Board of Directors

Isabel was five years old when she moved into Sarcee Meadows. In her first year on the board, the co-op sent her to the CHF Canada AGM in Charlottetown. “It completely opened my eyes to the fact that the co-op movement was far greater than I thought,” she said. Now acclaimed as the Regional Director for Alberta/NWT, Isabel is hoping to learn as much as possible in one year, and voice the perspectives of members in her region.

She believes every co-op is unique, and when it comes to decisions that will impact the future of a co-op, it’s important to determine the best option for any particular community. At the same time, creating a broader awareness of the co-op housing reality is important to her.  “There is a complete lack of awareness that co-ops exist, and it saddens me to see this.”

Sitting on the board of CHF Canada is something she has long hoped to experience. No stranger to governance, Isabel has been a member of the Alberta advocacy group, the Southern Alberta Co-operative Housing Association since 2019. Along with serving on committees and task forces in her co-op, she has volunteered extensively with Alberta Health Services, the Calgary Police Service, the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and the Children’s Hospice.

Isabel has a Bachelor of Health Sciences and is currently pursuing admission to law school. When not busy with her studies, she enjoys partner dancing and other social events.

Mary Ann recognizes that the re-structuring of CHF Canada’s governance model is a good and important change, but also a monumental one. Seeing the new structure settle on a firm foundation is high on her agenda. To that end, she wants to ensure that newcomers to the Board are well integrated, that everyone is comfortable in their new role, and that members know they’re still well represented.

For 33 years, Mary Ann has worked for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT), and is currently a Co-op Advisor with responsibility for CHFT’s education program. She works very closely with CHFT member co-ops, helping them navigate processes related to governance. Bringing together people in federations across the country and facilitating workshops at the AGM has given her a national perspective and insights into the issues facing people living in co-ops across Canada. Along with her work for CHFT, Mary Ann sat as Vice-President on the Ontario Council and is currently on the CHF Canada Joint Governance Committee.

Understanding that Ontario needs to feel well served because of the sheer number of co-ops in that province, she also knows that every province and region has a stake in feeling well represented by the new Board. She will endeavour to see that the committee structure serves the organization in the best ways possible.

She brings to the role a wealth of experience at the grassroots level and believes strongly that good information leads to good decision-making. “Co-op members, if they’re given good information, will make decisions that are in the best interests of the co-op. It helps to remember that co-ops and their members are inherently good, and even when things are going sideways, clear communication helps.” She will make every effort to ensure that CHF Canada maintains strong communication channels with member co-ops.

Mary Ann very much enjoys spending time with friends and family. She loves cooking and a good meal, as well as a good read.

A Chartered Professional Accountant with over 25 years of experience working with non-profit organizations, small businesses and co-operatives, Cassia brings professional training, skills, and experience to the board table, along with her lived experience, empathy, and commitment to systematic change in Canada’s housing market. Elected as Treasurer, she brings invaluable professional expertise to this oversight role.

Over the years, she has learned that the co-operative and non-profit rental market is critical to solving our country’s affordable housing crisis, and that partnerships with the rest of the housing sector will be instrumental in effectively lobbying for change.

Cassia is looking forward to learning more about and participating in government lobbying and advocacy work at a national level. After six years serving on the Board of CHF-BC, running for a seat on the national board seemed like a natural progression. As President of CHF-BC for three and half years, she supported the implementation of a more rigorous and thorough strategic planning process and an ambitious re-structuring to unify the legal and governance structures. Cassia was recently elected to the board of TRAC (Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre) and chairs the Capital Planning Committee at Trout Lake Housing Co-operative.

Cassia will watch, listen, and learn. She will be watching for any strategy gaps that might require action in order to help CHF Canada continue in its growth and development. She wants to support CHF Canada’s strong voice at the national level whenever housing is on the agenda.

Creativity comes naturally to Cassia, so if you’re looking for a vintage-inspired graphic sweater or combination woolen mittens and drink cozy, she could knit one for you, although you might have to wait until she finishes playing at the dog park with her five-year old chocolate labrador.

Tina Stevens has dedicated her life to Aboriginal leadership, both in and out of the co-op housing context. Her contribution includes advocacy for an Aboriginal seat on the CHF Canada board while living at Native Inter-Tribal Housing Co-operative, tenure as first Aboriginal community director for CHF Canada and work as second director appointed to the Ontario Council. Throughout her roles, Tina has maintained a belief that housing co-ops provide a safe family environment for members to connect with their culture and community, maintain self-respect and respect for Mother Earth, find employment, access higher education and nurture the seeds for future generations.

Tina is an Algonquin-Ojibwe woman from Kitigan Zibi, Kettle and Stoney Point, who has lived in London, Ontario her whole life. She has three strong sons and attributes her energy to having been raised by a strong mother, a great elder in her own community.

Tina moved into her first co-op with her mother around the age of 12. As a young adult she moved into Native Inter-Tribal Co-op and worked with the co-op to secure a seat for the Aboriginal community on the CHF Canada Board of Directors. In 1996, she became the first Aboriginal community director. As the second director appointed to the Ontario Council, Tina did “double duty”.  Tina then took on the role of fighting the Harris government cuts on behalf of the Ontario members including Indigenous co-op communities as the Ontario Council President. In one example of her advocacy work, she met with the provincial MPPs to stop housing cuts and the download of housing from the province to the federal government.  In recent years, Tina took her advocacy role to the City of London to fight on behalf of her own housing co-operative.

Tina began to see how Aboriginal communities living on reserve could benefit from the co-op model. She created alliances between the Ontario Non-profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and Aboriginal communities for the purpose of networking for the larger housing sector.

Fast-track to the present, and as a result of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee recommendations, there must be a priority in creating an alliance between ONPHA and CHF Canada to address the crisis of Indigenous housing through the creation of more Aboriginal housing co-ops.

Tina credits former CHF Canada Aboriginal Director Linda Campbell with bringing more education and awareness of Indigenous issues and assisting housing co-ops to reduce barriers to accepting Indigenous members. Indigenous people find it “hugely challenging” to secure affordable housing in BC due to the discrimination of public landlords.

As a CHF Canada Board Director, “my priority is to be able to continue that education that (outgoing Aboriginal Director) Linda Campbell started and keep acknowledging our Seven Grandfather Teachings and how CHF Canada can incorporate the connection between these teachings and the Seven Co-op Principles.” Tina says she will also continue Linda’s work in educating the community about true Indigenous history.

When considering the need for more co-op housing for Indigenous people, Tina notes the movement toward urban centres for Indigenous people seeking better housing conditions including clean water, education and employment.  In the matter of the murdered and missing women of BC and across Canada, it is imperative to create more affordable housing which would further address our much needed protection. She cites the issue of homelessness and personal power as key points to be addressed.

Her biggest wish is that all levels of government unite to create a strategy to maintain subsidies for Aboriginal co-op housing rather than terminate that housing with the end of operating agreements. Currently, CMHC funding contracts do not allow Aboriginal co-ops to retain any surplus from year to year, unlike the initial federal operating agreements when co-operative housing was created.

Tina brings to the board the strength of her advocacy and a commitment to communicate to CHF Canada on behalf of members of Aboriginal housing co-ops. “It’s a priority for me to keep building bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people within the housing co-op movement.”

She is also as a member of the CHF Canada Diversity Committee and Governance Committee.

Tina works for the Ministry of the Attorney General, where she addresses issues such as the high number of Indigenous people in prisons and within the child welfare system. As part of the OPSEU Indigenous Circle, she is focussed on bringing education and awareness to the union about Indigenous members.

“I will keep walking in Linda Campbell’s footsteps and continuing the journey that she started. I’m quite the humble person, being re-elected. I come with a lot of humility, working with vulnerable people and placing the importance on their survival.”

“All my life has been housing, from the very first day I went to work,” says David Boyde.

This accountant has been working for Newfoundland’s CHANAL as both bookkeeper and Financial Service Manager since 2003, the same year he moved into Mount Pearl’s Freedom Housing Co-op.

David does the books for 13 of the 21 co-ops in the province and previously sat on the CHF Canada board for six years (2004-2010). He says that with all his experience in accounting, housing and finances, assessing costs for co-op housing is easy. “It’s like picking up a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s or falling off a log.”

David began with a degree in economics then got his CRA from the Appraisal Institute of Canada. His goal on the board is to promote and advance co-op housing in Newfoundland while also looking at the bigger picture.

His focus is the end of operating agreements in Newfoundland and on building more unitsespecially for seniors. He says the agreements of all of the co-ops in the province will end soon, and co-ops must choose between refinancing and operating without mortgages. There are no units for seniors and few that are accessible, with no condos or apartments available either. The last co-ops built in the province were in 1991-1992, so there is a big demand for new housing at this time.

David has a vision for the co-ops in his province and the part he would like to play in supporting them. “I’d like to see co-ops prosper after they come out of their agreements, and I’d like to be there to help with the knowledge of my 40 years in the accounting and housing industries.”

He has a wife and three grown children.

Sarah is thrilled to be part of the team at CHF Canada. Elected to the Ontario Council just last year, she was also chosen as a Canadian representative for the International Co-operative Alliance 25 Voices Under 25 Project. Her Ontario Council experiences included an opportunity to attend a campaign and community organizing course through the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. She’s hoping to bring the tools and skills she’s acquired to the CHF Canada Board.

A member of Castlegreen Housing Co-op since she was seven years old, Sarah’s co-op experiences have contributed to her sense of social justice and her strong belief in the values of community engagement.

Sarah found her passion for advocacy when she had a chance as a member of Canada’s Emerging Co-operators to lobby MP’s to invest in the co-op sector. The dynamics of government intrigued her, and the positive feedback she received from parliamentarians with whom she spoke led her to believe she had found her calling. She hopes to:

• Expand and strengthen the network of co-operative communities across Canada
• Advocate for government support for co-op programs, including support of continued subsidies for low-income housing.
• Facilitate the conversation between emerging co-operators and established co-operators to allow for knowledge sharing and growth of the co-op sector.
• Inspire more youth and people of all generations to join and strengthen the movement to create leadership renewal and growth.
• To serve members by working as a team of co-operators across Canada to achieve the CHF Canada goals and bring the co-op housing movement into the future.

Now in her third-year of the pre-law program at Lakehead University, Sarah’s other keen interest is biology, so when she’s not busy promoting co-ops, she can often be found working with her bees, enjoying a hike, or kayaking one of northern Ontario’s many waterways.

Youth engagement holds the key to the future of co-op housing. That’s what Sahara wants everyone to understand, and part of her work on the Board of CHF Canada will centre on finding ways to effectively engage younger members. A young member herself when she first became involved in governance, Sahara ran for the Board of The Cooperative Federation of BC when she was only 26. Although the day-to-day administrative duties and responsibilities were hefty, she learned a great deal from others who were well-versed in the role, mentors who helped her to gain knowledge and experience.

Sahara soon realized that she didn’t have to be an expert to get involved, that a person can develop the necessary skills to successfully serve in a leadership role. Her motivation to run for the Board of CHF Canada stemmed partly from her own difficult search for affordable housing, and a strong desire to effect changes so that others don’t have to go through that process. Growing more co-ops and relieving the housing crisis are top priorities.

An MBA graduate student, Sahara is a marketing manager by profession with ten years’ experience in marketing, finance, and communications. Along with the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, she has served on CHF Canada’s Finance and Audit Committee, Governance Committee, Aging in Place Committee, and Enterprise Risk Management Committee. She has an external appointment to the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, and has presented workshops focused on younger members at CHF Canada’s AGM.

“I think we need to find ever more effective ways to engage younger members, whether that’s through new video apps, or things like the existing discount for attendance at the AGM. Younger members are the future.”

Sahara is also an artist who enjoys oil painting, pottery, and calligraphy, and mandala art. She hopes her tenure on the Board of CHF Canada will allow opportunities to collaborate with various levels of government to bring about much needed changes to Canada’s housing market.