More than 30 representatives from co-operatives, credit unions, co-operative developers, funders, educators, and sector support organizations recently gathered in Vancouver for a full-day Ecosystem Mapping Workshop hosted by the BC Co-operative Association (BCCA) and Vancity.

The workshop is part of BCCA’s Ecosystem Mapping Project, which aims to better understand the organizations, relationships, strengths, and challenges that shape British Columbia’s co-operative ecosystem. By engaging co-operatives and ecosystem partners from across the province, the project seeks to identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration, improve coordination, and better support the growth and long-term success of the co-operative sector.

Throughout the day, participants worked together to map the ecosystem, explore where it is working well, identify persistent barriers, and discuss where collaboration could have the greatest impact. Conversations highlighted challenges such as access to capital, leadership development, technical assistance, policy support, and coordination across the sector. Just as importantly, they revealed a strong willingness among participants to learn from one another and work together to strengthen the co-operative movement in British Columbia.
The workshop builds on interviews conducted earlier this year with co-operatives and ecosystem partners from across the province. The insights gathered through both the interviews and the workshop will help inform the next phase of the project and continue to shape conversations about how the sector can work together more effectively.

BCCA extends its sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the workshop, to SHIFT Collaborative for their thoughtful facilitation, and to Vancity for funding the project and hosting the event. Their support, along with the contributions of every participant, is helping build a stronger understanding of BC’s co-operative ecosystem and the opportunities to strengthen it.

Join the Conversation

The conversation will continue at Further Together: The Summit for BC Co-ops this September. Conference participants will have the opportunity to review the findings from the Ecosystem Mapping Project, contribute their perspectives, and help identify opportunities for future collaboration across BC’s co-operative sector.

If you are interested in helping shape the future of BC’s co-operative ecosystem, we invite you to join us at the conference and be part of the conversation.