Co-operative Roots

A co-operative is a business owned by the people it serves – the members! In our case, our members are customers – the people who shop in our store. In other types of co-ops, the members could be the producers or the workers.

At their core, Co-ops are businesses that care about more than just profit. They also care about the values and goals of their members, whether those members are workers, producers or customers. There are co-ops in many industries, and in the Kootenays we have a special love of co-ops so you’ll find a co-op baker, a radio station, a car share, gas stations, credit unions and more!

No matter what their focus, Co-ops around the world follow a common set of Values and Principles, and in BC we follow the Cooperative Associations Act.

Below you will find the mission, vision and values for your Kootenay Co-op.