The Power of Co-operatives: Education, Inspiration, and Celebration on Gabriola

Gabriola Agricultural Co-op Board

The United Nations has proclaimed 2025 to be the International Year of Co-operatives and the Agricultural Co-op is inviting the community to come to the Agricultural Hall for a day of celebration, education, and inspiration on February 2, 2025. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. and will feature Madelyn Read, the Education and Communication Manager of the B.C. Cooperative Association.

Co-operatives are people-centred, incorporated organizations built on a set of values and principles that put fairness, equality and community first. The first co-operative on record was founded in England in 1844 and today 12% of the world’s population own some 3 million cooperatives operating around the world. The top 300 cooperatives alone generate over $2 trillion USD in annual revenue and 10% of the earth’s population are employed in co-ops.

The co-operative model can be and has been used by groups of people for just about every imaginable purpose. In many U.S. states, electricity is distributed by co-ops. Some of the largest financial institutions in Canada are Co-ops – two examples being VanCity Credit Union and Desjardins. Canadian farmers have long used co-ops to gain a fair price for their crops, and there are bicycle co-ops, car co-ops, housing co-ops, health co-ops, social service co-ops, industrial co-ops, small business co-ops …… There is a saying in the Co-op movement: “Once you have seen one co-op … you’ve seen One co-op.”

In BC, more than 2 million people are member/owners of a co-operative, managing some $48 billion in assets. We have eight versions of co-operatives on Gabriola: our library (VIRL), Home Hardware, our Credit Union and our Co-op Gas Station are owned by their members or member organizations.

We also have a sustainable energy co-op, an investment co-op, a childcare co-op and, of course, our Agricultural Co-op, which we operate directly.

Our Agricultural Co-op, or “Agi Co-op” as we fondly call it, is one of two of its kind and age still operating in BC. It was formed on donated land by a group of Gabriolans who wanted to support local agriculture, the local economy and to promote access to good, fresh, local food. Like all co-ops, the Agi Coop has had its challenges over the years, but it remains committed to operating with these same goals in mind.

Sunday February 2 is a valuable opportunity for all of us to celebrate and support our co-operatives and to learn more about these values-based, democratic organizations, grounded in a rich set of values and principles that sustain them and the people they serve (see: https://ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity). If you are interested in food, in sustainability, in community control for community benefit – this day is for you.

Please go to www.gabriolaagriculturalcoop.ca  for more information or to pre-register.  Admission to this day-long event (lunch included) is by donation- (suggested $30, but whatever you can afford).