Is your co-op governance up to par?

| Education, Governance |

The news of MEC’s sale to a US corporate investment firm has raised many questions amongst the co-operative community, most of them centering on how a co-operative could be sold without engaging its members. Given there’s been little public information available around the conversations that transpired around the MEC boardroom, it would be speculation to … Continued

Back to School with BCCA’s new Co-op Education Toolkit and Workshops for Members

| Education |

Co-op education is one of the most important tools we have for sustaining our co-operative organizations and growing the co-operative movement. Over the summer, one of BCCA’s major focuses was on building out free and openly accessible resources for our members and other “co-op curious” groups to use for educating their members about the co-operative … Continued

Joint statement regarding sale of MEC

Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) and the British Columbia Co-op Association (BCCA) are disappointed by the developments surrounding Mountain Equipment Co-op, which has long been Canada’s largest consumer co-operative and a valued member of CMC. “Co-operatives and mutuals have been our most resilient business model for over a century because of their values and principles, … Continued

Welcome to our new members!

| Business, Governance

During their September 11, 2020, meeting, the BCCA Board of Directors approved two new member applications: Kootenay Employment Services (KES) has been serving the employment needs of the Creston Valley since 1990 and the East Kootenays since April 2019. As a registered charity and deeply, KES works with many organizations to address both emerging and … Continued

September Co-op Cafe presents: The Community Generation Project Incubator

| Business, Education, Environment, Science & Tech

Defined by Wikipedia, renewable energy is “energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy often provides energy in four important areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy services.” There are groups dedicated to providing access to renewable energy resources and September’s Co-op Café will review the Community Generation Project … Continued

Apply Now for Investment Readiness Program Funding

| Business

Applications are open for round 2 of the Investment Readiness Program (IRP). Deadline to apply is October 9, 2020. The IRP offers funding between $10,000 – $100,000 to support social purpose organizations (including non-profits, charities, co-ops, and for-profit social enterprises) to take steps towards becoming investment-ready. In the midst of COVID-19, social purpose organizations are especially critical … Continued

2020 Board Nominations

| Governance

This year, BCCA is seeking candidates for four board vacancies (two-year terms). The BCCA has identified a need for a number of skills among Board members, including but not limited to Human Resources and Risk Management. Nominations must be received by noon on September 3, 2020. Please Include a short 50-word bio and a recent … Continued

BCCA AGM and Co-op Week celebrations!

| Business, Events, Governance

Join us in celebrating Co-op Week 2020 with a virtual Annual General Meeting and other online activities!  COVID-19 and Co-ops: Strategic Foresight Presentation [REGISTER HERE] Wednesday, October 14, 9 – 11 a.m., Zoom meeting Does your co-operative have a winning strategy to excel in these unprecedented and uncertain times? This two-hour session explores the factors … Continued

Government Relations Update

| Business, Government

In our June 29 newsletter, we reported that BCCA had sent its submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services as part of the Budget 2021 consultation. Following our submission, BCCA was asked to present at the Economic Recovery Roundtable with Premier John Horgan. In his presentation, BCCA Board Chair Ben Hyman … Continued