The Mark Goldblatt Co-operative Ideas Foundation inspires innovative thinking about co-operatives. The foundation will sponsor speakers in honour of Mark’s contribution as a passionate and visionary leader in building the Canadian co-operative movement.

Mark made extraordinary contributions to the development of the co-operative housing and co-operative worker sectors. He died suddenly on Feb. 3, 2015.

In his testament accompanying his will, Mark thanked the co-op movement for giving direction and purpose to his life. Many people, he noted, want to leave the world better than they found it, but he was more ambitious:

"I wanted to create that better world on a sustainable basis," he wrote. "I don't think there is any future unless we build institutions of mutual assistance to guide and unite us in our day-to-day lives. Co-operatives are better than any institution I know to get this job done."

Tributes and Videos

A positive force for change in the co-op world…Mr. Goldblatt was an iconic figure of Canada’s thriving co-operative community.  His actions paved the way for future generations of co-op entrepreneurs.

Hon. Mauril Bélanger, M.P. presented in the House of Commons shortly after Mark’s passing.

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Mark was a true co-op housing pioneer and leader. He was a visionary whose ideas were before their time. His contribution in establishing co-op housing in Canada cannot be overstated.

Video: Mark was awarded both of CHFT’s highest honours, Honorary Lifetime Membership and the CMHC Award for outstanding contribution to Cooperative Housing. He also achieved a lifetime Achievement Award from OnCoop which resulted in this video profile: (74) 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award - Mark Goldblatt - YouTube

Mark’s warmth, generosity and dedication to co-operatives are universally praised by his colleagues and friends in all corners of Canada’s co-op movement. He was one of the kindest, most generous people it has been my privilege to know.

Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada

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Video: With a bequest Mark left to CHFC for a legacy project, a music video about co-op housing, ”A Special Place” (“Let’s turn this house into a home”)”, was produced featuring Domanique Grant: Domanique Grant - A Special Place - YouTube

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Mark’s contributions were instrumental in building the worker co-operative movement in Canada.

His outstanding qualities were his vision, intellect, dedication to co-operation, generosity, humility, sense of humour and fun, integrity, commitment, perseverance, and inability to be uncaring or mean to anyone, in other words a sort of radical kindness.

Mark Goldblatt’s personal engagement with co-operatives reflects the dynamism and innovation that have characterized the co-operative movement in Canada throughout its history….Mark planted many seeds which have grown and are growing into lasting co-operative organizations.

Hazel Corcoran, Executive Director of the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (CWCF)

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Mark’s “Lives Lived” column in The Globe and Mail, July 22, 2015

Lives Lived: Mark Benjamin Goldblatt, 62 - The Globe and Mail

Visit CMC’s Mark Benjamin Goldblatt Memorial Blog for more tributes.