Canadian Consumer Initiative

In 2001, the Office of Consumer Affairs, Industry Canada, initiated a series of meetings aimed at increasing cooperation and communication among organizations serving consumers in Canada, leading to the creation of the Canadian Consumer Initiative (CCI).

Participants decided the objectives of the Initiative would be:

to develop and advance a growing body of common consumer policy positions; and
to share resources and expertise with other consumer groups to advance these positions.

In addition, CCI members work together:

to increase the visibility and effectiveness of participating organizations and of the consumer movement as a whole;
to contribute to an improved framework for developing the capacity of participating groups and the consumer movement as a whole; and
to enhance groups ability to represent the interests of their members.

Members of the initiative have worked together to develop common policy positions. In addition to exchanging background information, member organizations have taken the lead researching and developing written materials about specific issues of concern to consumers. These materials have been circulated for discussion with a goal to finalize a common policy position and to devise strategies for:

representing the consumer interest in this common policy to government,
attaining public recognition and support for this initiative, and
using these activities as part of each organizations ongoing strategies to increase their effectiveness.

Industry Canada financially assisted CCI by funding costs of member organizations to participate through the spring of 2014, when the Ministry’s support of Canada’s major consumer groups for this initiative came to an end.