CHF Canada’s Annual Meeting
2025 Annual Meeting highlights: Building homes, changing lives.
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The co-op housing movement came together in full force at CHF Canada’s Annual Meeting in Toronto, and the energy was electric. From June 12–14, hundreds of housing co-op members, staff, regional federations, and leaders from across the country gathered to learn, connect, and chart the future of co-operative housing in Canada.
Over three days, participants engaged in dynamic workshops, regional caucus meetings, and
networking sessions, all culminating in the National Business Meeting where members shaped key decisions and priorities for the year ahead. From sessions on climate resilience and governance to hands-on skill-building for co-op managers and board members, the meeting was packed with tools and ideas for strengthening co-ops at home.
The buzz of the event may be over, but the momentum continues. Co-op members and staff have returned to their communities carrying fresh ideas, renewed energy, and a collective commitment to co-operative housing for all.
Here are some highlights from the week.
Learning and Connecting
Participants included members representing their co-ops for the first time, who were quickly made to feel welcome! They had lots of opportunities to connect and share ideas and inspiration. Vendors and organizations that work with our members were there to share their latest offerings and answer questions.
National Business Meeting
At the Annual Meeting, delegates attended both in person and virtually. They reviewed our achievements in 2024 and discussed and approved resolutions that set out our goals and plans for 2025.
Resolution 1 updates By-law #1, to clarify and reflect current practices. Resolutions 2 and 3 provide guidance to our advocacy work. Resolution 4 includes our financial resolutions. Just as your co-op does, we approved audited financial statements, the auditor and budgets.
New Board of Directors
There were 5 positions to be filled this year. Our newest Board directors are Anne Davidson, Don Goss, Namulinda Lester, Olufemi Onanuga and Émmanuelle Proud-Thomson. You can find their bios here.
Congratulations to all our new directors! They joined existing directors and held their first meeting the day after the Annual Meeting. They elected fellow Board Directors to the following roles:
- President Cassia Kantrow
- Vice-President Sarah Jensen
- Treasurer John Bathurst
More highlights
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow welcomed delegates to the city, and shared her personal account of living in a housing co-op.- Keynote speaker, Co-operators’ CEO Rob Wesseling, spoke of the key role all co-ops can play in building resilience in today’s world.
- We honoured Tina Stevens as an Honourary Lifetime Associate for her decades of work in the co-op sector, including her time as President of CHF Canada.
- “Ask them”. Tom Clement’s simple and direct advice on how to get young members to run for your co-op’s board, during a lively panel discussion on the involvement of the younger generation in the co-op movement.
- Emily Power of Caroline Co-operative in Hamilton, Ontario received the Co-op Housing Champion Award. Emily is a tenant who became a co-op champion, working with her neighbours and community partners to buy their building and turn it into a co-op.
- At the opening plenary, Prasanna Ranganathan spoke on the important impact that personal co-op stories can have.
- Juno-nominated performer Beny Esguerra had the audience on their feet for his rousing performance.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow welcomed delegates to the city, and shared her personal account of living in a housing co-op.
Emily Power of Caroline Co-operative in Hamilton, Ontario received the Co-op Housing Champion Award. Emily is a tenant who became a co-op champion, working with her neighbours and community partners to buy their building and turn it into a co-op.
