OPIRG Provincial
What is the OPIRG Provincial Network?
The OPIRG Provincial organization is a decentralized network of affiliated chapters of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group provides an opportunity for the members of individual PIRG’s and OPIRG Organizing Committees to meet, exchange ideas, educate themselves, and work together.
We are a chapter member of the OPIRG Provincial Network.
Other PIRG Chapters
The Provincial network provides opportunities for Boards, staff, members, and volunteers to meet, learn, and collaborate. There are 10 Public Interest Research Groups at universities across the province that work together through the network, and many more across Turtle Island.
OPIRG Guelph | LSPIRG (Laurier) | OPIRG Kingston | OPIRG McMaster | GRIPO/OPIRG Ottawa| OPIRG Peterborough | OPIRG Toronto | | OPIRG Windsor | OPIRG York
There are other Public Interest Research Group chapters across Canada & the US. Check out and follow the work off these chapters:
Alberta PIRG (APIRG) | Carleton PIRG | Nova Scotia PIRG (NSPIRG) | Prince George PIRG (PGPIRG) | QPIRG Concordia | QPIRG McGill | Regina PIRG (RPIRG) | | Simon Fraser PIRG (SFPIRG) |
Services offered by OPIRG Provincial
Every year the provincial network organizes a few province wide events including a Public Interest School, Board Training School and Networking Conferences focusing on a particular issue. There are also other independent PIRG/GRIP’s across Canada. All of the PIRG’s based in Ontario are members of a provincial network and are members of Ontario PIRG, a provincial PIRG organization. Through Ontario PIRG the Ontario based PIRG’s come together for training, educational and networking. Services provided by the OPIRG Provincial Network to chapters and the student & community members they support:
- OPIRG Provincial Staff support – Provincial Coordinator & Provincial Bookkeeper
- Financial supports for lower revenue chapters – Equalization Payment, Chapter Support Fund – implemented, Health Plan Supplement), chapter-Provincial finance support
- Administration of health plan benefits for all staff Greenshield Insurance & Longterm Disability
- Digital tools & Web platforms – OPIRG Zine Archive, Provincial Instagram, Provincial Website, Provincial Slack, Provincial Listservs, WPIRG Archive, etc.
- OPIRG Provincial Charitable Status – Grant applications, Charitable tax receipts
- CUPE 1281 & Collective bargaining supports – Budget for bargaining committees, liaising with CUPE 1281, Employer team supports, resources and cross-PIRG
- Network Wide Trainings & Meetings – Board Training School, School for the Public Interest, annual Provincial Network workshops, multi-chapter trainings, Provincial staff retreat
- Cross PIRG Collaborations & Publications: OPIRG Provincial Comicbook, Annual Supermarket Tour Resource
- Chapter support – onboarding, board trainings, policy development, crisis management, etc.
- Consulting on the development of new PIRG chapters, Board training, and project and campaign development