As part of the Global DE Network, CanadaDE is a five-day leadership program that will renew and deepen your understanding and appreciation for the co-operative and credit union sector at the local, national, and international levels. This program is by and for credit union professionals who believe in harnessing the power of social, economic, and environmental transformation for the betterment of members and communities.
CanadaDE is a highly participatory and rewarding program that will build your professional knowledge and network on a local to global scale. Unlike most other professional development programs, the program is a team-based immersive experience. Participants spend intensive days together in rich content presentations and discussions on topics as varied as: the evolution of financial co-operatives in Canada and beyond; contemporary credit union issues; maximizing the advantages of purpose-led and values-based enterprise models; meaningful membership as a differentiator; long-term growth and viability; leadership on belongin and inclusion; tackling the climate crisis; the credit union's role in the wider co-operative economy; and so much more. The program pushes for positive change and provides frameworks to make sense of big-picture, complex issues. For example, CanadaDE integrates the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) into the program; this is a unique opportunity to learn about the UN SDGs in the context of your credit union.
Enhance your knowledge, become a stronger leader, and join an international network of pioneering leaders.
The facilitation team includes seasoned professionals - Tracey Kliesch (Co-Director of DE; Central 1 Credit Union); Karen Miner (Saint Mary’s University; Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada); Erin Hancock (Saint Mary's University; iNova Credit Union); Carlene Frimer (Saint Mary's University; LearnToast Partners; formerly Libro Credit Union). Plus, subject matter experts are included as content providers, and a team of mentors (from Canada and beyond) coach a team of participants through the program.
Leave your "title" at the door during the program, but understand that CanadaDE is designed for individuals from the board level through to frontline staff, with participants coming predominately from Canada, Africa, the USA, and Caribbean countries.
While 2017 marked the launch of DE in Canada, the international network of programs has been going strong since the launch of the US program in the early 1980s. Active programs also exist in the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The launch of CanadaDE demonstrates leadership by Saint Mary’s University to facilitate connections within Canada and among a diverse, international network.
Complete CanadaDE and continue on the path to the esteemed ICUDE designation awarded by the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions in partnership with the World Council of Credit Unions and the Global DE Network. Listen to the Worldwide Credit Union Foundation's webinar recording "What is the ICUDE?" (March 2024) to learn more!
The 2026 program fees are $4950 CAD plus 14% Harmonized Sales Tax. This fee includes program enrollment, hotel accommodation (1 person per room) for six nights or 1-2 days longer if travel requires it (re. international travel and/or flight availability), most meals while the program is in session (outside of 1 evening meal where you enjoy a meal in the city on your own), and a program shirt. Participants will need to cover and arrange travel themselves including airport travel to the hotel once arriving in Halifax. For any participants from the Caribbean, the fee arrangement is slightly different and arrangements can be made through Melvin Edwards at edwards.melvin@gmail.com For anyone interested from Africa, the fee arrangement is slightly different and please contact Steve Maina at ACCOSCA stephen.maina@accosca.org.
We are offering bursaries of $1000 CAD for emerging leaders from any credit union and professionals (any age) from smaller credit unions to attend CanadaDE 2026. Please contact erin.hancock@smu.ca to take advantage of this opportunity! A limited number of bursaries are available, so please be in touch early.
No one wishes to cancel participation but in circumstances where you are not able to attend, you can choose to transfer your seat to someone else up until two weeks before the program start date (with no penalty).
If transferring your seat is not possible:
We recommend that you review your travel-related insurance for coverage of non-refundable program fees.
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For more information on the program, contact erin.hancock@smu.ca
Our partnership with CaribDE was a catalyst in the creation of CanadaDE.
It’s a must. So many learnings that can be taken back and applied. So many amazing people from all over. Really enjoyed spending time with now lifelong friends and learning from some amazing facilitators and mentors. Thank you for this unforgettable experience!
CanadaDE is a transformative, high-immersion and experiential leadership and personal (r)evolutionary program that empowers participants with a multidimensional toolkit to return to basics and build sustainable financial cooperatives and an overall thriving cooperative sector. CanadaDE created a safe space to challenge personal biases and societal conditioning rooted in systemic/structural constructs, innovate solutions from first principles and re-imagine [and] build an equitable world.