Arcola Co-operative continues to expand

ARCOLA — The Arcola Co-operative has continued to grow over the past 108 years, and it is still expanding. On July 17, they held their AGM at the Optimist-Legion Hall, and they spoke about their growth.

Matthew Almey, general manager, opened the AGM by welcoming those in attendance. The catering was done by Weir’s Catering from Manor. Cindy, one of the owners, prepared and served a meal of roast beef, baked potatoes, salads, and dessert, but before people could dig in, President Teresa Biller said grace.

Around 60 people attended the meeting, waiting to hear about what had happened in the past year, and Almey was ready to tell everyone about the plans for the past and the future.

In the past year, they also gave back to the community through sponsorship and donations. In the last year, they contributed to the community and area over $32,000 and have almost doubled in staff to keep up with the demands.

Last year, Arcola Co-operative purchased Arcola Building Supplies, now called Arcola Home Centre, which is located on the north side of Highway 13

Over at the Gas Bar C-Store, there have been changes as well. At present, they are moving the gas pumps to the east side of the building. Right now, they have two lines for purchasing fuel, with the new pumps, they will have four lines for fuel.

“The entrance doors will also be moved to the east side,” said Almey. The entrance doors on the north side of the building created a very cold draft when the doors opened in the winter, causing some uncomfortable issues for staff. Moving the doors to the east will eliminate the strong winds from the north.

Above the pumps will be a solar canopy. It will be the first for a retail store in Saskatchewan. The canopy will protect customers, but also when the staff are fueling up customers’ vehicles.

They hope to have these renovations completed at the end of September.

Through all the construction and renovations, Arcola Co-operative had slightly higher sales than last year.  

Several draws were held during the evening, along with two positions for directors being needed. Sheldon Wyatt and Trevor Dayman left their names standing and no one else was nominated. They were re-elected for another term by acclamation.

Almey wanted to thank his staff for all the hard work that they have done over the past year, helping them to get things organized. He said they have put in extra hours, and this takes them away from family. He thanked the families for their understanding.