Passion for Possibilities 4/26/07 3:29 PM Page 1
A Passion for Possibilities Passion for Possibilities 4/26/07 3:29 PM Page 2 Passion for Possibilities 4/26/07 3:29 PM Page 3
Co-operatives and Communities in British Columbia
Edited and with Conclusion by Joy Emmanuel
New Rochdale Press An imprint of The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies Passion for Possibilities 4/26/07 3:29 PM Page 4
Copyright 2007 The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
A passion for possibilities : co-operatives and communities in British Columbia / edited and with conclusion by Joy Emmanuel.
Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-55058-353-3
1. Cooperative societies--British Columbia--Case studies. I. Emmanuel, Joy, 1955- HD2990.A3B74 2007 334'.0971 C2007-901085-7
Cover and book design by Carol Sokoloff Printed in Canada
The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies University of Victoria University House - Room P.O. Box , STN. CSC Victoria, B.C., VW R Canada
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Acknowledgements
A Passion for Possibilities is the British Columbia Institute for Co-opera- tive Studies’ first effort at understanding the diverse role of co-operatives in its home province. This is an exciting but complex subject, in part because historians and other researchers have almost completely ignored the roles of co-operatives in the province’s development, despite its rich history and current significance. Financed largely from grants from the B.C. government in , and , as well as support from the University of Victoria and contributions from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this study explores co-operatives, past and present, in seven regions in the province. We are indebted to the leaders and members of co-operatives in those regions for their generous help, availability for interviews, and good advice. We hope they will find what we have produced accurate and helpful. The Institute is indebted to Kathleen Gabelmann for her signifi- cant role in conceptualizing the project, for contributing her intimate knowledge of many of the regions considered here, for her work with the students who undertook much of the research, and for her contri- bution during the early editorial stages. We are indebted to many students who undertook research and wrote sections of this book. We are particularly indebted to Laura Sjolie, who contributed to several sections of the research and writing, notably the Cowichan Valley, Dawson Creek, and Nelson as well as for her work in restructuring and developing the content for the commu- nity studies. Ryan George developed the statistical background that informed the project. Katie Rollwagen and Julia Smith researched and wrote about the Prince Rupert region. Nicole Chaland prepared the original study on Commercial Dive and assisted with the research on Dawson Creek. Kevin Wilson was the lead writer on the Malcolm Island study and an assistant reader of final drafts. Lloy Wylie and Gabe Haythornthwaite assisted with the research in Prince Rupert, Victoria Bowman in the Cowichan Valley and Commercial Drive, and Colleen Shepherd in Nelson. Kristen Sinats helped with some of the early editing of the results of the research. Eryk Martin contributed to Passion for Possibilities 4/26/07 3:29 PM Page 6
the work on Vancouver Island and assisted with updating and devel- opment