Much like the components of the bicycles they sell, the members of Winnipeg’s Natural Cycleworks all have defined jobs but play an equally important role. It’s an aspect of the worker co-op model that appeals to member Zach Allard, now in his sixth year with the co-op. “It does provide a really good sense of … Natural Cycleworks Succeeds With Shared Ownership, Divided Responsibilities
When a group of tech professionals in Toronto decided they wanted to band together in late 2018 to create Hypha, the worker co-op model seemed like a natural fit. It was such a natural fit, in fact, that no one can pinpoint the precise moment when they decided to go that route. “When we first … Hypha Worker Co-operative Seeks to Build Bridges
When The Allium was conceived in early 2019 in Calgary, it came into being as a worker co-op first and a restaurant second. Its founders knew they wanted to establish one of the former, and their collective interests and experience led them to choose the latter as the kind of business it would be. Less … The Allium Does Food Differently
Over more than 40 years, the Winnipeg store now called Organic Planet has had several different names but one common mission: the distribution of food that matters. This long journey began when a consumer co-op known as Harvest Collective opened in 1978, which ultimately declared bankruptcy in 1999 and closed its doors. A former member … Organic Planet Offers Food With a Philosophy
By Kenzie Love From humble beginnings as a pilot project focused on expecting parents in Edmonton’s Chinese immigrant community, Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative (MCHB) has grown to a worker co-operative of 100 workers serving members of all ages from 30 different ethnolinguistic communities. Yvonne Chiu, the co-op’s executive director, has been with MCHB for this … Multicultural Health Brokers Creates Health Through Community
Vancouver’s Wood Shop Workers’ Co-op produces a wide variety of products out of reclaimed wood, crafting everything from bed frames to kitchen tables. The unifying theme, however, is to create furniture that looks good, feels good, and does good. Incorporated in 2014, Wood Shop emerged out of a local social enterprise incubator called Groundswell. The … Vancouver’s Wood Shop Workers’ Co-op Builds with Community
Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op began in 1995 as the brainchild of a small group of friends (hence the name “Just Us!”). The founders had little in the way of business experience or resources, but they shared an interest in owning their own business and promoting fair trade, which was still a relatively novel idea … Just Us! is a Coffee Roaster with a Mission
Vancouver worker co-op Shift Delivery launched in August, 2011, with a vision of reducing the impact of goods movement and creating empowering green jobs. To all appearances, the co-op has succeeded on both counts. Shift estimates that in the five years from 2012-2017, it avoided 70 tonnes of CO2 emissions that would have arisen from … Shift Delivery Promotes Sustainability
Like many developmental services workers, Claire Maxwell faced a difficult choice when it came to breaking into the industry — working for a large, private company that would offer her little or no say in its operations, or working on her own, isolating her from others in the field and offering no external support. Neither … DSW Co-operative Embraces Co-op Alternative for Developmental Services Work
Queer spaces are scarce in Halifax these days, and until recently, queer-owned worker co-ops were non-existent there. And then along came Glitter Bean Cafe, which while still in its infancy, has succeeded by being both. The Cafe, a member of CWCF, is the successor to predecessors at the same location that operated under the Just … Glitter Bean Cafe Offers Safe Space for Halifax’s Queer Community
