‘People helping People’

Phone: 705-645-4491
Fax: 705-645-9879 Email: phyllis.ingram@sympatico.ca

27 Aubrey St. Bracebridge, ON P1L 1L9

Association
Of
Community
Co-operatives

Association of Community Co-operatives

Ryde Community Co-operative:
Needing combined strength to face the threat of the recent school closure, Ryde community formed the community co-operative in 2000. They successfully negotiating with the Town of Gravenhurst to lease back the school in order to use it as a community
center. The co-op is incredibly active with:
Annual winterfests
Spaghetti Dinners
Community clean-ups
Yoga Classes
Pilates Classes and
Newsletters

Oakley Community
Co-operative:
The threatened closure of the two-room
Oakley Public School mobilized the residents in this Vankoughnet village area. This rural community co-operative, just 22 km east of Bracebridge, incorporated in 2000 and is actively building it’s presence in and value to the community through with such endeavours as:
The ACORN Newsletter
A Business and Services Brochure (in process)
The host of Co-op Week 2000
A food purchasing group
1st Annual Co-op Winterfest

Muskoka Community
Co-operatives:
MCC is a District Association of liaisons from the community co-operatives, community representatives, and agency, organization and municipal representatives. This group meets bi-monthly , shares information and strategies and support to each other. Projects that the MCC has initiated include:
Enterprising Women, an annual workshop promoting women’s entrepreneurship.
Community Access Program for the District of Muskoka—11 sites providing education and internet access to the public
Pig Roast celebrating Co-op Week 2000
Sending 10 youths to the Co-operative Youth Leadership Program
Sponsoring Muskoka Volunteer Network’s Volunteer Summit

Honey Harbour Community
Co-operative:
Honey Harbour is a beautiful little hamlet
located on Georgian Bay. Its approximately 450 year round residents swell to a large
summertime population. HHCC was incorporated in 1997 and has initiated and partnered on several initiatives including:
Annual Winterfest, which saw over 300 participants and raised over $1,700.00
Youth Dances
Transportation for March Break activities for local children.
Canada Day Festival
Community Sign—have raised $2,700.00 to date
Organized two village meetings
Business and Service Brochure— 5rd year
Community Barbecue

Gravenhurst Community
Co-operative:
Gravenhurst is one of the three larger communities in Muskoka with a population of over 10,000 people. The co-op formed in 1994, initially as a food purchasing co-op, and quickly broadened to partner with other organization to meet many other community needs such as:
One of the first community access sites in Muskoka (Internet)
Great Beginnings program
Youth Drop-In Center
Supporting the need for ‘one stop shopping’ for social services in the community.

COMMUNITIES IN
ACTION

A Community Co-operatives is:
a multi-purpose model whose goals are to:
identify local needs
advocate where necessary
create local solutions in partnership with agencies, organizations and political bodies
develop revenue generating initiatives to support local, grassroot projects
have fun!

What is a Co-operative?
A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a democratically-controlled organization.

Overview

Co-operative Values
Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Haliburton County Community
Co-operatives:
Inspired by the Muskoka Community Co-op Model, the Haliburton County Community Co-op was formed in 1998 as a response to the closure of the local women’s emergency house. The hard working group of volunteers has accomplished many things including:
Thalia’s Voice—a women’s folk festival
An Alternative Resource Guide
U-links, bring university students and community together to complete community based research.
Dances
Newsletters

Oakley Community Co-operative:
The threatened closure of the two-room Oakley Public School mobilized the residents in this Vankoughnet village area. This rural community co-operative, just 22 km east of Bracebridge, incorporated in 2000 and is actively building it’s presence in and value to the community through with such endeavours as:
The ACORN Newsletter
A Business and Services Brochure (in process)
The host of Co-op Week 2000
A food purchasing group
1st & 2nd Annual Co-op Winterfest
Valentine Dance and a
St. Patrick Day Dance

Honey Harbour Community
Co-operative:
Honey Harbour is a beautiful little hamlet located on Georgian Bay. Its approximately 450 year round residents swell to a large summertime population. HHCC was incorporated in 1997 and has initiated and partnered on several initiatives including:
Annual Winterfest, which saw in 2000 over 300 participants and raised over $1,700.00
Youth Dances
Transportation for March Break activities for local children.
Canada Day Festival
Village Sign—raised $2,700.00
Organized two village meetings
Business and Service Brochure— 5th year
Community Barbecue
Organize sendoff for ‘Paddle to Cure’

The Association of Community Co-operatives is a national organization for the development and support of local and regional community co-operatives.

The development of this model was greatly assisted by the generous support of The
Co-operator’s Fund and the Ontario Trillium
Foundation.