On the picture, from left to right: Mrs. Jeannine Chartrand, president of Covris Coopérative, Mrs. Josée Boudreault, Mrs. Valérie-Lemaire Jodoin, director of communications for Agiska Coopérative, Mr. Louis-Philippe Rivard, Mrs. Émilie Claveau, coordinator of communications for Covris Coopérative, Mrs. Lysanne David, director of communications and general secretary of Uniag Coopérative.
Beloeil, April 6th, 2022– After the forced cancellation of the event in 2020 and the holding of a virtual meeting in 2021, the participants of the Women’s Cooperative Forum were delighted to gather at the Hôtel Rive Gauche in Beloeil on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 for its twelfth edition. They were 110 women, farmer members, employees and friends of Agiska Coopérative, Covris Coopérative and Uniag Coopérative (in Montérégie and Centre-du-Québec) to take part with great enthusiasm.
The day began with a much-appreciated conference by Ms. Martine Deschamps, M.Sc., CAFBA, CPWA, senior advisor in farm business transfer and organizational development. Ms. Deschamps provided participants with an overview of all the factors that have an impact on the success of farm transfers. Participants were particularly interested in the suggestion of psychometric evaluation, which promotes healthy communication between individuals in a family.
The conference was followed by a delicious dinner from the restaurant Le Coureur des Bois at the Hôtel Rive-Gauche in Beloeil, consisting of sweet potato soup, pork shoulder and belly with braised cabbage and savory juice and rhubarb sponge cake.
The activity continued with the dynamic conference “Le Bonheur est en nous” (Happiness is within us) by Mrs. Josée Boudreault and her husband, Mr. Louis-Philippe Rivard. They discussed their definition of happiness, integrating the importance and relativity of the notion of time. It was a moving moment, simple and authentic, that will long be remembered. To show its support for the cause, the organizing committee of the Women’s Cooperative Forum presented a $550 donation to Aphasie Québec.
In addition to the many door prizes, each guest received a maple candy, a bag of fresh cheddar cheese from Fromagerie Saint-Guillaume and a packet of basil seeds. The Women’s Cooperative Forum would like to warmly thank the event’s partners: Sollio Groupe Coopératif, Desjardins Entreprises, Farm Credit Canada, National Bank, Olymel, Fromagerie Saint-Guillaume, W.H. Perron, Pilote et filles and Hôtel Rive Gauche.
About the Women’s Cooperative Forum
Since 2010, the cooperatives of the Montérégie and Centre-du-Québec regions have been working together to organize an annual meeting for women farmers. The objective is to promote networking, to value the contribution of women in their family businesses and to provide ways to promote their well-being.
