Rural and Indigenous co-operatives in Canada

Featured Course/Workshop

Creating Connections A Workshop Exploring Co-operatives

Designed for economic development professionals interested in how the co-operative business model can be used to capture opportunities, this course is focused and practical.

The workshop examines the co-op business model from a practitioners perspective. By working on real-life applications, gain a better understanding of the model, where it works best and how to organize a group to start one.

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Latest from the Blog

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"Democracy is your landlord": Housing co-ops in Canada

The housing market can be uncertain: housing co-operatives are a way to provide stability. In this episode we speak to Tim Ross, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, about the impact of non-profit housing co-ops in Canada. We then catch up with…

How to get faster rural internet — with a co-op

Hamiota Mayor Larry Oakden and The Backroad Diaries' Jack Thompson The rural municipality of Hamiota, Manitoba is full of creative thinkers not afraid to try something new. So, when residents decided they wanted top-notch internet, these entrepreneurs thought “let’s start a co-op”. Behind every co-operative…

Do co-ops have a harder time obtaining financing?

Photos: Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives It's a challenge we hear about a lot: that co-operative businesses struggle to obtain the financing they need. However, recent Stats Canada data show that, when it comes to debt financing in particular, existing co-ops are quite…

Why employees might make good board members

Every co-op is governed by a board made up of member shareholders, and these directors generally bring different skills and experience to the table. Typically, boards have at least one member who is good with numbers, and another familiar with legislation. A Human Resources (HR) professional…

Resources

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If you have a business idea and are considering a co-op, you’ve come to the right place. The Co-op Creator offers FREE tools and resources for starting your co-op. Presented in an user-friendly format, the site makes the process of starting a co-op easier and less frustrating.