Board of Directors

Since moving into Ramers Wood Co-operative in 1984, Allison has been involved in the co-op sector. She volunteered on various committees, and credits constant encouragement from others for her motivation to assume leadership roles. After retiring from a career in teaching, Allison had more time to dedicate to the sector. She served as President of Ramers Wood, and sat as a non-resident board member at another co-op. In 2017, her work was recognized with a Brian Burke Community Builder Award. She served as President of CHF Toronto and was made an Honorary Lifetime Board Member in 2019. She was first elected to the Ontario Council in 2015. She also sits on the Governance Committee of CHF Canada.

With a knack for focusing on the big picture, Allison still believes that working at the grassroots level is important, and visits different co-ops to hear people’s concerns, and to bring many voices and perspectives back to the Board. “I give one hundred percent to whatever I’m doing, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time on the Ontario Council. Everyone treats everyone else with respect. I’m a people person, a strong listener. I genuinely care, and people sense that.”

Her top priorities are ensuring that Canada builds more affordable housing and sustains the existing co-operative housing stock. In particular, she wants to see Canada make more of an effort to provide affordable, sustainable housing for Indigenous people.

Member confidence is important to Allison, and she is committed to ensuring that members feel they have equal representation at the national level

Allison also sits on the executive for the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario and the social committee of the Retired Teachers of Ontario. She enjoys travelling to interesting places, and whether she’s en route, or comfortable at home, you are likely to find her absorbed in a good book.

A long-time labour union and 2SLGBTQI+ activist, Don brings to the table a wealth of experience in governance and in representing diverse populations. Honoured to be the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador representative, he wants to connect with co-ops in both provinces to find out what’s important to them and bring these concerns to the CHF Canada Board. As the Nova Scotia representative, he hopes to hear from co-ops in that province and find out what’s important to them.

He believes we must all work towards the transformation of Co-op Housing into a ‘movement’. Don is fond of saying that although we may not own our homes, we are the stewards of them, and so we must ensure that they remain an enduring legacy for future generations. A fervent belief of his is that the co-op housing movement must continue to live and be guided by the seven Co-op principles.

He and his partner have lived in High Hopes for five years, but his familiarity with co-ops goes back to the 1980s when he was a founding board member of Needham Housing Co-operative. He wants to see the co-op housing movement expand in Canada, and feels that building the capacity for co-ops to work together to achieve common goals is critical to securing affordable housing for the next generation. He truly believes in Co-op Housing for All.

He believes we must continue to reach out to our Indigenous members and communities and ask them how we can become better neighbours and more inclusive. The Indigenous communities need thousands of new housing units across this country and Don supports this as a priority in our journey together.

Don is the vice-president of High Hopes and is active on a number of co-op committees. He also involved in the Nova Scotia Retired Employees Association in Halifax, and has served as treasurer for the Nova Scotia Health Coalition.  Don has also served as NSGEU vice president and board member for a number of years until his retirement. Aging in Place and Accessibility issues are an ongoing concern which must be addressed, as integral to providing affordable and safe housing for everyone.

A retired library technician and a proud Cape Bretoner, Don describes himself as “a Star Trekker who loves books”. He is also a sometime successful gardener, and is enjoying assisting with the recently acquired raised beds at High Hopes, provided by a CHF Canada green microgrant.

Climate change is having, and will have, more devastating impacts for all of us. Currently, his co-op has declared a climate emergency, and Don is working as part of the High Hopes Co-op CHIRP committee, where their intention is to get off fossil fuels dependency in all their units, and ensure that their homes are sustainable and as green as best as they can be.

A CHF Canada Board member since 2020, Coral is committed to the CHF Canada vision of Co-op Housing for All. She is a member of the Peer Network and welcomes the opportunity to network and share resources and ideas to fuel co-op housing preservation and growth.

Fostering connections is important to Coral. “It is vital that CHF Canada continues to provide the network to facilitate a continuing dialogue between its member co-op boards and managers.”

Coral has lived in Westboine Housing Co-op in Winnipeg for 25 years and served on their board for nine years. She joined the Manitoba Co-operators Association in 2018, and for five years acted as a provincial delegate to Co-operators Insurance. She also sat on the Conference Planning Committee of the Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association and CHF Canada’s Aging in Place Committee. She is a proud member of Quality Services for Seniors.

She was inspired to run for the Board after her own co-op went through a difficult experience. Coral believes it was the assistance from CHF Canada that made the difference for Westboine, which is now thriving. “We were on the brink. I felt that CHF Canada was instrumental in guiding the board, and helping us to get our priorities straight. After how much CHF Canada had given to Westboine, I felt it was time to give back. That was really the motivation.”

Her priorities are to raise the profile of CHF Canada. “Everyone in Canada should know that CHF Canada exists, and what it does.” She believes that CHF Canada is in the forefront of the push for affordable housing because it has the expertise and drive to achieve their Vision.

An avid gardener, Coral enjoys spending time with her family, including her two grown sons. She feels that personal connections are the key to resolving problems. “Often we forget that organizations, including government, are just made up of people. If you listen to people and understand where they’re coming from, it goes a long way.

Claude has been involved in Quebec co-operative housing for 25 years, mainly in an administrative capacity, and has lived in a co-operative for more than 20 years. Claude believes that personal and collective commitment and adherence to democratic principles are central to the co-operative philosophy.

He has been on the board of the Québec-Chaudière-Appalaches housing co-operative federation (FÉCHAQC) for 16 years, 11 of which were as chair. The federation performs a leadership and advocacy role on behalf of the co-operative housing movement. It unites, represents, assists and supports the development of all types of co-operatives in the Quebec City and Chaudière-Appalaches regions.

For the past 13 years, Claude has been on the board of the CQCH, which represents all of Quebec’s  co‑operative housing federations. The CQCH is the leader, promoter and national spokesperson for Quebec’s co-operative housing movement.

Claude has also been the chair of SOSACO for 11 years. SOSACO is a technical resource group (TRG) whose mission is to help individuals and organizations interested in establishing co-operatives and using the co-operative model to enhance quality of life by improving housing conditions.

Claude, who has a legal background, worked for the Government of Quebec for 32 years, mainly on the development of social policies, programs, standards and regulations to assist vulnerable people.

April’s parents grew up in the depression era and she comes from a family of residential school survivors. When visitors arrived, for whatever reason, they were always offered food in case they hadn’t eaten. No matter the purpose of the visit, it wouldn’t go well if people were hungry. That lesson has stayed with April, and she tries to ensure that both physical and mental well-being take precedence in her interactions with others. A former co-op manager and bookkeeper, April was also a licensed funeral director for 15 years, a job which helped her to understand the process of grief, and honed her skills in dealing with strong emotions. She currently serves as Treasurer at First Nations Housing Co-operative in London, Ontario, and works with the non-profit Atlohsa Family Healing Services.

Sitting on the Board of CHF Canada fits into the flow of April’s passions, which include strong advocacy for urban Indigenous housing and co-op housing in particular. Having spent several years lobbying the City of London to allocate resources for more housing, her priorities are to help CHF Canada move forward on its mandate to work towards reconciliation with Indigenous people and to push for more access to funding through the National Housing Strategy.

Family is of paramount importance to April. As a member of the Bear Clan, she grew up in a family that put an emphasis on volunteering, and taking seriously one’s responsibilities to the community. As a result, April feels she brings strength, resiliency, and the ability to provide support and a different perspective to the Board. Her experience reading and understanding financial statements gives her insight into the concrete operating details of an organization.

April is a mother and a grandmother with a strong interest in food security. She keeps her own garden. She’s also an avid reader and enjoys knitting.

Don’t expect Lee to be a quiet board member. They plan to make some noise.

Recognizing that everyone is in the same affordable housing predicament nation-wide, Lee hopes to provoke change at the higher levels of government. They want to be part of lobbying as a federation, and ensure that voices advocating for policies and programs to develop new co-op housing stock and to support existing co-ops are heard loud and clear. As well, they feel it’s important to support members in navigating the existing systems that would help them to thrive.

Lee has spent the past 15 years in various administrative support roles related to health care. They currently work as a team leader in the largest shelter for the unhoused in Nova Scotia. While heavily focused right now on their studies in the Social Work program at Dalhousie University, and on parenting, Lee still finds time to volunteer on the grant writing committee at Needham Housing Co-operative where they’ve been a member for the past six years.

Bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to CHF Canada’s Board drives Lee’s commitment to this new position, as well as a passion for representing people who don’t always feel as if they have a voice. As a queer, non-binary trans, neurodivergent individual with hearing impairment, Lee understands the need for representation.

“We need some higher level changes. I want to be part of lobbying as a federation, and be loud in advocating for change. Younger and diverse groups of people need to see themselves represented, and that’s what I’m doing. I’m passionate about people’s stories. People’s stories drive how I do my work.”

For over 30 years Dawn has been a member at Nicholas Co-op in Toronto. “I’m so grateful to have had access to secure and affordable housing while dealing with the demands of raising a family and working in the arts sector.” She’s attended numerous education events in order to deepen her understanding of co-operatives. As the co-op’s GLOBE community champion, she received a Kathleen Blinkhorn Award for Volunteerism.

Dawn was honoured to be elected to the CHFT board in 2017, and as president for two and a half years. Ontario federation meetings, several CHF Canada AGMs and the CHF Canada Visioning Summit in 2018 inspired her to seek out ways to lend her voice to the ongoing fight for secure, affordable housing.

Dawn is a passionate advocate for co-operatives. “Affordable housing is a huge community and political issue. I have seen the movement in Canada mature in such an impressive way, and I am always deeply inspired by the energy and commitment of those involved. As a board member, I have learned the value of calm, thoughtful leadership, the importance of listening to diverse viewpoints, and the value in thinking outside the box. These are qualities I try to bring to the CHF Canada Board.”

An actor by profession, Dawn has been involved actively in the governance of her professional association. She served for nine years as a national councillor of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association and he received the Larry McCance Award for outstanding contribution to the association and its members. Of her work an ESL instructor for newcomers, Dawn says, “This has been a rich and rewarding experience, and has given me an insight into settlement issues and the value of secure housing and a stable, caring community.”

For Nicole, activism and advocacy were just part of growing up in a politically active family in Trinidad. She believes housing is a right, not a privilege. Leading by example is important to her, as is nurturing and mentoring others. As the first Black president of the Ontario Council and CHF Canada National Board, she didn’t want just to be first, but to make sure the door was open for diversity.

Passionate about advocacy, Nicole is determined to give a voice to those who don’t always have one. Through strategy, innovation, creativity, and teamwork, she hopes to foster sustainability as CHF Canada moves into a model of one governing structure, to ensure that everyone’s needs are addressed and that everyone’s voice is heard as before.

Nicole serves on the board of The Co-operators, CHF Canada, Atahualpa Co-operative Homes and Sisters4Hope. She sits on the Family Advisory Council with Stella’s Place, the Ontario Family Caregivers Advisory Network, the Ontario Caregiver Organization and committees for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is a previous board member of CHF Toronto.

The recipient of a Brian Burch Community Service Award from CHFT, and the SHSC Kathleen Blinkhorn Award for Excellence in Volunteerism, Nicole has also been named one of the 100 Black Accomplished Canadian Women and highlighted as one of 150 Women in Canada by How She Hustles in the HERstory in Black series.

“You can never be too humble, and you have to be teachable. Listening. Communication. What are people saying, and what are they not saying? What are people feeling? Being sensitive to the needs of others and to be a servant-leader, that’s key for me at the end of the day.”

Nicole is the voice of the “Victory Speaks” podcast and online show, where she inspires and empowers listeners to live a life of Victory. An avid swimmer and reader, she has recently become an author, and her work can be found in the anthology Pursued by Purpose.