Co-operatives have a long history of serving members in Western Canada. In the early 20th century, people worked together to create retail co-operatives in many towns in the four western Canadian provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia).

We pride ourselves on our customer service and invite you to visit a location closest to you. When you visit, we strive to make you to feel like “You’re at home here.”

Wetaskiwin Co-op

The Wetaskiwin Co-op was formed in 1917 by a group of progressive individuals who saw the need for a member owned and operated facility. It has faithfully served the community of Wetaskiwin and its members with quality products, superb customer service and competitive prices while staying alert to a constantly changing market place.

How We Have Grown!

We started as a modest supply Co-op that operated out of a box car on a railroad spur in Wetaskiwin. Over the last 96 years the Co-op experienced rapid growth and were forced to purchase buildings and other assets to continue to serve the membership. Today the Co-op operates a feed manufacturing facility providing feed to all corners of Alberta. The Co-op also operates a lumber, hardware and agro business out of it's home and agro center. A state of the art Cardlock was built and opened in 2009 and continues to grow. The bulk petroleum department operates several bulk delivery units and delivers fuel to the Wetaskiwin Region. A branch operation at Falun serves the members of this area with retail gas, cardlock, lumber, hardware, groceries and many other odds and ends.

The Wetaskiwin Co-op is one of the largest and unique stores in Alberta with the wide range of products that are carried and the personalized service that members have come to expect it is truly a shopping experience that keeps you coming back because it truly feels like "You're At Home Here."

Falun Branch: Community Ownership Grew from Friendliness & Loyalty

Our story is rather unique. The location, atmosphere and hospitality hasn't changed one bit since 1944. We're still community owned and still catering to the needs of the people of Falun area.

If you can't buy it here...

For decades this little general store catered to the needs of its neighbours carrying all of the items people might need - from ploughs to pancake syrup, cradles to carpentry tools, which led to the popular saying, "If you can't buy it here, you don't need it."

Everyone in the community came to enjoy gathering here as our store served many other needs over the years. Besides dealing in general merchandise, it provided postal services, a bus connection, and a service station.

It was home to cracker barrel philosophers and the place where families met the bus to welcome back loved ones during the war.

Hub of Activity

During hot summer months, Christmas or thanksgiving our store became a hub of cheerful activity when people stopped to pick up food, refreshments and last minute necessities on their week-end escapes to nearby Pigeon Lake.

Friendship, Barter and Goodwill

Then in 1944 the owner, planning to retire and leave the area, approached the Wetaskiwin Co-operative Association to purchase the land, buildings and business operations. He declared that in return for their loyalty he wished that the residents of the area who had repaid him for his investment twice over in friendship, barter and goodwill would become the new owners of the business. He was hopeful that the Wetaskiwin Co-operative Association could make that happen.

Profound Co-operation

After communicating with every resident in Falun and finding that only two individuals were not interested in the venture, the Wetaskiwin Co-opertive Association paid $32,000 cash for the store building, two residences, truck garage and shop, farm fuel building and bulk storage, two trucks, all inventory, wind charger, post office facilities, bus station connection, and two acres of land with a water well - all of which faced the busy Pigeon Lake Highway.

Still Going and Growing Strong

The co-operative members and residents of Falun got their store and own it to this day.

The initial buildings still stand and through a a massive renovation project in 1999 they were incorporated into the modern looking facility you see now.

The look may be new but the merchandise and services the store offers are still as varied as the needs of the people it serves. Most importantly the country style atmosphere still beacons the families of Falun and the people heading to the lake and campgrounds.

The business growth and facilities would be an impressive site for the old-timers to see. They supported a store that they could rely on for their every need and then as owners delivered on their promise that customer service would be their number one priority. Their initial decisions helped build the groundwork for the Falun store to grow to be "The Biggest Little Country Store in Canada".