Working together to find solutions for all Quebecers

In a speech on November 1, 1996, following the Summit Conference on the Economy and Employment, Lucien Bouchard announced a package of changes for Quebec: the creation of a network of childcare centres, the development of home support businesses, a fund to support new social economy businesses (RISQ), billions in investments in collective and private entrepreneurial projects and much more.

How was the Bouchard government able to do so much for the social economy in so little time, and during an economic and fiscal crisis to boot? Some of the public institutions and services created under Bouchard have come, after all, to be recognized as core components of the fabric of Quebec society.

The first step was to face head on the socioeconomic crisis that was rocking Quebec at the time. Then, the government opted for consensus-building, recognizing that it needed to develop the power of collective action to round out its offerings and that there were other stakeholders who had the resources, expertise and vision to build a more prosperous Quebec.

The government assembled a microcosm of Quebec society around a single table by calling on the three pillars of Quebec’s economy—public, private and collective, particularly the community and social economy—as well as workers, employers and civil society.

Now, the Chantier de l’économie sociale, a hub for the social economy movement, is responding to the issues of the day by gathering the support of dozens of organizations in civil society, management, labour, academia and the community to urge the government to join the conversation to identify collective solutions to Quebec’s most pressing issues.

A follow-up to the 1996 and 2006 summits, the Sommet de l’économie sociale will be held in May 2025, organized by social economy stakeholders themselves. The summit will bring together all those who want to get to work transforming Quebec’s economy and society and improving the lives of all who live there.

After all, when we all work together, we can do things like implement a universal school meal program to beat hunger in schools, or build a large not-f or-profit housing portfolio to tackle the housing crisis. We can address major societal issues, but only when we take the time to sit down together and build resilience—especially climate resilience—in our communities.

Over the next year leading up to the Sommet, we will be working on eight specific themes, including food and agriculture, real estate, culture, the environment and the elderly. The summit will be an occasion to forge alliances, make commitments and establish projects that will tackle our most pressing issues.

It took nine months of intensive work to prepare for the 1996 summit. We now have just over a year until the 2025 Sommet de l’économie sociale. As representatives of the majority of Quebec’s political, economic, social, cultural and intellectual interests, we, the undersigned organizations, urge our fellow Quebecers and our governments to join in this vast collective undertaking to address the challenges we all face. See you in May 2025!