The pandemic surprised everyone! It changed not only our lives but the business world as well. This IHM course will review COVID-19’s impact, from its negative effects such as stress, panic and fear, to the positive steps taken related to housing and housing co-ops. How did we communicate to members, boards of directors, contractors, agencies and others? How did we adapt to transform everyday services into essentials for housing communities? What did we learn from this experience, and how can it improve the work we do and inform what we do going forward?

Join us for a guided tour of how our virtual conference will work and get answers to any questions you might have.

You’ll also have a chance to log on to the platform we’ll be using for our Virtual AGM. We’ll ask some fun questions so you can practice using the voting system and ensure you’re all set for the virtual conference.

Can't make the date? Not to worry. We can send you a recording.

The pandemic surprised everyone! It changed not only our lives but the business world as well. This IHM course will review COVID-19’s impact, from its negative effects such as stress, panic and fear, to the positive steps taken related to housing and housing co-ops. How did we communicate to members, boards of directors, contractors, agencies and others? How did we adapt to transform everyday services into essentials for housing communities? What did we learn from this experience, and how can it improve the work we do and inform what we do going forward?

The pandemic surprised everyone! It changed not only our lives but the business world as well. This IHM course will review COVID-19’s impact, from its negative effects such as stress, panic and fear, to the positive steps taken related to housing and housing co-ops. How did we communicate to members, boards of directors, contractors, agencies and others? How did we adapt to transform everyday services into essentials for housing communities? What did we learn from this experience, and how can it improve the work we do and inform what we do going forward?

We’ll open our virtual conference with a land acknowledgement and a not-to-be missed conference keynote from Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association. Be sure to take part in the first on-line social after, where you can choose from a party room with a DJ, trivia room, or chill lounge!

We’ll open our virtual conference with a land acknowledgement and a not-to-be missed conference keynote from Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association. Be sure to take part in the first on-line social after, where you can choose from a party room with a DJ, trivia room, or chill lounge!

Take in a more relaxed atmosphere to meet and connect with other co-op members from across Canada. Simply click on this link which will take you to the Wonder.me platform and drop into any room you’d like!

Join our ‘Co-operators Have Talent’ contest (with voting and live DJ!). Check out the talents of your fellow co-operators and enjoy some great tunes!

Put your knowledge to the test with some general and co-op trivia!

Watch any of the following pre-recorded workshops to fill your Friday!

·         J301: Inclusive co-ops: advocating positive system change

·         J302: Co-op futures: members take the lead

·         J303: The co-op difference: empowering marginalized communities

·         J304: Night-mare proofing your co-op: experts’ debate 

Now more than ever it’s time to champion the future of co-operative housing. The pandemic exposed health and socio-economic inequalities and has led to renewed public awareness in creating more affordable housing. Co-op members are needed to seize this opportunity to drive growth and sustainability and to champion co-operative housing. Join us as we meet fellow members from across Canada who have answered the call to action to build, develop, advocate and protect the natural environment. These individuals are making tremendous strides in effective and long-lasting change. Learn how you too can shape the future you want.

Sponsored by:

Co-operatives are founded upon individuals coming together to meet a common need. While we’re familiar with the co-op model for providing safe, secure and affordable housing, there are many other types of co-operatives integral to our economy and our communities. This panel will explore the difference that co-operatives make, particularly for groups that are or have been marginalized. Our moderator is a young co-op activist at the centre of new and exciting developments. She will welcome panelists to this exploration and conversation about the power of co-ops.

The co-op manager’s report has a big impact on governance, and well-thought-out communication is a critical success factor for a housing co-op.

Come to this workshop to talk about:

• writing reports and letters
• presenting oral reports
• general communication within the co-op.

Join Ontario housing lawyer Celia Chandler for a discussion about managing situations when one member’s rights appear to collide with another’s. Using real-life examples, Celia will explain how to distinguish when the rights involved are human rights and offer resolution strategies.

When it comes to creating or managing a reserve fund, what is your single biggest challenge or concern? How much money is enough and how do you know? Are you capable of conducting the study all on your own? A well-crafted reserve fund study is an important financial asset for co-ops. It allows you to plan for the future and helps you maintain a safe and comfortable co-op community. It’s essential to keep adequate reserve funds for the repair and replacement of co-op buildings, but too many managers fall short, leading to ugly surprises. Find out how you can reduce your co-op's financial risks and prepare for significant projects and the unforeseen.

Sponsored by:

All CMC participants are welcome to attend the networking lunch. This is an opportunity to receive updates on important issues for co-op managers and staff. Special presentation: Inspiring Stories from Co-ops During the Pandemic. You have all been going above and beyond for your communities over the past year. This session is about sharing the good stories of how co-operatives, and the very dedicated people within them, are helping their members and the broader community during a difficult time. These examples come from co-ops of all types from around the world.

Sponsored by:

COVID-19 has changed our regular ways of working. This workshop will feature four presentations from Co-op Cost Cutter partners to help co-op managers become more efficient.

You will hear from:

• Alterna Savings and Credit Union Ltd.
• DDL Document Direction
• NewViews Accounting Software
• Grand & Toy.

We will have a draw for a door prize, given by Alterna Savings.

How do you deal with maintenance staff and contractors to ensure your buildings are well kept and functioning optimally? How do you know when to use staff or a contractor? Are there advantages and/or disadvantages of using one or the other? This workshop will answer these questions and discuss the importance of having a respectful relationship with both maintenance staff and contractors.

Sponsored by:

Co-sponsored by:

• Self-regulating so you are cool, calm and collected
• Managing defensive responses
• Applying a four-step model to navigate difficult conversations with ease

Sponsored By:

While policies and procedures exist to guide us through the day-to-day operations of our housing co-ops, what do we do in situations where we have no precedent of best practice to fall back on? Meeting unforeseen challenges and changes with effective recovery measures is integral to our ongoing success and sustainability. More than disaster recovery plans, we need to be able to address surprises with a decisive response.

Join this workshop to:

• Learn the simple triage technique that can be used to address emergency situations at your co-op
• Feel better prepared to cope with unforeseen challenges and changes
• Create best practices for your co-op that help you recover from curveballs.

Sponsored by:

What does recovery planning mean to you? Many people are talking about economic recovery post-pandemic, but few are talking about social recovery. After more than a year of social distancing and lockdowns, we are facing a loneliness pandemic in addition to COVID-19, and rebuilding our social fabric is needed now more than ever. This hands-on interactive workshop will explore practical tools and approaches you can use to rebuild community post-pandemic in your co-op. We’ll dive into strength-based approaches in which co-op residents can harness local gifts and assets to build more connected communities from the ground up.

Sponsored by:

How can you make better use of the limited time your manager has? This session will tackle three ways:

• Know their job description – everyone should be clear on their role and their capacity, making expectations realistic and achievable
• Review their job description and evaluate their work – you should continually improve how work is done at the co-op so staff have enough hours to do their job well
• Empty their head – if they decide to take that world cruise, your co-op can continue without them!

Join members from across Canada for a casual catch-up over the break. You’ll be placed in a breakout room and have the chance to chat and connect with your cross-country co-op neighbours. And if you’d like to try a recipe from the online co-op potluck recipe book, feel free to show others what you made! All participants will be entered into win a $50 Camino chocolate lover’s gift basket!

Your property and buildings are your most important assets. Keeping members happy in comfortable, well-maintained homes is also essential. You need skilled professionals to get great maintenance results, but there is still a critical role for members. This includes making sure that problems are spotted before they become more serious and costly.

This session will help you:

• recognize what is – and isn’t – a member’s responsibility
• plan a routine preventative-maintenance calendar
• understand the importance of clear and well-thought-out policies on maintenance
• appreciate the role such policies play in member engagement
• make sure all of this doesn’t just exist on paper!

Please note that due to the sensitive nature of this subject, this workshop will not be recorded.

By unpacking the origins of racist thought, this session will deconstruct common myths and misconceptions about racism. We will uncover key insights as to how social norms, biases, power and privilege have become the dangerous status quo that we all, knowingly or unknowingly, participate in. This interactive conversation will shed light on the unspoken, problematic behaviours that negatively impact our individual and collective experiences. It will identify how to have courageous conversations and help participants identify strategies to become agents of change in confronting racism within our communities and shared spaces. This session will use real examples, peer discussions and reflective exercises. Insightful anti-racism resources and tools will be provided to assist participants with shifting the norm towards a culture that is racially equitable, a culture where no one is left behind.

Sponsored by:

Our best guess is that through 2021, many co-op meetings will still be held online. With better member turnout and more effective and efficient meetings, online may in fact remain the preferred meeting “location” for some co-ops, long after they’re able to meet again in person.

This session will look at how an already experienced chairperson can transfer their knowledge, skills and attributes to the online meeting environment. The session will cover:

• setting the tone for a warm, welcoming and respectful online space
• understanding how members participate
• establishing virtual meeting guidelines and rules of order
• dealing with difficult situations while online.

Take in a more relaxed atmosphere to meet and connect with other co-op members from across Canada. Simply click on this link which will take you to the Wonder.me platform and drop into any room you’d like!

Join our ‘Co-operators Have Talent’ contest (with voting and live DJ!). Check out the talents of your fellow co-operators and enjoy some great tunes!

Put your knowledge to the test with some general and co-op trivia!

If you’re from Ontario, join us for our first meeting under the new governance changes. Hear about our work for Ontario co-ops, learn the latest on the End of Mortgage campaign, and help us celebrate the hard work of our Ontario Council members through the years. This meeting takes place before the AGM.

If you’re from Ontario, join us for our first meeting under the new governance changes. Hear about our work for Ontario co-ops, learn the latest on the End of Mortgage campaign, and help us celebrate the hard work of our Ontario Council members through the years. This meeting takes place before the AGM.

The virtual AGM is your chance to help guide the direction of Canada’s co-op housing movement. This year’s meeting is extremely important as members elect an entirely new board to govern CHF Canada.

We’ll be opening up the virtual AGM waiting room ‘doors’ at 1:30 p.m. Sign on early to ensure you’re all set for the AGM, answer some fun poll questions and celebrate award winners.

AGM waiting room sponsored by:

The virtual AGM is your chance to help guide the direction of Canada’s co-op housing movement. This year’s meeting is extremely important as members elect an entirely new board to govern CHF Canada.

We’ll be opening up the virtual AGM waiting room ‘doors’ at 1:30 p.m. Sign on early to ensure you’re all set for the AGM, answer some fun poll questions and celebrate award winners.

AGM waiting room sponsored by: