327 Ontario Street
St. Catharines, ON L2R 5L3
905-688-2324
Workshops: 9:00am – 4:30pm
Annual General Meeting: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Dinner, Entertainment, Dance: 7:00pm – 1:00am
Welcome Back!
We are thrilled to announce that our Winter Workshops and AGM event will return to an in-person format this coming January 28th, 2023, with some workshops offered in a hybrid format. If you are unable to join us in-person, sign up for our hybrid courses and enjoy the program from the comfort of your own co-op via Zoom.
Once again, we are offering a full day of affordable education provided by a compliment of top-notch educators. The folks from Iler Campbell LLP are back to guide us through human rights and legal issues, while accredited mediator Shawn Conway will return to lead us through a full day of conflict resolution and our friends from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada return to present the latest on end of mortgage for HSA co-ops and risk management. The Agency for Co-operative Housing has teamed up with CHF Canada to bring you a workshop on sustainability while the community building experts from the Tamarack Institute will be on hand to help us rebuild our co-op communities in this post-pandemic world. All this plus many more workshops from our own experienced and talented educators.
Make sure to visit our supplier expo tables to learn about the latest offers from our partner organizations. Enter the treasure hunt draw to win some great prizes while picking up vital information for your co-op as you save money using our preferred vendors and Co-op Cost Cutter Suppliers.
Don’t forget to register your co-op’s delegate for our Annual General Meeting to be held at 5pm that afternoon and stick around for a fabulous dinner, special entertainment guests and dance the night away with a couple hundred of your best co-op friends. We look forward to seeing you in January. Workshop details and ordering information follow.
Workshops
1. Directors’ Duties from A to Z: Catherine Jolliffe GHCHF
Full Day Workshop: 9:00am to 4:30pm
This full day workshop will provide new directors with everything they need to know to be an effective leader and collaborator in their co-op. Experienced directors will find this workshop a valuable refresher and much needed morale boost. It isn’t easy being a director, but our own Catherine Jolliffe brings her decades of experience and commitment to the co-op housing sector to help you improve your director’s skills.
2. Managing Conflict & Making Good Decisions: Shawn Conway QMed
Full Day Workshop: 9:00am to 4:30pm
Ever been asked to make a decision as a director or member that will have a significant effect on your community? Ever had big conflicts over those decisions in your co-op? When those issues come along it is important that you are prepared to work through the conflict so you can make the best decision for your co-op. Shawn is a gifted mediator with many years of experience. He will use his expertise to help equip you with the tools you need to make those difficult decisions while managing conflicts that may arise with everyday co-op life.
3. Rebuilding Governance Post Pandemic:: Sarah Burnett-Murray GHCHF
Morning Workshop: 9:00am to 12:00pm
The pandemic has changed many things in our lives, not the least of which is how we inter-act with each other. Your co-op depends on democratic governance to function and thrive. Join Sarah as she examines how the pandemic has had both negative and positive effects on how we govern our co-ops. She will review some of the steps you need to take to get your governance structure back up and serving your members again.
4. Risky Business: Owen Carnahan CHF Canada & Chris Davey The Co- operators
Morning Workshop: 9:00am to 12:00pm
Identifying and reducing risks is one of the most important jobs you have as a member or director of your co-op. This three-hour workshop will highlight some of the common risks that housing co-ops face and will help you form strategies to manage those risks while easing the financial burdens they cause.
5. Practical Sustainability: Joanne Balmaceda Agency for Co-operative Housing
Morning Workshop: 9:00am to 12:00pm
The aim of this workshop is to encourage your housing co-operative to adopt sustainable practices and help you reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The workshop will include an introduction to sustainability, carbon foot-printing and how to calculate your co-op’s carbon footprint, a brief overview of energy benchmarking in Ontario, and information about energy audits and the energy retrofits your co-op may want to consider. Finally, we’ll talk about the role of your board of directors in leading these changes.
6. Human Rights vs Human Wants: Michael Hackl Iler Campbell LLP
Morning Workshop: 9:00am to 12:00pm
We will examine the distinction between a right protected by the Human Rights Code and members’ personal preferences. We will also explore when and how to accommodate a human rights need. Equip yourself with the information you need to respond to human rights issues in your co-op.
7. Everything You Need to Know About Chairing: Kathy Dimassi GHCHF
Morning Workshop: 9:00am to 12:00pm
Join our very own Kathy Dimassi for a workshop that will empower you to effectively chair board meetings and member’s meetings. Gain unique insight on successfully managing difficult meetings and helping members reach the best possible democratic decisions. Drawing on her decades of neutral chairing experience, Kathy will help you find the confidence you need to be an effective chairperson.
8. Rebuilding Community Post Covid: Sylvia Cheuy Tamarack Institute
Afternoon Workshop: 1:30pm to 4:30pm
The pandemic has left most co-ops with a sense of disconnectedness. Significant reductions in member involvement have been reported as we have all had to follow guidelines around gathering limits and public health measures. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our need to function as communities with common goals and hopes for the future. Join community building expert Sylvia Cheuy from the Tamarack institute as we share new ways of engaging members and building community.
9. HSA Co-ops End of Mortgage: Peter Gesiarz & Caroline Chapman CHF Canada
Afternoon Workshop: 1:30pm to 4:30pm
New provincial legislation means big changes for all HSA co-ops. The experts from CHF Canada will lead us through some practical steps that your co-op must take to prepare for the end of your mortgage. Whether your co-op chooses a new service agreement with your service manager or an exit agreement, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to prepare for the end of your mortgage.
10. Legal Issues Related to Behavior: Safia Lakhani Iler Campbell LLP
Afternoon Workshop: 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Evicting a member is never our first choice, but sometimes member behavior leaves us no other option. This workshop will help you understand the procedures for and challenges of behavior related evictions including various human rights considerations. A must for any co-op considering a behaviour related eviction.
11. Better Bylaws; From Approval to Application: Petr Bakus GHCHF
Afternoon Workshop: 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Bylaws aren’t just rules to follow, they reflect the community that your co-op wants to build. Learn how to develop new bylaws while remaining in compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal legislation. Become familiar with the CHF Canada model bylaws and their role in protecting your co-op. Petr will give you a new perspective on how to apply your bylaws and allow your co-op to thrive.
12. Room for Everyone: Intergenerational Co-ops – Angie Armstrong & Sarah Burnett-Murray, GHCHF
Afternoon Workshop: 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Is your co-op age friendly? Do you make allowances for your members to age in place, and take part in governance while passing on their experience and skills to the next generation of members? Join Angie and Sarah for this workshop which will explore ways to keep our long-time members in their units as a vital part of the community while encouraging the next generation of members to engage in active governance renewal.