It's Co-op Week

Celebrating Co-op Week

A co-operative (co-op) is a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise by its members. BC has one of the most vibrant co-op movements in Canada with one in three people being members. Co-ops in BC started in the early 1900s largely through the formation of consumer co-ops that provided affordable quality goods as an alternative to company stores in mining communities. Today there are over 700 co-ops in BC, Nelson area has over 20 of them. Some of the more popular co-ops are Credit Unions and Mountain Equipment Co-op.

Co-ops can be businesses offering products or services to their members, social enterprising providing necessities as housing or employment or public services like healthcare or client care.

Co-ops are not necessarily driven by profit, being member-run; their desire is to bring fairness, equity and justice to the marketplace. Through their tradition of self-help and mutual aid, co-ops have made a major contribution to the development and stability of BC communities.

Here in the Nelson area, a regional co-op is forming to best serve the interests of local residents by sharing resources, experience and planning. It is the first of its kind in BC to form!

All co-ops in the world are based on a set of principles
1) Voluntary and Open membership
2) Democratic Member Control
3) Member Economic Participation
4) Autonomy and Independence
5) Education, Training and Information
6) Co-operation among Co-operatives
7) Concern for Community

Co-op week celebrations began in Canada in 1981 in the Maritimes and Saskatchewan. In 1982, the celebration went national with the encouragement of the Co-operative Union of Canada (predecessor of the Canadian Co-operative Association). Co-op week is a celebration of people working together and sharing.

You can learn more about the co-op movement in BC at www.bcca.coop

Bradley Roulston

Added on October 16th, 2007

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