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Community Resilience, Adaptation, and Innovation: The Case of the Social Economy in La Ronge

Last Updated on April 15th, 2010
 

Project Title: Community Resilience, Adaptation, and Innovation: The Case of the Social Economy in La Ronge

Project Number: CL4-03-SK

Term of Project: May 2006 to September 2008

Status: Completed

Academic Researcher:

Student Researchers:

Community Researcher:

Community Partner:

Project Summary:

It is important to understand the similarities, differences, and contributions of the social economy in urban, rural, and northern contexts so that communities across Saskatchewan can take full advantage of the social economy’s unique ability to address critical economic, social, and cultural issues.  However, because development is often framed as either urban or rural, there remains too little understanding of the social economy—including co-operatives, mutuals, not-for-profits, and voluntary sector organizations associated with alternative development models, people before profits, and democratic participation—in the northern context.  This case study on the social economy in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Ronge has three key objectives: to identify social economy actors in La Ronge; to document the economic, social, and cultural contributions of the social economy to the community; and to highlight the opportunities and challenges facing the social economy in La Ronge.  Data was collected from secondary sources, direct observation and twelve face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with key participants from leading social economy organizations in La Ronge.

Specific Project-Level Research Objectives:

Expected Deliverables:

  1. Clear identification of social economy actors
  2. Report
  3. Article
  4. Presentations

Findings:

La Ronge Observations

  • Isolation and globalization: economic leakage and new opportunities
  • Innovation in both established and new social enterprises (La Ronge Co-op, Northern Entertainment Co-operative)
  • Transitory population: sustainability problems among non-Aboriginal population, especially government and mining sector skilled workers
  • Growing young Aboriginal population and potential workforce
  • Race, class, gender dynamics persist
  • Levels of bureaucracy: two municipalities, reserve lands administered by the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, high federal and provincial government presence in the unofficial capital of northern Saskatchewan
  • Many departments administer the northern region, not the community of La Ronge itself.
  • Many development agencies exist

La Ronge Findings

  • Highway and new technologies bring new opportunities (tourism, mining) but also new problems (economic
    leakage) that innovative social economy players are addressing
  • A culture of big government — development corporations are a key organizational form for the community
  • Transitory population: some innovative players in the social economy are working to correct this with education, training, and support (KCDC, Northlands College, La Ronge Childcare Co-operative,) realizing the potential labour pool in the Aboriginal population
  • Little co-ordination among development agencies and social economy actors for the same pool of grants
    Co-op and credit union key players in the new Chamber of Commerce, but new innovative co-ops emerging
    (Northern Entertainment Co-operative)
  • Layers of bureaucracy and jurisdiction with little co-ordination
  • A history of cultural tolerance, interaction, and collaboration in living in the North; however, class and underlying race and gender divisions persist
  • Potential for addressing labour market and economic demands locally by developing social economy enterprises involved in education, training, and quality of life

Project Poster: (Poster pdf)

Final Report:

Projected Expenditures: $7,500 (internship)

In-Kind Contributions:

Publicity:

Dissemination Activities:

Additional Notes: