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Awards at CHF Canada’s 2005 annual meeting
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Laird Hunter honoured by CHF Canada
Edmonton lawyer Laird Hunter was named an honorary life associate of the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada at its Annual General Meeting.
Hunter, a partner in the Edmonton legal firm of Worton, Hunter & Callaghan, has been associated with CHF Canada since 1978. As a law student, he became interested in co‑operative housing through Communitas, an Edmonton co‑op housing developer. While undertaking a graduate degree in Ottawa, he began advising CHF Canada on legal and business matters. Hunter is now corporate counsel for CHF Canada.
“Laird Hunter has played a matchless role in shaping the federal Co‑operatives Act as well as co‑op legislation in most provinces,” said Nicholas Gazzard, CHF Canada’s acting Executive Director. Hunter has been retained on matters involving legislative review in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec and at the federal level.
Laird Hunter’s acceptance speech
Andy Warhol promised 15 minutes of fame to each of us. Nick Sidor, in an effort to give value for money to the membership - in this case airtime - told me mine was only three minutes. But Nick, in his constant effort to put things in the most positive light, did emphasize I had 180 seconds.
One of the delights of my association with CHF Canada has been the opportunity to act as a rather overstuffed and larger version of Radar O'Reilly to a series of much more capable Colonels than the television series portrayed. To each of Glen Haddrell, Mark Goldblatt and Alexandra Wilson, I want particularly to say "thanks chief”, you will always be winning generals to me.
I'm extremely proud to have been named to this honour; though it is not accepted without some considerable trepidation. Last year CHF Canada saw fit to honour Bruce Lewis, another lawyer and a man of outstanding commitment to CHF and to cooperative housing, but – nonetheless – a lawyer. So am I. . . .
Are you starting to get the picture? This organization has named to high honour, two years running, – lawyers. So I would gently point out that if you are not careful you will give lawyers a good name. And for that – amongst countless other things – I thank you.
I am a child of the now much maligned 60s. And as a result I'm blessed by having come of age in a time that had hope that people working together could chase the collective good and in doing so recognize and sanctify individual rights on the road to that tomorrow. It was a heady dream and in many respects not much fulfilled. But the co‑operative route to economic democracy that CHF Canada represents and sustains is a small beacon of both success and continuing hope and that it is done day in and day out does this old hippy’s heart much good.
Why have you – we – succeeded? There are many reasons and each of us gravitates to what we hold dear. For me, in no small measure the success is because those of you sitting here this evening and those whose bottoms have occupied those chairs before you and those who have sat as chairs and directors and on countless committees and all the members in their homes share in some small way a belief in the Word. This is not the word of holy texts; instead it is the more mundane word that is by-laws, policies, procedures and the faith that holds to the possibility of a democratically developed rule of law about how we can govern ourselves and properly treat our fellows. And there is no greater myth of majestic proportion to the lawyer than the rule of law.
And there is at least one more important reason to me for your success and my appreciation for being associated with it. One of my favourite authors once wrote a children's book for his daughter and in it he said (and I paraphrase):
I think that this is the last fairy tale that this one will be asked to tell his kiddies. For now when at nightfall he goes to them they no longer say: "Tell us a fairytale", but rather “Tell us history, tell us something real". For, you see, they have grown out of believing in the untruths that are most real of all, and they're beginning to believe in those truths that are so false. And I do not know that this does not make this one a little sad.
For all its history CHF Canada, its members and its leaders, has believed in the untruths that are most real of all; that democracy works, that housing is a collective right and that people can responsibly govern themselves in a practical decent way from the bottom up. The motto by practice has been: rêver le rêve irréel. And every day the co‑operative homes that you have built and maintain -- where you with your partners, children and families and friends find shelter and are protected -- each of those homes stands as a small testament and a significant measure of hope about our ability to govern ourselves peaceably and care for each other. It’s a wonderful untruth in the face of so much reality.
And so, thank you – all of you – and thank you CHF Canada for permitting me to work and contribute to this wonderful expression of the word and a most marvellous untruth. What better life could an unrepentant child of the 60s have achieved? Thank you.
And Nick I think I’ll quit now when I’m 5 seconds ahead.
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Doug Perry receives CMHC award
Doug Perry, Executive Director of CANA Management Associates Ltd. in BC, was presented with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Award for outstanding contribution to co‑operative housing at the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada annual meeting on June 18.
CANA was the first management service company to provide services exclusively to housing co‑ops. Perry joined CANA in the early 1980s, and together with the late Fred Bustin, purchased CANA in 1988. CANA pioneered on-site co-ordinator services and the team approach to service delivery. It has provided services to co‑operatives in the Lower Mainland of BC for more than 20 years. CANA now works with over 3300 units in 48 housing co‑operatives.
“Beyond providing strong management support for housing co‑ops, Perry has been tireless in his support of the co‑op housing sector,” said Nicholas Gazzard, CHF Canada’s acting Executive Director. “He has shared his knowledge and expertise in workshops, participated in co‑op housing lobby campaigns and actively defended his client co‑ops’ interests.”
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CHF BC wins national award for Opening Doors campaign
A project to help find housing for women leaving abusive relationships has netted the Co‑operative Housing Federation of BC co‑op housing’s most prestigious award. The Opening Doors Domestic Violence Education Project received the 2005 Jim MacDonald Award for Social Change.
CHF BC, which represents over 220 BC housing co‑operatives, started the project to remove the barriers that women often face when leaving abusive relationships and looking for housing. The long waiting lists for co‑ops can make it difficult for women to find the housing they need. The project encourages housing co‑ops to give women leaving abuse priority for vacant units.
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Corktown housing co‑op wins first Risk Management Award
Corktown Housing Co‑operative in Hamilton, Ontario was the recipient of the first Risk Management Award. This is a new award introduced this year by CHF Canada and our insurance partners, The Co‑operators and HB Group Insurance. The award goes to the housing co‑op with the best idea for implementing a risk management plan and making their co‑op a safer place to live. The co‑op worked to improve ventilation in co‑op units and reduce the mould that was causing maintenance and health problems.
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20 year members honoured
At each year’s annual meeting we thank those housing co‑ops who have belonged to CHF Canada for 20 years or more. We have all benefited from working together over the past 20 years. We’re looking forward to many more years of co‑operation. The following housing co‑ops received their awards at the annual meeting or will have the award presented in their region.
- Aldergrove, Edmonton, AB
- Broadview, Vancouver, BC
- Creekview, Vancouver, BC
- Tidal flats, Vancouver, BC
- Twin Oaks, Victoria, BC
- Jenny's Spring, Saint John, NB
- Hubtown, Truro, NS
- Joe MacIsaac, Port Hawkesbury, NS
- Rocky Road, Halifax, NS
- Borelia, Port Perry, ON
- Briar Rose, Welland, ON
- Brighton Yards, Waterloo, ON
- Campus Residence, Toronto, ON
- Cardiff, Toronto, ON
- Crown Heights, Thornhill, ON
- Fairlea Park, Ottawa, ON
- Falls Place, Niagara Falls, ON
- Glenburn, Toronto, ON
- Goldridge, Timmins, ON
- Hoskins, Sarnia, ON
- Kawartha Village, Peterborough, ON
- Newmarket, Newmarket, ON
- Nova, Chatham, ON
- Pioneer, Downsview, ON
- Preston Heights, Cambridge, ON
- St. Nicholas, Toronto, ON
- Stirling Meadows, St. Thomas, ON
- Woodfield, London, ON
- Rainbow, Saskatoon, SK
