A retirement celebration was held for four people retiring from the Moose Jaw Co-op earlier this week.

Greg Karmazenuk, Rick Cartman. Steve McDougall and Steven Ward were celebrated at the Heritage Inn.

Stories of years past flooded the room as co-workers and family members enjoyed the evening. One common theme was that working at a co-op is a much different experience than working at other venues.

“I think one of the biggest things is that it’s more people-first and family-oriented,” said Cartman, who was grocery manager in Moose Jaw for several years – a highlight after a 35-year-career in co-ops across the province. “The values are so much greater... And just the co-op community with the equity, it just makes it so much better.”

Cartman said that when he was hiring people, he would be looking at the jobs as a stepping stone for whatever the employee wanted to become.

“If they want to stay working at the co-op, that’s fine. They want to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, delivery people, whatever it was, that was up to them,” he said. “Sometimes it’s their first job.”

Some people started as teenagers working there, and Cartman said he had an 84-year-old working for a bit, as well.

“I won’t miss them because I’m going to see them,” he said. “I’m still going to shop at the co-op and my involvement with the community will still be there and I don’t plan on moving in the near future...

“There are people in place now who have taken over from my job, and I’m grateful for that. It’s a good stepping stone for them, too.”

Karmazenuk, the meat manager for the Moose Jaw Co-op also looked back fondly on his time there.

“I started at co-op when I was in high school as a part-time grocery clerk,” he said. “It just evolved into management and worked my way and came to Moose Jaw 22 years ago.”

Moose Jaw is a good-sized town with good people and there was a good management team leading the way, he felt comfortable staying beyond his initial five-year stint.

He’ll miss the camaraderie of working at the Co-op.

“Just going to work and seeing people every day,” he said. “It’s just starting to hit me now that it’s a little bit quieter than I’m used to. You’re always on the go and working in a very busy environment.”