A Co-Op For Fort Albany?

While co-ops are common in First Nation and Inuit communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, they're relatively rare in some southern Aboriginal regions. In fact, at this point, there are no co-ops at all in the Mushkegowuk region on the Ontario James Bay coast.

That may be changing.

Chris Metatawabin of the Economic Development Department of Fort Albany First Nation has asked Fred Weihs of Stonecircle Consulting and Peter Dixon of MacLeod Farley and Associates to deliver a three-day Co-operative Development Information and Planning Session in the community of Fort Albany, during the last week of September.  Fred previously worked for several years as an adviser to Inuit co-operatives in Nunavut.

Through a series of small group information and planning sessions, and a large community information and consultation meeting, the community will look at the feasibility of developing a co-operative enterprise to provide new opportunities for community development.  The Co-op Information and Planning Session has received financial support from Fort Albany First Nation, Wakenagun Community Futures Development Corporation, and the Canadian Co-operative Association’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit Co-operative Development Program.