Worker Co-op Profiles

Worker Co-ops are actively involved in the economic and socio-economic fabric of their communities. This page gives a sampling of worker co-ops.

coopérative Tënk Celebrates Documentaries

By Hannah Rackow For coopérative Tënk in Montreal, bringing lesser-known documentaries to audiences across Canada is both a passion and a mission. Florence Lamothe, co-founder and general manager of the co-op, explains that “the documentary is a rather under-circulated, under-loved and under-financed medium and cinematographic genre these days.” Tënk aims to address that gap by coopérative Tënk Celebrates Documentaries


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Thetis Island Farm Co-operative an Oasis Amidst “Food Desert”

By Kenzie Love It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention, and for Thetis Island Farm Co-operative, it’s a pretty apt description. Located within BC’s Gulf Islands, Thetis Island’s roughly 380 residents also exist within something of a “food desert”, lacking access to a grocery store. But with a recent influx of young Thetis Island Farm Co-operative an Oasis Amidst “Food Desert”


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Aster Group’s Members Have Diverse Skills But Common Values

By Kenzie Love An environmental consultancy based in Sackville, New Brunswick, Aster Group launched in 2013, the brainchild of a small group whose members all had a history of working for either government or nonprofit organizations. The members wanted an entity that would bring together their expertise in various areas and offer them autonomy while Aster Group’s Members Have Diverse Skills But Common Values


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Creating Websites Just the Starting Point for Weaver Digital Design & Storytelling

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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VALU Co-op Offers Artists the Chance to Make a Living and a Life

By Kenzie Love Precarious, low-paying work has long been a feature of employment in the arts sector. A group of Vancouver artists, however, wanted to change that, so they founded VALU (Vancouver Artists Labour Union) Co-op, a unionized worker co-op intended to provide stable income for its members.  VALU’s members were also motivated by a VALU Co-op Offers Artists the Chance to Make a Living and a Life


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Just and Accessible Music School Strikes a Chord With Both Teachers and Students

  By Kenzie Love It all started with a Facebook post. Daniel Ramjattan, a Toronto guitar teacher, had taken to social media to express his frustration with the exploitative practices of traditional music schools. To his surprise, he received a flood of responses from other musicians expressing similar sentiments. The ensuing conversation spurred the creation Just and Accessible Music School Strikes a Chord With Both Teachers and Students


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