March 2007

Cooperative Development Services

Fitness Co-ops: A Growing Trend in Prairie Communities

Cooperatives can be put to work in our communities to fill very specific needs. For example, cooperatives have adapted in order to meet community needs of health and wellness. Currently, there are over 50 co-ops providing community service within Manitoba.

One of the most popular types of the community service co-ops are the fitness co-ops which are increasingly popping up in prairie communities. The towns of Birtle, Minnedosa, St. Pierre Jolys, Steinbach, Russell and Ste. Rose du Lac have all opted for community driven fitness facilities.

The idea is simple, communities interested in having fitness facilities need to provide the service for themselves since there is no longer anyone else willing to provide the service.

To start a fitness co-op, the process is simple. Begin by having a community meeting to ensure that there is sufficient interest in the project. Once enough interest has been generated, membership shares can be sold at a rate that will generate enough equity to start the enterprise. Upon the sale of membership shares, the co-op must officially incorporate and all monies raised can be used to purchase equipment and rent a facility.

At this point, the co-op can be opened for business. Each co-op may operate slightly differently, but most choose to charge an annual membership fee to cover the operating expenses of the facility. All fees and services are decided by the members of the co-op at membership meetings where each member is entitled to one vote in the goings on of the co-op.

For example, it took the Minnedosa Fitness Centre 8 months from the time they had an idea to the day they were able to open their door to the public in 1998. With $100.00 membership shares, the cooperative needed at least 50 members ($5,000 in equity) to be able to open their doors. They had no problem attracting these members, and today the cooperative has over 70 members. Members enjoy discounts on their annual user fees, however anyone is welcome to use the facility, and at peak times of the year the facility has over 140 users.

As access to economical health and wellness facilities become increasingly important, fitness co-ops will continue to appear in rural communities.

For more information on fitness co-ops, or any other type of cooperative, please contact Cooperative Development Services at 1-866-MANITOBA (1-866-626-4862) or visit the website at www.co-ops.mb.ca or email co-ops@gov.mb.ca.