November 19, 2020
During a fully virtual private event, the Institute highlighted the launch of the Sollio Cooperative Group collection on CoopGateway.
Several important partners were present and spoke at the event: Marie-Ève Proulx, Minister for Regional Economic Development, Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group and President of the Institute, Ghislain Gervais, President and member of the executive committee of Sollio Cooperative Group, Gaston Bédard, President and CEO of CQCM, Florence Raineix, Chief Executive Officer of the Fédération nationale des Caisses d’Épargne, as well as Fédérico Pasin, Director of HEC Montréal, and Caroline Aubé, Director of Research and Transfer at HEC Montréal.
Click here to view the recording of the event.
Since 1992, Sollio Cooperative Group (formerly La Coop fédérée) has periodically bequeathed its archives to the Institutional Information and Archives Management Service (SGIIA) of HEC Montréal. The Sollio Cooperative Group collection has been compiled from a selection of archives dating back to the founding of the cooperative in 1922 to today. It includes more than 2,000 items, including organization reports, the periodical “Cooperator”, governance documents, briefs and opinions. The collection retraces the history of Sollio Cooperative Group and highlights the people, documents and initiatives that have marked its development.
Almost 100 years of history
Founded in 1922, Sollio Cooperative Group is one of the largest agribusiness companies in Quebec, the only pan-Canadian agricultural supply cooperative and the 27th largest agribusiness cooperative in the world. Spread over several Canadian provinces, it represents more than 122,000 members, agricultural producers and consumers grouped together in 50 traditional agricultural and consumer cooperatives. It employs over 15,000 people and has sales of $7,282 billion. Its activities are divided into three divisions: Olymel S.E.C., Sollio Agriculture and Groupe BMR inc. To learn more about Sollio Cooperative Group, visit sollio.coop.
Ensuring sustainability on CoopGateway
CoopGateway is the world’s largest digital library on cooperatives and mutuals. In constant evolution, the platform contains more than 42,000 digital documents in 19 languages from 43 countries, and aims to promote access, development and sharing of knowledge on cooperatives and mutuals in the digital age in Quebec and throughout the world. The creation of institutional collections such as that of Sollio Groupe Coopératif makes it possible to bear witness to the history of the institution, to perpetuate and to share its heritage. CoopGateway is a unique tool for enhancing knowledge about cooperatives for economic development, training and academic research.