It's Co-op Week in Canada* and

How is Peninsula Co-op Celebrating?

by Friends of Peninsula Co-op

To mark this international event, Peninsula Co-op has submitted a development proposal to Central Saanich Council to build a big box grocery store on agriculturally viable farmland and is asking the community to forgo their Official Community Plan and to pave paradise to put up a parking lot.

 

That's not all the fun and frolic.  Their proposal to build a 40,000 square foot grocery store on W. Saanich Road asks for the zoning to be changed from 'Rural' to 'Commercial'.  This would require the broader CRD community to change its Regional Growth Strategy.

 

Peninsula Co-op wants to do away with viable farmland and add to urban sprawl at a time when most people agree we need to do more to support local food production.

 

 

 

 

A significant number of Co-op members believe change is desperately needed.  An active, committed member group has formed Friends of Peninsula Co-op, to organize, identify and motivate Co-op members to affect democratic reform.  We believe:

 

1)      Fair and democratic elections are the top of the list for the changes required, as is open and transparent decision making that is responsive to input from the membership.

 

2)      Peninsula Co-op, as a petroleum and grocery retailer in a farming community, should provide responsible community leadership in supporting local sustainable agriculture, work to enhance local food security and protect farmland, rather than planning development on viable agricultural land which is Soil Class 2 and suitable for growing crops.

 

3)      Peninsula Co-op should respect Central Saanich's Official Community Plan (OCP) and work within the CRD's Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) when building a new grocery store to serve its members.

 

4)      Peninsula Co-op needs a policy shift to consider member and community needs as we transition from oil dependency to reduced energy consumption and renewable sources of energy for transportation, industry and home.  With a large member base, there could be opportunities for membership savings, for example, in the investment and retailing of clean energy systems, and at the same time have a positive affect on our community and global environment.

 

5)      Peninsula Co-op should act as a model co-operative by educating the public and assisting new co-ops as a means to strengthen the social and economic fabric of Greater Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island.

 

 

Friends of Peninsula Co-op is making progress with the legal action to uphold an arbitration award granted in May 2010 by Arbitrator Jakob de Villiers QC declaring the Peninsula Co-op's June 24, 2009 election of directors null and void and a new election to be held.  We expect to inform you of our progress and of a positive outcome in the near future. For those who haven't read the arbitration award, a copy is attached.

 

We wish to remind you that six of nine Co-op Board positions will be filled by elections in 2011. 

 

 

We are seeking support from members of Peninsula Co-op and the Community by: 

 

1)  Forwarding information to friends, family, and business and social networks.

 

2)  Volunteering time and assisting with our efforts.

 

3)  Identifying Board Candidates who will run in the 2011 elections and help to bring democracy and Co-op values back to Peninsula Co-op.

 

4)  Making a financial contribution to our campaign and legal costs by sending a cheque payable to

     'Friends of Peninsula Co-op' to 9448 Maryland Drive Sidney BC V8L 2R6.

6)      If not currently a member, join at one of 15 locations in Duncan, Mill Bay, Langford, Victoria, and the Saanich Peninsula

 

7)      Phone, write or email Central Saanich Council and the CRD to say NO to urban sprawl on agriculturally viable farmland and YES to Central Saanich's Official Community Plan and CRD's Regional Growth Strategy.

 

 

Contact Friends of Peninsula Co-op:

Website - coming soon

Facebook:  Friends of Peninsula Co-op

Email:  alicia_corrmier@shaw.ca

Phone:  250-652-5070

 

 

* Co-op week, Oct 17-23, is the opportunity for Canadian co-operative and credit union members to celebrate the fact that they have collectively helped to build this country and to recognize their continuing contributions at home and abroad.

 

In the true spirit of celebrating Co-op week we could encourage you to learn more about Co-ops by visiting the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA)'s website www.coopscanada.coop/  In particular, may we draw your attention to the following:

 

 

Co-operatives and credit unions are driven by both economic and social concerns. They are community-based organizations that care not only about the bottom lines of their businesses, but about the needs of their members and the quality of life in their communities. Co-operatives and credit unions differ from other businesses in three key ways:

 

A Different Purpose: The primary purpose of co-operatives and credit unions is to meet the common needs of their members, whereas the primary purpose of most investor-owned businesses is to maximize profit for shareholders. 

 

A Different Control Structure: Co-operatives and credit unions use the one-member/one-vote system, not the one-vote-per-share system used by most businesses. This helps the co-operative or credit union serve the common need rather than the individual need, and is a way to ensure that people, not capital, control the organization.

 

 A Different Allocation of Profit: Co-operatives and credit unions share profits among their member-owners on the basis of how much they use the co-op, not on how many shares they hold. Co-operatives and credit unions also tend to invest their profits in improving service to members and promoting the well-being of their communities.