Board of Directors

It was while attending school at the University of Manitoba (Environmental Design) that Jacky first discovered co-operative housing (Pembina Woods). When she pursued graduate level studies at the University of Calgary (Architecture) and wanted to move into another housing co-op, she felt lucky to get into Sunnyhill Housing Co-operative. What struck her then and still does to this day is the fact that you get to know your neighbours, and members tend to stay much longer than rental accommodation. Being a part of a stable community comes with the housing.

After 17 years in co-op housing Jacky brings a wealth of experience from volunteering on her own co-op committees, with SACHA on the Education Committee and volunteering to help host the CHF Canada AGM in 2013. In addition to volunteering Jacky is a consultant with SACHA and has just completed re-training for her computer drafting skills. Her home is no longer undergoing flood renovations (thank you to everyone that donated to help us and High River Co-op!) and is happy to take on additional responsibility with the national federation.

People who live in housing co-operatives have come to feel that their community is part of their extended family. Keeping housing co-ops together and functioning is the main goal of this director.

Frank Wheeler’s first introduction to co-op housing came in 2008 when he moved into Winnipeg’s Village Canadien Co-op one month before the birth of his first child. As a full-time engineering student with a 20-hour-a-week job, life was rather busy. “The co-op surprised me with the offer of a subsidy I didn’t even realize was available, and that really got me through those years.”

Wheeler took on a deep appreciation for the co-op model, as a cost-sharing mechanism and as a means to have a say in the running of one’s community and being a voice for that community. He began to take roles on the board—as secretary for four years and currently as vice president.

Right from the start, former CHF Canada director Linda Ferguson encouraged Frank’s participation in governance. Being a delegate at the St. John’s AGM was “an eye-opener to the sector,” he recalls. “I could see the bigger picture and felt that I could move on to help at a different level.”

As Manitoba director, with the support and guidance of CHF Canada directors and staff, Frank says he can focus locally on approaching government on issues such as the loss of subsidies with the end of operating agreements, crippling refinancing pre-payment penalties, and expansion opportunities and then share his experiences and lessons learned.

As an example, Village Canadien was recently approved for refinancing after the federal government waived their CMHC pre-payment penalty. As a result, the co-op is able to begin renovations on 150 townhouses. “Our operating agreement with the province of Manitoba is terminating as a result of the refinancing agreement. Since there is no subsidy program past the end of operating agreements in Manitoba, we are currently calculating the limits within which we can afford to self-subsidize until the government pulls through with new programs,” he explains. Village Canadien is also in the process of planning a new apartment complex for aging members (age 55 plus).

“Getting on the board is another learning experience to me, a chance to expand my horizons and give something back along the way. It’s a combination of learning and contributing, a good way for me to gain skills and at the same time expand my network – my relationships.”

Wheeler is manager of the FibreCITY program at the Composites Innovation Centre, a not-for-profit engineering consulting firm. He loves music, drumming, and wilderness excursions such as canoe and fishing trips. Most of all he’s busy with his family. “I’ve got a son who’s nine, a daughter who’s five, and now a puppy, and every day with them is hilarious,” he says. “Everything revolves around them.”

“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.

In a career spanning over 40 years, Tom has always believed in the power of co-ops to create a better world.

Tom moved into Grace MacInnis Co-operative in downtown Toronto in 1978. In 1979, he became the manager of the Alexandra Park Co-operative. He joined the staff of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT) in 1981 as the Member Services Co-ordinator. At that time, the federation had 35 member co-ops – it now has over 180 housing co-ops. In 1994, Tom became CHFT Executive Director.

At CHFT, Tom has been involved in the administration of the over 4,300 co-operative homes that are part of a land trust portfolio. He also played a critical role in converting 770 units contained in three buildings beside Maple Leaf Gardens, which became City Park Co-operative. This co-op is part of the land trust.

Tom played a key role in the first public housing conversion in Canada, when Alexandra Park became the Atkinson Co-operative in 1994. Atkinson Co-op provides homes for over 400 families. The co-op is currently undergoing a large-scale revitalization.

In 2004, CHFT founded the CHFT Diversity Scholarship Program. In the Toronto area, the scholarship program has awarded over 300 scholarships valued at $1.6 million. Tom has worked with CHF Canada and the regional federations to offer the scholarship program in nine regions in four provinces.

Tom was elected the first president of the Co-operative Housing Association of Ontario (CHAO), and was involved in the successful merger between CHF Canada and CHAO. He later served several terms on the Ontario Council of CHF Canada. .

Tom was active in discussions that created the provincial housing programs that provide affordable housing to thousands of people in Ontario. He was also part of the work involving CMHC, the provinces and the co-operative housing movement that created the Agency for Co-operative Housing.

Tom has been a leader of the national housing co-op movement.  He has served on CHF Canada’s Education Committee, the Risk Underwriting Fund and the Federal Co-operative Stabilization Fund. He also chairs the Executive Directors’ Roundtable.

Louis-H. Campagna has been investing in the co-operative model since he was a child. This fire service professional began his lifelong passion for co-ops at age seven with weekly contributions to his savings account at the local credit union. In CEGEP (Quebec college), he served on the board of directors for the school supply co-op, which educated him in business governance. When it was time to look for his first home, a co-op was the obvious choice. Twenty years, many board stints and two housing co-ops later, the Quebec/Nunavut director is more invested than ever. And he’s got a vision to match his drive.

His interest stems from a pragmatism coupled with an affinity for the democratic decision-making process. “Having a say in my immediate environment is important to me. It makes sense to work with other people to meet our economic needs outside of the profit motive.”

While he applauds the recent reinvestment of the federal government in subsidized housing, Louis wants to make sure we avoid the mistakes of the past. Namely, a clear government exit strategy is required for co-ops to gain their full business autonomy while the responsibility for supporting low income households – and thus, the integrity of existing communities – remains perennially in the hands of government. A National Housing Strategy is a must-have tool for the long-term planning of safe and affordable home availability for all Canadians. ‬‬

Nationally, Louis will foster increased communication between Quebec and other provinces on common issues. To further improve networking both within and between co-ops, he advocates an increased use of communication technologies like Skype, virtual document storage and social media.

He would consider the establishment of a co-operative tribunal, inspired by what exists in India and certain African countries, for example, to settle conflicts related to membership issues, when such conflict has degraded beyond the remedy of mediation. Currently in Canada, such issues are either settled at great expense by mainstream bodies not specialized in co-operative practices or find no fair arbitration and result in a weighting down of the co-operative spirit.

At the local level, Louis believes co-ops have the capacity to be models of good governance and management through education and external, independent audits. He supports a decisive turn among co-ops to become market leaders in sustainable development through an emphasis on green buildings and integrated neighborhoods. And while we’re at it, we can become models in residential fire safety, prevention and preparation.

From the co-op sector end of things, he would like to see housing co-ops expand development outside of the government program paradigm and explore alternatives such as group mortgages, collective financing and equity projects. He would also encourage‬ the Quebec government to pick up federal slack wherever it materializes with regard to conventional rental co-ops. ‬

Louis strives to remain educated on the development of the housing co-op sector in Northern Canada (Nunavut), where the need is so blatant. In Nunavik (Northern Quebec) especially, he keeps informed on the joint development program under consideration by partners such as the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, Desjardins, the Société d’habitation du Québec, and the Quebec Housing Co-op Confederation.

Since April 2015, Louis sits on the board of directors of The Co-operators, one of CHF Canada’s cherished co-operative partners, providing value-added services to our member housing co-ops and federations. Since June 2015, he also sits on the CHF Canada Risk Underwriting Fund (RUF) Administration Committee.

Anne has been a member of Granville Gardens Housing Co-operative for 30 years. She raised her family there and has been active in the co-op, where she has chaired the board and committees several times. Originally from Scotland, she values the same sense of community in co-ops that she experienced living in a small town.

Anne was previously president of CHF Canada for four years while serving on the board as the regional director for BC and the Yukon.

She is a strong supporter of regional co-op housing federations and believes we need a close partnership with them to deliver programs and develop a vision for the future. This relationship needs to evolve as we work to deliver services and represent our members.

Anne believes that lobbying governments is a priority for the sector as we seek a resolution to the loss of subsidy with the end of operating agreements. Before funding is announced in the federal budget, we have an opportunity to address the end of operating agreements and propose the co-op model as the solution to the critical shortage of affordable housing. The key to our success as a movement is involving our members in political action and improving our visibility with the public and politicians.

Another priority is finding innovative ways to develop more co-op housing, including convincing our members to leverage their assets to develop more co-op spaces.

Anne has a keen interest in the broader co-operative movement. She has recently been elected to the board of the BC Co-operative Association. She has been a delegate to Co-ops and Mutuals Canada and the International Summit of Co-operatives and attended a study tour of co-operatives in Italy.

Anne is retired from a senior position in the labour movement and has worked internationally on women’s rights issues. She is a social activist who believes in giving back to the community, volunteers at a homeless shelter and serves at community meals.

Barb Millsap has been actively involved in co-op housing for over 35 years in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario. During this time, she has been a member, co-op housing manager and co-op housing developer.

At the local level, Barb has served on the boards of Terra Housing Co-op in Saskatoon, Harvest Moon and Raiffeisen Co-op Homes in Sudbury and is currently president of Hi-Wood Meadows Housing Co-op in High River, Alberta.

She has been a manager at Rainbow Housing Co-op in Saskatoon and these Sudbury co-ops: Aile Norde, Maisons St. Jacques, Silo and Springhill.

Barb has developed co-ops in Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario. A number of these co-ops house disabled residents who require daily support services or regular support through the Canadian Mental Health Association, which Barb helped negotiate and implement.

Barb previously served on CHF Canada’s board of directors from 1987 to 1997 – as vice-president for four years and three years as president.

She has been very involved in the local and broader co-op movement, where she served on the boards of the Canadian Co-operative Association and her local credit union. She was also on the founding board of the Agency for Co-operative Housing. She served on the Ontario regional committee of The Co-operators Insurance company: as chair for three years in the 90s representing CHF Canada’s ownership shares. In those roles, she has had the privilege to travel and visit co-ops and credit unions in many parts of the world.

In 2008, Barb returned to active involvement with CHF Canada. She served on the Ontario Council as vice president, president and treasurer. In 2014, Barb was elected to the national board representing Ontario and was appointed treasurer. In 2017, Barb was elected as an at-large director and was reappointed treasurer. She enjoys her work as treasurer, guarding members’ monies for the long-term survival of the organization and to support and serve Canada’s co-op housing movement.

Barb has a degree in Commerce and Business Administration as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Laurentian University, and she has recently taken courses towards her Doctorate of Business Administration at the University of Liverpool. She has taught in the Laurentian University Faculty of Management for over 14 years in both the undergraduate and graduate business programs. She served as the MBA Co-ordinator from 2014-2016, providing strategic leadership during the redevelopment and launch of Laurentian’s new MBA program.

Scott Stager Piatkowski has been deeply involved in the co-operative housing movement for over 27 years: as an active co-op member, as staff person in five different co-ops (in Ottawa, Guelph, Kitchener and Waterloo), and as an elected sector representative at several levels.

This has included serving as president of the Ontario Council for CHF Canada’s Ontario Region, president of the Co-operative Staff Association of Central Ontario, chair of the Federations Committee, treasurer for the Staff Education Forum and CHF Canada delegate to The Co-operators. He also served as a government relations consultant with the Ontario Co-operative Association.

Scott has been involved in the Central Ontario Co-operative Housing Federation (COCHF) since its inception, as an education program planner, workshop leader and neutral chairperson. He trains volunteer boards in governance issues, leads strategic planning sessions and chairs meetings for a range of co-op and non-profit organizations. COCHF recently presented Scott with its Co-op Service Award for his contributions.

Scott has a long and varied history of community involvement. He just finished a two-year term as chair of the City of Waterloo’s Environmental Advisory Committee and currently serves on the advisory panel, developing a new Neighbourhood Strategy for the City. He is also a long-time volunteer with Male Allies Against Sexual Violence and recently helped to found the local chapter of 100 Men Who Give a Damn.  He has served as chair of the Waterloo Region Cycling Advisory Committee and as a member of both the Community Grants Review Committee and Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) for the City of Kitchener. He was a member of the Steering Committee for his neighbourhood association for three years, including one year as its principal contact person. Scott is a former president of the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area and former chair of the board of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union.

As a volunteer facilitator with the Co-operative Young Leaders program (CYL), Scott was the 2010 recipient of the Youth Mentorship Award from On Co-op.

For 13 years, Scott wrote a weekly column for several community newspapers. He has had articles published by other local and national publications and websites, and he has appeared frequently as a commentator on television and radio.

This community involvement and media experience has given Scott a strong understanding of how government functions at all levels, a tremendous benefit he brings to his role on CHF Canada’s Board.

Scott is determined to press all levels of government to find a permanent
solution to the expiry of federal rent-geared-to-income subsidies and to ensure that the long-awaited National Housing Strategy builds communities instead of just units. He recognizes that the co-op housing movement is currently undergoing a change in the leadership and looks forward to playing a role in mentoring the next generation of co-op activists.