Technically, you are getting patronage shares every year based on how much you spend. Once you've gotten above some threshold, they buy those shares back. So, you may not get a payout every year depending on how long it takes you to hit the threshold.
From shoreboy's link:
The 2016 share redemption returned $5.4 million to more than 110,000 members.
For the 2016 redemption, MEC bought back 3, 10 or 20 shares from eligible members. We sent those members gift cards that equalled their share redemption amount (at $5 per share, this means we issued $15, $50 and $100 gift cards). Each share redemption is issued in an individual memberâs name (please redeem the gift card yourself). When we issued the share redemption gift card, the memberâs share account balance was reduced by the value of the gift card they were issued.
To be eligible for the 2016 share redemption, members had to:
Have a share account balance greater than $225 and have made a purchase in 2014, and/or
Have at least $30 in patronage returns in 2014.