Each For All

The Cleaning Co-op

The British Columbia Co-operative Association calls The Cleaning Co-op “a fresh alternative offering ethical and professional cleaning services.” It also describes The Vancouver Empowerment Cleaning Co-op (the Association) as a worker co-op that aims: To disrupt the cleaning industry through providing high quality professional cleaning services, fair income distribution, and ethical employment, To be a leader in creating an equitable, profitable and sustainable worker co-operative that respects the voices, rights and responsibilities of all members, customers and communities, To serve as a platform for individuals, particularly racialized individuals, to receive training and opportunity for employment, while paying living wages and investing in building our team’s confidence through knowledge and empowerment To empower women, and adhere to a higher ethical standard, and To be a platform that allows racialized women to take control of their lives through our connections, resources, and non-exploitative employment Hayley Postlethwaite is one of the co-op’s founders along with Paulina Mendoza and Lulu Hernandez. She shares how the three of them collaborated to bring their vision to life and who provided support along the way. Have a listen. The post The Cleaning Co-op appeared first on Each For All.

Business NOT As Usual

Improving awareness about the relevance of co-operative model with the general public, youth and government is the most important issue for co-ops in the annual survey by The Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives. And the job of raising awareness is up to the co-ops themselves and their provincial and national associations. Corinne Remple, Executive Director of the Alberta Community Co-op Association, decided that the story of co-ops needed to be told differently, especially to Gen Z and Millennials. So she collaborated with provincial and national partners to help launch Business NOT as Usual, a campaign that highlights how co-ops are an alternative way of doing business built on shared ownership, sustainability, collective impact and driven by values. We discuss her new approach to raising awareness of the sector in Part 1 of this show In Part 2, we speak with Kristen Murray, co-op developer with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Co-ops (NLFC) about how she found her way to co-op sector as a young person just starting out and looking for a way to make a difference in this world. NLFC is a partner in Business NOT As Usual and Kristen spoke at the kickoff event during Co-op Week in 2025. The post Business NOT As Usual appeared first on Each For All.

Monashee Community Co-op – Nourishing the Local Economy

The Monashee Community Co-operative is a market located in Lumby, B.C. It began in 2013 when some local residents collaborated to organize bulk buying of organic foods at a lower price than nearby Vernon. Since then, it’s grown to become a vital hub for folks to purchase local, safe, organic, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO food and an important place for local growers to market their products. As a Community Service Co-op, Monashee returns all profits to the Co-op for future growth and works to educate, support and nourish the local economy. The co-op has finally moved to a new, larger location with much effort by members, volunteers and local residents. Board President Chris Bauman shares more about this valued, grassroots community hub, Have a listen. The post Monashee Community Co-op – Nourishing the Local Economy appeared first on Each For All.

What can we learn from Northern Co-operatives?

In 2009, co-operative scholar and educator Ian MacPherson urged researchers to continue studying and learning from the Northern Co-operative experience. Now, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC) is heeding MacPherson’s advice with a series of projects it hopes will be beneficial to northern communities and co-ops across the country. This new research is being launched as the North has become a strategic focus for Canada’s sovereignty and growth.  At the same time, residents continue to face threats to their survival and traditional ways of life due to food insecurity, climate change and inadequate supply chains. Maybe that’s why co-ops and the co-operative principles are so fully embraced and community engagement is so strong. Natalie Kallio of CCSC shares what we can continue to learn from these unique co-ops in the North. Her paper in The Northern Review is insightful reading. The post What can we learn from Northern Co-operatives? appeared first on Each For All.

Horse Lake Community Farm Co-op

This co-op has a long and rich history in the South Cariboo region of British Columbia and was incorporated in 2006 to protect the agricultural and ecological integrity of a vital lakeshore acreage. Its goal has been to develop local farming capacity and agricultural resources, together with cultivating an ethical and high quality organic food supply. The co-op has close ties to the local community through its Bird and Botany walk, Family Farm Day, the South Cariboo Farmers Market and the new Forest Floor Project providing residents of all ages the chance to connect with the natural environment and participate in sustainable farming and environmental stewardship. A new root cellar is in the works with thanks to the United Way of BC. Rob Diether, founding member and board chair, shares the story of this unique co-op and the outlawed “Cariboo potato.” Have a listen.                The post Horse Lake Community Farm Co-op appeared first on Each For All.