Co-operatives in British Columbia
BC Galleria Project - Stories of the BC Co-operative Movement
Much of the history of British Columbia's co-operative movement is unknown and not researched. When co-operatives are mentioned, they are usually only given passing reference in a history textbook, either as an afterthought or with hesitation as though the very word was not understood. Despite their absence from the published historical record, throughout the twentieth century co-operatives have played vital roles in different sectors of BC's economy, rural communities, and among ethnic and religious groups. It is against this backdrop that the Galleria project was developed with the primary aim of providing a comprehensive introduction to the Co-operative Movement in British Columbia in an engaging and relevant way.
The Galleria Project provides a stepping-stone into the broad and fluid field of Co-operative Studies. Viewers can weave their way through the co-op stories by taking four different pathways-region, theme, sector, or co-op era. These pathways reflect four different aspects of the Co-operative Movement: the places in which co-ops develop, how co-ops intersect with people's daily lives, the organisational models of co-ops, and the larger historical and social context in which they are formed. Visit the Galleria Project: http://bcics.uvic.ca/galleria.
Situtating Co-operatives
The Institute's largest and most ambitious project, Situating Co-ops in British Columbia, is still underway. The case studies of individual co-operatives for this study of present day co-operative development in the province have been completed and approved.
The project will ultimately be comprised of approximately sixty case studies of individual co-operatives, 8 community studies, and an overall report on co-ops in the province. Researchers have also collected available financial data over a period of ten years on registered co-ops. This data has been aggregated and will show, among other things, trends and developments in the co-op movement in the province.
One of the study's key questions is: Can we say there is a co-op movement in BC? The term "movement" means different things depending on an individual's geographic location and the ways s/he has become involved with co-operatives. For many, the idea of a movement harkens back to the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, yet this definition or experience may not adequately represent how many people in BC view the co-operative movement. Understanding the social and economic relevance of co-operatives comprises major threads in Situating Co-ops in British Columbia.
Many of our case studies are available to download >>
BC Co-operative Legislation
BCICS is presently working with several pro bono law students from the University of Victoria Law School to develop a series of user-friendly resource materials on the Co-op Act. Materials will include: a layperson’s guide to the Act, information on the Securities Act, and a checklist for incorporation.
Visit our Facts About the BC Co-op Act website >>
Publications on Co-ops in BC
A Passion for Possibilities is a collaborative effort of many BCICS researchers and co-operators throughout the province. Our original research began in 2001 and carried forward into last year when we were able to bring this volume to fruition. A Passion for Possibilities offers insights into the relationships, both historical and contemporary, between co-operatives and the communities in which they are located. Within an historical context of social and economic developments, we have traced when co-operatives and credit unions began to form in a given area and how they impacted the local and regional economy. In the process, we have identified some of the challenges they faced and the factors contributing to their growth and success.
Order A Passion for Possibilities >>
Co-operatives In the New Economy Project (INE)
In 2002, BCICS was awarded a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to conduct a three-year project, British Columbia in the New Economy: The Role of Co-operatives in Rural and Remote Communities. The aim of the research is to draw out the links between co-operative ventures, the New Economy, and the achievement of a safe, satisfying, and sustainable economy. The research, now underway, is striving to:
- Ascertain the foundations, including social, economic, environmental, and political, upon which the co-operative ventures were created and subsequently developed.
- Document and analyse the ways in which co-operative ventures evaluate their performance, choose best practices, and reconcile their current activities and practices with their original vision and intentions.
- Identify and analyse what facilitates and what obstructs the processes of development and sustainability of the co-operative organisations.
