A Moment to Move Forward Together

This is an exciting time for the co-operative sector in British Columbia. There is a growing sense of energy, possibility, and perhaps most importantly, a shared willingness to work together to build a stronger co-operative future.

At our recent Further Together: The Summit for BC Co-ops, we welcomed co-operative leaders, members, and supporters from across BC and Canada to explore some of the most pressing challenges facing our sector. Our conversations focused on opportunities to work together to:

• Strengthen research and education to build the knowledge, skills, and evidence needed to develop and sustain co-operatives.
• Advance supportive government policies that help co-operatives start, grow, and thrive.
• Improve access to capital by strengthening financial readiness and creating better pathways to financing.
• Increase co-operative identity and visibility by building public understanding of co-operatives as a practical model for business and shared ownership.

These challenges aren’t new. Many have been with us for decades. But what feels different today is the momentum behind addressing them together.

Research through ICCM’s Complex Networks for Co-operative Economies, followed by BCCA’s Co-operative Ecosystem Mapping Project earlier this year, helped illuminate both the strengths of our sector and the opportunities to better connect and support it. BC is home to incredible co-operatives, talented people, and organizations doing remarkable work. We have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and commitment. What we need are stronger connections between them.

The conversations at Further Together reinforced this finding. There is tremendous energy and a genuine appetite for collaboration. People are ready to move beyond identifying challenges and begin working together on solutions.

And that is where I believe our greatest opportunity lies.

No single organization can address the challenges facing our sector alone. But by bringing together our expertise, resources, and relationships, we can accomplish far more than any of us could independently.

We’re now exploring how BCCA can help build on this momentum by connecting people and organizations interested in advancing these shared priorities. We see an important opportunity to play a convening role, helping bring together the people, ideas, and resources needed to strengthen BC’s co-operative ecosystem.

There’s still work to do to determine what this collaboration could look like in practice, but the enthusiasm and willingness to work together give me tremendous optimism about what’s possible.

As we explore the next steps, we’d love to hear from co-operatives and partners interested in helping shape this work. Whether you have expertise to share, ideas to contribute, or an interest in collaborating, we welcome the conversation.

The challenges ahead are significant, but so is our collective potential. And the future we want for BC’s co-operative sector is one we can build together.

Further Together was more than the name of our conference. It’s the direction we’re heading, and I couldn’t be more excited about what comes next.