Sustainable Development and Social Economy Intersecting Approaches 354 Figure 10.4. Integrated Approach 393 Figure 10.5. The Exhibition Place Turbine in Toronto 399 Figure 10.6. Staff at Diversity Foods 394 Table 10.1. Description of Projects by the Toronto Energy Co-operative vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book has been produced by the Canadian Social Economy Research Hub to promote some of the key outcomes of a six-year research partnership on the social economy in Canada and the world. Funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, the program involved six regional research centres and one national hub. Each of these were structured as community university research alliances to maximize academic and research excellence, student learning, community and practitioner involvement. The articles chosen from across the 300 plus research partners reflect a common interest in the public policy implications of the social economy as a unified sector of social and economic life, contributing to outcomes in social and economic development, environmental sustainability, and democratic governance. We wish to acknowledge the funding support of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council and the commitment of students and staff at the Social Economy Research Hub co-directed by the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) and the University of Victoria. Rupert Downing and Ian MacPherson Co-Directors from those two organizations helped shape and propel this book. Mike Toye, Executive Director of CCEDNet managed its creation. Matthew Thompson, Rachelle McElroy, and Ashley MacQuarrie-Hamilton edited and constructed it. The multiple authors created the knowledge that we are now sharing with you and we are indebted to your efforts to inform our horizons in creating and strengthening the social economy as an integral and vital part of Canada’s society. Special thanks as well to Dr. J. Howard Brunt,Vice-President Research at the University of Victoria who provided ongoing support throughout the six-year funding of the Canadian Social Economy Hub. viii INTRODUCTION This publication of the Social Economy Research Hub brings together a sample of papers that address a common theme: What significance does the social economy have as a concept and vehicle for addressing social, economic and environmental policy issues in Canada? The publication has been compiled as an "e-book" to make the material as accessible as possible to students, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders. It is published with the support of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council who funded the national social economy research program from 2004 to 2011. That program involved six regional research centres and one national centre, each one of them constructed as community university research alliances involving students and university-based researchers, together with representatives of practitioner or community organizations. In this way the research program deliberately set out to increase knowledge and capacity amongst both post secondary institutions and community organizations and stakeholders involved in the actual production of the social economy. The outcomes of this research program are impressive. Over 350 researchers have been involved from both university and community settings. A Student Network has held several knowledge mobilization events at the national level. A series of scholarships have been provided for students to further research in key subject areas. A very large list of published research has been produced including several books now available for teaching, knowledge mobilization and the application of lessons learned to practice in the social economy. National and regional forums and conferences have provided ongoing opportunities for knowledge mobilization, together with tele- learning programs, websites, newsletters and profiles. All of this work has made a major contribution to our understanding of the importance and relevance of the social economy in Canada. Our colleagues have looked into: the role of the social economy in addressing poverty and homelessness; the role of cooperatives and social enterprises in the delivery of goods and services that make a social and economic contribution to communities; new forms of production and retailing in the social economy to contribute to sustainable food and agriculture; the social economy’s value in First Nations and Aboriginal communities; the role of social financing to capitalize assets for community development. This is just to name a few of the thematics that have been involved. ix