The core purpose of each co-op in the Federation is to unite the community to meet their needs and to work together to develop as a people, leaving none behind. The core purpose of the Federation is to enable the co-ops to achieve collectively what they could not achieve individually.
The first two co-ops were started in Kangiqsualujjuaq (1959) and in Puvirnituq (1960) and by 1967 the first five co-ops formed themselves into a Federation which now comprises 13 member-co-operatives representing almost all of the adult population in Nunavik. From humble beginnings, the co-ops have grown into a powerful engine for economic development using their own savings for investment, thereby being able to determine their own destiny. The co-ops provide a wide range services to their members as well as providing leadership opportunities and employment for Inuit and Cree in their communities.
In the year 2000, the cooperative movement generated $9,500,000 in personal income in Nunavik. Business done by the co-operative movement in Nunavik each year has grown from $1,1 million in 1967 to $106 million in 2000. At the end of 2000, the cooperatives and their Federation had more than $91 million in total assets. The co-ops are now the largest non-government employer in the region, with over 220 workers and 95 directors who are all Inuit or Cree. This way, co-ops have ensured that the knowledge and experience gained from operating their collective enterprises remains an asset of their communities.
FCNQ (la Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec) has its offices and warehouses in Baie d'Urfé, Montréal with a staff of about 115 full-time and 30 part-time employees working in the following departments to provide services to the co-ops in Northern Québec: FCNQ Accounting, Co-op Accounting, Nunavik Art Sales, Technical Services and Construction, Co-op Management Services, Distribution and Shipping, Tourism & Hotels, FCNQ Travel Agency, FCNQ Petro, and a Purchasing and Store Development department. FCNQ is governed by a Board of Directors made up of 14 co-op directors who elect an Executive Committee.
The co-op movement's undertakings in economic and social development inlclude:
- Retail stores that supply the community with food, clothing, hardware, appliances and vehicles
- Financial services for members (banking, loans, etc.), Post Offices and Cable TV services
- Inuit art production and marketing
- Hotels, tourism and outfitting camps
- Bulk storage and distribution of crucial fuel supplies
- Construction projects
- Promoting co-operative activities in Nunavik
- Education of co-op members, management training for staff and directors, and youth outreach projects
- Research and development, feasibility studies and business planning
- and now ilagi high speed Internet is the latest service to be added to this growing list
About the co-ops and their Federation (FCNQ)
