WEYBURN – The Prairie Sky Co-operative Association had “highest ever sales” totaling $100.5 million in 2023, up slightly from the year before, members and staff heard at the annual meeting held on April 23.
Co-op members were told there will be major renovations to the Weyburn food store this year, with work to begin once the tenders are awarded, said general manager Kevin Arthur. The work will begin this year to be completed by 2025, and will include new refrigeration units.
Broken down by divisions, the food division had sales totaling $29.051 million, up from $26.336 million the previous year; the general merchandise division saw sales of $5.037 million, close to last year’s $5.021 million; the petroleum division had sales of $55.933 million, down from $67.027 million in 2022; and the branches division had sales totaling $10.509 million, down slightly from $11.021 million the year before.
The general manager, in his report, said the Co-op bought two SLGA licences this year, for the liquor outlet in the food store, and for the Crossroads convenience store. The licences cost $375,000 for the food store, and $67,250 for the Crossroads outlet.
Arthur noted that liquor sales are not new for Prairie Sky, as the Milestone store has sold liquor for a few years now.
He also pointed out that the Roughbark Greenhouses will open for its second year at the Home Centre, providing the only locally-grown bedding plants in the Weyburn area.
The touchless car wash at Suds City just received upgrades, and the gas pump dispensers there and at Crossroads will be getting replaced this year, with a feature that will allow credit card use at the pumps.
The Co-op board of directors decided the patronage payment to members this year will total $2,338,434, which is down slightly from the year before when the patronage amounted to $2,634,060.
Members heard that the cost of the goods sold was $85,530,625, leaving a gross margin of just under 15 per cent, or $15,000,519.
Expenses for the Co-op, for operating and administration, totaled $16,940,370, up from $15,826,002 the year before.
After other expenses, the net savings to the Co-op was $3,341,197, down from the year before when the savings totaled $4,466,169.
In the nomination committee report, director Nick Coroluick noted there were four seats up for this year, with Stella Swertz and Leanne Anderson acclaimed for new three-year terms, along with new director Twila Walkeden. The other new director, Manny Ofalla, was acclaimed to a two-year term on the board.
In the membership services report, Danielle Knoll reported that $190,000 was returned to the community through donations, to a total of 180 groups and organizations in the Weyburn area.
Some of the programs the Co-op donated to included the nutrition program at Legacy Park Elementary, and the Deeper Learning Lab at St. Michael School.
The largest donation was purchasing the naming rights to the Weyburn Cinema’s Walk of Fame for $75,000, she said.
The “Fuel Good” fundraiser saw 53,000 litres of fuel sold, with the Weyburn Hospital Foundation as one of the recipients, along with First Responder groups.
In addition, Co-op employees volunteered for a total of 2,500 hours in the past year, and casual Fridays raised $2,867, to be donated to the charities of the employees’ choice, and these included the Salvation Army, Inclusion Weyburn, and the Weyburn Arts Council.
