Kanguq | Page 15

Nouvelles de la FCNQ / wMŒns2 gnC5nq5 / FCNQ News La coop la plus améliorée de 2014: Kuujjuaraapik-Whapmagoostui: Charlie Tukkiapik, Elaisa Masty, Mary Qitirsimik. ᐱᐅᓯᐅᒥᒋᐊᕐᓂᐹᖅ ᑯᐊᐸᒃ 2014ᒥ: ᑰᑦᔪᐊᕌᐱᒃᒍᐊᑉᒪᒎᔅᑐᐃ: ᓵᓕ ᑕᒃᕿᐊᐱᒃ, ᐃᓓᓴ ᒫᔅᑎ, ᒥᐊᔨ ᕿᑎᕐᓯᒥᒃ Most Improved co-op of 2014: Kuujjuaraapik-Whapmagoostui: Charlie Tukkiapik, Elaisa Masty, Mary Qitirsimik. Every year, the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec (FCNQ), Ilagiisaq’s general assembly gathers the 15 board of directors and 14 delegates from each of the cooperatives who sit together and discuss the direction Ilagiisaq will take in the coming year. Each member of the board of directors is elected locally, and carries a mandate of 12 months. It is the time that the annual election of the Executive Committee also occurs. The general assembly is the forum where all issues of importance to the 14 cooperatives are addressed. This year the general assembly occurred April 13 – 17 in Inukjuak, along the Hudson Bay coast. Stormy weather kept Kangiqsujuaq representatives and a couple of others from participating but the meeting began without delay. After the welcome from the Inukjuak council members, a moment of silence was observed for the late President Eli Elijassiapik, who had recently passed away. Aliva Tulugak chaired the first day of the meeting as Vice-President for Hudson Bay and introduced the importance of the FCNQ Transport Subsidy. This initiative was begun in 2013 so that each cooperative could have a program to help reduce costs of certain items at their store. Each member cooperative uses a portion of its 1% local tax to create the Transport Subsidy Fund and the FCNQ contributes an equal amount each year. The FCNQ has set aside a provision of $400,000 so as to support the cooperatives to run the Transport Subsidy to the advantage of the cooperative members. The cooperative decides first by making a resolution and by selecting the items whose prices are to be reduced. An issue in recent years has been about the co-op stores not being able to sell the current year model of Bombardier snowmobile due to the Northern Stores exclusive dealership on them. Co-op members have been regularly asking to purchase this preferred model of snowmobiles but, for now, members are able to purchase previous years’ models from their local co-op stores. Every one of the FCNQ divisions provided reports for their ongoing work. The Finance department reported on the financial situation for 2014, Information Technology reported on ongoing projects to provide Cable Television and internet through the co-ops, the Co-op Management Support reported on all the cooperative associations’ financial situations, Petro division brought updates on the Fuel tank farms that were built in Kangirsuk and its purchase and distribution of fuel to the communities. FCNQ subsidiaries such as FCNQ Construction and FCNQ Voyages presented positive reports as well. The Communications and Public Relations office presented the new FCNQ website, which is trilingual, that you are invited to take a look at: www. fcnq.ca, with its bold new look. You may visit it to gain a better understanding of the cooperative movement. The FCNQ assembly handed trophies for Best Performing Co-op, and the Most Improved. The criteria for selecting the winners are financial ratios that include working capital ratio, inventory turnovers and store gross profit among others. Winner for Best Performance for 2014 was again the Inukjuak Cooperative Association, it has been three times in a row they win this trophy. The Most Improved Trophy was passed to the Kuujjuaraapik Cooperative Association for 2014, and was transferred from the Quaqtaq Cooperative Association who had won it in 2013. Lastly, the board of directors first meeting took place during the last day of the assembly in which an election for the Executive Committee happened. There are five members of this Committee, one who serves as President, two of which serve as Vice-Presidents serving the two coasts of Nunavik, and two regular members. The new mandate of the respective positions elected were : Aliva Tulugak of Puvirnituq, Charlie Tukkiapik of Quaqtaq as VP Ungava, Sarollie Weetaluktuk of Inukjuak as VP Hudson, and Alacie Aupaluk of Akulivik and Bobby Baron of Kangiqsualujjuaq. 15