History Check App Potential Cooperative Structure

Background & Summary

Sheila Willis developed the History Check mobile app as a social enterprise with the intent to share Alberta’s history, and promote rural communities. The foundations of the app are set, and it is ready to expand across Canada, North America and beyond. It has grown to a point that to expand it, and benefit those in the heritage and tourism sectors, it needs more than Sheila can provide.

The logical solution is to form a cooperative to allow the large number of collaborators and supporters from the heritage and tourism sector, to work together and own the app the was createdwith them in mind.

As the cooperative is in its infancy, changes may be made to thie information provided as the board works through the business plan and bylaws, and input is received from members.

To see the basic functions of the app you can see a summary here.

More About Cooperatives

In short, cooperatives are owned by their members and they have a say in how the cooperative progresses. They are made up of people or organziations with the same goal - in this case those with an interest in heritage and tourism.

Resource Links:

Cooperatives First
Open Alberta - Consumer Tips - Cooperative Act
Province of Alberta - Cooperatives Act (The Act)
Guidance Notes from International Cooperative Alliance
Cooperatives in Canada

Strategic Planning for the Travel-ING ON Tourism Cooperative

Step 1: incorporation (COMPLETED)

The Travel-ING ON Tourism Cooperative was incorporated as a federal cooperative in July 2024. By incorporating federally, the coopertative can expand across Canada.

Alberta will be the first chapter, with each subsequent province or region forming another chapter, running independentlay from each other, enabling to meet their region specific goals.

Step 2: Membership Drive

Membership is open to any individual, business or other entity who has an interest in, or is a stakeholder in the heritage and tourism industries. These may include DMO's, governing bodies, econimic development or sector specific organizations.

The fee for Lifetime Membership is $25. The base rate for advertising on the app is $250 annually and includes one site listing with images, information, logo, links and 7 keywords. Additional sites are available for $50 each per year, and searchable keywords for $25 each per year.

The first year goal is to gain 3,000 advertising members in the first year to reach the preliminary budget requirements. A minimum of 50 advertising members are needed for app upgrades.

To beome a Lifetime Member click here.

To learn more about, or to purchase, advertising click here.

Step 3: App Upgrade & Reload

One of the first steps is to upgrade the History Check app and reload it to the App Store & Google Play as the Travel-ING ON, Alberta Edition, and under the accounts of the cooperative. This will take an estimated 8 to 12 weeks. Planned future enhancements will include audio story telling and a self-loading site or story option.

A minimum of 50 advertising members are needed to begin the app changes. As we near the date that the reload will occur, we will begin promotion. The annual renewal date for early advertising members will be when the app goes live, giving them a full year of service.

Step 4: Human Resources & Promotion

As membership grows, the executive director, member's services representatives, data entry clerks, accounts receivable and others will be hired and marketing plans will be initiated to ensure the success of the cooperative.