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 participants to receive … BeetBox Farm Cultivates Community – Kenzie Love
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
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. The business that … Kootenay Bakery Cafe’ Co-operative Has Found a Recipe for Success – Kenzie Love
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
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 related products. None … Co-op Sex Shop Invites People to Come As They Are – Kenzie Love
By Kenzie Love 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 … 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 – Kenzie Love
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- Kenzie Love
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
By Kenzie Love 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 … Vancouver’s Wood Shop Workers’ Co-op Builds with Community