By Kenzie Love OUR Eco Village Cooperative is an organization with a unique vision and a rich history. OUR stands for “One United Resource,” a philosophy that emphasizes the contributions and gifts each member brings to the collective. The Co-op began as a community group in Victoria, BC, in the 1990s, united by a passion … OUR Eco Village Cooperative: A Story of One United Resource
By Kenzie Love The Cleaning Co-op’s journey began in late 2022, born out of a desire to create a different kind of work environment. Cofounder Lulu Hernández was working for an exploitative cleaning company in Vancouver whose clients included the company for which another cofounder, Hayley Postlethwaite, was managing, an Airbnb. Postlethwaite saw an opportunity, … Cleaning Co-op Offers Empowerment Over Exploitation
By Kenzie Love Black women in Canada face significant barriers, including high levels of violence, lack of access to employment, higher education, and housing, and disproportionate rates of incarceration. Research shows that the cumulative impact of racism, discrimination, poverty and other structural and systemic inequalities profoundly impact the physical, emotional and mental health of all … Worker Co-op Development Program Empowers Black Women
By Kenzie Love Dream Bike Co-op originated from a group of friends in Toronto who were involved in the cycling and game development communities. Cofounder Brendan Lehman was inspired by the cooperative model of other businesses in the cycling community, including as a member of Send It Courier, and saw an opportunity to engage their … Dream Bike Envisions Change From the Screen to the World
By Kenzie Love In 2012, thousands of Quebec students engaged in protests over the provincial government’s increase in post-secondary tuition fees. With the repeal of the fee increase later that year, it might have seemed to some as though the issue was over. But the activists and organizers continued to meet and decided their work … Solidarity Co-op Members SEIZE the Opportunity, in Quebec and Beyond
Winnipeg’s Eadha Bakery Worker Co-op began as the brainchild of Cora Wiens, who started selling bread at farmers markets, and finding success with this venture, eventually moved into a bricks and mortar space. The onset of the pandemic, however, highlighted the challenges of running a sole proprietorship, and the worker co-op model beckoned. Beginning late … Workers Free to Pursue Their Passion at Eadha Bakery
By Kenzie Love The Greek term metanoia refers to a shift in one’s orientation, one Winnipeg’s Metanoia Farmers Workers Co-operative chose to highlight the processes its members were seeking to incorporate when the farm was founded in 2011. “They chose the name because they wanted it to reflect a turning of orientation towards how … Metanoia Farmers Seek to Learn from the Land
By Kenzie Love BMP Solidarity Co-op is located on the site of a former bar purchased in 2021 by the Société de Développement Communautaire Milton Parc, one of North America’s largest community land trusts, which subsequently extended a vote to the community on what to do with the space. Community members came out in favour … BMP Co-op Celebrates Solidarity
By Kenzie Love SHIFT Collaborative was founded in 2017 by a group of five British Columbia women seeking to create a better world. The founders had extensive experience providing process design and facilitation support to government, nonprofit and community organizations, and realized a new approach was needed to tackle the tough issues such as poverty … Worker Co-op Seeks to Shift Towards a Better World
By Kenzie Love As young web designers and developers in Quebec City, the founders of MamboMambo were unfulfilled in their professional lives. Guillaume Beaulieu says the working conditions at their employers left them feeling undervalued and unfulfilled. “When we co-founded the Co-op, we were all working for different agencies,” he says. “And so from day … MamboMambo’s Members Think Outside the Boss