Call for Nominations: Canada's Greatest Cooperator

Canadian Cooperative Association, Canadian Cooperative Association — 10 Dec 2008

The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) is gearing up for "Celebrating a Century of Co-operation: Honouring the Past, Building the Future", and has planned a number of centenary events and activities to celebrate the co-operative movement across Canada throughout the year.

Many of the centenary events will culminate at the 2009 CCA Congress, taking place June 16-19, 2009 at The Westin Ottawa, including the launch of the Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame, and the unveiling of the Greatest Canadian Co-operator. The Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame will be a virtual hall of fame that forever provides a site for the recognition and celebration of distinguished co-operators from across Canada.

To determine the recipient of the Greatest Canadian Co-operator Award, we are calling on Canadians to put forth their nominations. This is an honour that will be bestowed upon a deceased individual who was fundamental in shaping co-operation in Canada.  Here is how you can nominate members of the Canadian co-operative community for this one-time honour:

• Beginning January 5, 2009 visit the CCA website to complete an online nomination form for an individual who has made a significant and historical contribution to the Canadian co-operative movement.
• All nominations must be received by Monday February 16, 2009.
• If the individual that you wish to nominate has already been nominated, you will be able to endorse nominations that have already been submitted.
• Once the February 16 nominations have closed, the CCA Anniversary Committee will identify up to 10 candidates who meet the nomination criteria.

March 6, 2009, CCA will announce the list of candidates that will be put forward for the Greatest Canadian Co-operator competition, and beginning that same day people will be invited to return to the CCA website to place their online vote, for the one person that they believe to be the Greatest Canadian Co-operator.

• Online voting will close Thursday April 30, 2009.

• The winner of the Greatest Canadian Co-operator will be determined by the highest number of online votes.

The recipient of this honour will be inducted into the Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame and will be showcased by special profile. The Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame also will become home to the eligible nominees of the Greatest Canadian Co-operator Award and all past and future recipients of the Canadian Co-operative Achievement Award and the Global Co-operator Award.

Overall the Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame will provide a virtual location paying tribute to co-operative leaders of the past and present by profiling their individual stories of achievement in a new section of the CCA website.

To find out more information about the Canadian Co-operative Achievement Award and the Global Co-operator Awards, including the nomination criteria, please click on the links above.

Nominations for both of these awards close January 31, 2009.

Recipients of both of these awards will be recognized at the 2009 CCA Congress and also inducted into the Canadian Co-operative Hall of Fame.

It is important to note the these awards are annual awards and are bestowed upon living Canadian co-operators who have and continue to live out the CCA mission to promote, develop and unite co-operatives and credit unions for the benefit of people in Canada and around the world.

For additional information regarding the Greatest Canadian Co-operator and Canadian Co-operative Achievement Awards, please contact Tanya Gracie at: tanya.gracie@coopscanada.coop or 613-238-6711 ext. 243.

For information regarding the Global Co-operator Award, please contact Heather Staffa at heather.staffa@coopscanada.coop or 613-238-6711 ext. 246.

Category: Community