By Kenzie Love Like many developmental services workers, Claire Maxwell faced a difficult choice when it came to breaking into the industry — working for a large, private company that would offer her little or no say in its operations, or working on her own, isolating her from others in the field and offering no … DSW Co-operative Embraces Co-op Alternative for Developmental Services Work
By Kenzie Love Queer spaces are scarce in Halifax these days, and until recently, queer-owned worker co-ops were non-existent there. And then along came Glitter Bean Cafe, which while still in its infancy, has succeeded by being both. The Cafe, a member of CWCF, is the successor to predecessors at the same location that operated … Glitter Bean Cafe Offers Safe Space for Halifax’s Queer Community
By Kenzie Love and Tim Hanlon-Wilde From its humble beginnings in the community kitchen of an Ottawa church to its current location in a 10,000 square foot warehouse, La Siembra has come a long way over the past 20 years. As it marks the two decades since its founding in 1999, the co-op faces its … La Siembra Co-op Celebrates 20 Years
For many breweries, fulfilling a goal of creating and selling great-tasting beer might be reason enough to celebrate. Not so, however, for London Brewing Co-operative. The first co-op brewery to open in Canada outside Quebec, London Brewing wanted people to enjoy its products, of course. But they also wanted to use organic and sustainable ingredients, … London Brewing Succeeds by Emphasizing Community – Kenzie Love
As in many other countries, Canada’s print media are in the midst of challenging times. A growing concentration in ownership has meant that just a few companies publish the vast majority of the nation’s daily newspapers, while a slew of weekly and monthly newspapers have recently closed. Alternative weeklies, one of the last remaining sources … Hullabaloo Publishing Talks about Challenges Facing Canadian Media – Kenzie Love
A New Cooperative Press for a New Media Age September 2012 marked an important historical milestone for Saskatoon and the province’s co-operative movement—Planet S magazine’s first ten years of independent city journalism. Published by an award-winning, home-grown workers’ co-op, its triumph will be remembered as one of this province’s great co-operative campaigns—like the pooling, retail … Planet S Magazine Turns 10!
Yellowknife Glass Recyclers converted to an employee- owned co-op in July 2006 to take advantage of growing popularity of high-quality recycled glassware and the opening of a glass distribution retail store. The full story of this worker co-op conversion is attached as a pdf. Location: Based in Yellowknife, distribution markets across the Northwest Territories and … Yellowknife Glass Recyclers Co-op
Coming in from the crisp, cold morning in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, the heat generated by the roasting machine is most welcomed. The smell of the coffee, as it makes its many thousands of rotations over the gas flame, is intoxicating. Down in the lower level of Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op in New Minas, … Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op – Growing a Business
At 7:30, on a cold December morning, you might find Neil Shaw at the car wash cleaning the salt and ice off his 1994 Ford. By noon, you can usually find him in the office reviewing the financial projections. In the evening, he might be meeting with city officials to discuss rezoning or cab stands. … Co-op Taxi Line Ltd. – You Always Ask Where They’re Going