Thoughts and success stories

In this episode we asked one of our favourite co-op experts, Dr. Brett Fairbairn, to reflect on a recent study on the impact of co-operative…

Co-ops are governed by boards of directors. Ideally, these boards are full of well-meaning, experienced people who guide the business effectively. Unfortunately, this isn’t always…

Kye is a farmer. But he’s not your usual farmer. The acres he grows on depend on numerous locations and convincing people to let him…

Strangely, the answer to “What’s a co-op?” can vary depending on where you live. From our perspective, a co-operative is a business model. In this…

In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking to Carol Kitchen, former President and CEO of United Farmers of Alberta. During Carol’s tenure with…

Agrifoods International Cooperative is quietly regaining its place as a leader amongst Canada’s co-operatives Every great story includes some sort of transformation — a fall…

In the last episode of Season 2, we speak to Sturgeon Lake Developments CEO April Roberts-Poitras and our own Indigenous Relations Lead Trista Pewapisconias about…

Agriculture’s not an easy industry to break into. Start-up costs can be insurmountable; the cost of land alone puts farming out of reach for those…

Locally and independently owned grocery retailers are often forced to compete against major chains without the benefits of being a major chain themselves. Many of…

The legalization of cannabis in Canada hasn’t been the boon to small producers that many expected. It’s been difficult for small cannabis growers to obtain…

Co-ops and the prairies share a history Much of western Canada was settled with the help of co-ops, but they are an often-overlooked (and misunderstood)…

Links mentioned in this episode: Neighbour Lab Victoria community unveils ’emergency bench’ to help bring neighbours together The Thingery Sustaingineering  

Collecting charitable donations is a popular way to raise funds. Money is always better when you don’t have to pay it back, right? Maybe. But…

In this episode we speak to three people about the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association’s annual youth Co-op Camp: an organizer, a participant, and a camp staff member…

People are resourceful in small-town Alberta. In Smoky Lake — population 960 — there had never been a daycare facility, and parents always had to…

In this episode we spoke with Shaun Soonias, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Network. Shaun has had a long career in…

Very few people look forward to attending an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Unless you’re part of a small employee-owned co-operative, the percentage of member shareholders…

In this episode we speak with Cecile Green and Rebecca Fisher-McGinty from consulting firm Round Sky Solutions. Round Sky is a worker co-op that trains…

Having to refer to “The Act” is often an unpleasant (but necessary) process for those starting or running a co-op. Let’s look at how to…

In this episode we speak to long-time co-op developer and advocate, Patrick Lapointe. As the former Executive Director (and now board member) of the Community…

Starting a new co-op is exciting, rewarding, and can have far-reaching benefits. It also takes a lot of work. Many business ideas struggle to get…