Regional Development Network’s new English-language resources launch
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Regional Development Network (RDN) is expanding resources for English-speaking communities in Quebec with new videos, podcasts, and web capsules to engage these residents in the province’s social economy. Launched to coincide with Social Economy Month, these tools are designed to inform, connect, and inspire English speakers to participate in community-driven initiatives, using practical examples and accessible information.
Hoffman Wolff, Social Economy Manager at RDN, explained that SEEnet, the organization’s social economy initiative, has focused on providing accessible media to help English speakers connect with Quebec’s social economy ecosystem. “The social economy,” Wolff said in a recent interview, “is a viable third option” for addressing community needs beyond traditional for-profit or government models. Since launching SEEnet in 2021, RDN has aimed to mobilize resources, strengthen connections, and develop partnerships to integrate English-speaking Quebecers into this system.
In the social economy, Wolff explained, enterprises exist to serve their communities, often through cooperatives and nonprofits that operate with revenue-generating components. “It’s about a community asking, ‘How can we fill this need for the benefit of our community?’ rather than ‘How can we profit from this?’” he said. Unlike for-profit businesses, the profits of social economy enterprises are reinvested into the organization or returned to the community, creating a sustainable cycle of local benefit.
The new videos and web capsules focus on three key aspects of social economy projects. The first video, “What Is It?”, defines the social economy, providing context for why English speakers should consider this model as a solution for local issues. According to Wolff, the video aims to show that social economy enterprises offer a structure where both nonprofit organizations and cooperatives can sustain themselves financially while meeting community needs. “Many people may not even realize that a place they go to every day, like a community café, might be a social economy enterprise,” Wolff said.
The second video, “What Is Possible?”, dives deeper into the potential of social economy projects to positively impact communities. Examples from around Quebec demonstrate the breadth of the sector. Projects highlighted include Antitube and Cinéma Beaumont in Quebec City, the Cap Dauphin Fishermen’s Cooperative in the Magdalen Islands, and organizations with a stronger connection to English-speaking communities, such as the Gleaner newspaper in the Chateauguay Valley. Wolff noted, “It’s part of SEEnet’s mission to show that social economy enterprises can have transformative effects, especially when the local community gets involved.”
The third video, “Where to Start?”, provides guidance on beginning a social economy project, showing viewers that they don’t have to navigate the process alone. “It can feel overwhelming,” Wolff said, “but SEEnet and other support organizations are there to help.” SEEnet, he explained, aims to be the “first step” for English speakers, linking them to provincial support networks that can help with funding, organizational structure, and navigating language barriers. “We want to demystify the process and connect people to the right resources,” Wolff added.
Wolff shared that one of SEEnet’s main challenges has been making these resources accessible and relevant to English-speaking communities, who may feel disconnected from Quebec’s social economy ecosystem. “A lot of literature and media on social economy in Quebec is in French, and this language barrier can be significant,” Wolff noted. SEEnet’s new content includes podcasts and web capsules designed to break down information into more approachable, enjoyable formats for English speakers. “Rather than big documents or dense pages full of links, we wanted to create media that’s easy to understand and that highlights social economy enterprises with an English-speaking connection,” he said.
Examples relevant to the Eastern Townships are also emphasized in SEEnet’s offerings. Wolff pointed out that the Café Caus at the University of Sherbrooke, cooperative stores run by students, and local agricultural cooperatives are part of the townships’ social economy fabric. Even though these cooperatives are generally provincial, Wolff shared that they play an important role in local communities, particularly in the agricultural sector. “The Eastern Townships have a strong history of agricultural cooperatives, which support local farming communities and ensure that their needs are met sustainably,” he said.
In addition to supporting existing enterprises, SEEnet’s resources encourage communities to consider collective takeovers of small businesses. Wolff explained that many small business owners in Quebec are approaching retirement, and without successors, these businesses may close despite their importance to the community. “Rather than watching an essential service disappear, communities could consider taking ownership,” he suggested. He shared that collective takeovers are becoming more common in the social economy, with employees or local communities sometimes stepping in to transform businesses into cooperatives. “The idea,” he said, “is that the community takes ownership to keep the service alive.”
Wolff also discussed the role of historical buildings in the social economy. With many older structures, including churches, facing reduced use, SEEnet promotes social enterprise as a way to reimagine these spaces as community hubs. “A lot of communities want to preserve these buildings as centers of community focus, but it takes commitment, local government support, and often a social economy approach to make it work,” he said. Transforming a church into a community-run café or a multipurpose space, for instance, could bring people together while ensuring the building remains relevant.
Wolff noted that social economy enterprises have shown a longer average lifespan than for-profit businesses. “Statistics show that these enterprises, rooted in local partnerships and connections, are more sustainable,” he said. Building strong community ties is essential for a social economy enterprise’s success, which often means collaborating with local governments, other organizations, and regional groups like the Townshippers’ Association, which serves as RDN’s regional partner in the Eastern Townships.
RDN itself is a network of 19 organizations across Quebec, each supporting English-speaking communities. With SEEnet as its social economy initiative, RDN represents English speakers’ socio-economic needs on a provincial level and connects them with federal, provincial, and municipal resources. SEEnet, Wolff explained, is “a way for English speakers to explore the social economy, see its potential, and find out how to make a difference in their communities.”
The new web capsules, podcasts, and videos are available on SEEnet’s website and social media platforms, aiming to be a practical, engaging entry point for English speakers to learn about the social economy. With this launch, SEEnet hopes to foster greater community resilience and encourage English-speaking residents to embrace social enterprise as a way to address local needs, maintain vital services, and preserve community spaces.