The Latest News From Canada's Worker Co-op Sector
August 2020 Volume 12 Issue 8
In This Issue

  • Tourne-Sol Reaps the Harvest of Co-operation/Tourne-sol récolte la moisson de la coopération, by/par Kenzie Love, traduction par Jessica Provencher
  • Employee Buyouts Model Has Potential Despite Obstacles, by Kenzie Love
  • Board Member Profile: Reba Plummer, by Kenzie Love
  • CWCF Welcomes Afifa Qurath
  • Solidarity Shopping
  • CWCF Virtual AGM
  • Worker Co-op Conference
  • SSG Co-Founder Yuill Herbert in Green Economy Heroes Podcast
  • Businesses in Northern California County Embrace Co-operative Economy
  • New Worker Co-op Provides Meals in Response to COVID-19
Tourne-Sol Reaps the Harvest of Co-operation/Tourne-sol récolte la moisson de la coopération

By/par Kenzie Love, traduction par Jessica Provencher
When Tourne-Sol started out in 2005, it was blazing something of a trail. There were few co-operative farms in Canada at the time, and 15 years later they remain quite rare. But Dan Brisebois, one of the co-op’s five founding members, has no regrets about the route its members took.


Lorsque la coopérative Tourne-sol a débuté ses activités en 2005, on peut dire qu’elle sortait des sentiers battus. Il y avait peu de fermes coopératives à ce moment-là au Canada et il demeure qu’elles sont toujours plutôt rares 15 ans plus tard. Dan Brisebois, l’un des cinq membres fondateurs de la coop, n’a toutefois aucun regret au sujet de la route empruntée par ses membres.
Employee Buyouts Model Has Potential Despite Obstacles

By Kenzie Love
As Saskatchewan, like other provinces, confronts the challenges posed by the impending surge of retiring baby boomers, it seems natural to look to the employee succession solution.

Board Member Profile: Reba Plummer

By Kenzie Love
Based in Toronto, Reba Plummer has served on CWCFs board since 2010, and as board President since 2016. The Co-executive Director of Toronto's Urbane Cyclist, Reba started out as the proprietor of her own bike shop before joining Urbane in 2000.

CWCF Welcomes Afifa Qurath
CWCF is pleased to welcome a new employee, Afifa Qurath. A student at NSCC Kingstec in Kentville, Afifa is working to digitize records for CWCF's RRSP program. She writes: "I am a curious individual who loves to explore, experiment and experience different outlooks that life has to offer. I love reading books and going on adventures. I'm well known to be an optimistic person with leadership skills. CWCF has given me the perfect opportunity to help me put my best foot forward and make a more valuable contribution with my skills and ability. Being a member of the team has helped me gain knowledge about the work of a co-operative and the collaborative efforts needed to achieve the organization's mission."
Solidarity Shopping
If you're a CWCF member interested in advertising your products/services in our online "mall", sign up now! It's a great way to spread the word about co-ops and help each other out during challenging times. Alternatively, if you're already listed we want to hear from you. Have you made some sales as a result? Are there ways you can think of we could improve it? Contact Communications and Executive Assistant Kenzie Love at admin@canadianworker.coop. And if you haven't checked it out already, take a look!
CWCF Virtual AGM
A reminder CWCF's virtual AGM will take place at noon ET, November 13, 2020. Resolutions are due September 12, and nominations for the board are requested by October 31.

Worker Co-op Conference
The US Federation of Worker Co-ops' Worker Co-op Conference is taking place online September 10-11, 2020. Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein will speak on Labour, Ownership and the Green New Deal on day one, while day two will feature Examining Racial & Economic Justice with Maurice Mitchell. There will also be breakout sessions on both days and a closing party day two.



SSG Co-Founder Yuill Herbert in Green Economy Heroes Podcast
In mid-July, SSG Co-founder and Principal Yuill Herbert was featured in the Green Economy Heroes Podcast with Dianne Saxe, an environmental lawyer and the former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. They discussed SSG’s efforts to make climate action plans for cities across Canada.

Businesses in Northern California County Embrace Co-operative Economy
Since its inception, Cooperation Humboldt has supported worker-owned cooperatives, and recently, with help from the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives and a $25,000 COVID response grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation, launched a formal training program called the Worker-Owned Academy.

New Worker Co-op Provides Meals in Response to COVID-19
When the reality of COVID-19 began to set in for Chicagoans this past March, many small-business owners closed shop and braced themselves for the financial loss that was sure to soon follow. The worker-owners of ChiFresh Kitchen, however, had a different agenda.
The Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (CWCF) is a national, bilingual grassroots membership organization of and for worker co-operatives, related types of co-operatives (multi-stakeholder co-ops and worker-shareholder co-ops), and organizations that support the growth and development of worker cooperatives. CWCF's e-newsletter is available free of charge to anyone with an e-mail address and an interest in worker co-operative developments in Canada. Please send any comments and suggestions, or news about your co-op, to:  

Kenzie Love
Editor of CWCF Newsletter 
(403) 276-8250 
CWCF | 104 402 30 Ave NE, Calgary, AB T2E 2E3 | 403-276-8250 |