Raise the Hammer

Come learn about the co-operative movement at this special National Co-op Week event, sponsored by The Mustard Seed! The first hour will include presentations from Kerr Smith of On-Coop (entitled “From Beards to Eternity: Our Co-operative History”) and Mustard Seed member Daniel Haartman on the history and importance of the co-operative movement. Other new & emerging co-ops in Hamilton will also have a chance to share their stories.

Following that, we will have a screening of the 2012 film "The Rochdale Pioneers" (60 mins), from the Cooperative British Youth Film Academy. The tale is particularly powerful as from these somewhat humble and unassuming beginnings it is estimated that there are now 1.4 million individual co-operative enterprises globally securing the livelihoods of over three billion people!

Food and drinks will be available (for a small cost) at The Mustard Seed. The event will be held rain or shine, and is intended to take place at an outdoor screening at The Mustard Seed – so please dress accordingly and bring a chair and a blanket!

Note: this is a free event!

About our speakers: Kerr Smith joined On Co-op in 2010, and in his role as Education Manager has created, written and illustrated the “All 4 Each” Co-operative Education unit which has been distributed across North America. Kerr won the 2012 ACE William Hlushko Award for Young Co-operative Educators, and in 2013 his workshop entitled “From Beards to Eternity: Our Co-operative History” was awarded “Best Presentation” by the Co-operative Communicator’s Association.

Daniel Haartman is a graduate of the Co-operative Management Certificate program at the Schulich School of Business at York University. Dan is especially passionate about the cultural mentoring aspects that worker co-ops use to regenerate. He is in the process of co-creating a machine shop, which in addition to developing machinery for a better world, will make the intangible aspects of positive psychology become tangible through sharing hands on skills; daniel.haartman@culturalmentoring.ca.