Aboriginal Co-operatives in Canada - Centre for the Study of Co ...

6. NWT Aboriginal Co-ops and their Performance within theTerritorial EconomyIn section 6, we analyze NWT co-ops and compare some of the key variables to the NWTeconomy (e.g. employment, retail sales, investment, etc.). This section presupposes that theNWT economy is unique and that the NWT co-ops should be compared (when possible) to theeconomic environment in which they evolve.In 1999, there were 51 co-ops in the NWT incorporated between 1960 and 1994. In 1997, only35 of them responded to the ASCC (a response rate of 69%, which is better than that of the wholeset of Aboriginal co-ops in Canada). Between 1993 and 1997, the number of co-ops respondingto the ASCC fluctuated between 35 and 40. In 1997, 34 out of the 35 co-ops were doing businessin the consumer supply sector; the one co-op was linked to the financial services sector.6.1 MembershipFigure 6.1 Total Members ofNWT Aboriginal Co-ops14,00013,594Membership of NWTAboriginal co-ops increasedfrom 1993 to 1997 at an annual13,00012,00012,23311,396growth rate of 8.9%. This11,51611,000increase was partly due to thehigh population growth in theNWT − 1.7% annually10,0009,0009,857compared to 1.12% in Canada.8,000Figure 6.1 displays a1993 1994 1995Yearsdecreasing curve between 19951996 1997and 1996, due mainly to the inactivity of three co-ops that totaled about 1000 members in 1995.One big co-op (more than 800 members), located in Iqaluit was among these inactive co-ops.Nevertheless, NWT Aboriginal co-ops continue to be popular and attract new membership everyyear. In 1997, 20% of the population in the NWT was a member of a non-financial co-op,compared to 15.7% at the Canadian level.Number of Members106