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Quebec is one of the 13 provinces and territories of [[Canada]]. It is bordered to the west by the province of [[Ontario]], James Bay, and Hudson Bay; to the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay; to the east by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; and to the south by the province of New Brunswick and the US states of [[Maine]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Vermont]], and [[New York State|New York]]. It also shares maritime borders with Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. It is historically and politically considered to be part of Central Canada (with Ontario).
{{Location data
| location = Quebec, Canada
| coordinates = 52° 28' 33.92" N, 71° 49' 33.12" W
}}


Quebec is the second-most populous province of Canada, after Ontario. It is the only one to have a predominantly French-speaking population, with French as the sole provincial official language. Most inhabitants live in urban areas near the Saint Lawrence River between [[Montreal]] and Quebec City, the capital. Approximately half of Quebec residents live in the Greater Montreal Area, including the Island of Montreal. English-speaking communities and English-language institutions are concentrated in the west of the island of Montreal but are also significantly present in the Outaouais, Eastern Townships, and Gaspé regions. The Nord-du-Québec region, occupying the northern half of the province, is sparsely populated and inhabited primarily by Aboriginal peoples. {{W|Quebec}}
{{Newslist|location=Quebec|year=2022}}


== Initiatives by topic ==
{{Read more|Quebec community action#News and comment}}


=== Biodiversity ===
{{Wikipedia excerpt|Quebec|paragraphs=1}}
 
== Biodiversity ==


The Wildlife Foundation of Quebec and the Data Centre on Natural Heritage of Quebec (CDPNQ)(French acronym) are the main agencies working with officers for wildlife conservation in Quebec. {{W|Quebec#Wildlife}}
The Wildlife Foundation of Quebec and the Data Centre on Natural Heritage of Quebec (CDPNQ)(French acronym) are the main agencies working with officers for wildlife conservation in Quebec. {{W|Quebec#Wildlife}}


=== Community energy ===
== Trees, woodland and forest ==
 
The vast majority (90.5%) of Quebec's forests are publicly owned. Forests cover more than half of Quebec's territory, for a total area of nearly 761,100 square kilometres (293,900 sq mi). The Quebec forest area covers seven degrees of latitude. {{W|Quebec#Natural resources}}
 
== Community involvement ==
 
[https://www.budgetparticipatifquebec.ca/fr budget participatif Québec]
 
== Community energy ==
 
{{Wikipedia excerpt|Quebec|Energy|paragraphs=1}}


Quebec is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world after China, Brazil and the United States and relies almost exclusively (96% in 2008) on this source of renewable energy for its electricity needs. {{W|Quebec#Energy}}
== Cycling activism ==


=== Cycling activism ===
[https://montreal.bixi.com/ Bixi Montreal] - [https://www.velo.qc.ca/en/Home Vélo Québec], non-profit organization, which encourages the use of bicycles - whether for recreation, tourism or as a clean, active mode of transportation - in order to improve the environment, [[health]] and [[wellbeing]] of citizens.


[https://montreal.bixi.com/ Bixi Montreal] - [http://www.velo.qc.ca/en/Home Vélo Québec], non-profit organization, which encourages the use of bicycles - whether for recreation, tourism or as a clean, active mode of transportation - in order to improve the environment, [[health]] and [[wellbeing]] of citizens.
{{Wikipedia excerpt|Route Verte}}


The Route Verte (in English, the "Green Route," or the "Greenway") is a network of bicycling and multiuse trails and designated roads, lanes, and surfaces, spanning 5,034 kilometres (3,128 mi) as of October 31, 2013, inaugurated on August 10, 2007. The trail network includes both urban trails (for example, in and around the city of [[Montreal]]) and cycling routes into quite isolated areas in the north, as well as along both sides of the Saint Lawrence River, out to the Gaspésie region, and on the Îles de la Madeleine, linking more than 320 municipalities along the way. The Route Verte is not entirely composed of trails, as nearly 61% of the network actually consists of on-road surfaces, whether regular roads with little traffic, wide shoulders, special lanes on highways, or otherwise. The segregated trails are mostly rail trails shared-use with hikers and other users. {{W|Route Verte}}
== Food activism ==


=== Food activism ===
[https://grenierboreal.coop/ Coop de solidarité agroforestière de Minganie], ''added 17:05, 9 April 2020 (UTC)''


{{#widget:YouTube|id=3riW_yiCN5E}}
{{Video|3riW_yiCN5E}}


[http://www.lepotagerenchante.com/ Le Potager enchanté], organic vegetable farm on a human scale
[http://web.archive.org/web/20180413004403/http://www.lepotagerenchante.com/ Le Potager enchanté], organic vegetable farm on a human scale


==== Collectif de Minuit in Québec City ===
=== Collectif de Minuit in Québec City ===


The Collectif de Minuit, based at Université Laval in Québec City, operates with a similar ethos to the G-Spot — providing healthy, vegan, home-cooked meals on a pay-what-you-can basis to harassed and cash-strapped students.
The Collectif de Minuit, based at Université Laval in Québec City, operates with a similar ethos to the G-Spot — providing healthy, vegan, home-cooked meals on a pay-what-you-can basis to harassed and cash-strapped students.


The main difference is where the food is sourced — much of it comes from the dumpsters outside Québec City's Marché du Vieux-Port farmers' market and the dumpsters of other grocery stores, where vegetables and herbs that are left unsold or that don't meet quality standards are often thrown. The vegetables are thoroughly washed with vinegar and often boiled into stews before finding their way onto the plates of hungry students every Wednesday morning. <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/7-inspiring-ways-canadians-are-sharing-to-tackle-food-insecurity @Shareable]</ref> Collectif de Minuit on [https://www.facebook.com/pg/collectifdeminuit/about/ facebook]
The main difference is where the food is sourced — much of it comes from the dumpsters outside Québec City's Marché du Vieux-Port farmers' market and the dumpsters of other grocery stores, where vegetables and herbs that are left unsold or that don't meet quality standards are often thrown. The vegetables are thoroughly washed with vinegar and often boiled into stews before finding their way onto the plates of hungry students every Wednesday morning.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/7-inspiring-ways-canadians-are-sharing-to-tackle-food-insecurity @Shareable]</ref> Collectif de Minuit on [https://www.facebook.com/pg/collectifdeminuit/about/ facebook]


==== Le Frigo Communautaire in Québec City ====
=== Le Frigo Communautaire in Québec City ===


For more than a century, the vast Catholic church in the heart of Québec City's St-Roch neighborhood has been a gathering place for the neighborhood's residents, many of them poor, elderly, or at risk of homelessness. Every summer, a self-service "food fridge" makes its appearance on the church steps, stocked by volunteers and community members who stop by and drop off leftovers. The fridge was established by four university students.  
For more than a century, the vast Catholic church in the heart of Québec City's St-Roch neighborhood has been a gathering place for the neighborhood's residents, many of them poor, elderly, or at risk of homelessness. Every summer, a self-service "food fridge" makes its appearance on the church steps, stocked by volunteers and community members who stop by and drop off leftovers. The fridge was established by four university students.


"At first, I wondered what it was doing there," one local resident told the daily newspaper Le Soleil, in 2016. "It's great. You find meat, fruit and vegetables." The man, who began stopping by regularly for food when money was tight, has since become a volunteer with the project. Local restaurant and grocery store owners have also pitched in, dropping off unsold surplus food at the end of the day. <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/7-inspiring-ways-canadians-are-sharing-to-tackle-food-insecurity @Shareable]</ref>
"At first, I wondered what it was doing there," one local resident told the daily newspaper Le Soleil, in 2016. "It's great. You find meat, fruit and vegetables." The man, who began stopping by regularly for food when money was tight, has since become a volunteer with the project. Local restaurant and grocery store owners have also pitched in, dropping off unsold surplus food at the end of the day.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/7-inspiring-ways-canadians-are-sharing-to-tackle-food-insecurity @Shareable]</ref>


==== Lauberivière Rooftop Garden in Québec City ====
=== Lauberivière Rooftop Garden in Québec City ===


A unique food-sharing initiative has sprouted on the roof of the Maison de Lauberivière, Québec City's largest homeless shelter. Urbainculteurs, a volunteer collective dedicated to the promotion of urban gardening, started the rooftop garden in 2009. The cabbage, carrots, beans, seasonal fruits, and herbs— more than a ton of production each year — find their way downstairs, into the hands of the chefs who cook three meals a day for hundreds of homeless men and women. The garden is maintained by a group of volunteers including shelter residents, college students, retirees and the occasional school group. Excess plants and seeds are sold to local gardeners on occasional "open roof days."  
A unique food-sharing initiative has sprouted on the roof of the Maison de Lauberivière, Québec City's largest homeless shelter. Urbainculteurs, a volunteer collective dedicated to the promotion of urban gardening, started the rooftop garden in 2009. The cabbage, carrots, beans, seasonal fruits, and herbs— more than a ton of production each year — find their way downstairs, into the hands of the chefs who cook three meals a day for hundreds of homeless men and women. The garden is maintained by a group of volunteers including shelter residents, college students, retirees and the occasional school group. Excess plants and seeds are sold to local gardeners on occasional "open roof days."


"They [the Urbainculteurs] saw an empty roof, and our cooks saw a need for fresh vegetables," says Frédéric Lapointe, clinical services co-ordinator at the shelter. "The garden is something that's dear to our hearts." After eight years above the shelter, the garden is currently seeking a new home due to renovations at Lauberivière. Urbainculteurs members also run a free summer garden in front of Quebec’s National Assembly. <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/7-inspiring-ways-canadians-are-sharing-to-tackle-food-insecurity @Shareable]</ref> Lauberivière [http://urbainculteurs.org/en/achievement/lauberiviere/ urbainculteurs.org]
"They [the Urbainculteurs] saw an empty roof, and our cooks saw a need for fresh vegetables," says Frédéric Lapointe, clinical services co-ordinator at the shelter. "The garden is something that's dear to our hearts." After eight years above the shelter, the garden is currently seeking a new home due to renovations at Lauberivière. Urbainculteurs members also run a free summer garden in front of Quebec's National Assembly.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/7-inspiring-ways-canadians-are-sharing-to-tackle-food-insecurity @Shareable]</ref> Lauberivière [https://urbainculteurs.org/en/achievement/lauberiviere/ urbainculteurs.org]


=== Free stuff ===
== Free stuff ==


'''As-tu ça toi?'''
=== As-tu ça toi? ===


Are you looking for a sewing machine? How about a toaster? Are you trying to get rid of your kids' old toys or of that clunky shelving unit in your bedroom? Look no further than the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/as.tu.ca.toi/ As-tu ça toi?] ("Do you have that?"). Montrealer Marie-Neige Châtelain launched the group in 2011, and it now has over 46,000 members. It operates like any online classifieds group, except, as the organizers point out, "Any ads that mention $$$$ will be deleted without prior notice!" Everything is free, members organize pickups between themselves, and as long as it doesn’t involve live animals, illegal products or medical supplies, no request is too strange. The group has spawned "daughter groups" in nearly every region of Quebec. "These communities are based on the love of giving, be it donations of material goods or simple exchanges of services," Châtelain writes. "Give without expecting anything in return, and you'll get everything." <ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/15-reasons-and-counting-why-montreal-is-an-exemplary-sharing-city Shareable]</ref>
Are you looking for a sewing machine? How about a toaster? Are you trying to get rid of your kids' old toys or of that clunky shelving unit in your bedroom? Look no further than the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/as.tu.ca.toi/ As-tu ça toi?] ("Do you have that?"). Montrealer Marie-Neige Châtelain launched the group in 2011, and it now has over 46,000 members. It operates like any online classifieds group, except, as the organizers point out, "Any ads that mention (dollars) will be deleted without prior notice!" Everything is free, members organize pickups between themselves, and as long as it doesn't involve live animals, illegal products or medical supplies, no request is too strange. The group has spawned "daughter groups" in nearly every region of Quebec. "These communities are based on the love of giving, be it donations of material goods or simple exchanges of services," Châtelain writes. "Give without expecting anything in return, and you'll get everything."<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/15-reasons-and-counting-why-montreal-is-an-exemplary-sharing-city Shareable]</ref>


'''Les Accorderies'''
=== Les Accorderies ===


Established in 2002 in Quebec City, the Accorderie network is used for free service exchanges. Are you looking for someone to tutor you in a second language or repair your computer? Can you spare an hour to teach a skill or help someone do home repairs? Give one hour of your time and add an hour to your own "time bank" to use for something completely different. The network has three branches in Montreal, as well as outposts in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, and several rural North Coast communities.
Established in 2002 in Quebec City, the Accorderie network is used for free service exchanges. Are you looking for someone to tutor you in a second language or repair your computer? Can you spare an hour to teach a skill or help someone do home repairs? Give one hour of your time and add an hour to your own "time bank" to use for something completely different. The network has three branches in Montreal, as well as outposts in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, and several rural North Coast communities.


"We want to fight poverty and exclusion, create links between neighbors and recreate a sense of community that has been kind of lost over the years," says [http://accorderie.ca/ Les Accorderies]' director Huguette Lépine. <ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/15-reasons-and-counting-why-montreal-is-an-exemplary-sharing-city Shareable]</ref>
"We want to fight poverty and exclusion, create links between neighbors and recreate a sense of community that has been kind of lost over the years," says [https://accorderie.ca/ Les Accorderies]' director Huguette Lépine.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/15-reasons-and-counting-why-montreal-is-an-exemplary-sharing-city Shareable]</ref>
 
== Towards sustainable economies ==


=== Towards sustainable economies ===
Worker-owned forestry enterprises in the North, paramedic coops and the sheer number of worker-owners place Québec in the company of other coop strongholds like the Basque region of [[Spain]] and Emilia-Romagna in Northern [[Italy]]. In fact, there are over 7,000 coops and nonprofit businesses in Quebec employing over 150,000 people and generating over $17 billion in sales.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20180107014936/https://www.shareable.net/blog/montr%C3%A9als-blooming-social-economy-confronts-fiscal-pruning Shareable]</ref>


Worker-owned forestry enterprises in the North, paramedic coops and the sheer number of worker-owners place Québec in the company of other coop strongholds like the Basque region of [[Spain]] and Emilia-Romagna in Northern [[Italy]]. In fact, there are over 7,000 coops and nonprofit businesses in Quebec employing over 150,000 people and generating over $17 billion in sales. <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/montr%C3%A9als-blooming-social-economy-confronts-fiscal-pruning Shareable]</ref>
[https://www.chantier.qc.ca/?lang=eng Chantier de l'économie sociale]


[http://www.chantier.qc.ca/?lang=eng Chantier de l'économie sociale]
The definition of Social Economy used by the Chantier de l'économie sociale in Quebec follows: The Social Economy is made up of association-based economic activities founded on values of:


The definition of Social Economy used by the Chantier de l'économie sociale in Quebec follows:  The Social Economy is made up of association-based economic activities founded on values of:
* Service to members or the community rather than only generating profits and seeking financial returns;
* Service to members or the community rather than only generating profits and seeking financial returns;
* Autonomous management (not government controlled);
* Autonomous management (not government controlled);
Line 72: Line 85:
* Primacy of persons and work over capital;
* Primacy of persons and work over capital;
* Based on principles of participation, empowerment and individual and collective responsibility.
* Based on principles of participation, empowerment and individual and collective responsibility.
The Social Economy includes:
*social assets (housing, childcare centres, etc.) of community organizations;
*social enterprises including co- operatives and revenue-generating programs of non profit groups;
*credit unions and social financing organizations like community loan funds;
*training and skills development enterprises; and
*sectoral and regional organizations e.g. renewal energy associations. {{W|Social economy#Canada}}


=== Trees, woodland and forest ===
The Social Economy includes:
 
* social assets (housing, childcare centres, etc.) of community organizations;
* social enterprises including co- operatives and revenue-generating programs of non profit groups;
* credit unions and social financing organizations like community loan funds;
* training and skills development enterprises; and
* sectoral and regional organizations e.g. renewal energy associations. {{W|Social economy#Canada}}
 
== Resources ==


The vast majority (90.5%) of Quebec's forests are publicly owned. Forests cover more than half of Quebec's territory, for a total area of nearly 761,100 square kilometres (293,900 sq mi). The Quebec forest area covers seven degrees of latitude. {{W|Quebec#Natural resources}}
=== Funding ===


| style="background:khaki" |
==== La Ruche ====


__TOC__
[https://laruchequebec.com/ La Ruche] — "The Hive" — is a Quebec-only crowdfunding platform run by a nonprofit. All projects are reviewed by a selection committee and only allowed to solicit funds if they will have a "positive social, economic, or cultural" impact on their community. At regional meetings, known as "cellules," participants get a chance to pitch their project to public figures who are well-known and well-connected in the fields of social justice, business, and the performing arts. Workshops, part of the [http://web.archive.org/web/20170903190320/https://laruchequebec.com/en/academie// La Ruche Académie] program, help promoters refine their pitches. La Ruche stands out for its nonprofit structure, one-on-one assistance for participants, and regional outlook. Some current projects that are being funded by La Ruche Montréal include the production of choral music in Braille, subsidized self-defense courses for children, and an independent, zero-waste organic grocery startup.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/15-reasons-and-counting-why-montreal-is-an-exemplary-sharing-city Shareable]</ref>


== News and comment ==
== News and comment ==
'''2020'''
It all starts with food: How co-ops are transforming Quebec's food deserts, Apr 7<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/it-all-starts-with-food-how-co-ops-are-transforming-quebecs-food-deserts/ shareable.net]</ref>


'''2017'''
'''2017'''


What Quebec Can Teach Us About Creating a More Equitable Economy, Apr 11 <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/what-quebec-can-teach-us-about-creating-a-more-equitable-economys Shareable]</ref>
What Quebec Can Teach Us About Creating a More Equitable Economy, Apr 11<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/what-quebec-can-teach-us-about-creating-a-more-equitable-economys Shareable]</ref>
 
Quebec's Vacant Church Buildings Resurrected as Community Spaces, Mar 14<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/quebecs-vacant-church-buildings-resurrected-as-community-spaces Shareable]</ref>
 
== Near you ==
 
[[Montreal]]


Quebec's Vacant Church Buildings Resurrected as Community Spaces, Mar 14 <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/quebecs-vacant-church-buildings-resurrected-as-community-spaces Shareable]</ref>
{{Map
| category = Quebec
}}


== Local communities in {{PAGENAME}} ==
{{CASwiki menu}}


<gallery>
== External links ==
Image:Rue Duluth, Montréal.jpg|[[Montreal]]
Image:Greenwich park drawing1.jpg|[[Help:Creating a page|''Create a new page'']]
</gallery>


== Interwiki links ==
Wikipedia: [[Wikipedia:Quebec|Quebec]]
Wikipedia: [[wikipedia:Quebec|Quebec]], [[wikipedia:Quebec#Energy|Quebec, Energy]], [[wikipedia:Quebec#Environmental and energy policy|Quebec, Environmental and energy policy]]


== References ==


'''References'''
<references />
{{Attrib sca ref|Quebec}}
<references/>
|}


{{Page data
| keywords = Canadian province
}}


{{scaendmenu}}
[[Category:Sustainable community action]]
[[category:Sustainable community action]]
[[Category:Quebec]]
[[category:Quebec]]

Latest revision as of 16:39, 3 September 2023

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Location Quebec, Canada
  • News The Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance now has 10 core members (Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Greenland, Ireland, Portugal, Quebec, Sweden, Wales, and Washington State), two associate members (California and New Zealand), and five "friends of BOGA" (Chile, Fiji, Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg)., beyondoilandgasalliance.org (Nov 16, 2022) — BOGA is an international alliance of governments and stakeholders working together to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production, led by the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica

Read more

Wikipedia W icon.svg

Quebec (English: Quebec; French: Québec [kebɛk] ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the largest province by area and the second-largest by population. Much of the population lives in urban areas along the St. Lawrence River, between its most populous city, Montreal, and the provincial capital, Quebec City. Located in Central Canada, the province shares land borders with Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast, and a coastal border with Nunavut; in the south it borders the United States.

Biodiversity[edit | edit source]

The Wildlife Foundation of Quebec and the Data Centre on Natural Heritage of Quebec (CDPNQ)(French acronym) are the main agencies working with officers for wildlife conservation in Quebec. W

Trees, woodland and forest[edit | edit source]

The vast majority (90.5%) of Quebec's forests are publicly owned. Forests cover more than half of Quebec's territory, for a total area of nearly 761,100 square kilometres (293,900 sq mi). The Quebec forest area covers seven degrees of latitude. W

Community involvement[edit | edit source]

budget participatif Québec

Community energy[edit | edit source]

Wikipedia W icon.svg

Quebec (English: Quebec; French: Québec [kebɛk] ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the largest province by area and the second-largest by population. Much of the population lives in urban areas along the St. Lawrence River, between its most populous city, Montreal, and the provincial capital, Quebec City. Located in Central Canada, the province shares land borders with Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast, and a coastal border with Nunavut; in the south it borders the United States.

Cycling activism[edit | edit source]

Bixi Montreal - Vélo Québec, non-profit organization, which encourages the use of bicycles - whether for recreation, tourism or as a clean, active mode of transportation - in order to improve the environment, health and wellbeing of citizens.

Wikipedia W icon.svg

The Route verte (French for "Green Route," or "Greenway") is a network of bicycling and multiuse trails and designated roads, lanes, and surfaces in Quebec, Canada. The trail network inaugurated on August 10, 2007, and spans 5,034 kilometres (3,128 mi) as of 31 October 2013. It includes both urban trails (for example, in and around the city of Montreal) and cycling routes into quite isolated areas in the north, as well as along both sides of the Saint Lawrence River, out to the Gaspésie region, and on the Magdalen Islands, linking more than 320 municipalities along the way. The Route Verte is not entirely composed of trails, as nearly 61% of the network actually consists of on-road surfaces, whether regular roads with little traffic, wide shoulders, special lanes on highways, or otherwise. The segregated trails are mostly rail trails shared-use with hikers and other users.

Food activism[edit | edit source]

Coop de solidarité agroforestière de Minganie, added 17:05, 9 April 2020 (UTC)

mqdefault.jpgYouTube_icon.svg

Le Potager enchanté, organic vegetable farm on a human scale

Collectif de Minuit in Québec City[edit | edit source]

The Collectif de Minuit, based at Université Laval in Québec City, operates with a similar ethos to the G-Spot — providing healthy, vegan, home-cooked meals on a pay-what-you-can basis to harassed and cash-strapped students.

The main difference is where the food is sourced — much of it comes from the dumpsters outside Québec City's Marché du Vieux-Port farmers' market and the dumpsters of other grocery stores, where vegetables and herbs that are left unsold or that don't meet quality standards are often thrown. The vegetables are thoroughly washed with vinegar and often boiled into stews before finding their way onto the plates of hungry students every Wednesday morning.[1] Collectif de Minuit on facebook

Le Frigo Communautaire in Québec City[edit | edit source]

For more than a century, the vast Catholic church in the heart of Québec City's St-Roch neighborhood has been a gathering place for the neighborhood's residents, many of them poor, elderly, or at risk of homelessness. Every summer, a self-service "food fridge" makes its appearance on the church steps, stocked by volunteers and community members who stop by and drop off leftovers. The fridge was established by four university students.

"At first, I wondered what it was doing there," one local resident told the daily newspaper Le Soleil, in 2016. "It's great. You find meat, fruit and vegetables." The man, who began stopping by regularly for food when money was tight, has since become a volunteer with the project. Local restaurant and grocery store owners have also pitched in, dropping off unsold surplus food at the end of the day.[2]

Lauberivière Rooftop Garden in Québec City[edit | edit source]

A unique food-sharing initiative has sprouted on the roof of the Maison de Lauberivière, Québec City's largest homeless shelter. Urbainculteurs, a volunteer collective dedicated to the promotion of urban gardening, started the rooftop garden in 2009. The cabbage, carrots, beans, seasonal fruits, and herbs— more than a ton of production each year — find their way downstairs, into the hands of the chefs who cook three meals a day for hundreds of homeless men and women. The garden is maintained by a group of volunteers including shelter residents, college students, retirees and the occasional school group. Excess plants and seeds are sold to local gardeners on occasional "open roof days."

"They [the Urbainculteurs] saw an empty roof, and our cooks saw a need for fresh vegetables," says Frédéric Lapointe, clinical services co-ordinator at the shelter. "The garden is something that's dear to our hearts." After eight years above the shelter, the garden is currently seeking a new home due to renovations at Lauberivière. Urbainculteurs members also run a free summer garden in front of Quebec's National Assembly.[3] Lauberivière urbainculteurs.org

Free stuff[edit | edit source]

As-tu ça toi?[edit | edit source]

Are you looking for a sewing machine? How about a toaster? Are you trying to get rid of your kids' old toys or of that clunky shelving unit in your bedroom? Look no further than the Facebook group As-tu ça toi? ("Do you have that?"). Montrealer Marie-Neige Châtelain launched the group in 2011, and it now has over 46,000 members. It operates like any online classifieds group, except, as the organizers point out, "Any ads that mention (dollars) will be deleted without prior notice!" Everything is free, members organize pickups between themselves, and as long as it doesn't involve live animals, illegal products or medical supplies, no request is too strange. The group has spawned "daughter groups" in nearly every region of Quebec. "These communities are based on the love of giving, be it donations of material goods or simple exchanges of services," Châtelain writes. "Give without expecting anything in return, and you'll get everything."[4]

Les Accorderies[edit | edit source]

Established in 2002 in Quebec City, the Accorderie network is used for free service exchanges. Are you looking for someone to tutor you in a second language or repair your computer? Can you spare an hour to teach a skill or help someone do home repairs? Give one hour of your time and add an hour to your own "time bank" to use for something completely different. The network has three branches in Montreal, as well as outposts in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, and several rural North Coast communities.

"We want to fight poverty and exclusion, create links between neighbors and recreate a sense of community that has been kind of lost over the years," says Les Accorderies' director Huguette Lépine.[5]

Towards sustainable economies[edit | edit source]

Worker-owned forestry enterprises in the North, paramedic coops and the sheer number of worker-owners place Québec in the company of other coop strongholds like the Basque region of Spain and Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy. In fact, there are over 7,000 coops and nonprofit businesses in Quebec employing over 150,000 people and generating over $17 billion in sales.[6]

Chantier de l'économie sociale

The definition of Social Economy used by the Chantier de l'économie sociale in Quebec follows: The Social Economy is made up of association-based economic activities founded on values of:

  • Service to members or the community rather than only generating profits and seeking financial returns;
  • Autonomous management (not government controlled);
  • Democratic decision making;
  • Primacy of persons and work over capital;
  • Based on principles of participation, empowerment and individual and collective responsibility.

The Social Economy includes:

  • social assets (housing, childcare centres, etc.) of community organizations;
  • social enterprises including co- operatives and revenue-generating programs of non profit groups;
  • credit unions and social financing organizations like community loan funds;
  • training and skills development enterprises; and
  • sectoral and regional organizations e.g. renewal energy associations. W

Resources[edit | edit source]

Funding[edit | edit source]

La Ruche[edit | edit source]

La Ruche — "The Hive" — is a Quebec-only crowdfunding platform run by a nonprofit. All projects are reviewed by a selection committee and only allowed to solicit funds if they will have a "positive social, economic, or cultural" impact on their community. At regional meetings, known as "cellules," participants get a chance to pitch their project to public figures who are well-known and well-connected in the fields of social justice, business, and the performing arts. Workshops, part of the La Ruche Académie program, help promoters refine their pitches. La Ruche stands out for its nonprofit structure, one-on-one assistance for participants, and regional outlook. Some current projects that are being funded by La Ruche Montréal include the production of choral music in Braille, subsidized self-defense courses for children, and an independent, zero-waste organic grocery startup.[7]

News and comment[edit | edit source]

2020

It all starts with food: How co-ops are transforming Quebec's food deserts, Apr 7[8]

2017

What Quebec Can Teach Us About Creating a More Equitable Economy, Apr 11[9]

Quebec's Vacant Church Buildings Resurrected as Community Spaces, Mar 14[10]

Near you[edit | edit source]

Montreal

External links[edit | edit source]

Wikipedia: Quebec

References[edit | edit source]

FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Page data
Keywords canadian province
Authors Phil Green
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 3 pages link here
Aliases Quebec
Impact 819 page views
Created January 13, 2014 by Phil Green
Modified September 3, 2023 by Phil Green
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