The recent sale of Mountain Equipment Co-op without its members’ consent has exposed significant vulnerabilities related to federal and provincial legislation. The current acts clearly do not provide adequate protection of members’ rights or recognition of the co-operative difference. To wrap up Co-op Week 2020, Cooperatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) held a National Town Hall … Continued
Buddy Up! is an online social network designed to connect co-ops and co-operators across Canada! BCCA is excited to be launching Version 0.1 of this tool this winter and is looking for your input to help shape it. Curious? Sign up here to be a user tester and receive early access to the tool once … Continued
While the world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis, co-operatives in industry and services are reorganizing themselves, finding strength in the people and communities they serve. It’s not surprising to social-economic strategists that COVID-19 spurred Canada’s co-operative sector to step up and respond to the needs of communities immediately. In many cases, co-ops … Continued
COVID-19 has led to dramatic shifts in consumer behaviour. To meet ever-evolving customer experience requirements, co-ops will have to remain flexible, relevant, and responsive. And as people-centred businesses, co-ops should be strategic and invested in sharing how they are there for their members and their communities. At the fall 2020 CIU Strategic Foresight Virtual Conference, … Continued
An active, engaged, and informed membership and staff community are critical to the success and sustainability of your co-op. The BCCA offers educational workshops, training, resources, and consultation services for our member co-ops that can help you build literacy around the co-operative model, cultivate a sense of co-operative identity, and boost participation among your membership. … Continued
When times are tough – we look for stories of heroes and impact. Now is the time for co-ops to step into the spotlight and start sharing their superpowers. The Co-operative Intelligence Unit (CIU) was developed to create resources and connect co-ops to experts to plan effectively in an uncertain future and this team of experts … Continued
During our MEC Townhall on October 15th, we all watched this video about the story of La Siembra, a co-op that came very close to losing their co-operative identity to a sale, much like MEC. This video tells the story of how instead, the La Siembra community leaned into the co-operative principles and values and … Continued
BC’s co-op and credit union sector is still reeling from the news that Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), a beloved retail brand in this country for nearly 50 years, is intended to be sold to a foreign private investor, U.S.-based Kingswood Capital Management. As has been widely reported, the members of MEC were not consulted and learned … Continued
BCCA is adding a new dimension to our Annual General Meeting registration by offering you a chance to win some great prizes with the BCCA AGM Scavenger Hunt! When you register for the BCCA AGM, you’ll find a spot to answer these super easy Scavenger Hunt Questions. All you need to do to find out … Continued
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