Is your co-op governance up to par?

| Education, Governance |

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

Back to School with BCCA’s new Co-op Education Toolkit and Workshops for Members

| Education |

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

Joint statement regarding sale of MEC

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

Welcome to our new members!

| Business, Governance

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

September Co-op Cafe presents: The Community Generation Project Incubator

| Business, Education, Environment, Science & Tech

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

Apply Now for Investment Readiness Program Funding

| Business

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

2020 Board Nominations

| Governance

This year, BCCA is seeking candidates for four board vacancies (two-year terms). The BCCA has identified a need for a number of skills among Board members, including but not limited to Human Resources and Risk Management. Nominations must be received by noon on September 3, 2020. Please Include a short 50-word bio and a recent … Continued

BCCA AGM and Co-op Week celebrations!

| Business, Events, Governance

Join us in celebrating Co-op Week 2020 with a virtual Annual General Meeting and other online activities!  COVID-19 and Co-ops: Strategic Foresight Presentation [REGISTER HERE] Wednesday, October 14, 9 – 11 a.m., Zoom meeting Does your co-operative have a winning strategy to excel in these unprecedented and uncertain times? This two-hour session explores the factors … Continued