Today, Mid Island Co-op has over 25,000 members who own 9 gas bars with convenience stores and the familiar landmark on Bowen Road, Co-op Centre which houses Coastal Community Credit Union, Medichair, Diana’s Garden Centre and Liquidation World. All of our profits stay in the community through allocations to our members or contributions to local organizations.
“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.”
-quoted from “What is a Co-operative?”
International Co-operative Alliance
Our Vision
“We are a model co-operative, pioneering opportunities and sustaining profitable, vibrant and ethical businesses using environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices. We are recognized leaders, supporting and enriching our members and communities.”
Our Mission Statement
“We are a member-owned, Canadian business, modeling the values of the International Co-operative Alliance, enriching our members and communities by operating in a socially responsible, environmentally friendly and ethical manner. ” (adopted 2005)
Our members are our owners
Mid Island Co-op was created by local citizens as an alternative way to provide themselves with goods and services. It is entirely owned by its members and it is democratically controlled. Mid Island’s more than 25,000 members can vote for a Board of Directors of nine people, three in each year, for a three year term. The Directors hire the General Manager and set policy directions for the co-op. Mid Island, like most co-operatives, is about people, not just profits. Ownership is open and voluntary – anyone can apply to join.
We provide ourselves with services
Mid Island Co-op provides the public and members with heating fuel, propane, diesel, and gasoline. Please follow the links to our Petroleum Division pages to find out more.
Membership is open and voluntary – and it pays to join!
Membership costs just $10.00 but non-members are welcomed at Mid Island Co-op. Anyone can take advantage of our very competitive prices and services. We have no outside shareholders to please so our bottom line is people, service and our community. We purchase the best value-for-money items for our member/owners and customers.
Our earnings stay in the community
Our profits stay right here in our community, either through re-investment in our co-op or through allocations to our member/owners who accumulate equity in their co-op. For the last two years, being an owner of the co-op meant a 4% return on gas purchases, 1% on food, and 3.5% on home heating fuel. With the Co-op’s additional saving of up to 4% on gas through our fuel card, can you afford not to join and shop Co-op?
Mid Island Co-op is socially responsible
The member/owners of Mid Island Co-op live and work right here so we care about our community. While we have all the struggles of any business, we do care about good jobs, purchasing our products as close to home as we can. People who support the co-op get good prices plus rebates. They are also investing in their community, and they are contributing to a progressive, world-wide movement for economic democracy
Mid Island Co-op works hard to carry out its mandate of social responsibility. You’ll find just some of our involvement on our Community pages. Mid Island Co-op welcomes ideas and suggestions about how we can be involved in the community in positive, capacity-building ways.
We’re part of a world-wide community of co-operatives
Mid Island Co-op is part of a worldwide movement of co-operatives — people helping people — around the globe. The global co-operative community is represented by the International Co-operative Association.(ICA)
Over 730 million people in more than 100 countries are members of co-operatives. The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and the BC Co-operative Association (BCCA) are part of the ICA.
Most co-operatives belong to the ICA through their provincial organization. It has been said that we should ‘think globally and act locally.’ One important way to do that is to support co-operatives.
Co-operatives are based on a set of Principles
Co-operatives are based on a set of internationally developed principles that guide their actions. Through co-operative, citizen-based development, the ICA and its members work for important goals such as social justice, peace and democracy around the world.
