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Logo of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), featuring a stylized blue house icon and organization name in blue text on a light background, reflecting its commitment to co-operative housing. Logo of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), featuring a stylized blue house icon and organization name in blue text on a light background, reflecting its commitment to co-operative housing.
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2025 Annual Meeting – Toronto

Meeting highlights: Building homes, changing lives

June 12 - 14, 2025

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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.

Four women wearing name badges stand together and smile at a professional Co-operative Housing event hosted by CHF Canada.
Two people stand behind a booth at an indoor event, talking to a visitor across the table decorated with brochures and small plants, promoting CHF Canada and the benefits of Co-operative Housing.

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.

A woman speaks into a microphone at a podium, with a laptop and a projector screen displaying images about Co-operative Housing in the background at a CHF Canada event.

National Business Meeting

A group of people stand and clap in a conference room at a CHF Canada event, some wearing lanyards, with round tables and empty chairs in the foreground, celebrating co-operative housing achievements.

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

A group of fifteen people pose together indoors, some seated and some standing, wearing blue scarves or accents in front of a dark curtain, representing their commitment to co-operative housing and the values championed by CHF Canada.

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.

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.
A woman in a yellow blazer speaks into a microphone while standing at a podium, addressing the audience about co-operative housing at a CHF Canada event.
  • 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.
A woman stands at a podium holding a star-shaped award, with a blue curtain backdrop, celebrating achievements in co-operative housing at a CHF Canada event.