Vancouver community theatre — The Rio — is saved
The owner of the Rio Theatre in Vancouver says the deal to buy out the property and save the venue on East Broadway has been completed.
The deal went through after seven months of campaigning to keep the venue’s doors open.
“The overwhelming support from the community to save one of the last independent theatres in Vancouver has been nothing short of amazing,” said a statement from the theatre.
Theatre owner-operator Corinne Lea and her business partner made an offer to buy out the theatre in late February, but they needed to raise more than $3 million for a down payment.
The theatre’s operators relied on fundraising, private investors, celebrity cachet and a $375,000 grant from the City of Vancouver to raise the cash.
On Sept. 17, the theatre is holding two free screenings of The Big Lebowski to celebrate and thank the community.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rio-theatre-1.4814198
Co-ops pitch in for learning garden
The Co-op Community Spaces program has donated $56,000 to help build the Food Eco District Learning Garden at the Greater Victoria Public Library.
The garden will be an outdoor classroom where gardeners and wannabe gardeners can learn how to save seeds, identify local plant species, discover First Nations plant uses and learn how to grow food in urban spaces.
The Co-op Community Spaces program invests in community projects throughout Western Canada. This year, it has given $2 million to 24 organizations. Since 2015, it has donated $6.5 million to 88 projects.
https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/our-community-co-ops-pitch-in-for-learning-garden-1.23419383
There 5.9 million reasons co-op membership makes cents
When the chicken’s on the grill, Otter Co-op customers know the cheque’s in the mail.
In fact, it’s the most anticipated time of the year for the long-standing Fraser Valley organization, says Co-op Board President, Angie McDougall.
Each year, co-op members share in the profits generated, based on how much they spent on fuel, groceries, clothing and housewares, farm supplies and more. And this year, the total distributed amounts to more than $5.9 million.
Otter Co-op has had a lot of success and a big part of that is its people – both co-op members and staff, who put a real emphasis on service, says McDouglall.
The co-op has guests who have shopped with it for 70 years.
Founded in 1922 by a group of Fraser Valley farmers who wanted to combine their purchasing for increased buying power, the 96-year-old Otter Co-op today boasts more than over 32,000 active members.
And what about that chicken on the grill? As a ‘thank you’ to customers, Otter Co-op hosts an annual barbecue chicken dinner.
https://www.langleytimes.com/marketplace/5-9-million-reasons-co-op-membership-just-makes-cents/
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