March 10, 2015

NEWS & VIEWS MARCH 2015 | FOOD FEED PHARMACY HARDWARE FASHIONS GAS BARS PETROLEUM | ottercoop.com

Otter Co-op is excited to announce a major renovation coming this year! WE WILL BE DOING A MAJOR UPGRADE TO OUR FACILITIES THIS YEAR AND SHOWCASING OUR FRESH DEPARTMENTS.

INTRODUCING RYAN ANTHONY NEW GROCERY MANAGER It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to our new Grocery Manager Ryan Anthony. Ryan comes to us after an illustrious thirteen year career in Grocery Sales, with the likes of Cadbury Chocolate, Kraft Foods, and Mondelez Canada. Ryan and his wife Angela were married in 1999 and reside in Mission, BC. Ryan and Angela have two wonderful children, a son named Caleb, who is eleven years old, and a beautiful daughter named Lily, who is now seven years old. Ryan is an active mountain biker, guitar player, father, and husband and is excited to bring his passion and expertise to the Otter Co-op. Ryan says “We will strive to be known for providing the freshest, best quality food and customer service in our community. I look forward to seeing you in our store, and would welcome you stopping by to say hello. At Otter Co-op “You’re at Home Here”.

Scholarships

SEEKING DIRECTORS FOR A 3 YEAR TERM

Are You Interested in Being Part of a Fast Growing Operation? If Yes, Otter Co-op Board of Directors is Looking for you. Sense of Community, Business Acumen in helping direct a $200 million operation. If you are interested in running for the Otter Co-op Board of Directors you must have your Director Qualiﬁcation Declaration signed at least two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting to be held at the end of May. (Date to be determined please watch for Ads in local papers or call either of the numbers listed below). Applications are available at the Administration Ofﬁce.

prizes 3 $

How does it work? Otter Co-op’s Board is made up of nine Directors with Staggered three year terms. A Director must run and Be successful after each three year term to secure the Next three years to a maximum of nine years (three terms). After nine years a Director must take a one year break before being eligible to run again.

How to Build the Best Board Good Board governance ensures that Otter Co-op operates in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible way, aligned with the interests of our members. If you have any questions please call Dick Mayer at 604-530-7432 or Merilee at the Administration Ofﬁce 604-607-6923.

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OTTER CO-OP IS VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER TEN ($1000) SCHOLARSHIPS. How can you apply? If you are a grade twelve student and your family has spent at least $2000 in the prior year, you are eligible to apply for one of (eight) $1000 scholarships offered by Otter Co-op. We also have (two) $1000 scholarships available for a mature student (an individual that has been out of high school for at least one year) with the same qualiﬁcations. Applications are available on our website www.ottercoop.com. Deadline for applications is April 30, 2015.

30,000

Visit your local CO-OP and THE MARKETPLACE food stores, convenience stores/gas bars and home centers through April 23, 2015 to receive 1 Game Ticket with every transaction.*

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• Spend over $100 and get 3 Game Tickets!

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• Spend over $150 and get 4 Game Tickets! • Spend over $200 and get 5 Game Tickets! The more Game Tickets you collect, the better your chances to win with over $7.5 million in prizes and discounts and 3 ways to win: 1. Collect to Win 2. Instant Prizes! 3. On Line Contest

NEWS & VIEWS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A number of your board of directors have just returned from attending the Annual General Meeting of Federated Cooperatives Limited, our Wholesale that we purchase many of our goods and services from. It was very informative and is being reported on by another member of the board in this issue. This experience caused me to consider that the Otter Co-op AGM is only a short time away and we should all be giving it some thought. Otter Co-op is a nearly 200 million dollar a year business at this time, and our AGM is where you can be informed of our results, our plans for the future, and yes, our deficiencies. Our AGM will occur in late May and I hope we can get a much larger attendance than we have in the past. Please plan to attend and participate in the meeting. One of the highlights of the Otter Co-op AGM is the election of three Directors. Once again we will all be asked to select three of our members to serve as directors to help guide the Co-op for the next three years. Our Board consists of nine members, three being elected each year to serve a three year term. This allows our board to have a mix of new members and experienced members and this has served us well for many years. Co-op members are eligible to run for the board and I would encourage any interested individuals to review the qualifications and consider submitting their name. Nomination forms are available in the business office along with the various rules and duties involved. We are, at this time, particularly interested in anyone who has experience in accounting, finance or law. This is not a requirement, just a more pressing need at this time. If anyone is interested and would like more information please feel free to phone me directly at (604) 530-7432 and I will personally acquaint you with the legal responsibilities and time commitments, etc. It is a rewarding experience but is not without its drawbacks as well. If you are not interested in being a board member that is OK too. You still should plan to attend the AGM in May to be made aware of our plans for the future, our present financial situation, and any other subject you may have a question on. Come to the meeting, bring a member friend and get informed. Remember what you hear on the street is rumor, what you hear at the AGM is the facts. I am hoping to see you all there.

MARCH 2015 | ottercoop.com

SERVICE AWARDS – CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU! We would like to recognize those team members that have reached Milestones with Otter Co-op. Listed here are those that will be honored at the Annual Dinner on Saturday, March 14th at Newlands in Langley. Congratulations to each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication to Otter Co-op. We thank you all!

TWENTY YEARS THIRTY-FIVE YEARS John Wheelhouse – Bulk Petroleum Manager Kathy Farmer – Glen Mountain Produce Larry Purcha – Bakery

Dennis Spenst – Hardware Department Marilyn Gryseels – Hardware Department Barb Swash – Feed Store Supervisor Trudy Von Auron – Meat Department Rick Addison – Meat Department

THIRTY YEARS

FIFTEEN YEARS

Melvin Thiessen – Feed Division Jacky Graham – Manager of Pitt Meadows Store Henry Unruh – Truck Driver Feed Department Vicky Mayer – Feed Department Bulk Orders

Debbie Seguin – Retail Centre Cashier Jenni Funk – Bakery Manager Sonja Brendon – Café/Deli Tia Metz – Retail Centre Cashier Dave Forward – Bakery Department

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS Holly Toole – Deli/Café Manager Diane Smith – Feed Department Maureen Minot – Retail Centre Cashier

TEN YEARS Colin Hilder – Feed Department Archie Kerr – Feed Department Tim Gagner – Petroleum Department Rick Wrede – Feed Department

FIVE YEARS Hargobind Kang – Gloucester Gas Bar Sanjeev Gupta – Gloucester Gas Bar Roxanne Toole – Family Fashions Corey Van Eunen – Ladner Gas Bar Shannon Johnston – Pitt Meadows Store Jaswant Bassi – Ross Road Gas Bar Diane Holcroft – Family Fashions Shananda Anderson – Glen Mountain Produce Cindy Bockhodt – Grocery (Dairy) Department Faye Carnegie – Retail Centre Cashier Jo-Ann McClean – Gloucester Gas Bar Melissa Doerksen – Administration Ofﬁce Grant Rowe – Grocery Department

ARE YOU IN NEED OF A POST OFFICE BOX? If you are looking for a secure place to have your mail delivered to the Postal Outlet at Otter Co-op has just added more boxes for your convenience. We have small and medium sized boxes available. Drop by the Otter Co-op Post Ofﬁce or call 604 607 6933 for more information.

Upcoming KIDS CLUB EVENTS Hey Kids’ Club Members our next event is coming up fast. There will be an Easter Party on Good Friday, April 3 from 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Lots of games, face painters, balloon artists, and prizes at every station, petting zoo, cupcake decorating, our mascot Cooper and a visit from the Easter Bunny and so much more. Something new for Kids’ Club this year is an all about Mom – Mother’s Day Event on Saturday, May 9 from 10:30 – 2:30. Mom gets to go shopping while we entertain the children as they make a gift for Mom for Mother’s Day. There will be special deals going on for Mom inside the store.

Calling All Gardeners For all your gardening needs stop in and check out our supply of seeds for your ﬂower and vegetable gardens as well as our selection of seed potatoes. We also carry fertilizers and soil, planting pots and all things a gardener would need to get started. Otter Co-op also has a nice assortment of books on gardening with some great tips.

THINGS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN MARCH The weather continues to be fairly warm and dry, so we can move ahead and get growing. Before we do you should know something about the soil you are so eager to plunge into. A good understanding of soil and your soil type will help you get the most out of it and grow more productive plants. The soil feeds your plants. It stores and releases to plants the nutrients they need to grow; as an anchor for the plant, to prevent it from being swept away by wind or rain and provides a home to the microorganisms that decompose organic materials and help plant growth. As well, knowing about your soil can help you decide on how to improve it, which is one of the important things you can do to extend the growing season and add health of your garden. When it comes to feeding your indoor and outdoor plants, you should know what the numbers on the fertilizer represent. The first number on a container of fertilizer is NITROGEN, which helps the plant grow leaves. The second number is PHOSPHOROUS, which helps build strong roots, produce flowers, fruit and resist disease, and survive drought. Most micronutrients are supplied by the soil by organic matter, so most gardeners will never have to worry about them. You will need to know about micronutrients only if the soil test reveals a serious deficiency. Again, if you keep digging in well rotted compost into your garden, it’s unlikely you will ever have to worry about adding micronutrients. Now, here is a checklist of things to do in March – check garden tools and equipment: repair and sharpen as needed. Increase watering of houseplants and fertilize lightly each month. Start compost pile. Ornamental Garden Prune ornamental trees and shrubs that bloom on new wood; cut Honeysuckle back to one or two main stems, cut Thyme and Lavender to ground level. Check for perennials whose roots have been shoved out of the ground by freeze-thaw-thaw-freeze cycles. Either gently push the Roots back into the ground or cover with some compost. Start tuberous begonias in pots. Start seeds indoors for annual flowers.

In Our “Gardening Zone” Remove winter mulches, weed flower beds and apply new bark mulch or compost. Fertilize lawns with good slow release fertilizer such as Scotts Turk Builder or C.I.L. Golfgreen Seed or sod new lawns make sure to use a good Seed or Sod fertilizer. Prune, fertilizer and top dress roses, continue to plant new ones as well. Harden off annual seedlings Plant your summer bulbs now. Make sure before planting, dust them with a bulb dust to prevent insects and diseases and add Some bone meal when planting. When digging up your fall bulbs also add some bulb dust when storing them. If you don’t dig them up and after the tops die down apply some bulb food to help them set the flowers for next year. Plant evergreens and conifers now. Again use three things when planting 1) Organic compost or manure 2) Bone Meal and dig into the organic matter, 3) Use a “root booster” solution to the root ball of the tree or if in a container soak the pot or root ball prior to planting to prevent “transplant shock”. Fruit and Vegetable Gardens Finish pruning fruit trees and bushes. Apply a good Fruit and Berry food now to get the plants off to a good start. If you are just planting them for the First time, use the above three things for the evergreens. Spread compost and or some well rotted, steer or mushroom or sheep compost on your vegetable beds. Start outdoors, sowing of radishes, garlic, broad beans (in the first half of the month), peas, beans, spinach, leaf lettuce, onions and turnips (in the second half of the month). Sow heat-loving vegetables such as tomatoes indoors or in a cold frame. Start to harden off and transplant cold frame seedlings, beginning with lettuce. This information should be helpful in getting your garden and yard off to a great start. Happy Gardening From the Otter Co-op!

GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE February 28, 2015 marked the end of our 2014 fiscal year here at Otter, and what a year it has been! Otter Co-op was nominated for several Awards throughout the year, and was given the Large Business of the Year and Community Impact of the Year Award by the Langley Chamber of Commerce. We were also listed in BC Business Magazine as one of BC’s Top 100 Private Companies in June. Throughout the year we have completed several site upgrades, and opened several new sites to serve you and expand our membership and member benefits to Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Our new sites include a gas bar, convenience store, touchless carwash and Tim Horton’s tenant on Blue Jay in Abbotsford; a gas bar, convenience store and pizza tenant on Mt Lehman in Abbotsford; and our new gas bar, cardlock, convenience store, bulk petroleum offices and a vacant tenant space on Lickman Road in Chilliwack. An exciting year of growth as we continue to plan for the future success and sustainability of Otter Co-op. We achieved record sales for the 5th year in a row, ending at a fantastic $183,867,747. This is an increase of almost $12 million over the previous year, or a 6.9% increase in overall sales. We are still working on our bottom line results, and will have that number off soon. We do know that our bottom line savings will not be as strong as last year, as Otter has invested significantly in new sites and projects for the long term viability of our organization, as well as the significant challenge that falling oil and gas prices have had on all petroleum retailers over the past several months. We did experience same store increases in sales at our Armstrong Feed, Ross Road, Gloucester, Retail Centre Deli, Bakery, Meat, Produce, Family Fashions, Hardware, Glen Mountain Pharmacy, Post Office, Glen Mountain Produce, and Pitt Meadows locations. And our Feed Division had an excellent year despite railway strikes, logistic issues with trucking, and the avian flu in the Lower Mainland. Our success has afforded Otter the opportunity to continue to invest heavily into the communities in which we live, work and play; and was able to commit to over $118,000 in special events, scholarships, donations, and sponsorships this past year, something of which we all can be very proud. Otter also experienced some great growth in our team, growing to approx. 330 team members. Many of our employee group successfully completed training programs to be able to take on larger responsibilities within Otter Co-op, as well as go on to other retails in the Co-op system across Western Canada. Your Board and management continue on a track record of fiscal responsibility balanced with sound marketing objectives, to ensure we have continued development of our employees and Otter Co-op. Plans will begin shortly for our Annual Meeting in May, and I look forward to our members attending the meeting and hearing of our past year results, as well as plans for the future. Until then, I look forward to seeing you at the Co-op, enjoying all of the benefits that ownership has to offer. At Otter, if you’re a member you’re an owner, and our profits are shared with you. Thank you for continuing to make us the success we are today!

If you or someone you know is not yet twelve years old and would like to join the Otter Co-op Kids’ Club we are always welcoming new members. You can stop by the Bakery for a free cookie as well as visit the treat box at any of our cashiers on every visit to the store.

Dick Mayer OTTER CO-OP B OARD PRESIDENT

All Kids’ Club Events are free!

Jack Nicholson OTTER CO-OP GENERAL MANAGER