Calgary Co-op Opts Out of FCL Food Purchasing System

This week Calgary Co-op informed Federated Co-operatives Limited (F-C-L) that it will begin buying food from a private company early next year. Calgary co-op represents the largest wholesale customer for FCL. 

In an email statement, Calgary Co-op spokesperson Sage Pullen McIntosh said its food business “operates in an increasingly challenging economic and competitive market.”

Vic Huard, FCL executive vice-president, said the move will have a “significant” impact on its operations and could affect unionized staff and management at FCL’s distribution centre in Calgary.  https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/fcl-disappointed-by-calgary-co-ops-decision-to-pull-food-purchasing

Alberta Co-op Collaborates to Create Canada’s Healthiest Community

Airdrie Alberta, north of Calgary, hopes to become Canada’s healthiest city with support from the Abrio Health Co-op. Abrio Board Chair, Stan Grad, says Airdrie has partnered with the Blue Zone project which works to create healthier communities through changes to a city’s environment, policy, social and health-care networks. The project launches this fall and runs for three years.

People living in Blue Zones share common lifestyle characteristics that contribute to their longevity including:

-putting family ahead of other concerns

-less smoking

-eating a largely plant-based diet

-moderate, regular physical activity

-community engagement

Examples of Blue Zone communities include Sardinia in Italy, the islands of Okinawa inJapan and Loma Linda, California.

https://discoverairdrie.com/local/airdrie-to-become-first-canadian-blue-zone

Dominican Republic Wants New Co-op Anthem

Co-ops in the Dominican Republic are looking for composers for a co-operative anthem.

The National Co-operative Council has launched a contest for composers and poets to write a song for the co-op movement. 

Entries are expected to reflect the co-operative ethos and specifically refer to the Dominican Republic as well as the co-operative movement. 

The competition is open until 20 September. The selected entry will be announced on 11 October during the 8th Financial Convention of Co-operatives in Punta Cana.

The winner will be awarded 50,000 pesos (£806) from Conacoop, the country’s federation of co-operatives. 

Visit our website for more details ! 

https://www.thenews.coop/141540/sector/regional-organisations/dominican-republic-hunt-co-op-anthem/