WELLINGTON – September 29, 2026 – Several partners from the province have just joined forces to present a whole range of activities to celebrate Cooperative and Small and Medium Enterprises Weeks from October 11 to 24, 2026. It includes a bit of everything from drawing contests for children and arts and crafts for seniors, a food drive, and numerous activities for the public as well as for cooperatives and businesses.
The Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI is coordinating the promotion for the two weeks of activities and is helping to organize some of the events. Activity coordinator Alecia Arsenault and manager Raymond J. Arsenault are therefore reviewing and presenting the list of activities.
The Évangéline School Community Council attaches the bilingual list to its community newsletter. The Wellington Cooperative includes the list in its customers' bags. A full-page ad with all the same information is included in the September 30 edition of La Voix acadienne. People can also see it here or download it in PDF format. ICI.
ACTIVITIES AND CONTESTS TO CELEBRATE
COOPERATIVE AND
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES WEEK 2026
(From October 11 to 24, 2026)
FROM OCTOBER 1 TO 17 – CHILDREN'S DRAWING CONTEST: Children from kindergarten to 6th grade are invited to draw a picture that represents the theme «My favorite business or cooperative.» Participation forms are available from the teachers at École Évangéline, at the Wellington Cooperative, and at the Wellington Rural Action Centre, or download from https://tinyurl.com/yptzxw8n. They must submit their drawing to their teacher at École Évangéline by October 14 or to the Coop by October 17. The drawings will be displayed on the walls of the Coop from October 17 to 23. Drawings for great prizes, including an advanced 3D printing pen Scrib3D from the Wellington Cooperative and beautiful gifts from various partners, such as MacDonald Insurance and Investments, the Provincial Credit Union, RDÉE Prince Edward Island, the CCAFLIPE, the Wellington Rural Action Centre, and the Évangéline School Community Council and others.
FROM OCTOBER 1 TO 17 – CRAFT CONTEST FOR SENIORS: All individuals aged 60 and over from the Évangéline region and surrounding areas, particularly residents of the Le Chez-Nous home and the Le Bel âge complex, are invited to prepare and submit pieces of art and crafts to a contest at the Coopérative de Wellington by October 17 at the latest. Be sure to attach your name, address, and phone number on EACH ENTRY. The pieces will be sold by silent auction at the Coop from October 17 to 23. All proceeds will be donated to the ABCD Park of École Évangéline. We will hold draws among all entries for a variety of beautiful prizes, including a $100 gift card from the Coopérative de Wellington and prizes sponsored by MacDonald Insurance and Investments, the CCAFLIPE, and other partners.
FROM OCTOBER 1 TO 24 – COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL FOOD DRIVE: Anyone who contributes non-perishable food items or a cash donation to our community food drive from October 1Are to 24 will receive a ticket for a draw for a $100 gift card from the Coopérative de Wellington. Boxes will be placed near the entrance of the Coopérative de Wellington and the Caisse populaire Provincial, Évangéline branch, to accept your donations. A school collection will also take place during this period. The class that contributes the most food will win $100 from the Caisse populaire Provincial. The collection will then be donated to the West Prince Caring Cupboard, Tyne Valley branch, which serves the Évangéline/Tyne Valley region and surrounding areas.
ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 – ENTREPRENEURS AND COOPERATORS LUNCH 2026: All entrepreneurs, business people, and Francophone cooperators are invited to participate for free in the Entrepreneurs and Cooperators Lunch on Tuesday, October 13 at 11 a.m. at the Belle-Alliance Centre in Summerside. In addition to offering you a delicious lunch, we will give a brief presentation on the Employment Support Service of PEI, launch the Francophone Ignition Contest of RDÉE IPE, and discuss the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Contest of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI. Motivational speaker, planner, and decorator Solange Ake from Distinct Magic Events in Stratford will address the theme «Starting without having all the answers: learning, adapting, and daring to undertake!» Draws for great attendance prizes. Registration by October 6 by contacting marthe@rdeeipe.org or at (902) 960-1285. Organized and co-sponsored by CCAFLIPE, RDÉE IPE, Solution Repreneuriat, CBDC Central PEI, the Employment Support Service of PEI, and the Wellington Rural Action Centre.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 – SENIORS' BINGO: The Coopérative Le Chez-Nous in Wellington is organizing a special bingo for its residents on Tuesday, October 13 at 2 p.m. and invites seniors from the region to participate. Several prizes to be won.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – CREDIT UNION DAY: Visit the Évangéline branch of the Caisse populaire Provincial on Thursday, October 15! Enjoy refreshments and promotional tools, and fill out a ticket for a chance to win a prize. Don't forget to bring a non-perishable food item for the food bank collection, West Prince Caring Cupboard in Tyne Valley.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 – COOPERATORS' FORUM: All cooperatives in the Évangéline region are invited to send two representatives to this private forum, which will take place on Thursday, October 15 at 5 PM at the Goéland Centre in Cap-Egmont. We will start with a free dinner, and cooperatives will be invited to share their recent successes, challenges, and future plans in turn. This forum is made possible by a contribution from the Évangéline branch of the Caisse populaire Provincial.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 – WELLINGTON COOPERATIVE DAY: Everyone is invited to come to the Wellington Cooperative on Friday, October 16 to celebrate National Food Cooperatives Day. Prizes to be won. There will be live music from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be a free barbecue with hamburgers and hot dogs, along with beverages during the same hours; your cash donations will go to ABCD Park while your non-perishable food items will be donated to the food bank of West Prince Caring Cupboard Tyne Valley.
OCTOBER 19 AND 21 – WEBINARS ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS : Two free 60-minute webinars each day at 9 a.m., on the theme «Optimize the use of artificial intelligence applications» for entrepreneurs and business people. Speakers Jacinthe Lemire and Daryl Loader will deliver this training via Zoom. Presented by the Wellington Rural Action Centre in collaboration with the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI. (The second webinar is part of the «Webinar Wednesday» series presented on Wednesday, October 21 by all the Chambers of Commerce on the Island.) Registration: http://bit.ly/formation-IA-rdeeipe by October 15.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 – WORKSHOP «ESSENTIALS OF LEGAL RISKS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES» – Free three-hour workshop (9 AM to 12 PM) at the Wellington Rural Action Centre to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to better understand their legal responsibilities. Speakers: Ron Robichaud from C&R Care and Consulting, then Elizabeth Shaw and Bailey Thibodeau from the law firm Cox & Palmer. Presented by the Wellington Rural Action Centre in collaboration with the CCAFLIPE. Registration: Contact Marthe Ngombi at marthe@rdeeipe.org or at (902) 854-3439 by October 19.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 – NETWORKING RECEPTION: All business people are invited to participate for free in a networking reception from 4 PM to 6 PM in a tent from Caseley’s Tent & Party Rentals at Knead A Brake in Trailside Plaza at 25001 All Weather Hwy, Kensington. Free snacks. Various prizes to be won. Organized/sponsored by Solution Repreneuriat, the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, the Kensington and Area Chamber of Commerce, CBDC Central PEI, and the Provincial Credit Union. Registration is required by October 20 at https://tinyurl.com/467kxaes