GUELPH, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 12, 2011) - With the interest in local organic food exploding, West End Food Co-op offers a prototype for inner-city food co-ops.
On Oct. 19, it will be honored with Ontario Co-operative Association's 2011 Innovative Co-operative Award, to be presented at the Annual Co-op Gala held at the Burlington, Ont. Royal Botanical Gardens.
West End Food Co-op (westendfood.coop) was founded in 2008 in Toronto's Parkdale neighborhood. The co-op united the efforts of various community members who wanted to improve local food security and public health. It started by launching a weekly farmers' market, creating a community cannery to teach consumers how to preserve their own food, and assisting local farmers and consumers to connect.
In the coming months, the co-op will launch a retail store and food hub in the Parkdale Community Health Centre that will feature local, organic and Fair Trade products. The store renovation will be performed by another not-for- profit co-op that specializes in green and natural building, the Fourth Pig Worker Co-op. West End Food Co-op also plans to use bicycles in its delivery fleet and online ordering to ensure everyone in the community, regardless of ability, is able to access healthy, local food.
West End Food Co-op is "an inspiring model of creative grassroots co-op development," says Russ Christianson of Rhythm Communications, a longtime co-operative developer.
The co-operative is owned by approximately 350 members, including farmers, consumers, co-op workers and community partners.
Ten other leaders will also be celebrated at the awards banquet, bringing the total number of honorees to 110 since 1999, the inception of the Co-op Spirit Award. The banquet is the culmination of a daylong conference that draws up to 250 co-operative and credit union directors, employees, and supporters from across the province. Its theme is "Gearing Up," and is one of the first events in Canada to launch the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives in 2012. More than a billion people belong to co-operative organizations worldwide and will be celebrating the International Year in 2012.
Ontario has more than 1300 co-ops, with 1900 locations in 400 Ontario communities. Ontario co-operatives employ more than 15,500 people and are supported by a network of 49,000 volunteers.
On Co-op, based in Guelph, Ont., is a resource and common voice for Ontario credit unions and co-operatives, with a mission to lead, cultivate and connect the Ontario co-operative movement. Visit www.ontario.coop to learn more.