Co-Operative Union of Ontario Collection

The Co-operative Union of Ontario (C.U.O.) was founded in 1945 under the name Ontario Co-operative Union. It was created for the purpose of defending the legislative and tax rights of co-operatives, in response to the Dominion

R.S. Staples, President: C.U.C., 1963

Government’s taxation of both them and credit unions. The C.U.O. essentially existed as both the public relations representative of and underlying support for co-operatives in Ontario. It centred on education, professional advice, and was the middleman linking provincial co-operatives to the national co-operatives of the Co-operative Union of Canada (C.U.C.). It also provided the sole Canadian link to co-operatives in America, being the only Canadian co-operative at the time to belong to the American Institute of Co-operation. Delegates from Canada were sent to the Institute annually.

The first major activity of the Co-operative Union of Ontario was the drawing up of a set of bylaws

Co-op feeds plant at Guelph, Ont.: 1963

that provided a legal guideline for any existing or newly created co-operatives. This served a very important purpose, because at the time of its creation, many new co-operatives were in the process of being formed, with very little idea of where to start. These bylaws were included in the provincial Corporations Act Manual. The C.U.O. also gave taxation and legal advice for its members, as well as providing access to the C.U.C.’s director’s advisory program. This program helped to teach the local co-operative directors how to fulfill their managerial duties. It was one of the many educational programs offered by the Union.

The most prominent role of the C.U.O. was education. It offered services to existing and fledgling co-operatives that furnished them with materials about co-operative education. These included films, speakers, and literature, all concerning co-operation and how it functioned. This service was used widely by the membership, which in 1960 represented about two thirds of all the co-operatives and co-operators in Ontario. The C.U.O. funded these programs through a dues system, which often was changed to meet the needs of its constituents. The co-operatives themselves were represented equally by delegates at annual meetings. Through this means, the services and role of the C.U.O. was determined democratically by its membership.

In 1967, the name of the Co-operative Union of Ontario was changed to the Ontario Co-operative Development Association. Periodically, during and prior to this time, it produced information to constituents in a newsletter called the Bulletin. It continued to service and provide information to Ontario co-operatives until the 1980’s, when it was discontinued.

The Co-operative Union of Ontario Collection at the University of Guelph includes publications, minutes, financial records, and files from member co-operatives. It was donated in August 1988 by Kenneth D. Brydon, the last active president. 

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