GUELPH, ON, Nov. 8, 2017 /CNW/ - The Co-operators Group Limited is pleased to announce the addition of william.coop, a co-operative that supports daycares throughout Quebec, to its membership. The Co-operators now has 43 diverse member organizations representing virtually every region of the country and a variety of sectors.

william.coop has two types of co-operative members. More than 600 daycares are user members, which represent approximately 60 percent of all early childhood centres in the province; and ten regional daycare associations, which are supporting members. The co-operative secures beneficial commercial agreements for its members related to food, office supplies, furniture, educational materials and other products and services. It operates a web platform for group purchasing, negotiates conditions and pricing, and processes payments on behalf of its members.

"william.coop shares the same co-operative values that guide The Co-operators approach to business, and feels proud and delighted to join such a distinguished group of members," said Martin Grenier, general manager, business relationships at william.coop.

As a co-operative, The Co-operators is owned and democratically controlled by members who use its products and services. The membership of The Co-operators consists of 43 organizations from across the country, representing the agriculture, finance, retail/consumer, service, health, and labour sectors of the Canadian economy. william.coop is the sixth member based in Quebec and the first that supports early childhood.

"We are very pleased to welcome our newest member, william.coop, which strengthens and brings a new perspective to our diverse membership," said John Harvie, chairperson of the board of directors of The Co-operators. "william.coop shares our strong commitment to co-operative principles, and we look forward to working with its representatives as they participate and contribute to our democratic governance processes in the years ahead."

About The Co-operators:
The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian co-operative with more than $48 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products.

The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is listed among the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt and Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. For more information, visit www.cooperators.ca.

SOURCE The Co-operators