Doing our part. That’s the co-operative way. Our 2020 Community Report Our mission We are a community-owned co-operative dedicated What’s inside... to providing exceptional communications and entertainment services and unique opportunities for local expression. The many ways we do our part… By offering a stage for local expression on Access7 6 Our vision By channelling our “inner grill master” at our Summer BBQ Tour 8 Delivering unrivalled communications and By bringing people together in sponsored spaces 9 entertainment services. By giving back our time as volunteers 11 By advocating for great causes through fundraising events 14 Our values By helping students pursue their dreams with scholarships 15 Integrity We live by our belief in honesty, respect and By preserving our environment and cultural diversity 18 trust in everything we do. By helping kids be all they can be with our Children’s Fund 19 Employee-Centred We enable everyone’s involvement, growth and contribution in a challenging, Audited Children’s Fund Financial Statements for 2019 21 safe and fun environment. Meet the 1500+ Community Groups we serve 24 Customer-Focused We deliver extraordinary value, reliably, dependably and consistently. Community-Oriented We are an integral part of the communities we serve, contributing to their energy and progress. Innovative We create and embrace change that enhances customer service, the community and our organization. Ben Nurkowski Member-Driven We are guided by committed and Broadband Technician supportive members. 1 2 A message from “We do our part our board chair. every day. That’s What makes a community-owned who we are. And co-operative different? we wouldn’t have We strive to make a difference. it any other way.” Access Communications exists to make our community a better place to live. We provide exceptional communications and entertainment services, bolstered by leading-edge technology. In these Hiedi Pearson challenging times, our services have never been more important. We continue to do our part to keep Chair, Board of Directors Saskatchewan connected. Access Communications Co-operative Access Communications also believes in doing our part to enact positive, lasting change in local lives. We supported over 1,500 local community groups in the last year, and we continue to reinvest 100% of our earnings right back into our 235 communities and rural areas across Saskatchewan. On behalf of the board of directors, thank you to the members of our co-operative for your ongoing support. Our members are the foundation of our continued growth and success. We certainly welcome more members to help guide Access! We encourage our members to reach out to others about membership to support our community-owned co-operative business model. District and general member meetings and staying up to date through our regular newsletters and reports are great ways to stay involved. Our 2020 Community Report highlights the many ways that Access Communications does its part. We deliver a platform for local expression on Access7 community channels. We champion fundraising initiatives for worthy causes. We fund the education of future leaders in this province. We support youth through our registered charity, the Access Communications Children’s Fund. We do our part every day. That’s who we are. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. New members welcome! Sincerely, How would you like to help guide your co-operative and give back to your community? Join us! Hiedi Pearson myaccess.ca/members Chair, Access Communications Co-operative Board of Directors 3 4 “Saskatchewan has Setting the stage for the stories of Saskatchewan. important stories to tell. Access Communications knows the province has a story to tell. That’s why we’ve invested millions to deliver I’m so proud that our work our Access7 community channels to nearly 100 communities across Saskatchewan. Each Access7 channel has its own local shows and programming celebrating culture, lifestyle, events, and sports. Thank you to all at Access7 gives those our AccessTV subscribers whose support makes it possible! storytellers a voice.” Patrick Palmer Access7 Production Assistant $2.5 Million invested 2,800 First run hours Nearly 100 community channels Regina, Access7 Sports Access7 is programming for the community, by the community. Over 5,400 volunteer hours were involved to create over 2,800 hours of made-in-Saskatchewan television. More than 60% of all Access7 programming is produced by local community groups. Our Access7 community channels give a voice to many diverse groups. Prairie Pride is a platform for the LGBTQ+ community. Pinoy Talk focuses on the blending of cultures that Filipino-Canadians experience. RezX is a showcase for indigenous lifestyle. The Four sets out to share the stories, culture, and history of indigenous women. And Access7 is also host to countless other programs, including spotlights on Chinese New Year and live broadcasts of pow wows, including the First Nations University of Canada Pow Wow. Access7 is also the exclusive broadcasting partner of the Regina Pats. And this year, virtual award shows took center stage, such as the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards and the Yorkton Film Festival. We were proud to have the Silverlight Productions film Kay Parley: A Mind of Her Own nominated in the Best of Saskatchewan category at the Yorkton Film Festival. 5 6 SUMMER BARBECUE TOUR Watrous Thanking our communities, the only way “If there’s we know how. one thing Saskatchewan With good food and great company! loves, it’s BBQ!” Adriana Garcia, Last July we launched our inaugural Summer BBQ Tour. Access Grill Master The goal? To show off our grilling skills! Oh, and to also say THANK YOU to our communities in person. We gave away hot dogs and hamburgers, prizes for kids and even raffled a toy Mercedes Ride-On in support of Humboldt the Access Communications Children’s Fund. Rosetown We love being 100% Saskatchewan-owned and we can’t wait to visit even more of the province on our next barbecue tour. Thanks to all the smiling faces that stopped by in these communities! Bienfait Milestone Humboldt Moosomin Indian Head Nipawin Kindersley Rosetown La Ronge Watrous Maple Creek Weyburn Nipawin Melville Whitewood 7 8 Sponsoring “It is an amazing spaces that venue to bring bring people together Filipino- Canadians.” together. Rey Caparino, Filipino Event Organizer Access Communications recognizes the need for spaces that the community can use for outdoor activities, leisure time and celebrations. That’s why Access makes community spaces available including the Access Community Park and Regina the Access Community Rink. Access also sponsors the Access Communications Water Park in Yorkton. The Access Community Park in Regina has been around since 1989 and is a great place for a quick game of soccer, softball, or baseball. The park may be reserved free of charge by community groups for practices or events. One example is the Filipino Festival, which was a celebration of Filipino food and culture that drew over 1,000 people in 2019. During the winter months, the park is home to the Access Communications Community Rink, a learn-to-skate leisure rink for all ages. The Access Water Park is a draw for families, Yorkton not only in Yorkton but the entire Parkland area in Saskatchewan. The facility features a wave pool, a 25-metre instructional pool, a lazy river, two story waterslide and party room. Access is proud to provide Wi-Fi Internet service throughout the Gallagher Centre to guests free of charge! Access is also a proud sponsor and the exclusive broadcaster for the Regina Pats Hockey Club, the Regina Red Sox baseball team, and many more Saskatchewan clubs of all levels. It’s just another way we help to bring the community together, because that is when great things happen. Regina 9 10 COMMUNITY RINK “Some kids come here and Giving back our time to what put skates on for the very matters most in the community. first time. They take to it Cheers to our volunteers! so fast - it’s unbelievable.” As a not-for-profit co-operative, Access Communications has a special connection with our volunteers. Merv Ekes, We are truly humbled by their enthusiasm and commitment to making Saskatchewan a better place to live. Rink Supervisor They say it takes a village, and ours is made up of the over 300 volunteers who give their time, energy, and talent. Our volunteers are there every week to support our TV Bingo show, they make our fundraising events possible, and they contribute to creating quality community programming on Access7. 300+ Volunteers Over 5400 Volunteer hours Over 30 community events Regina, TV Bingo Volunteers Getting kids out on the ice for the very first time. Everyone deserves to experience the great Canadian pastime of skating. That’s why we built the Access Community Rink in Regina, a learn-to-skate leisure rink for all ages to come and enjoy during the winter months. We offer free skate and helmet rentals thanks to our sponsors and community donations. We also offer skating lessons, hosted by our volunteer coaches, so that even first-timers can confidently give it a try. All this is possible thanks to our Community Rink sponsors. We love them snow much! INSURANCE TRAVEL AUTOMOTIVE REWARDS 11 12 “We are Raising funds overwhelmed & promoting by the great causes. generosity.” At Access Communications, giving back to the communities we serve is a full-time job. We’re proud Kristen Gray, to support over 1,500 community groups. We support Salvation Army these groups by volunteering our time, by providing sponsorships and by promoting their events and programs on Access7. Regina But we also take things a step further and champion important causes through our fundraising events.