Frontpage Profile

By Kenzie Love For Vancouver Island-based worker co-op Weaver Digital Design & Storytelling, the year since its launch has been one to remember, with the impact of the pandemic offering both challenges and opportunities. Initial concerns about whether there would be enough work to go around were soon replaced by the realization that there might … Creating Websites Just the Starting Point for Weaver Digital Design & Storytelling

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By Kenzie Love It’s sometimes said that “if you love what you do, you’ll never ‘work’ again.” It might seem like a cliche. But for the members of Toronto’s Urbane Cyclist, it’s not very far from the truth. Urbane’s founding in 1997 was led by the late Eugene Yao, who wanted to establish a repair … Urbane Cyclist Places Passion Over Profits

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By Kenzie Love When it comes to building houses, Winnipeg’s Sun Certified Builders Co-operative firmly believes that less is more. By building “passive houses”, well-insulated buildings that require little energy for heating or cooling, Sun Certified’s builders are able to deliver houses that have a lower carbon footprint than ones heated or cooled with conventional … Sun Certified Proves That Less Can Be More

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By Kenzie Love With its physical demands, always-present risk of injury, and sometimes unpleasant weather, bicycle courier work might not seem like a dream job. And for an employee of a traditional business, it probably isn’t. But when it comes to working for Toronto’s SendIt Courier worker co-op, Kat Exner couldn’t be happier. “I just … SendIt Courier Offers Deliveries with a Difference

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By Kenzie Love From its modest origins as a bike repair shop in founder Jawn Lafratta’s basement to the multifaceted operations it now carries out in Nanaimo’s downtown core, Hub City Cycles has come a long way. Established as a multi-stakeholder co-op in 2012, Hub City grew out of the desire of Lafratta and his … Hub City Cycles is “the Little Co-op That Could”

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By Kenzie Love BeetBox Farm  is a worker co-op that places community at the heart of its operations. Established in 2017 near Nepean, Ontario,  its founders were driven by a desire to grow healthy food they could share with people in the surrounding area, primarily through their Community Supported Agriculture program. The BeetBox program allows … BeetBox Farm Cultivates Community

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By Kenzie Love In the almost 20 years since it set up shop in Nelson, BC, the Kootenay Bakery Cafe’ Cooperative has developed a reputation for nourishing food and a welcoming environment. The Cafe’ has always emphasized customer service — with the understanding that what’s good for its customers is good for its employees too. … Kootenay Bakery Cafe’ Co-operative Has Found a Recipe for Success

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By Kenzie Love Edmonton City Council took the historic step last month of adopting a “carbon budget”, which sets a cap on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions the city can emit — ever. Last June, meanwhile, Halifax city council unanimously approved a comprehensive climate action plan. For Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), the worker co-op … SSG Helps Plan for a Fossil Fuel Free Future

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By Kenzie Love When Tourne-Sol started out in 2005, it was blazing something of a trail. There were few co-operative farms in Canada at the time, and 15 years later they remain quite rare. But Dan Brisebois, one of the co-op’s five founding members, has no regrets about the route its members took. “When you … Tourne-Sol Reaps the Harvest of Co-operation

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By Kenzie Love 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. … Hypha Worker Co-operative Seeks to Build Bridges

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