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
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
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”
By Kenzie Love Newly incorporated as a co-operative and looking forward to a busy spring and summer, Island Flower Growers Co-operative (IFGC) had its first market of the season scheduled for April 1, 2020. It wasn’t intended as an April Fool’s joke — although by the time that date rolled around, it was clear that … Island Flower Growers Succeeds Amidst Difficult Times
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
When Andrew Loveland started working for Planet Bean in Guelph, Ontario, three years ago, he didn’t know much about worker co-ops. But he had a passion for coffee and an interest in ensuring it was Fairtrade Certified. If those were the things that got him to join Planet Bean, however, it was the worker … Planet Bean Finds Success With New Model
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
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
By Kenzie Love Come As You Are (CAYA) opened in 1997 with a mission: to provide Toronto with an ethical, feminist, sex-positive sex shop. Inspired by San Francisco’s Good Vibrations, which at the time was a worker co-op, CAYA’s founders had all previously worked in the industry as sex educators, retailers, or as manufacturers of … Co-op Sex Shop Invites People to Come As They Are
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
