Annual General Meeting 2018 Review

Four Rivers Co-op hosted their 73rd AGM on Monday, April 23, 2018 at the Nechako Senior Citizens Friendship Centre in Vanderhoof. We welcomed 112 members and 55 guests to the meeting that was MC’d by Rene Jones. Tina’s Catering prepared and served a delicious meal for our members and guests to enjoy prior to the start of the official meeting.

We took a moment of silence to pay respects and say goodbye to Kim McIvor, our board member representing Quesnel and surrounding area. Kim had served as a board member for 20 years, and had decided to retire from her position this year, however she passed away suddenly on April 21st. Her positive presence will be greatly missed.

Colleen Erickson presented the Board Report which provided information on updates to the Prince George bulk plant that are currently underway to make room for new offices and oil storage, and that we will be installing Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) at this location, with plans to also install DEF at our Hartway location once all construction has completed at our BCR site location. She spoke to the chang over to our co-operative’s new name of Four Rivers Co-op and how signage is being done in a gradual, systematic manner. She also provided an update on the mall renovations, purchasing the land on which the Burns Lake Cardlock resides, as well as upgrades to that facility, the struggles faced in arranging bulk propane delivery in BC, as well as the opening of our new Gas Bar/Convenience Store/Car Wash in Prince George.

Cathy Vossler, from the Member Relations Committee, reported that we welcomed 748 new members in 2017, bringing our total membership to 29,000. She also informed members and guests on the continued success of our Community Support Fund. We received 49 deserving applications from all of the communities in our trading area and provided $100,000 in funding to 10 worthwhile projects in 6 different communities. She also updated that FCL continued the Community Spaces program into 2018 with $2.0 million dollars in funding, and recipients will be announced this June. Our Communities In Full Colour program donated $3,511.50 in paint to 7 local community groups throughout our trading area in 2017, and this program is once again available for community groups to access in 2018. We were reminded of the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia in 2017, and Cathy thanked our members for their generous donations during this time of crisis in our backyard. Our members donated $20,056.76 to our Fire Relief Fund to aid those affected, and with our matching contribution, as well as in kind donations of water, fuel and basic necessities for the evacuation centre, a total donation of $43,153.51 was made to the Canadian Red Cross and volunteers. As well our Quesnel Agro/Convenience Store hosted the Canadian military as the troops moved south towards Williams Lake and provided them with free coffee as they took an opportunity to stop and rest. Four Rivers Co-op donated over $116,000 back to our communities in 2017 (over and above the $100,000 from our Community Support Fund), including graduation bursaries, and sending two teens to the YES Camp.

Allan Bieganski, General Manager, reported that 2017 sales increased by 17.1% or $30.6 million. This increase is a result of an average price per litre of $0.9479 compared to $0.8423 in 2016 as well as an increase in fuel litres sold. We set another record for our co-oeprative with total litres exceeding 189 million, an increase of 12.3 million or 7% from 2016. Commodity sales were fairly consistent in all of our locations for 2016. Projections are that sales will increase by 12% or $25.1 million in 2018 to projected sales of over $234 million which will be the second highest sales level in our co-operative’s history. He also discussed that our newest gas bar/convenience store/car wash in Prince George opened in February, as well as that the Prince George BCR Cardlock upgrades continue. Major upgrades are planned for the Vanderhoof Gas Bar and Convenience Store, construction is expected to begin on a newcardlock in 100 Mile House. DEF will be installed at the Prince George Hartway Cardlock as well as fixing grading and elevation issues at this site, but that construction will not begin until all construction at the BCR site is complete. Renovations to the old hardware area of the mall in Vanderhoof are almost complete to accommodate a new tenant that will be moving in this May. This will complete a series of renovations to the mall tenant areas that we have staged over the past two years. And a major upgrade to the Food Store is being planned to happen in 2019. The last major upgrade was completed in 1998.

As we had 4 positions on our Board of Directors come up for election this year (Bud Pye, Rob Varley, Floyd Wuthrich and Kim McIvor), these positions were up for re-election. Kim McIvor, our board member representing Quesnel and surrounding area had previously decided to retire from her position on our board, and a new nominee, Janice Van Dolah, was presented. Bud Pye, Rob Varley and Floyd Wuthrich allowed their names to stand, and all four nominees were elected by acclimation. We are pleased to announce that your Board of Directors for 2018 are Bud Pye, Colleen Erickson, Marje Makow, Henry Dyck, Cathy Vossler, Floyd Wuthrich, Nirmal Parmar, Rob Varley and Janice Van Dolah.

The membership approved MNP as our auditors for 2018. From 2017 savings of $10 million, the membership approved the following distribution of 2017 savings:

$6.8 million at a rate of 3.4% was allocated as Patronage Dividends to members in proportion to their 2017 purchases with $3.7 million being returned to members in cash as a general equity repayment
$3.2 million was allocated to the General Reserve.

Board President, Bud Pye, spoke to our membership about the duties and time required by our board members to ensure they are working toward the goals of our co-operative, and how the current per diems are no longer fair and equal compensation. Marje Makow presented a Special Resolution to our membership at the Annual General Meeting that Rule 108 be reworded to increase the directors’ remuneration. After ballots were tallied by scrutineers, it was announced at the meeting that our membership voted 76% in favour of the change.