Worker Co-op Profiles | Page 2 | Canadian Worker Co-op Federation

Co-operative Cleaners of Ontario Harnesses the Power of Worker Co-ops

February 6, 2024

By Kenzie Love Co-operative Cleaners of Ontario (CCOO) began in 2019 when Janet Bennett-Cox, the Co-op’s Vice President, stumbled upon an upcoming event organized by the Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre (WMRCC) in Durham. The organization had received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to establish worker co-operatives, and CCOO was one of the … Co-operative Cleaners of Ontario Harnesses the Power of Worker Co-ops

TREC Sees a Bright Future for Renewable Energy – Kenzie Love

January 18, 2024

CWCF Associate Member TREC Renewable Energy Co-operative was founded in 1998 by a group of Torontonians interested in addressing their carbon footprint collectively. They drew particular inspiration from Germany, where the renewable energy co-operative model had achieved great success. “They could see they could make small steps in their own life,” says TREC’s Co-Executive Director, … TREC Sees a Bright Future for Renewable Energy – Kenzie Love

Co-op Helps Communities to Flourish – Kenzie Love

November 21, 2023

Flourish Community Development Co-operative comes by its name for a reason. It seeks to create caring, just, sustainable and resilient communities. Communities that will, as its name suggests, “flourish”. The Co-op was founded in 2019, arising from an earlier event called Linking Arms which had brought together progressive consultancies from Nova Scotia and elsewhere in … Co-op Helps Communities to Flourish – Kenzie Love

Transform Practice Works Towards Change One Organization At a Time – Kenzie Love

October 12, 2023

Transform Practice, a not-for-profit consulting group, is a worker co-op that specializes in design, facilitation, reflective practice, evaluative learning, and strategy, working with community, non-profit, philanthropic, government and private sectors. As its name would suggest, however, the members of Transform Practice seek to go beyond merely tinkering with the framework of the organizations they serve. … Transform Practice Works Towards Change One Organization At a Time – Kenzie Love

The Makehouse Co-op: A Successful Conversion – Kenzie Love

August 16, 2023

Founded shortly over a decade ago in Victoria, The Makehouse Co-op had established itself as a local pillar for anyone interested in sewing when founder Jenny Ambrose decided she was ready to sell. Concerned about what their employment would look like under new ownership, the store’s five employees talked it over and decided they were … The Makehouse Co-op: A Successful Conversion – Kenzie Love

Nanaimo Co-op Does Yeoman’s Work – Kenzie Love

July 10, 2023

Ten years into the sole proprietorship he had founded in Nanaimo, BC, in 2013 Ben Geselbracht was looking for a change. Geselbracht wanted to remain involved with the business without having to shoulder all the day-to-day responsibilities by himself. The worker co-op model beckoned, and armed with a technical assistance grant from CWCF to help … Nanaimo Co-op Does Yeoman’s Work – Kenzie Love

CoActive Developments Has Zeal for Co-op Conversions

June 11, 2023

By Kenzie Love Co-op conversions are a hot topic of conversation these days, with many small business owners across Canada poised to retire in the coming years, and few with a succession plan in place. Research suggests that while it may not work in all instances, converting to a worker co-op is one way … CoActive Developments Has Zeal for Co-op Conversions

Local Investing YYC Looks Beyond the Bottom Line

May 23, 2023

By Kenzie Love Local Investing YYC, an associate member of CWCF through its participation in Common Good Capital, was incorporated in the fall of 2017. Its founders were looking for ways that all types of investors could invest into the local economy in businesses having a positive environmental or social impact. Travis Inlow, the Co-op’s … Local Investing YYC Looks Beyond the Bottom Line

Curbside Farms Promotes Urban Food Production

April 23, 2023

The group that formed Curbside Farms started out as a campus club in support of proportional representation and wound up as a worker co-op devoted to urban food production. The founders agree they didn’t envision their project would take this circuitous route when they started, but they have no regrets. “In terms of anticipating that … Curbside Farms Promotes Urban Food Production

Interview with Co-op L’Argot

March 23, 2023

Co-op l’Argot is a women-led translation and language services co-op based in Montréal, QC. They will be offering simultaneous translation services at CWCF’s 2023 Conference in Quebec City this November. The below is an edited transcript of a Zoom interview by the RéseauCOOP team on February 25, 2021, translated from the original French. Thank you to … Interview with Co-op L’Argot