Kootenay School of the Arts, Centre of Craft and Design Cooperative

Date of Incorporation: July 16, 1996

Membership: 105 (July 2001)

Activity: KSA is an arts school that offers diplomas in art, craft and design and a certificate of proficiency in studio. They have seven studios including Jewellery and Small Object Design, Metal, Wood Products Design, Clay, Fiber, Writing and Mixed media.

Organisational form: Co-operative post-secondary educational institution

Area served: West Kootenay region, British Columbia and beyond

BCICS note:

The story about the Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative presented here is offered in two parts. The first section, Kootenay School of the Arts Defies the Odds, was written in 1995 by Margaret Chrumka, former director of Kootenay School of the Arts. Chrumka's excellent account tells of the early development of the Kootenay School of the Arts, prior to its incorporation as a co-operative.  This narrative was originally published by the BC Working Group on Community Economic Development and the BC Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture as part of the collection of stories in Sharing Stories, Community Economic Development in British Columbia. When the resource became out of print, the BCWGCED and the Ministry gave copyright permis­sion to Simon Fraser University's Community Economic Development Centre.  Now Sharing Stories is available as a permanent resource on the SFU CED Centre website:

http://www.sfu.ca/cedc/gateway/sharing/chap7.htm

Kootenay School of the Arts Defies the Odds is reprinted here with the permission of SFU's CED Centre.

Following Chrumka's narrative, which tells about KSA until 1995, is the case study that is the result of research undertaken by BCICS in the early spring of 2001. It picks up the story of KSA just as it is morphing into an innovative and unique education co­operative.

Kootenay School of the Arts Defies the Odds By Margaret Chrumka, 1995

Today, the community of Nelson is home to the flourishing Kootenay School of the Arts. The story of the community's fight to bring the School back to life after it was twice closed is one of determina­tion, vision and boundless commitment.

Arts education has a long history in this relatively isolated, mountain town. In 1958, members of the community created the Nelson School of Fine Arts which offered art, music, ballet, and drama classes during the summer months. The School quickly evolved and in the early 60s, began offering full-time, year-round arts programming.

During the planning and expansion of the Nelson School of Fine Arts, board members involved a diverse cross-section of the community. Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the United Church, the school board, and other community leaders participated in decision-making and in lobbying the provincial government to recognise and support the institution.

The Board also changed the school's name from the Nelson School of Fine Arts to Kootenay School of Art to impress upon the community and surrounding area that the institution was a regional school and that more than fine arts was taught there.

Losing its first two homes

In 1969, Kootenay School of Art entered an agreement with Notre Dame University of Nelson (NDU). Students could earn a Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree by taking the required academic courses at NDU and arts-related courses at the School. In 1977, however, the provincial government shut down NDU. Two years later, Kootenay School of Art became the visual arts department of the university's reincarnation, David Thompson University Centre (DTUC).

The majority of courses offered at DTUC were in the arts: music, theatre, visual arts, creative writ­ing, photography, graphic arts, and creative woodworking. Community members look back fondly on the DTUC days and recall performances which brought the disciplines together.

For all its promise, however, DTUC had an unwieldy administrative structure which involved the local college and the University of Victoria trying to work co-operatively at one institution. In 1988, DTUC was closed by the provincial government. Despite 25 years of arts education, the doors were also shut on the Kootenay School of Art.

No one had ever imagined that this could happen twice to a community. People had come to see Nelson as a college town and were proud of their access to post-secondary education. The schools had become part of the community's intellectual and cultural identity, and their closure was a tremen­dous social and economic blow.

Rumours that the provincial government was planning to move DTUC's library collection to the University of Victoria were the last straw for some community members. They organised an Action Committee under DTUC's existing Support Society. Supporters were regularly bussed from Nelson to the Legislative Building in Victoria to demonstrate against the removal of the library collection. Action Committee members also organised a sit-in at the DTUC library to ensure that the collection remained intact and in Nelson.

 CBC Radio picked up the story, as did provincial and national newspapers, indicating how rare it is for a community to go to such lengths to preserve access to education.

The sit-in lasted 96 days, ending when the provincial government agreed to keep the library in Nel­son.

From Kootenay School of Art to Kootenay School of the Arts

Betty Daniel was part of the library sit-in. She was also a member of the DTUC Support Society and now sits on KSA's board of directors. She says that once the library issue was settled, Society mem­bers raised funds to make sure the library was adequately run. The Society also worked to foster community education and bring some sort of post-secondary education back to the community.

In 1990, another group organised a community think-tank to see if it would be possible to re-estab­lish a university in the region. At the time, members of the Support Society were not convinced this could work. The Support Society organised another community think-tank to examine the arts needs of the community and the possibility of rejuvenating Kootenay School of Art. The result was a work­ing committee made up of artists, educators, arts administrators, and other community representa­tives and activists. This volunteer committee met faithfully every week over the next year and grap­pled with issues like funding, location, and curriculum. In September 1991 their vision became a reality and Kootenay School of Art was resurrected as Kootenay School of the Arts (KSA).

In the first year, 80 students registered in community interest courses ranging from theatre and mask-making, to weaving and advanced poetry. Classes were held in the Anglican Church hall, a weaver's studio, the former university's student union building, and a local heritage theatre. The City of Nel­son donated a room on the third floor of City Hall and took care of the school's phone and fax costs. This support confirmed that the City recognised the important contribution made by KSA to the community's social and economic well-being.

Many of the working committee members brought their own art school experiences to the planning table. They deliberated over the most appropriate method of instruction and finally agreed that work­ing artists, rather than individuals with Masters in Fine Arts, would be the best instructors. The committee wanted KSA students to receive an education which would allow them to become inde­pendent, working artists.

But paying instructors a salary commensurate with their abilities was a big problem. The fact that instructors were willing to work for a substantially decreased wage is a credit to their commitment to the School.

Local writer Tom Wayman, had this to say about KSA in a 1992 article he wrote for the Toronto Star: Every Wednesday this winter I get into my truck and drive 60 kilometres over the snowy roads from my mountain home into Nelson, BC. The purpose of my weekly trip is to teach a university-level introductory course in writing. Despite my deeply held adherence to, and active participation in, faculty unionism, I conduct this class for the princely sum of $75 a week. With absolutely no ben­efits. I do this for one reason: love.

Although salaries have increased a little since 1991, instructors are still not being adequately compensated. This is an issue of concern to KSA and is gradually being addressed.

Regaining provincial government support

In October 1991, the New Democratic Party (NDP) won the provincial election. While in opposition, the NDP had promised to return post-secondary education to the Kootenays. During the election campaign, the NDP candidate for Nelson-Creston, Corky Evans, and party leader Mike Harcourt said that, if elected, their government would look at this issue.

For the year following the election, members from KSA lobbied Evans, other members of the legisla­ture, cabinet ministers and Premier Mike Harcourt to ensure that the promise would be kept. These efforts were time-consuming and challenging.

In November, 1992, the government formed a Review Panel, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology; the Ministry of Economic Development, Small Business and Trade; and the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry Responsible for Culture. The Kootenay Post-Secondary Education and Training Review Panel, chaired by Dr. Margaret Fulton, began an exhaustive look at the education and training needs of the Kootenays. The intention was to
present a report to cabinet outlining recommendations for the area.

Dr. Fulton began her review by touring the East and West Kootenays and meeting with people who had a stake in education and training. She interviewed people who ran apprenticeship programs at the pulp mill in Castlegar, she met with representatives of Selkirk College and East Kootenay Commu­nity College, and she met with the volunteers who had been working for Kootenay School of the Arts.

Dr. Fulton produced a report called The Kootenay Learning Culture. She recommended that the government should provide adequate start-up and ongoing funding for Kootenay School of the Arts, as an integral part of the community infrastructure of the Kootenays. She also said that KSA should continue to nurture the spirit of volunteerism and retain its connections with local artists.

The reasons why Dr. Fulton recommended support for KSA were varied. The School had good enrollment and had been innovative in fundraising. The province was not interested in supporting a higher learning institution which would require a large infusion of cash. Her recommendations were presented to cabinet in June, 1993, and KSA now felt it had the credibility it needed to offer full-time studies.

The provincial government announced its support for KSA shortly after the release of Dr. Fulton's report. The School received $75,000 as well as a commitment for future support.

This funding allowed KSA to clear another hurdle, but did little to lower the ones ahead. The School still had to secure more studios in a town where it was becoming increasingly difficult to find space and where rental prices were rising astronomically.

One of the School's philosophies was to keep the city as campus. KSA wanted community members to feel they had a stake in the School and its survival. To this end, KSA searched for a permanent downtown location.

Finding a new home

With provincial funding in place, the School actively began to form renting and leasing partnerships with the City of Nelson and community members. A downtown heritage building was selected as the perfect site to house the School's burgeoning clay department. The City was using only part of this large granite building for its electrical works and it agreed to lease a portion to KSA. The fair lease terms arrived at again demonstrated the city's commitment to the project.

As with the other deals KSA negotiated with the City, the resolution benefited both parties. One of the underlying principles of the School was that any negotiations should help and support all parties involved. With the support of Canada Employment grants and funds from BC Foundations, KSA renovated the space and offered larger clay classes. When another downtown building came available six months later, KSA negotiated with the City of Nelson to take it over. The local service club, which had financed the construction of the building in the early 60s, had an agreement with the City stipulating that the structure would always be used for public purposes. Although it was a bit small for KSA purposes, the School agreed to accept the lease.

During the spring and summer of 1994, the building was gutted and converted into a space which now houses KSA's painting and drawing studio, a textiles studio and jewelry studio, as well as the school's library, and administrative offices.

KSA has grown from a one-room office run by volunteers, with studios spread out across town, to having its own building with most of the studios and a full-time paid staff to run the School.

KSA becomes a partner in provincial skills training strategy

In June 1994, KSA received another boost from the provincial government. With its Skills Now! Initiative, the government recognised what the community had been saying for many years: when people have access to post-secondary education, they will develop skills for employment. The Minis­ter of Skills, Training and Labour announced a commitment of $175,000 to KSA for the 1994/95 fiscal year with $400,000 to be allocated each subsequent year. This support gave KSA the security to consider more growth. The School began making plans to offer a full-time credit program starting September, 1994. As a result of a credit transfer agreement signed between KSA and Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, KSA was able to offer a first-year program which was comparable to the one offered at Emily Carr. The understanding was that first-year KSA graduates would be eligible to transfer to Emily Carr and complete their diplomas.

The school's operations

KSA had never had trouble filling its community interest courses so the staff was confident that there would be enough local interest to fill the inaugural first-year class. Fifty students applied for 25 full-time spots during the spring of 1994. With instructors, studios, and students in place, KSA was for the first time in ten years offering full-time credit studies!

The first-year class are mainly students from the East and West Kootenays with a couple of students from outside the region. The goal in 1995 is to increase enrollment to 80 full-time, first-year students, and to offer a second-year program in September.

With plans to triple enrollment, KSA is working on yet another move. The School recently received a $1.8 million Infrastructure Works grant to upgrade and expand the downtown heritage building which houses the clay department and the Nelson Electrical Substation. The money comes from a combina­tion of sources: $600,000 each from the federal and provincial governments, $300,000 from the City of Nelson and $300,000 from KSA itself. Renovations will start in August, 1995 and the City has offered the School a 50-year lease. The move into this building, planned for 1996, will complete KSA's dream of using the city as campus to become an accessible, downtown post-secondary arts institution.

Being lodged in a community-owned building will make the future of the Kootenay School of the Arts more secure. Renovation plans include space which can be sublet if the school's funding dries up. In this way, KSA will be able to stay open even if funding is reduced or cut altogether. Finding ways to generate income independently of government has been an important concern for KSA staff and supporters.

The School has recently received another boost to its long-term security - a grant of $1 million from the provincial government to endow a permanent chair in wood design at the School. The interest from the endowment will be used annually to fund a year-long position in the wood program. Artists from around the world with expertise in wood design will be encouraged to apply for the position. The person will split his/her time between teaching at KSA and acting as a consultant to regional industry. The Chair is a way to bring expertise and information into the region on an on-going basis thus encouraging the development of a local value-added industry. Moreover, the fund will provide a guaranteed base of income which will allow the School to offer a three-year furniture design program - the only one of its kind in western Canada.

The KSA Round Table

The working committee, which started the School, decided early on that if KSA was ever re-born, it would be run by consensus. These days, the School is governed by a non-hierarchical body called the Round Table, which meets twice a month. Decisions are reached through consensus, with members at times agreeing to disagree. Many of the original working committee members sit at this 12-member table, and a number of people who were members of the original David Thompson University Centre Support Society, sit at the table alongside them.

The School's philosophy is that those affected by a decision should have a say in that decision so faculty, staff, and a varying number of students are also represented at the Round Table. The School believes students who have a say in their own education will be more likely to succeed outside the school setting.

The ultimate success of Kootenay School of the Arts depends on continued funding, the ability to continue hiring quality instructors and staff, the ability to recruit students who are interested in studying in a rural area, and the commitment and support of the community.

KSA has grown out of an environment where higher learning is valued. As a learning institution, the School now has a role in nurturing that value and providing educational opportunities to those who shape the institution - the people of the community.

Important note: Kootenay School of the ArtsDefies the Odds

Copyright 1997, Simon Fraser University Community Economic Development Centre, unless prior copyright is indicated herein. You are welcome to make a copy for your own use, pro­vided this copyright paragraph is included in full and credit is given. For any other duplication or distribution purpose (profit or non-profit), please contact the CED Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC Canada, V5A 1S6, Phone (604) 291 5850, Fax (604) 291-5473

Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative

 (BCICS contribution)

KSA Co-operative's vision

The purpose of Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative is to provide a high quality learning environment which educates designers, artists and craftspeople primarily as studio practitioners. KSA delivers an education that maximizes opportunities for a successful career or further training in studio arts. KSA pursues research and development opportunities integral to our educational goals. KSA enhances the growth of art, craft and design expertise and their relationship to society.¹

From Society to Co-operative

In its early stages of development, in order to be recognised as a legal, responsible entity by various agencies, including government, the Kootenay School of the Arts (KSA) had established itself as a society.  As a formal organisation the school was able to meet the criteria for obtaining grants; and, once a year the school was obligated to report its activities to the Registrar of Societies. By all accounts the school functioned well as a society, and it was not until 1995 that KSA had to reconsider its legal status. In 1995 the Round Table decided it was appropriate to increase the school's capacity by offering students two- and three-year diplomas. Up to that point KSA had offered a one-year diploma in conjunction with a credit transfer arrangement with the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design located in Vancouver,

B.C. The Society Act, however, prohibited KSA from expanding its programs beyond the one-year program.

The consequence of these circumstances was that KSA's Round Table - its decision- making body - began to look for an organisational structure that would better suit the school's goals.  Several lawyers in the community recommended that the school become an institute, but the Emily Carr Institute resisted the idea of a second art institute in British Columbia and KSA did not pursue the idea any further. Another option, that of becoming an incorporated company did not appeal to Round Table members for several reasons including complicated tax implications and issues around private ownership. Ultimately, KSA chose a co-operative legal form - it did not have any restrictions on granting diplomas, and as a member recalls: "It suited our mood." Founding member Allen Ramsden explained that the "co-operative principles of democratic member control, autonomy and concern for the community along with the values of education and member participation mirrored the ideals upon which the Round Table was organised."

There were other contributing factors that led to choosing the co-operative model; for example, the Round Table was influenced by the experience of members with strong co-operative roots.  Long-time Kootenay resident and then Round Table member Helen Stevenson was a founding member of the Delta Co-op situated in Argenta, B.C.  Delta Co-op was a co-operative structured and organised according to the Friends' Method, an approach used by Quakers.²  Helen's in-depth experience with a consensus-based co-operative undoubtedly contributed to the decision to select a co-operative model of education for KSA.

The founders of the KSA Co-operative point out that their decision to organise as a co-operative was aided immensely [and likely reinforced] by the able advice and attention they received from a lawyer who was knowledgeable about the co-op model. Members of the Round Table worked for eight months with Bill Wright, a lawyer with both extensive experience working with co-ops and a thorough understanding of the particular ideas of co-operativism. According to founding members, Wright possessed "one of the best legal minds in co-ops." Together, Round Table members and Wright developed a framework for how the co-op structure could be applied to post-secondary education. This approach to the administration of an educational institution required a great deal of professional insight and group creativity.

KSA's life as a co-op began officially, that is it was incorporated, on July 16, 1996; however, the school did not receive its documents from the Registrar's office until a month later. As things go, Kootenay School of the Arts declared on September 1^st that it was operating as a co-operative and a few weeks later it conducted its first annual general meeting.

Governance Model

As a co-operative, KSA maintained the Round Table that had survived all the schools's previous organisational changes.  (In the spring of 2001, two members of the original Round Table were sitting as directors.) The Round Table constitutes the co-op's Board of Directors and as such it is the governing body of the co-op. It is also considered to be the institution's 'employer'.  The Round Table is comprised of four sectors: three students, one representing each year; four faculty members; two administrative staff (including the executive director); and seven members of the community.  Each sector can be viewed as a distinct population with specific interests and concerns. Alan Ramsden explained that the idea of 'sector representation' was adapted from the B. C. Fruit Growers Association, whose member co-ops each had a representative on the Board of Directors, ensuring that the concerns of growers from each co-op would be represented and thus have an impact on governance. In essence, KSA had created a multi-stakeholder co-operative model, a model that allows  different perspectives to be brought to the table. This kind of model is relatively new in North America; one of the challenges it poses is how to bridge the differences that arise between the stakeholder groups.

Round Table members act as both governing directors of the KSA and as liaisons with their particular sector. The Round Table meets regularly to manage decisions that affect most aspects of the school - from overall goals and philosophy to staffing issues and the delivery of programs and services.  Every student, faculty member, and administrator in the school has the opportunity to participate as a member of the co-op: they have the right to vote at the annual general meeting and the ability to have an impact on the direction of school policy and programming.

Challenges in governance³

By the spring of 2001 the KSA Co-operative had developed and grown substantially since the school's inception in the early 1990s, and people closely involved with KSA began to recognise that there was a need to (re)develop a cohesive sense of identity.  Questions that were being put on the table included: Who are we as a school? What role do we play in the community?  Who are we as a co-operative? Helen Sebelius, KSA's Executive Director at that time, observed that while most people were proud of the school's uniqueness, in her opinion there were few who were able to describe what being unique meant. For example, was it the fact it is a private art school in the community? Was it the innovative programming the school offers? Or was it the fact that the school was a co-op, the only co-operative post-secondary educational institution in Canada?

Being the lone co-operatively organised Canadian post-secondary school means KSA has had no other co-operative model of governance in education upon which to draw.  It had chosen to take on the challenging task of governing and administering the school through consensus and collaboration. However, over the years the school came to realise that this kind of democratic co-operative structure is difficult to operate in an educational context.  Therefore, on one hand, it was proud of its co-op mandate, and especially of the unique opportunity it provided students for becoming involved in school operations. On the other hand, at least in the spring of 2001, some members of the Round Table were becoming increasingly frustrated with the process and outcomes of the governance model that had been set in place at the co-op's inception.  They were frustrated, for example, that the lines between governing and administering were hazy, and that some of the complex governance issues were not receiving due attention simply because the consensus process was time consuming. Seemingly, many of the board members were unable to find enough time to devote to issues that were their responsibility.  At the same time, faced with the task of keeping the school viable, administrators had been taking charge of some matters requiring action even though the Round Table was ultimately responsible for such decision-making.

In her position as the school's Executive Director, Helen Sebelius, began to question the usefulness of the co-op model as it related to the effective delivery of education.  Sebelius felt she was having to reconcile her responsibility to provide strong and effective management to the school with the fact that she was without the explicit authority to do so. The situation seemed to suggest that perhaps the Rules written for KSA's incorporation needed to be revisited, and likely reworked to fit into the contemporary context.

The dual role of Round Table members as both directors and as sector liaisons seemed to be complicating the effective governance of the school.  Understandably, there was a tendency for members, when sitting at the Round Table, to focus on their own sector's interests ahead of the school's overall governance. As one member described it: "It's like trying to make all these different cogs fit without grinding." Sometimes the result was stalled decision-making and a weighty process that frustrated the directors who were eager to get things accomplished.

A review of sector activities at KSA in the years leading up to 2001 revealed that as the school grew and matured the separate interests of the sectors involved had been crystallizing. For example, members of KSA's faculty and administrative staff were now represented by a union. This was a new circumstance for the school to work within. The faculty and staff joined the union to ensure that members would eventually receive wages comparable to those received at other post- secondary institutions. Integrating the union into the co-op structure, however, had proved to be difficult.  A committee comprised of members from the Round Table had been struck to prepare for contract negotiations but because of conflict of interest concerns neither staff nor faculty members of the Round Table were permitted to sit on KSA's Negotiating Committee, and student representatives could not participate because of the power relationship that exists between students and faculty.  This situation put the Round Table in the awkward position of excluding half of its members from the committee as only members from the community sector met the ethical and legal eligibility criteria.

On another 'front' in the spring of 2001 the student sector was exploring the possibility of organising into a student union or association. While KSA administrators viewed this as a positive development that could move the students toward a more engaged relationship with their own educational process they wondered how much authority the students could hold before upsetting the existing balance so far maintained by the governing body.  What would the outcome be for the school if students determined the vision, direction, and delivery of the programs that the school offers?

This was an important question because it recognised that there was a large proportion of students relative to the rest of the school population - in the 2000/01 school year, there were about 160 students, 40 faculty members, and 6 people on staff.  The students had the ability to have a momentous impact on the school's goals and vision by voting in unison in a direction that supported their ideas exclusively. Although this was an unlikely scenario some Round Table members were unsure how the objectives of students might be balanced against the school's obligation to provide publicly accountable educational programs.

At the time of the research for this case study the Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative clearly was sorting through a number of issues. In 2001 the apparent reluctance of some of the co-op's members to get involved in the process of co-op governance, which they saw as having little benefit for them personally, added a further strain.  Founding members have noted that over the years there has been a general loss of interest in the governance of the co-op. Allen Ramsden observed that it has been difficult to engage people who are familiar with participatory governance and it seems that KSA's philosophy of governance through consensus was further challenged with the hiring of administrators unfamiliar with consensus models.

In the spring of 2001 in matters of governance KSA was wrestling with two substantial questions. How would the leadership of KSA take shape in the future? How would the various groups reconcile their differences and create a guiding philosophy that embraced the goals of the school?  To address the challenging issues presented by the co-op's governance model, the Round Table organised a Governance Committee to consider structural issues and explore alternative governance and co-op models, which would be brought to the Round Table for discussion.

Governance issues: understanding and promoting co-operatives

One of the issues that KSA was interested in clarifying was the extent to which the school promoted the co-operative identity.  Helen Sebelius, for example, wondered, if it was the 'co-op' aspect that set the school apart, then perhaps KSA needed to consider how the co-operative principles filtered down philosophically in program delivery: "Does it become part of a framework for possible entrepreneurial endeavours for our students? In other words do we encourage co-op development?" If so, she suggested that the school should be exploring the ways that co-operative principles relate to community development and to make this information formally available to students. For her part, Sebelius, who admitted her knowledge of co-operative organisations was limited prior to joining KSA, had undertaken to learn more about co-ops.

Interestingly, there is definitely the sense of a co-operative culture within the school.  Faculty member and Chair of Wood Products Design, Peter Galonski said about the co-op culture: "It's alive and in place, [the students] are quite aware of it and very conscious of it." Students know they are working within a co-operative school and consider it to be an important part of their school experience. Graduating students who are exploring the co-op model for their own business ventures have picked up the co-op principles. In fact, the Wood Products Design Studio demonstrates co-op principles to its students and encourages them to consider forming co-ops as a means of advancing their own social and economic goals. Thus there are both formal and informal ways that education about co-ops is being promoted at KSA.

Sebelius understood that a "co-op is not only a way of addressing a philosophical vision, but also a way of addressing economic development." She put forward some pertinent questions: Should KSA explore its social and economic impact on the community? What do co-ops mean to the local economy? How does (or can) KSA fit into the picture? Should it be engaging directly in community economic development?

The impact of KSA in the community:

The previous questions notwithstanding, Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative is an important and integral part of the Nelson community.  Its impact is felt socially, culturally, and economically.  Nelson residents identify themselves as part of an artistic community and the school plays a key role in sustaining cultural development and exploration in the arts. Its colourful and vibrant community of artists is present on the streets and in the shops around town. Students come from around the country and the world to live and study in Nelson. Because the school does not provide housing or a cafeteria and has only a small library students attending the school contribute directly to the local economy by living and shopping in the community. The school is committed to building partnerships and community links and is developing a strategic plan to encourage even greater community participation.

KSA and an emerging co-op movement in British Columbia:

Chair of Wood Products Design, Peter Galonski, says of the West Kootenay area: "The spirit of co­operation, community and co-ops is certainly part of the general culture here." Galonski described the current co-operative movement in B.C.'s forestry and value-added wood sectors as an example of an even broader co-op culture. "Co-ops are making it possible for small operators to co-ordinate and work together to get things done and to effectively market their product even from rural locations."  He points to the BC Wood Co-op (formally named the BC Associations' Co-operative of Small Wood Businesses) and its retail store on Granville Island as a good example. BC Wood Co-op markets high quality value-added products that are created by individual wood workers living in various locations in the province.⁴ Some of KSA's own students have successfully marketed wood creations through BC Wood Co-op's store.

There is also potential for a relationship between Kootenay School of the Arts and the Harrop-Procter Community Co-op (HPCC).⁵ The HPCC was planning to develop an eco-certified secondary wood processing business along with its other activities, and the co-op hoped to eventually form a relationship in the eco-certification chain with the Kootenay School of the Arts.  KSA was aware there was a growing demand around the world for eco-certified wood products and saw the benefits of getting involved.

In response to these emerging trends, a marketing co-operative for eco-certified wood was being developed in the province to build capacity for people in the certification chain. Co-ops such as the Harrop-Procter Community Co-operative, BC Wood Co-op, and the emerging eco-certified wood marketing co-op, are just a few examples of a new and energetic co-op movement that is forming as a means to simultaneously address social, environmental, and economic concerns in B.C.'s resource-based communities.

Kootenay School of the Arts could play an important role in this co-op movement by strategically linking with these co-ops, by informing its students about the many co-op options for wood and craft production and marketing, and by providing co-op specific business training as part of the overall program of study.

Future Plans

In the spring of 2001 the Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative was continuously planning the future as prepared programs for its new and returning students each year.  It was revisiting its co­operative structure, the process of the co-op as it relates to the educational goals, its Rules of Association, and its vision. This was sure to be a lengthy process but KSA felt fortunate that some pressure was reduced because the school had received some funding from the (former) Ministry of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers to help support the process.

KSA was also working on a proposal to establish an 'Enterprise Centre' that would serve as a business incubator for graduating students, who would have access to it for up to three years after their graduation. The centre would be tied into all of the school's programs and it would "provide graduating students a kick-start in their business." It could be a place where co-operative development, as one business option, could be formally presented and encouraged.

Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative, although unique in itself, was facing the challenges that so many organisations encounter in their post-start up and expansion years. It was determining its identity, defining its niche, evaluating its progress, re-evaluating and adjusting its governance model, and planning for the future, among other things.

One thing seemed certain for the research undertaken with the school in particular and the Nelson area in general: KSA is up to the challenge. One only needs to remember its roots, and recognise its significance to Nelson's art and education community, its committed staff, management and board, its vibrant student body, its emerging community partnerships, and its innovative programming in order to conclude that Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative is
here to stay.⁶

2003 Update: In late 2001, about 8 months after doing its research BCICS learned that Kootenay School of the Arts Co-operative would be losing the financial support it had been receiving annually from the provincial government. In the spring of 2002 KSA received news that it would have access to a transition fund of one million dollars. The amount would be made available over a four-year period and was intended to assist KSA while it worked to achieve self-sufficiency.  In October 2003 KSA Director Barry Auliffe reported that KSA is confident that it is on track and will attain self-sufficiency by the end of the four years.

Notes

¹ KSA Co-operative's Vision Statement. Internet, 2001. http://www.ksac.bc.ca ² See the story of the Delta Co-operative on the BCICS Galleria site: http://web.uvic.ca/bcics/galleria/profiles/ deltaCoop/index.html

³ BCICS wishes to emphasise that this section discusses and presents issues as they were reported to researchers in the
spring of 2001. It is important for the reader to realise that the situation is always changing.

⁴ These wood workers are members of different associations, some co-operative, some not, which in turn are members of the BC Wood Co-op. For more information about the BC Wood Co-op see its website: http://www.thewoodco-op.com/

⁵ See Harrop-Procter Community Co-operative case study. Available internet: http://web.uvic.ca/bcics

 ⁶ More information about KSA, its programs and services is available through its website at: http://www.ksac.bc.ca/

Case Study Information

This case study was developed for a report entitled Situating Co-operatives in British Columbia - 2000-2001, which was prepared for the Province of B.C. (Ministry of Community Development, Coopera­tives and Volunteers) by the British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria. To obtain the information for the case study BCICS and the co-operative entered into a partnership agreement.

BCICS is grateful to the co-op members for their contributions and time. The case study is published with the approval of the co-operative. Further information regarding this study includes the following:

Researcher: Colleen Shepherd

Date of research: 2001

Authors: Colleen Shepherd & BCICS Editorial Group

Date of writing: 2001 (Approved for distribution October 2003)

Editing: BCICS Editorial Group

Supervision: Kathleen Gabelmann, BCICS Research Co-ordinator

Location