In honour of the United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives, we’re spotlighting a number of Québec cooperatives throughout the year. This mini-interview is with the Coopérative de développement régional du Québec (CDRQ). We interviewed Cédric Lachance, one of CDRQ’s cooperative development advisors.
What type of cooperative is the CDRQ?
The CDRQ is a solidarity cooperative.
Who can become a member?
Our cooperative includes three categories of members: user members, worker members, and supporting members.
The current composition of our board of directors is as follows: 11 directors, including 7 user members, 2 worker members, and 2 supporting members.
- User Members: These are social economy enterprises that comply with the Loi sur l’économie sociale and wish to benefit from our services. This includes support for launching cooperative or nonprofit projects, as well as consulting in management, digital transformation, finance, governance, and associative life. Any organization that has received support from the CDRQ can become a user member.
- Worker Members: These are salaried employees of the CDRQ. Membership as a worker member is possible after a six-month probationary period.
- Supporting Members: These include financial service cooperatives, mutual insurance companies, and other partners and organizations interested in seeing the CDRQ grow and thrive. Their involvement enriches our network and strengthens our mission. They are welcome to join our membership.
Why did you choose the solidarity cooperative model?
When the CDRQ was created ten years ago, it emerged from the merger of the former Coopératives de développement régional (CDRs). Historically, the first CDRs, which appeared over forty years ago, were themselves groupings of cooperatives. These cooperatives needed specialized professional services in cooperation, which they couldn’t find elsewhere. It was in this spirit that the cooperative model naturally became the obvious choice during the merger.
Among the various CDRs, only the Montréal–Laval CDR included worker members. By adopting the solidarity cooperative model, we aim to honor, enrich, and expand this approach.
This model is particularly relevant because it fosters harmonious collaboration among different categories of members: users, workers, and ecosystem partners (supporting members). It strengthens our mission and creates an inclusive movement that considers everyone’s interests.
Many support organizations similar to yours are nonprofit organizations. What are the challenges and advantages of operating the CDRQ as a cooperative?
A major advantage of our cooperative model is that it is based on the user relationship: those who use our services have a voice on the board of directors and can participate in decision-making. The direct representation of worker members on the board encourages their engagement and strengthens their sense of belonging. Moreover, thanks to the solidarity cooperative model, various stakeholders can be integrated into the board, allowing for more inclusive governance. This model addresses concerns about representation and advocacy for our members’ interests.
The main challenge of our operating model is funding. To offer accessible services to our members, we rely on government programs, which come with strict conditions. This can limit our flexibility in how we deliver services. However, this funding allows us to offer competitive rates, which is essential for our members. It’s a matter of finding a balance between our members’ aspirations and needs and the requirements of funders.
What is the state of the cooperative sector in Québec in 2025? Where is growth occurring, and where are obstacles being encountered?
The cooperative sector remains dynamic. The creation of new social economy enterprises continues at a pace comparable to other types of businesses. We also see notable growth in collective business takeovers, which address the lack of entrepreneurial succession. This model continues to gain popularity.
Additionally, a consolidation movement is underway: small cooperatives are merging or combining their products and services to better meet their members’ needs.
The cooperative movement offers authentic economic solutions. It’s a model that places members at the heart of the action, with concrete and committed practices. While the reasons for the growth of the cooperative model in Québec are varied, its authenticity and ability to meet people’s aspirations likely play a major role.
Thanks to its expertise, the CDRQ is well positioned to play an increasingly important role in this development.
The CDRQ has “regional” in its name, but you serve the entire province. What are the differences in supporting urban versus rural cooperatives?
It is clear that needs vary depending on the environment. Following numerous support initiatives carried out by the CDRQ with cooperatives, in both rural and urban settings, some notable differences have been observed. In rural areas, for example, the entrepreneurial journey tends to be more complex and longer. Additionally, financial resources are generally less accessible than in major urban centres, which presents a significant challenge for many cooperative projects. Despite these obstacles, cooperatives remain very present in Québec’s regions, often out of necessity, to meet the specific needs of local communities.
The cooperative thus becomes an essential gathering place, especially valuable in regions where such spaces are rare.
In terms of supporting these projects, several elements vary:
- Individual leadership plays a crucial role in rural areas: each person is key to advancing a cooperative project.
- Available programs differ depending on the territory.
- The connection to the cooperative is often stronger and more versatile in rural areas. Rural cooperatives tend to offer multiple services to meet a variety of local needs, while urban cooperatives are generally more specialized.
Curious to learn more?
To learn more about CDRQ, please check out their website, their LinkedIn page, and their Facebook page.
