Our campaign to raise the awareness of co operatives in Alberta is continuing to be successful. We held the first MLA reception in over two years on April 19 at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton, and it was a great success! More than thirty-five members (and almost twenty MLAs and staffers!) attended the event, including Cabinet Ministers and key decision makers. The reception was an great opportunity for our members to connect with their representative to talk about co-operatives. Both UCP and NDP representatives were at the event showing that co-operatives are neither left nor right, but up! .

We also continued to meet with individual MLAs to answer their questions, promote their local co- operative organizations, and raise policy concerns. We met with MLAs Joe Ceci, Drew Barnes, Angela Pitt, and Shane Getson, who were all very supportive of our movement. We spoke to all of them about the need to reduce the regulations around the creation of new co-op, and each of them said they would support us in our endeavors to reduce red tape. The seem receptive to our goal of making Alberta the friendliest place in Canada for co -operatives to be established, grow, and thrive.

We also met with Edmonton Council’s administration on promoting affordable co-operative housing in the city. They are keen to develop a plan that would help promote this model of housing in the city and potentially set aside land for this purpose. Combined with the new federal announcement of $500 million dollars for co-operative housing, Edmonton could be at the forefront of a new build here very soon! The information presented to administration will be presented to City Council in June at which time Councillors will decide if this project to promote co-operative housing will go ahead. The ACCA Government Relations team will be at the City Council meeting to help present and push this initiative forward.

Finally, we are developing a platform that would enable organizations to allow their members to send mass letters easily and simply to their elected officials. If there is a policy going through the legislature that would negatively impact an organization, they could access this platform to get their members to send personalized letters to their elected official in opposition to this legislation quickly and easily. It’s one thing for your MLA to receive one letter from your organization, it’s a whole different ballgame to receive hundreds or thousands. Once developed, this platform will be available to members of the ACCA.