Hamilton's First co-operative grocery store opens this January! Move over Fortino's

The Mustard Seed Co-op

It was truly exciting to visit the Hamilton Downtown Library to be part of the official campaign launch of Hamilton's first ever co-op grocery store, The Mustard Seed. At first, I was wondering what all the hype was about exactly a co-op was? Furthermore, I was wondering what a co-op operation meant for the community. In all honestly, before this presentation I had no clue and so I did what I always do and reached out for some answers before pulling out my wallet to be a member for $100.00.  I am sure many others sat there during the presentation wondering the same questions.
I got in contact with Mustard Seed found out what a co-op actually is and why this is a cause to support in my town.

Below is a great video about this project. The building is purposed to be finished by January 24th 2014. I am learning more each day about the small impacts one city can have on an entire province with their purchasing power.

What Co-op Is and What It Means For The Hamilton Community

• A cooperative is an enterprise that is owned and democratically controlled by its members.

• Cooperatives use the one member/one vote system (not the one-vote-per-share system used by most businesses). This ensures that people, not capital, control the organization.

• Co-ops empower individuals and encourage healthier and stronger communities by enabling people to pool their resources and share risks.

• Co-ops are the fastest growing socioeconomic movement in the world. They exist in virtually every sector of the economy including agriculture, financial services, and housing.

• There are approximately 10 000 cooperatives and credit unions in Canada alone providing products and services to 18 million members!

• Hamilton has a car sharing cooperative, a developing renewable energy co-op, and the Canadian Co-operative Association, among many others.

• While each co-op is unique, they are all membership-based, driven by social as well as economic concerns, and guided by 7 principles, including equality and solidarity.