First, the facts....

According to the Co-operatives Secretariat of Canada:

• There are more than 8,800 co-ops in Canada

• Combined, these co-ops directly employ 150,000 people

• 4 of every 10 Canadians are members of at least one co-op

• In Québec, approximately 70% of the population are co-op members

• In Saskatchewan 56% are co-op members

• 250,000 independent Canadian producers rely on marketing and production co-operatives for their livelihood, and are especially important in rural and remote regions

• Canada's co-operatives hold more than $210 billion in assets, which is owned by the members and communities they serve

• Non-financial co-ops do nearly $30 billion a year in business

• At least 7 co-ops are listed in the top 500 companies in Canada, and several financial co-operatives have been rated the best places to work in Canada

• At least 70,000 co-op members serve on co-op boards of directors

• A study published by the Québec Ministry of Industry and Commerce in 2001 shows that the long-term survival rate of co-operative enterprises is almost twice that of investor-owned companies

The Co-operatives Secretariat has also published a number of reports, case studies, and profiles, all of which can be found here.

Now the fun....

A series of short "Mac versus PC" style of ads on the differences between banks and credit unions. Produced by BankerSpank.com:

"I Love You" Bank vs. Credit Union ad

Money To Blow

Happy to Serve

Under the Table

Another series on the differences betwen credit unions and banks.  These were created by Larissa Walkiw and produced by Common Wealth Credit Union's Young & Free Alberta campaign:

The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 1

The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 2

The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 3