It’s been an exciting and challenging year for BCCA, and we have seen significant growth and development in a lot of our programs, services, and initiatives as we continue to push the pace to serve co-operatives in BC. We are excited to publish our annual report which captures a lot of this great work over … 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
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the BC Co-operative Association (BCCA), you are invited to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) taking place Thursday, October 15, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please note this meeting will be held virtually using Zoom. You will receive the Zoom details upon your registration … 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
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
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
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
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
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
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