OWN THE ZONE is an international fundraising campaign to secure the down payment for the tenants of 91 Albert Street in Winnipeg. The cooperative management and purchase of this building is a vital step to ensuring a permanent space for groups to organize, model progressive practices and provide a community space to activists. We are sending out letters to all of our supporters for the final push towards the purchase, which is culminating this September with a series of events throughout Winnipeg.

Since 1995, the Albert Street Autonomous Zone, or the A-Zone, has provided affordable commercial and community space to progressive organizations, worker cooperatives, and small businesses in Winnipeg’s Downtown Exchange District. By bringing a diversity of people and interests together, the A-Zone strives to embody and foster values of anti-oppression, solidarity, and democracy – becoming known locally and internationally as a vital, inspiring site of community organizing for social, economic, and environmental justice.

In the autumn of 2009, the tenants of 91 Albert Street were presented with the opportunity to collectively own and manage the A-Zone. Natural Cycle, Canadian Dimension Magazine, Copwatch, Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse, ParIT, Boreal Forest Network, among other tenants, have come together to begin the process of purchasing the heritage building to form a non-profit, democratically-run tenant cooperative. This project is unique in that it will offer commercial and non-commercial space under one roof for the benefit of tenants and local community members alike. We organize collectively and will re-invest any profits from the lease of the space into the A-Zone, making the space further accessible to the tenants and strengthening our capacity to do the important work that we do.

Currently, we are about $10,000 short of our goal of $65,000 for our down payment. In order to reach that goal we are asking for your support with a donation to our project.

How to Donate

There are two ways to donate. With a cheque/money order or through Paypal on our website. Here’s how:

Paypal – Donation button online at a-zone.org

Cheque or Money Order (Canadian Funds Only) –

Made payable to Albert St. Autonomous Zone Marketing Co-op

Please mail cheques or money orders to:

Mondragon

91 Albert St.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

R3B 1G5

We hope you will support this important initiative. Purchasing a building cooperatively provides a permanent space for worker-owned and -operated businesses and community groups to build long-term relationships and projects, create community together, and build our movement.

If you would like further information about the A-Zone Co-op Project or the OWN THE ZONE fundraising campaign, please do not hesitate to contact us at mondragon@mondragon.ca, or call 204-799-2901. For future updates on our campaign, visit our website at www.a-zone.org.

Sincerely,

Eton Harris

Mondragon Worker Co-op & the A-Zone Co-op