A contest is underway to rename Winkler Co-op.

With the member-owned company now having operations in six communities, General Manager Evan Toews said the board feels the company needs a name that better reflects the communities they've branched into over the years. Expanding well beyond their first location in Winkler established in 1941, Winkler Co-op has grown to have a total of twenty-three locations in those six communities.

The contest has been open for a couple of weeks now, and Toews notes they've already received around 400 hundred suggestions for a new name.

"Our goal is to replace the name 'Winkler' with something and keep the 'Co-op' on the end," said Toews. "The name 'Winkler has served us well for many, many years, it has a rich heritage, and this is where it started." 

Toews added the name Winkler Co-op has been meaningful for many years, but, as a board, they felt it was time for a change.

"We're really open to anything," said Toews. "But obviously we want it to sound good and eventually it'll just become the normal name for the Co-op. But we do want something that's long-lasting, something that again is meaningful to all the communities and all the Members that we have in those communities." 

Once the submissions have been whittled down to the final choices, Toews says the board will bring that list to the annual meeting in spring for members to vote on.

- With files from Ronny Guenther -

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