Programme Committee Progress

The Programme Committee has been working hard developing a series of workshops and events.

Over the fall, winter and spring CoAction will offer workshops and forums on:

- Grieving
- Emergency Planning
- Mental Health
- WHMIS/FIRST AID

We are hoping to co-sponsor a workshop with CHFT on successfully applying for short and long term disability and how to avoid having to apply. We have also been approached to partner with CHF Canada on the Introduction to Co-op Management workshop they will offer in the spring of 2013. It will be exciting to see how the partnership will take shape.

The committee could use two types of volunteers. It would be great to have people come out to meetings to help with the planning. It would also be great to have people volunteer for logistics on the days of events, from helping with set up and clean up to staffing the sign in table. Drop Brian an email brian.ed@coactionsa.org) if you are interested in volunteering, or come to an upcoming committee meeting.

Watch your email/this blog for notices of upcoming events and workshops.

CHF Canada Web Forum

The Co-op Difference: Online Training in Co-op Housing Management

Join CHF Canada for a web forum on Thursday September 27, 1:30 – 2:15 pm.

Reserve your web forum seat now here

Co-op education is one of the seven co-op principles. We see how our movement has embraced this principle by organizing regular education and training events for our members and managers. But co-ops are busy work environments and finding other opportunities for professional development can be a challenge for many co-op managers.

CHF Canada has launched The Co-op Difference, their first college-level online course.  It does not duplicate the “nuts and bolts” training available in generic property management courses. Instead, it covers what is unique and different about managing a co-op. And it promises to teach how to practice sound co-op
management and support a successful co-operative community. Best of all, it’s online – take the course whenever it is convenient.

Learn more about this important new professional development tool. In this web forum you’ll get a guided tour of The Co-op Difference, an introduction to the different features and modules, and an opportunity to ask questions about this new resource.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the web forum.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®/iPad®/Android™ smartp

Annual General Meeting

CoAction Annual General Meeting
 Friday, September 21st
10:00 a.m.
Main Gerrard Housing 180 Main Street, Toronto, Ontario.

 There is limited parking across the street at the Ted Reeve Community Centre.
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There are three two-year board positions up for election at the meeting.  Nominations can be submitted in advance to info@coactionsa.org or made from the floor of the meeting.

The qualifications to run are similar to those of the co-ops we work for...

You must be:
¸ a CoAction member
¸ at least eighteen years of age
¸ not an undischarged bankrupt or a mentally incompetent person
¸ current in payment of your dues

If you think you are behind in your dues, contact Brian at brian.ed@coactionsa.org to make sure, and bring your cheque book to the meeting to get caught up. There will also be a report back from the CHF AGM, a presentation on CoAction’s online presence, and the approval of the annual audit, which has been circulated by email.

Bob Wiseman rejoins CoAction Board

Reflections from Bob Wiseman

I am happy to re-join the CoAction Board of Directors after an absence of a couple of years. At the same time, I have been chosen as the Staff Association director for the CHFT Board of Directors. I have been a member of CoAction since I became a Co-ordinator at Main-Gerrard Housing Co-op in February of 1989. During the last 23 years, being a member of CoAction has given me a better understanding of the job that I aspire to do and the profession that I attached myself to when I became a co-op manager.

"I achieve that better understanding through my interactions with my colleagues in CoAction at meetings and social gatherings. I also have acquired a better understanding of the work, its challenges and rewards, through the various training opportunities that CoAction organizes."

Most recently, a workshop held at Main-Gerrard Co-op on mental health issues presented both a legal and health practitioner perspective.

Alice Heap

by Mary Jankulak

Alice Heap was an early member of CoAction. She passed away this spring.

Alice and Dan Heap (1993)

I met Alice and Don Heap in the 1980s, while I was volunteering at the El Salvador Information Office, in a church basement at Bloor and Bathurst, and at various Latin American solidarity events. In 1991, I was hired as a constituency assistant in Don's office on Euclid St, which Alice managed – thus was I immediately immersed in a workplace environment where priorities were set according to a decidedly social justice perspective, and where the easiest path was not the one automatically chosen.

Bill Clinton had said in his 1992 presidential campaign that in electing him, the nation would also benefit from Hillary's expertise and "get two for the price of one". I think this was absolutely the case where Alice and Don were concerned.

Co-operative Management Conference and CHF Canada AGM

Gerri Pennie, CoAction President accepted on behalf of CoAction, an award for thirty years of continuous membership in CHF Canada.  CoAction’s report to the CMC was well received.  It provided not only a summary of recent activities, but an overview of the services we offer as well:

CoAction Report to the 2012 CMC

From workshops and socials, to information sharing and support, this has been a very busy year for CoAction.  New people have joined our board, and our workshops have been well received by members and non-members alike.  We have welcomed several new members, and some have retired from co-op work.  CoAction currently serves a membership of fifty, slightly fewer than at the time of the last CMC.  

CMC staff networking lunch

CoAction continues to value the opportunity to work with other staff associations on common projects such as the proposed shared website.  Having the opportunity to learn about the successes and challenges of other staff associations is very important to us.

CoAction Social!

CoAction members are invited to meet up on Tuesday September 4 at 6pm at the The House on Parliament located in Cabbagetown in Toronto


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Looking forward to seeing you all there!