The Co-operators

Member Profile

In 1945, a group of Saskatchewan wheat farmers decided to pool their collective resources to start an insurance co-operative. In those first years, many Saskatchewan Wheat Pool field men wore two hats: carrying out the business of the Wheat Pool and selling life insurance for the new company.

The company we know today was born of the dreams and efforts of like-minded organizations that have grown in partnership to become the largest, wholly Canadian-owned, multi-product insurance company. Since our humble beginnings in 1945, each decade has brought with it new challenges and created new milestones that have made us what we are today.

The Co-operators' greatest fundamental strengths are its co-operative structure and community-based approach. The co-operative spirit which inspired their founders almost 60 years ago continues to guide the organization today and into the future.

We are a 100% Canadian-owned company with over 60 years of history as a co-operative. Our member-owners are co-operatives, credit unions and like-minded organizations, representing a variety of sectors and regions across the country. Our focus extends beyond increasing profits and share values, to a concern for satisfying the needs of clients, staff members, member-owners, and communities.

The Co-operators is a member of a vibrant and evolving co-operative movement in Canada. From agriculture to healthcare, coast-to-coast-to-coast, the diversity of our membership is integral to balancing our perspectives. With the establishment of a Quebec region in 2005, we are committed to communicating with member-owners and representative delegates in Canada's two official languages.

Unlike shareholder organizations, The Co-operators Group Limited is 100 per cent democratically controlled and jointly-owned by its co-operative member-owners across Canada. Large or small, each member-owner has one vote. Our member-owners nominate delegates in each region where they have a business presence. From these delegates, our Board of Directors is elected. In this way, our board is representative of our membership.

As a co-operatively owned and controlled organization, we strive towards a meaningful relationship with our member-owners and the broader co-operative and credit union community. Our goal is to be the preferred provider of financial security products and services to member and non-member co-operatives. As well, we are actively involved in the provincial, national, and international co‑operative community through:

1. Customized products and programs 
2. Co-op development and funding
3. Support for studies in co-operatives 
4. Advocacy for the co-op sector 
5. Active participation in co-operative associations

Visit online: www.cooperators.ca