Prairie Sky Co-op held its 96th Annual General Meeting Tuesday night, reflecting on a year marked by disruption and investment, and reaffirming its commitment to both member returns and community support.
Despite challenges posed by infrastructure upgrades and a significant cyberattack on its wholesaler, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), Prairie Sky Co-op reported $93.55 million in total sales for 2024. The co-op also announced a patronage allocation of $1.1 million, with 1 per cent returned on eligible purchases and 1.5 per cent on fuel.
General Manager Kevin Arthur acknowledged the hurdles of the past year, noting that the past year had challenges with the construction and the cyber attack.
“In the end, we still accomplished quite a few things and we've been able to invest in our buildings and give money back to our members and invest in our community,” Arthur said.
In her report, Member Relations Manager Danielle Knoll emphasized the Co-op’s strong ties to the communities it serves.
“Thanks to the continued support of our members, we're able to focus our donations where they'll have the greatest impact,” she told those in attendance. In 2024, Prairie Sky Co-op invested over $221,000 in donations and sponsorships, supporting more than 180 local organizations.
This included a $10,000 contribution to the Yellow Grass rink for essential repairs and ongoing support for the Weyburn Cooperative Play School, which has received over $80,000 from the Co-op since 2008. Events such as Fuel Good Day, the Pumpkin Lane, and the Casual Friday program also demonstrated the Co-op’s community focus, raising funds for groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Southeast Regional Library, and Inclusion Weyburn.
Arthur detailed numerous infrastructure upgrades, including fuel dispenser replacements at the Sud City location and the Crossroads location, a new car wash system at the Sud City location, and the rollout of credit card access at Weyburn’s card lock. He noted similar upgrades will follow in Beaubier in 2025 and Milestone in 2026.
Renovations continue at the Weyburn food store, with Arthur confirming the bakery and deli have recently reopened.
“We're doing some work in the back now to get our walk-in dairy cooler built... We hope to be all done this summer,” Arthur explained.
Representing FCL, Robert Grimsrud acknowledged the system-wide pressures of the past year, including regulatory uncertainty and the cyberattack that disrupted operations for weeks. He also praised Prairie Sky Co-op: “You’ve met the challenges of the past year and achieved success... and the monies going back to the community are proof of that.”
FCL reported sales of nearly $12 billion and net earnings of $300 million, of which $252 million was returned to local retails through patronage. For Prairie Sky Co-op, this included $1.73 million in loyalty payments and $1.87 million in patronage, down from previous years due to broader wholesale reductions.
Grimsrud also highlighted FCL’s current $9 million refinery turnaround project in Regina, calling it one of the region’s largest economic drivers this spring, with more than 1,000 workers on site.
Board President Stella Swertz opened the meeting by thanking outgoing director Gary Erickson for his service and recognizing the efforts of the entire Prairie Sky team. She closed with a hopeful outlook.
“It is important to constantly seek future opportunities for the growth of our co-op... and here's hoping that 2025 will be way better than 2024.”
Arthur echoed that optimism.
“In spite of all the challenges, I think we had a pretty good year.”