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Biography

Dr. Ian MacPherson, M.A., Ph.D.

Founder and Co-Director, Social Economy Hub
With BCICS: Jan 2000 - Present

Ian MacPherson was born in Toronto in 1939, grew up on an Ontario farm and earned his B.A. degree at the University of Windsor in 1960. After teaching high school near Toronto for four years, Ian earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in History from the University of Western Ontario. From 1968 to 1976 he taught in the History Department at the University of Winnipeg where he also served as the founding co-ordinator of the Canadian Studies Programme. Since 1976 Ian MacPherson has been at the University of Victoria, where he continues to teach courses in the Department of History. He also served as Chair of the Department from 1981 to 1989. From 1992 to 1999 he was the Dean of Humanities at UVic. Ian stepped down as Dean in order to found the B.C. Institute for Co-operative Studies (BCICS) at the University of Victoria. The Institute began official operations in January 2000; Ian is the Director of BCICS.

His research has been largely on the history of the co-operative movement, particularly in Canada. The subjects for some of the books he has thus far written include the following:

  • the English-Canadian co-operative movement from 1900 to 1945;
  • the Co-operative Union of Canada;
  • the Co-operative Insurance Services;
  • the Co-operative Trust Company;
  • the British Columbia credit union movement;
  • the international credit union movement; and
  • a nineteenth century Ontario family

With various colleagues Ian MacPherson has co-edited volumes in rural and urban history. In addition he has published over forty academic and fifty non-academic papers, mostly on co-operative topics. Currently Ian is preparing separate volumes on co-operatives among the Inuit peoples, the Canadian credit union movement, and the British Columbia co-operative movement. With other research groups he is engaged in long-term research projects on Prairie rural history and the history of the Canadian family.

He has presented papers, participated in panels, given speeches and facilitated workshops in over 140 academic and non-academic conferences and meetings in more than sixty countries around the world.

Ian MacPherson’s participation in co-operatives has been long and involved. He has served on boards of co-operatives for twenty-five years including the following:

  • consumer co-operatives in Winnipeg and Victoria;
  • a health co-operative in Winnipeg;
  • a child care co-operative in Victoria;
  • and several credit unions (including Pacific Coast Savings) in Victoria.

Ian MacPherson served on the Board of BC Central Credit union from 1983 to 1992 during which time he was President from 1987 to 1989. Nationally, he has served on the boards of the Canadian Co-operative Credit Society, the Co-operative College of Canada, the Co-operative Union of Canada, and the Canadian Co-operative Association. Ian was the founding President of the latter organization from 1989 to 1993. As well, he has served on the board of the International Co-operative Alliance and he chaired the process and wrote the documents whereby the international rules of co-operative organizations (often called the Rochdale Rules) were revised at the 1995 ICA Manchester Congress.

Among his awards are:

  • Uvic Community Leadership Award, 2007
  • Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC) – CASC Merit Award 2002
  • BC Credit Unions – Distinguished Service Award (twice)
  • Canadian Co-operative Association – BC Region – Distinguished Co-operator Award, 2000
  • World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), 2000. Credit Union Ambassador Award – for Hands Around the Globe (documenting the history of the international credit union movement)
  • Canadian Credit Union Hall of Fame Member – awarded in 2000

Links to miscellaneous talks, speeches and publications by Dr. MacPherson:

  1. Encouraging Associative Intelligence: Co-operatives, Shared Learning and Responsible Citizenship (Manchester, England, June 2002)
  2. Background Paper on the Statement on the Co-operative Identity (March 2002)
  3. Working With Other Community Economic Developers (Hartford, October 2001)
  4. On Matters of Co-operative Identity (Ace Article, Autumn 2000)
  5. An Optimistic View from the Rainforest: The Future of Community Finance (Québec, October 2000)
  6. Reflections on Co-operative Leadership (Manila, June 2000)

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