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Thoughts and success stories

How small towns create the services they need

Big changes are happening in small towns. Baby Boomers are approaching retirement. Urban amenities, career advancement, and higher wages are pulling many young people away…

Read More November 25, 2020 • Kyle White
governance-lessons

5 Governance Lessons We Can Learn From A Failed Co-op

Governance lessons come from many places. Sports. Family. Canoeing. The analogies are endless. But real-life business failures offer the best sources. Because failure — especially…

Read More September 24, 2020 • Kyle White
the-common-share-co-op-talk

The Common Share: Good Governance Matters with Dr. Murray Fulton

What are the secrets to good co-operative governance? Dr. Murray Fulton and his colleagues at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives have identified…

Read More August 26, 2020 • Aasa Marshall

4 reasons co-ops do better in a crisis

When the economy takes a downturn, it’s hard on businesses — small to medium business (SMBs), in particular — and not every business survives. Co-operative…

Read More May 29, 2020 • Aasa Marshall

3 ways the co-op model can save a business

Main Streets across the western provinces are going through significant change. Numerous businesses are or are about to change hands. If there are no buyers…

Read More April 24, 2020 • Dan Matthews

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 who aren’t afraid to…

Read More December 6, 2019 • Aasa Marshall

Why employees 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…

Read More November 14, 2019 • Kyle White
urban-farmer

Co-op start-up struggles: a conversation with an Urban Farmer

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…

Read More September 26, 2019 • Dan Matthews

Cannabis co-operative: a solution for small producers

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…

Read More June 3, 2019 • Aasa Marshall
The Common Share Podcast

Leadership in Co-operatives

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…

Read More March 28, 2019 • Aasa Marshall
the-common-share-co-op-talk

A Conversation with Co-op Developer Patrick Lapointe

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…

Read More March 8, 2019 • Aasa Marshall

Technology and the future of rural co-ops

The Future of rural co-ops During the transition from steam and horse to fossil fuel, the co-op model really began to prove its worth as…

Read More February 15, 2019 • Dan Matthews
the-common-share-podcast

The Future of Co-ops? A conversation with Nathan Schneider

Academic and journalist Nathan Schneider stopped by the Co-operatives First office to talk about his latest book, Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition that is…

Read More February 7, 2019 • Aasa Marshall

Federal economic statement: what’s in it for co-ops?

Kyle White, one of our in-house policy experts, weighs in on the federal government’s 2018 economic update and what it means for co-ops. The Canadian…

Read More November 29, 2018 • Kyle White

6 tips for marketing your co-operative difference

Co-operative News once talked to marketing leaders from the co-op sector about marketing your co-operative difference. The responses both provided insight and reflected a few…

Read More October 22, 2018 • Dan Matthews
the-common-share-co-op-talk

Episode 11: Fred Khonje’s Five Lessons about Co-op Development

Fred Khonje’s career has spanned the areas of community economic development, non-profit co-op housing, co-op and social enterprise business development, housing policy development, and social…

Read More August 31, 2018 • Aasa Marshall
business-plan

3 essential ingredients in a successful co-op

A successful co-op has 3 main ingredients At its most basic, every co-op needs a champion with a vision, a group with a shared interest…

Read More July 27, 2018 • Dan Matthews
The Common Share Podcast

Episode 8: Five ideas leveraging the co-op advantage

In this episode, Aasa sat down with Dr. Dionne Pohler to discuss her keynote speech from the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association’s 2018 conference. The keynote focused…

Read More July 16, 2018 • Aasa Marshall
The common share

Episode 7: The Importance of Board Diversity

In the last episode in our series on board governance, Audra, Kyle, and Aasa talk about the importance of board diversity. Having people with different…

Read More July 4, 2018 • Aasa Marshall
the-common-share-co-op-talk

Episode 6: Dealing with board conflict

In this episode, Audra, Kyle, and Aasa tackle what happens when things get contentious on a board. We discuss the kinds of board conflict directors…

Read More June 15, 2018 • Aasa Marshall
The Common Share Podcast

Episode 5: Working board versus policy board

We dive right into the discussion of working vs policy board with a controversial question: Why do working boards suck? Being on a working board…

Read More May 30, 2018 • Aasa Marshall
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Co-operatives First

Funded by the Co-operative Retailing System and Federated Co-operatives Limited, Co-operatives First promotes and supports business development based on the co-operative model in rural and Indigenous communities across Western Canada.

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