<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> The definition of a co-op in Canada is not exactly the same as the definition as provided in a previous posting to this list. The co-operative movement in Canada has a long history, rooted primarily in rural Canada. Today, there are many co-operatives - housing, daycare, retail, farm, etc. They all have one thing in common, the co-operative is owned by the membership who make the decisions concerning its operation. My family belongs to a co-operative where we purchase our week's groceries, our spring garden supplies, clothing, footwear, appliances, hardware items, etc. We pay a weekly membership fee which pays for the day-to-day operational costs and we own shares in the co-op. As a member I am able to ask for special items to be carried on the store shelves and so the co-op carries a number of gf products at a considerably lower cost to us than what we find at other local gf suppliers. Janet Thomas, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada [log in to unmask]