Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice
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| Joyce Taylor and Barbara Dunbar at the Pincher Creek Co-op AGM C. Davis photos |
The last few years have been filled with big changes for the Pincher Creek Co-op, starting with the complete remodelling of the grocery store, through to the completion of the new C-Store/gas bar last year. Significantly increased competition has also created some challenges.
On the evening of April 26 Co-op management, staff, and members met at the Heritage Inn for the Annual General Meeting, filling the convention room.
For many present it was a first chance to see, hear, and meet new General Manager David Crowell, who recently became the 16th GM for the organization.
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| MC and retiring VP Cliff Elle |
After everyone had eaten their fill of a roast beef dinner with all the fixings, the meeting proper began.
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| Co-op President Grace MacMillan |
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| New Co-op GM David Crowell |
General Manager David Crowell narrated a brief slideshow that illustrated the Pincher Creek Co-op's history. His easygoing manner seemed to go over well with the crowd. Crowell said that total sales for 2012 were close to $26 million, approximately $3 million up from the year before. The biggest increase came from the new C-Store gas bar, which grossed about $2.7 million, a huge increase over years before. In 2010 it grossed about $1.3 million, for comparison. The Grocery operation was up over the previous couple of years as well at close to $16 million. The Farm and Home grossed close to $16 million, down from the $19 million height it hit in 2008. The Cowley store slipped a little, down about $200,000 from 2010.
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| 10-Year Award recipient Lucy Bachand |
Service Award Recipients
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| 5 Year Award Lacey Oczkowski |
- 10 year - Lucy Bachand
- 5 year - Lacey Oczkowski One Year:
- Amanda Oczkowski
- Lana McCollister
- Bernie Burgart
- Amanda Fischer-Erickson
- Madison Breckenridge
- Nathan Pettersen
- Jessica Brooks
- Chelsea Kocsis
- Brianne Kocsis
- Janet Taylor
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| Pat Moskaluk Member Relations |
Pat Moskaluk represented the Member Relations committee. She spoke of the twice-a-year Anniversary Supper that the Co-op hosts free for those couples who have been married for 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70 years, and for every year thereafter. Moskaluk said there had been only one newsletter printed in the last year, as the new Co-op website (www.pinchercreekcoop.ca) and the "Cooper" Facebook profile provided much more information. (disclosure: that website was created and is maintained by Pincher Creek Multimedia (PCM), as is the "Cooper" profile on Facebook. PCM publishes the Pincher Creek Voice).
Next up to the microphone was Controller Tom Holoboff, who gave a rapid run-down of last year's figures. "It's incredible how the community has supported the Co-op over the years," he said.
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| Katrina, Tom, and Whitney Holoboff C. Davis photos |
Katrina and Whitney Holoboff gave enthusiastic reports about their time with the Co-op Youth Program Camp, hosted by the Alberta Community Co-operative Association (ACCA).
Katrina said she learned "To be the change you want to see in the world." She spoke of the challenges she faced at the camp, including conquering fear when she had to walk across a rope 20 feet up in the air at a rock climbing levee. "It taught me that in order to overcome things you have to try," she said. "You have to trust other people and you have to trust yourself. Conquering fear felt good, and it made me want to conquer everything else there is in the world."
"I never thought I'd get an experience like ACCA, and I did. I never thought I'd be on a Provincial Council for Education, and I did. I got accepted into the University of my dreams, and then I got accepted onto an exchange program where I will get to live in another country for a year. A year ago, that wouldn't have been in my wildest dreams," Katrina continued. "Thanks to ACCA I have the courage to get up and say I want to do something, I want to make a change, I want to be someone I'm proud to look into the mirror at. I wear my experience with pride."
"I'm Tom's other kid," said Whitney when her turn came, " and I don't look like it, but I have the math grades to prove it. ACCA changed me a lot because I used to be one of those kids that was scared to show other people what I was like."
"I've become very bold," she boldly continued. "I'm not very formal, my family doesn't take me out in public," she said to general laughter. "Going to ACCA was just an amazing experience." Whitney said the teamwork activities she participated in taught trust. "It changed me, and through the change in me it changed others."
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| KBPV's Colleen Cyr |
Pincher Creek and District Historical Society President Colleen Cyr again appeared before the membership, as she did last year to tout, the new permanent exhibit being created at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, which will celebrate pioneer businesses in the community, including the Co-op. Part of the exhibit will include antique milk cans, bottles, and burlap sacks which can be emblazoned with the logo of businesses that contribute to the construction of the exhibit. "What I had talked about last year is that the Co-op over the 90 year history of it being in Pincher Creek was in five different buildings, all of which are burned down now," Cyr said, "but we have pictures of everything, so what we're proposing to do is, we're going to build 3-D facades of all five Co-op buildings on the east end of the Beere Hall, in the middle of Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village. On the west side we did facades of the commercial business district of 1900 to 1950...of about six different stores."
"We need to raise a bit of cash to do this," Cyr continued. "I've talked to the Co-op about putting a few dollars into this, but we wanted the community to get involved as well. In the window of the creamery... we're wanting to put cream cans from the families that still might have their cream cans at home, with your name on it, and we have the opportunity to put your cream can in the window of the creamery, where it will stay forever. If you've got your cream can with your name on it, it's $250 to donate it. If you'd like to be part of the project and you don't have a cream can ...at $250 we have some cream cans that we can make available for to you for $50 (extra). The really neat thing about this is, Arnie Thompson is still here, and he's the one who wrote everybody's name on their cream cans for years and years at the Co-op, and he is going to put the names on the cream cans again." Cyr said the burlap feed sacks with people's name or business name on them would also be available for $100, to be part of the loading dock display of the lumber-yard portion of the exhibit.
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| VP Barb Dunbar |
Barb Dunbar gave a report about her attendance with Cliff Elle at the Federated Co-op Limited (FCL) AGM, held last March in Saskatoon. She said one of the big topics of discussion was the fire and explosion at the Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina on October 6, 2011 that sent shockwaves through the Co-op petroleum divisions. Rebuilding is almost complete and construction is underway in Carseland,Alberta where a petroleum terminal is being built to serve retail locations in Alberta and BC. The refinery division led 2011 in profits for FCL.
Dunbar reminded everyone that 2012 is the UNESCO International Year of Co-operatives. She said it was a good time to remember that Co-op is a Heritage brand.
Dunbar said the message of change was prevalent throughout the FCL AGM. The Forestry Product division has been put up for sale. Guest speaker Dianne Buckner of "Dragons' Den" emphasized the customization of consumer items, consumer skepticism, the increased role of social-media marketing, changing demographics, and an increased consumer-driven emphasis on living better through science and technology.
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| Grace MacMillan and Demo Diva Michele Kraus doled out the door prizes |
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| 2012 Board of Directors C. Davis photos |
Co-op Board of Directors 2012
President: Grace MacMillan
Vice-President: Barbara Dunbar
James Cameron
Edwin Janzen
Pat Moskaluk
John Oczkowski
Linda Wollman (new Director)
Allan Wocknitz (new Director)
Recording Secretary: Joyce Taylor
Related links:
Pincher Creek Co-op
FCL's 83rd Annual Meeting recap
KBPV at the Pincher Creek Co-op AGM (2011)
UNESCO 2012 Year of Co-operatives
*See: Highlights from the history of the Pincher Creek Co-operative Association Ltd. compiled by Farley S. Wuth, Curator, Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village
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