Author: bccacommunications

Lobbyists Transparency Act – New Registration and Reporting Requirements

| Business, Community, Government |

On May 4th, the Lobbyists Transparency Act will come into effect, increasing requiring registration and reporting requirements for all organizations (including co-operatives) that lobby provincial employees or office holders in BC. “Lobbying” is defined broadly. It includes attempting to influence government decisions, such as legislative proposals, bills, resolutions, regulations, programs, policies, directives and guidelines. It … Continued

We are Co-ops: How VHC is Supporting Community Health and Wellness at a Distance

| Community, Health, We Are Co-ops | ,

Welcome to our newest series “We Are Co-ops” in which we profile our diverse membership and demonstrate the innovation that the flexible co-op model supports and enables! This week, our Co-op Champion Madelyn Read connected with Vanessa Hammond, the Board Chair of Victoria Health Cooperative (VHC) to understand how they’re maintaining health and wellness support … Continued

Co-op Meetup: Ask a Lawyer Summary

| Business, Education, Governance, Legal |

Our first Co-op Meetups session featured Mary Childs as our guest speaker. Mary is a lawyer with Vancouver office of Miller Thompson LLC and is a part of the firm’s Social Impact Group. She works with many co-operatives, charities, non-profits, and social enterprises and also sits on the steering committee of the CoopZone Legal Network, … Continued

Co-op Meetups

| Education, Events | ,

At BCCA we want to provide forums for our co-operative community to come together during these difficult times. So we are be offering a digital meet up series focused on issues specific to co-operative businesses. The meet ups will feature local co-operators and subject matter experts and provide plenty of opportunity for knowledge sharing among … Continued

Credit Unions and COVID-19

| Business, Community | , , , ,

As credit unions work tirelessly to respond to the needs of their communities and members, we are seeing many stepping in to provide financial relief programs and other solutions in response to the crisis. For example, Ladysmith & District Credit Union has immediately made available up to $1,000,000 in Emergency Relief Term Loans for existing … Continued

Co-ops Have Access to Government Support!

| Business, Government | ,

We recognize and understand that current times are uncertain and that COVID-19 has had a strong impact on everyone, particularly small businesses. Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) recently confirmed that co-operatives will be eligible for the same funding as other businesses from Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses, so long as they qualify for the … Continued

UPDATED: In-Person AGM Alternatives for BC Co-ops

| Business, Governance |

UPDATE April 1st, 2020 As of March 31st, 2020, BC Registry Services has stated that AGM deferrals are now automatic – organizations do not have to apply for deferrals.    COVID-19 and Co-operative AGMs Following the guidelines and recommendations set forth by the Provincial Health Officer and B.C. Health Minister, as well as Health Canada … Continued

Updated Agricultural Co-operatives Start-Up Guide Release

| Agriculture, Government |

The Agricultural Co-operatives Start-Up Guide was recently updated and re-released (the original 1997 version was written by our own BCCA Executive Director Andrea Harris!). The Ag Co-op Start-Up Guide outlines an easy five-step process to help farmers create a new local co-op, while the complementary Financing Agricultural Co-operatives Guide provides funding options for co-op farms. The updated guides … Continued