Sointula Cooperative Store Association Collection

The Sointula Cooperative Store collection contains documents, photos and artifacts in English and Finnish languages. The Sointula Cooperative Store is the oldest continuously operating co-op in Western Canada. Sointula's community formed the co-op in November 1909. The first 26 members were signed up December 1st. With original capital of $500, and $1500 borrowed from settlers, minimal equipment and inventory was purchased. On December 4th, 1909 the store opened for business with Alfred Waino as general manager. The Annual General Meetings were community events, known as "Eating Meetings" (so named since the length of the meetings necessitated having a meal). Meetings were initially conducted in Finnish, followed by English. Early Cooperative "Eating Meetings", not only conducted Cooperative business, but also functioned as the de facto government. Here community work projects and items of importance to the community were discussed and acted on, as part of the meeting. The main Sointula Cooperative Store has had 3 locations to date, and has been a community hub for shopping, socializing and political commentary. The first store was built in 1909, and burnt down on October 4th 1933. The second store was built in 1933-1934. This building burnt down on November 26, 1953, but at this point it was a rooming house, restaurant and bakery. A man named D. Taylor rented this building from the Sointula Cooperative Store Association. The current 8100 square foot store was built in 1950. The digitized selections include: 10 photos spanning 1909 -1950s; the founding document in Finnish that would form the Sointula Cooperative Store Association Constitution; the English and Finnish bilingual edition of the Constitution Booklet from 1933; 11 Certificate of Shares of the Capital Stock dated 1912-1920; the meeting minutes from the Building Committee from 1933, after fire destroyed the Cooperative Building (In Finnish language); the English Translation of the meeting minutes; and 5 selected pages from the Sointula Cooperative Store Ledger from the year 1911. Sointula's history is one of hard work and Utopian ideals. It is exemplified in the history of the Sointula Cooperative Store Association. This project is generously supported by the University of British Columbia's Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, through its British Columbia History Digitization Program. For research inquiries, please contact the Museum Manager at the Sointula Museum