Incorporation

Incorporation.

Federal vs. Provincial incorporation for co-ops

How to incorporate a co-operative in Ontario

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FactSheets

The following factsheets provide a general overview and guide to selected topics in co-op development.  They are suitable for those people that need to answer a particular question quickly or need a fast overview of a particular topic.  These factsheets are also suitable to be distributed in hardcopy as part of a literature rack or as a resource to clients.

This is an overview of the Alberta Cooperatives Act.

Alberta Cooperatives Act - Bylaw Requirements

Alberta Cooperatives Act - Cooperatives Regulation

Alberta Cooperatives Act

This is a transcription of the third CoopZone Telelearning Session on co-op legislation, presented by lawyer, Richard Bridge and developer, Marty Frost.  

The URL below will take you to a link with a downloadable copy of the recording of this tele-learning session, which last approximately 90 minutes. The attachment, also below, will take you to a summary transcript of the session.

A comparison of two business models.

These guidelines were developed several years ago, and are presented as an outline of the requirements for a good set of bylaws by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives.

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How do you Incorporate a Co-operative without share capital? 

To incorporate a co-operative without share capital, you need to send to the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, Licensing and Enforcement Division: 

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How do you Incorporate a Co-operative with Share Capital? 

To incorporate a co-operative with share capital, you need to send Credit Unions and Co-operatives 

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WHAT CO-OPERATIVES CAN DO FOR YOU  AND YOUR COMMUNITY 

For many years, Ontarians have used co-operatives as a way of combining their energy, skills, and resources to reach shared goals and fulfil common needs. People form co-ops to: 

A How-to guide for starting a co-op in Ontario under various conditions

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• WHAT CO-OPERATIVES CAN DO FOR YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY 
• For many years, Ontarians have used co-operatives as a way of combining their energy, skills, and resources to reach shared goals and fulfil common needs. People form co-ops to: 
• ! Lower the cost of business supplies and consumer goods. Because business service co-ops and consumer supply co-ops buy in bulk, members benefit from lower costs on everything from food to fertilizers. 
• ! Start their own businesses and create their own jobs. Worker co-ops are enterprises owned and operated by their employees. Worker co-ops can be formed for any business purpose, from carpentry to film production. 
• ! Get better prices for products and services. By forming marketing or producer co-ops, people can earn more from their products and services by selling directly to the public. These co-ops also help producers lower their marketing and distribution costs. 
• ! Obtain convenient, reasonably priced child care. Child care co-ops give parents an important role in shaping the care of their children. 
• ! Find affordable housing and have a chance to help make the decisions about the upkeep of their homes. 
• The co-operative way of doing business and providing services is guided by some basic principles: • ! Open, Voluntary Membership: Anyone who can use a co-op's services and is willing to accept the responsibilities of membership may apply to become a member. 
• ! Democratic Control: Members have an equal voice in running their co-op. Each member has one vote, no matter how much he or she has invested, and only members may vote. 
• ! Limited Return on Capital: Since the main purpose of co-ops is to provide goods, services or jobs for their members, people do not generally invest in co-ops for speculative purposes. By law, co-op shares may appreciate in value only to a limited extent.
• ! Co-operative Education: Co-ops are committed to educating their members and the general public about the co-operative way of delivering services and doing business. 
• ! Co-operation among Co-operatives: To encourage the growth of co-ops, co-operatives and co-op organizations actively develop local, provincial, national, and international networks. 

New Brunswick incorporation forms.

Forms for registering a business in Newfoundland and Labrador can be downloaded at this site.

Information on registering a co-operative in Saskatchewan, including relevant parts of the Co-op Act.

Co-ops By Design is a clearly written guidebook, with a focus on BC, designed to help you help yourself. It takes you through the process of developing your co-op, from forming your core group, to developing your business plan, to starting your co-op operations.

This section of the Co-operatives Secretariat website provides information on co-op legislation, forming a co-op, and co-op development support for each province individually.