Governance & Leadership

Shawn Conway

Join fellow co-op housing board presidents from across Canada to take part in our second annual Presidents forum. You will have an opportunity to meet other co-op leaders, talk about issues that matter and provide insight and advice. This is an excellent opportunity to grow your leadership skills and network with dedicated presidents just like you.

Shawn Conway is a qualified mediator and consultant for CHF Canada, with many years’ experience in communities and housing co-operatives.

Governance & Leadership

Cathy Volans

Ever wonder how to get a bored member to become a board member? Join us as we talk about engaging and inspiring members through meetings and other co-op activities. Understand how to prompt and encourage meaningful interactions through well-run and prepared meetings. Learn how to handle negative and disruptive behaviours and how to attract conversation from those members who are reluctant to speak up. Examine how appreciation and respect for what all members have to offer can create a positive co-operative culture.

Cathy Volans is Coordinator, Co-op and Planning Services at CHF Canada in the Atlantic.

Running Your Co-op

Jamie Eyers

Have you ever looked at your financial statements and wondered what it all means? It can be difficult for co-op board members to get much out of the co-op’s financial statements. Most directors don’t have training in finance or accounting. Yet these statements are the most important indicators of your co-op’s financial health. This workshop will help the non-expert co-op director get more from the financial statements without going back to school. We’ll learn about 10 key things to watch for when reviewing your co-op’s finances.

Jamie Eyers is Regional Manager, Nova Scotia, at the Community Housing Management Network.

Planning & Environment

Ofelia Guanlao

Making our co-op homes accessible and adaptable enables members of all ages and disabilities to stay longer in co-op communities. But how do we go about identifying and tackling accessibility and aging-in-place issues in our co-ops? Get useful tips on how to design for accessible and adaptable homes.

Ofelia Guanlao, PMP BOC,is Senior Program Manager, Asset Management Services for CHF Canada.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Inclusive Co-op Communities

Blair Hamilton

This panel-based workshop will introduce participants to the various legal designations that impact Indigenous people, (i.e. treaty status, non-status, Métis, unceded First Nations) and how that has influenced various rights, programs and barriers that different Indigenous groups encounter. It will seek to correct some common misperceptions many Canadians have about these rights and benefits, and will ask participants how the provision of housing might be affected.

Blair Hamilton is Regional Manager for the Prairie Region of CHF Canada.

Co-op Identity

Sophie Taylor

Don’t miss Make the most of your first CHF Canada Annual Meeting. You’ll get an opportunity to meet and network with other new attendees from across Canada. Meet some key people who can help you find your way around. You’ll learn how to navigate what’s on and we’ll review some important tools that can help you make the most out of your conference experience.

Sophie Taylor is Executive Director, Peel/Halton Co-operative Housing Federation. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in both the non-profit and co-operative housing sectors.

Growth & Development

Karen Brodeur and Allison Ferris

New ideas and projects come with many challenges for everybody involved. Sometimes what seems like a positive step forward to some can feel threatening or impossible to others. The process of growing co-op housing involves more than the mortar and bricks of constructing new homes. It also means engaging with our co-op members to ensure they feel part of the change and support the outcomes, which ultimately may affect their homes too. Join us to discuss how to engage productively with co-op members when it comes to the impact of change at your co-op.

Karen Brodeur is Regional Manager for the Atlantic Region of CHF Canada.

Allison Ferris is Client Services Co-ordinator at Housing Alternatives Inc. in New Brunswick.

Growth & Development

Donna Mayer

As part of the National Housing Strategy, the federal government introduced SEED funding and Co-investment funding. These two programs have streams for preservation, repair and renewal, and new construction. Eligible housing co-ops can now access funds to help with pre-development activities, long-term planning work, new construction costs and repairs and renewal of existing co-op homes. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is also releasing new grants and loans this Spring, through the Sustainable Affordable Housing stream of the Green Municipal Fund. The intention is that these various funding streams are complimentary. We’ll hear from CMHC and FCM representatives who work with the programs to learn about navigating the ins and outs of who is eligible, how to apply and some of the challenges of accessing funding. Join us to learn how these funds can benefit qualifying co-ops and support the growth and sustainability of the sector.

Donna Mayer is Advisor, Sustainable Affordable Housing with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Governance & Leadership

Patricia Tessier

Balancing life’s demands and opportunities is not always easy. We are all different, living different experiences, bringing different values, backgrounds, and capacity and communication styles. How does a board recognize this and help set up a board that’s fit to lead?

In this workshop we will:

• help you identify your health triggers
• assess and find the right life balance for you
• discuss how to create a healthy environment for your board to avoid burnout and be fit to successfully lead your co-op
• explore what healthy governance looks like to you
• identify ways to reach healthy governance and keep on track
• explain why keeping your volunteers fit to lead is a benefit to you, your board and your community.

Patricia Tessier is Director of Member Services for CHF Canada.

Governance & Leadership

Anjala Kulasegaram

The board is responsible for overseeing the business of the housing co-op. But there’s a lot more to the job than that. We’ll provide you with the tools and skills to help make your board experience a rewarding and successful one. This workshop is ideal for new board members and members interested in joining a board. Guided by best practices of principled leadership, participants will learn everything they need to know to immediately make a valuable contribution as a board member. This workshop covers the following: co-op principles, board member roles and responsibilities, basic financial processes and legal obligations. We will discuss the difference between management and governance and what it takes for a board to achieve good governance.

Anjala Kulasegaram is a co-op advisor for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto.

Running Your Co-op

Shawn Conway

Are difficult decisions repeatedly deferred? Having a hard time achieving results? Is progress constantly being halted? Is a deferral a decision not to act? Making decisions for a co-op board can be an extremely challenging process. This workshop will examine how to make decisions and provide tips and tools to help navigate through the decision-making process. We will look at methods of listening free from emotion and judgement, listening for needs and interests, and acknowledging without having to agree. This course will explore techniques for generating and evaluating ideas and solutions, and provide you with the tools required to brainstorm, negotiate and achieve desired outcomes. Learn to examine what matters and what generates the best results for your housing co-op.

Shawn Conway is a qualified mediator and consultant for CHF Canada, with many years of experience in communities and housing co-operatives.

Running Your Co-op

Jamie Eyers

A housing co-op’s budget is not a wish list but rather an overview of how your co-op plans to spend its money. Budgets provide a guide and form the basis for co-op boards to make informed decisions and avoid mistakes. Sound budgeting allows co-ops to put limits on expenses as necessary and work to increase income sources. In this workshop you will learn about your co-op’s operating budget, how the budget process works and ideas for successfully getting the budget approved by your members.

Jamie Eyers is Regional Manager, Nova Scotia, at the Community Housing Management Network.

Planning & Environment

Keith Moyer

The Housing Services Act, which applies to Ontario housing co-ops regulated by a municipal service manager, has had some recent regulatory changes about Rent Geared to Income (RGI) calculations, waitlist management and transfers, and community safety. These changes are part of the province’s Community Housing Renewal Strategy. Come and learn more about the strategy, the regulation changes and the impact on your housing co-op. This workshop is for Ontario Housing Services Act co-ops.

Keith Moyer is Regional Manager for the Ontario Region of CHF Canada.

Planning & Environment

Victoria Colby

The 1980s called and they want their rose-coloured walls, parquet flooring, plush carpet, bi-fold doors and stucco back! This workshop will look at transforming the outdated into timeless, affordable and sustainable interiors. We will explore current trends, paint colours and inexpensive ways to update housing co-op interiors. We will offer tips and tricks for improving current footprint and space. We will also look at doable options while members are in their units, and while units are vacant. Come share your ideas, questions and pictures at this fun, interactive workshop.

Victoria Colby is a consultant for CHF Canada and has over 10 years of co-op housing property management experience.

Inclusive Co-op Communities

Dawn Richardson

What does diversity look like in your co-op? Would you like to discuss diversity and inclusion, and increase awareness in your co-op? You may have a lot of experience and want to share your successes, or little experience and want to know more! In a supportive and welcoming environment that models principles of diversity and inclusion, we'll talk about:

• understanding the many facets of diversity and inclusion and where you and your co-op fit in
• troubleshooting resistance and barriers to full participation by all co-op members
• helpful ways to incorporate diversity and inclusion into your co-op.

Dawn Richardson is Program Manager, Co-op and Planning Services, at CHF Canada (Ontario Region)

Inclusive Co-op Communities

Jennifer Threndyle

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code, there is an obligation to ensure co-ops are free from harassment and discrimination. This session will outline the legislation requiring respectful environments, the difference between harassment and discrimination, and how to investigate and deal with negative behaviours.

Jennifer Threndyle is the AODA specialist at Workplace Safety and Prevention Services.

Co-op Identity

What does Federal Community Housing Initiative—phase 2 mean to your co-op? On April 1, 2020, this new rental-assistance program is due to begin to help federal-program co ops house their low-income members. Here’s your chance to learn about the basics of the program and how your co-op files its claims, using the online system developed by the Agency for Co-operative Housing. This workshop is for federal-program co-operatives in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and P.E.I.

Co-op Identity

Denise McGahan

As co-op housing members, you take pride in the positive role you play in your co-op community, in your surrounding neighbourhood, and in the larger community. However, it can be challenging to explain how co-ops function and why we do things the way we do. The Co-op Act, the International Co-operative Principles and your co-op bylaws and policies spell it all out, but they don’t make it any easier to explain the essentials to new members or people on the street. Using practical ideas and activities, we’ll talk about how you can become a strong co-op advocate—so that your members and your community understand and appreciate the co-op difference.

Denise McGahan is Program Manager, Member Services, at CHF Canada (Southwestern Ontario).

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Growth & Development

Cynthia Mitchell

Join us for this interactive, highly-engaging speed-networking workshop, a fun and practical way to explore the value of networking while forming connections with other co-op members and staff from across Canada. Is there a challenge your co-op is facing? Has your co-op done something innovative to solve a challenge? This speed-networking session is for you! Share your ideas and insights in comfortable one-on-one conversations and walk away with new knowledge and ideas to take back to your co-op.

Cynthia Mitchell is Program Manager, Membership and Events, for CHF Canada. She happily calls Co-op Voisins in Ottawa home.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Growth & Development

Jovette Fournier

French connexion : faire la connexion avec un autre groupe linguistique.

L’atelier permettra aux participants d’échanger sur les moyens qu’ils utilisent pour faciliter la cohabitation de deux communautés linguistiques différentes, que ce soit anglais-français, français-anglais, anglais-espagnol, etc. Nous explorerons aussi comment des projets de regroupement ou de développement pourraient faciliter ou promouvoir la cohabitation et l’inclusion. Venez discuter de vos pratiques, écouter les expériences d’autres coopératives et échanger vos succès. L’atelier sera animé en anglais et en français.

The workshop will allow participants to discuss the ways they facilitate the cohabitation of two different language communities, whether English-French, French-English, English-Spanish, etc. We will also explore how amalgamation and development projects can facilitate and promote cohabitation and inclusive communities. Come and discuss your practices, listen to the experiences of other co-ops and share your successes. The workshop will be in English and French.

Jovette Fournier is Directrice Générale/Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario.

Running Your Co-op

Anjala Kulasegaram

Strong co-op housing communities start with well-informed and engaged members, but it’s not easy to share all the important messages with your co-op’s members in a clear, effective way. We’ll look at a variety of resources that will help members learn about their role in governance, designed specifically for co-ops to use at member meetings. We will also discuss the importance of organized agendas, the roles and responsibilities of individual directors in ensuring a meeting’s success by acting ethically, sticking to the board’s governance role and celebrating achievements. This session will help to ensure you include education on your meeting agenda and to liven-up meetings at the same time.

Anjala Kulasegaram is Co-op Advisor for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto

Running Your Co-op

Dave Howard

Many of our co-ops are now 40 years old and are starting to show their age. Most of us are facing big projects in the future. What exactly happens when we start to repair our co-op buildings and what do we need to do get started? When and how do we even start? What are the steps involved?

Our panel of co-op managers and members has worked through the renovation and renewal process and lived to tell the tale. They will tell you about what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently next time. This interactive and informal session about planning and repair will be a great opportunity to hear from your peers about what it is like at ground level.

Dave Howard is Program Manager, Financial Planning Services, for CHF Canada.

Planning & Environment

Owen Carnahan

The Co-operators is committed to working with housing co-ops to prevent many common types of losses, which is why it’s important to follow good loss-prevention practices in your co-op. Join us for an interactive workshop where we’ll discuss your commercial insurance program, show you practical steps you can take to keep your co-op safe and offer helpful tips that could save money in the future. We will also discuss CHF Canada’s Risk Management Program and how your co-op can participate.

Owen Carnahan is Coordinator, Insurance and Risk Management, CHF Canada.

Planning & Environment

Ofelia Guanlao

This course will examine how simple behavioural changes can increase energy efficiency in your co-op and reduce its carbon footprint. Energy-efficient retrofits alone are not driving energy efficiency in co-op buildings; people are. Lifestyle changes can reduce energy use and mitigate climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.Learn where and how you are losing energy and money in your co-op communities. Find out how behavioural changes can boost household energy efficiency and reduce waste.

Ofelia Guanlao, PMP, BOC, is Senior Program Manager, Asset Management Services, for CHF Canada.

Inclusive Co-op Communities

Philip A. Eram

Your appreciation for your co-op community will be awakened when you partake in role playing and group discussion about how your housing co-op functions from the perspective of board members, management staff and volunteers. Learn how working as a team builds a strong and successful housing community.

This course is being offered in two parts. The second part is optional. See D07 for more information.

Philip A. Eram is an accredited property manager with the Institute of Housing Management, serves on the IHM Board and chairs the IHM Education Committee. He is also the president of Precision Property Management Inc.

Inclusive Co-op Communities

Jackie Hogue

CHF Canada has been on a journey to strengthen its engagement with reconciliation and to support housing co-ops in their work to support reconciliation. This workshop considers the importance of reconciliation and the possibility for a better relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. It will also take you through the new CHF Canada reconciliation toolkit, looking at ways you can use the toolkit with your co-op.

Jackie Hogue is Métis, with Polish-settler ancestry, and is passionate about creating environments where all can thrive. The focus of her work is addressing systemic racism and settler colonialism. Since 2013, Jackie has owned and operated J. Hogue & Associates.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Co-op Identity

Shawn Conway

This workshop will explore why conflicts escalate and how our reactions, perceptions, biases and attitudes contribute to conflict. You will receive tools for understanding and de-escalating conflict through active-listening strategies and approaches for more constructive dialogue. You will learn how sometimes being right can be wrong and examine practices and strategies to avoid conflict, to improve communication and to encourage co-operation.

Shawn Conway is a qualified mediator and consultant for CHF Canada, with many years’ experience in communities and housing co-operatives.

Growth and Development

Karen Brodeur and Allison Ferris

Join fellow co-operative champions from across Canada as we engage in a thought-provoking discussion about co-op growth and development. Do you have suggestions on how you or your co-op can get involved and lead change? Do you have ideas on how to tackle the affordable-housing crisis? Network and share your thoughts, ideas and inspirations with fellow members committed to the co-op movement.

Karen Brodeur is Regional Manager for the Atlantic Region of CHF Canada.

Allison Ferris is Client Services Co-ordinator at Housing Alternatives Inc. in New Brunswick.

Growth and Development

Moderator: Patricia Tessier

Quebec has a long and colourful history of co-operation leading to a well-established co-operative housing movement and sector. The first housing co-operative in Estrie, Quebec, in 1941 was not only owned collectively, but built collectively. Today, Quebec has an approach to co-operative housing that is based on a unique history and hindsight, which has led to many dynamic and inspiring models. . We invite you to come and meet representatives of Quebec housing co-operatives as they speak of their journey, culture and future plans. This is a unique opportunity to draw inspiration from Quebec co-op stories.

Patricia Tessier is Director of Member Services for CHF Canada.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Governance & Leadership

Peter Gesiarz

Ontario Co-op Eviction Court is now in session. You will have an opportunity to participate in actual eviction scenarios and follow them through the eviction process—from board decisions to Landlord & Tenant Board hearings. Participants will work in groups and either represent the board, the member being evicted or the LTB adjudicator. Workshop participants get to weigh in on real-life LTB decisions. Will co-op members be in agreement with the courts? This workshop is for co-operatives in Ontario.

Peter Gesiarz is Program Manager, Co-op and Planning Services, at CHF Canada (Ontario Region).

Running Your Co-op

Moderator: Tracy Geddes

This interactive marketplace forum will have some of our co-op sector professionals and industry leaders on hand to discuss and answer your most pressing questions. You’ll meet and network with members, managers and staff from across Canada. This fun, informal workshop will give you an opportunity to hear from dynamic guest speakers from various fields, such as law, finance, insurance, accounting, engineering, building, design, property maintenance, management and more.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

Running Your Co-op

Jamie Eyers

Understanding and managing your own money can at times feel like a challenge. As a board member, you are tasked with making decisions regarding your co-op’s finances, such as investment or lending options. These dollar amounts can be overwhelming. How do you make the most of your replacement reserves? What is a mortgage, loan or line of credit? How do you choose the right lending option for your co-op? In this workshop, financial and investment advisors will discuss these matters, help increase your financial literacy, reduce anxiety and increase your confidence in making decisions for your co-op.

Jamie Eyers is Regional Manager, Nova Scotia, at the Community Housing Management Network.

Planning & Environment

Jim Scott, P. Eng

Moderator: Ofelia Guanlao

Your co-op’s building envelope consists of its roof, subfloor, exterior doors, windows and exterior walls. The building envelope keeps outside elements such as water and moisture from entering and causing damage. This course will take a deeper look at building envelopes and developing strategies to help us properly care for our co-ops at the minimum cost. We will discuss materials used, common signs of failure and factors to consider when renewal takes place. We will also talk about Building Condition Assessments and discuss how to prioritize repairs within your capital plan.

Jim Scott is Program Manager at the Technical Services Department of Housing Services Corporation in Toronto. Jim is a professional engineer with over 15 years of experience in Building Envelope Design and Manufacture, as well as diagnosis and correction of Building Envelope failure.

Ofelia Guanlao,PMP BOC,is Senior Program Manager, Asset Management Services, for CHF Canada.

Inclusive Co-op Communities

Blair Hamilton

This workshop will provide an opportunity for both members of Indigenous co-ops and Indigenous members of other co-ops to share their experiences, challenges and frustrations. It will also be an opportunity to compare notes on how the National Housing Strategy appears to be working (or not) for Indigenous people.

Blair Hamilton is Regional Manager of the Prairie Region of CHF Canada.

Co-op Identity & Advocacy

Jennifer Threndyle

Knowing how to handle difficult conversations, such as providing bad news or negative feedback, is critical in maintaining and strengthening our relationships with members and board members. Join us to learn more about what you need, as board members, to handle those challenging conversations and emotional interactions.

Jennifer Threndyle is AODA Specialist at Workplace Safety and Prevention Services.

Growth & Development

Moderator: Karen Brodeur

Across Nova Scotia, communities are facing a shortage of affordable housing. How can the non-profit sector work with all levels and departments in government to tackle this problem? How can housing co-ops be part of the solution? Hear from a panel of experts in this workshop on ways that groups can work together, and are in fact doing so, to tackle the shortage of affordable housing and ensure the existing stock can continue to provide good-quality homes for the future.

Karen Brodeur is Regional Manager of the Atlantic Region of CHF Canada.

Growth & Development

Moderator: Jovette Fournier

The co-operative housing movement is experiencing an exciting period of renewal and transformation. Co-ops are taking stock, planning for the future and renewing their properties to better meet the needs of current and future members. Meanwhile, in response to a growing housing crisis across the country, the federal government introduced the National Housing Strategy in 2017. For the first time in decades, there are new federal funding opportunities for co-operative housing renewal and growth across the country. Join Tim Ross, CHF Canada’s Executive Director, and special guests to discuss opportunities for co-op housing renewal and transformation across the country.

Jovette Fournier is Directrice Générale/Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario.

This session is a joint workshop between the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.