Efforts are brewing in Sooke to keep a popular local coffee shop percolating.
When Bernie Klassen first heard that The Stick in the Mud was closing on April 13, he wasted no time in getting down to business with his regular coffee mates Wendy O’Connor and Jim Meunier.
“The Stick is closing, we need to start a co-op,” said Klassen, a retired farmer who first got acquainted with O’Connor and Meunier over coffee at the popular cafe.
Meunier, a retired stone mason, took what The Stick in the Mud means to him personally a step further by sharing that he met his wife, Anita Wood there.
“I proposed to her at the Stick,” he said. “The owner, David Evans, came to our wedding and brought a salmon.”
Wendy O’Connor, a retired musician, said that although the trio of friends knew next to nothing about starting a co-op, they ran with the idea immediately.
“We’re trying to ensure we continue to have this great community hub,” O’Connor said.
Meunier said they studied examples of other co-ops and spoke to people involved in a number of successful ones, including The Makehouse Co-op in Victoria, a sewing haven for like-minded folks.
“They’re a good example of transitioning from a sole proprietor to a co-op,” Klassen said. “It took them one year, and we’re trying to get it done in about three months.”
O’Connor said they also reached out to Co-Operatives First, a co-op based in Saskatoon that helps create co-ops in Western Canada.
“With their help, we incorporated to form a co-op,” she said. “All the paper work is done and we have a legal co-op, Sooke Community Investment Co-op.”
The three retirees are working to raising $250,000 by the end of July by selling a lifetime membership for 30 shares for $1 each.
Yearly patronage dividends for members will be based on the amount of coffee they buy.
“The more coffees you buy, the bigger the dividend,” O’Connor said.
Investor shares start at $500, and the aim is to provide a yearly return for investment shares, something just above the rate of inflation, with the goal of paying back everyone’s investment shares within five to eight years.
“That works out to 500 people at $500 investor shares, or 8,338 membership shares at $30 each,” Meunier noted with a laugh. “This is a multi stakeholder effort.”
Although they face a daunting task, the three have already raised $46,000 strictly by word of mouth from like-minded locals who don’t want to lose The Stick.
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Klassen said they’ve also started discussions with a bank about financing, if necessary.
“Our goal, of course, is to raise the money in the community,” he said.
“We’re starting a media blitz to get the word out as well,” O’Connor said.
Plans also include keeping the staff of about 15. “The staff is a big part of the character of The Stick,” Meunier said.
“The ultimate goal is to transition to a fully worker-owned co-op. ‘They are amazing.”
The Stick in the Mud’s manager and barista, Garrath Morgan, has been there since the beginning.
“I Started as a customer when they opened in 2007,” he said between pours. “I’ve been involved with coffee my whole working life. When we heard it was closing, it was heartwarming to see the response. I think it’s amazing what Bernie, Jim and Wendy are trying to do. I fully support what the three of them are doing, and I believe all of the staff feel the same way.”
Evans said while he supports their efforts to create a co-op, he is not going to change the closing date of July 23. He is opening the Roastoreum, a wholesale roasting operation and a small retail outlet for beans at the end of July.
“It does make things a little more difficult in terms of my current plans,” Evans said. “I’ll probably become a co-op member. I’ve been meeting with their steering committee regularly and fully support them, and wish them the best. Sooke deserves a place like this.”
“What David has created here is absolutely amazing,” O’Connor concurred.
To make a pledge or for more information email info@sookecoop.ca, or check out www.sookecoop.ca.
There are several co-ops in Sooke, including Frances Gardens Co-operative Housing, Sooke Sailing Co-op, and Sooke Lake Modular Home Co-operative Association.
