Co-operatives First is a non-profit organization funded by Federated Co-operatives Limited and the Co-operative Retailing System. Founded in 2016, the organization provides co-op start-up resources, such as business coaching, online courses, and incorporation support to rural and Indigenous entrepreneurs across western Canada. Our goal is to help leaders in these communities build new businesses, grow local economies, and support community development.
“We acknowledge that we are located on Treaty Six territory, home of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dene, Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda, and Métis nations. We acknowledge that this land was not ceded, but that the purpose of the treaties was to ensure the land would be shared.
Indigenous people have been cooperating in these territories for thousands of years, and it is through cooperation that all our communities will continue to thrive.”
