Logo - CHF Canada

Halifax marks successful return to in-person annual meeting

Published June 29, 2022

An Indigenous woman and man perform a smudging and drumming ceremony on the stage of a meeting.

President Tina Stevens accompanies on drum while Indigenous elder Joe Michael of the Sipekne’katik First Nation performs a smudging ceremony to open the 2022 annual meeting.


More than 550 co-op members and supporters attended  CHF Canada’s Annual Meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia to learn, network and make important decisions in support of Canada’s co-op housing movement.

The business meeting was streamed online for the first time ever, and opened with a moving welcome from Elder Dr. Joe Michael accompanied with drumming and singing by CHF Canada’s President Tina Stevens.

Members approved board-sponsored resolutions to build the next generation of co-operative housing, to work to ensure homes are for people before profit, to move forward with renewed rental assistance for HSA co-ops in Ontario, as well as important member policy updates.

Several government representatives spoke to members about the strength and potential of co-op housing.  Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, spoke enthusiastically about the opportunity to develop the next generation of co-op homes with the $1.5 billion in dedicated funding announced in the 2022 federal budget. Nova Scotia’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing John Lohr spoke of his government’s strong relationship with the housing co-ops in his province. City of Halifax Deputy Mayor Pamela Lovelace emphasized how co-op housing could help address the City’s housing challenges.

The meeting also featured keynotes from poet and abolitionist El Jones, and Peace by Chocolates founder and CEO Tareq Hadhad.

Judy Skinner was announced as acclaimed to the Finance and Audit Committee.  And CHF Canada Executive Director Tim Ross paid tribute to retiring staff members Keith Moyer, Blair Hamilton and Salam Kawadri.

During the week, participants also took part in over 50 workshops at the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference.

In case you missed it

If you didn’t get the opportunity to join us in Halifax, the National Business Meeting was streamed on YouTube.

And we’ve also posted workshop materials for the Member Education Forum and the Co-operative Management Conference in the Resource Centre of CHF Canada’s website.


Don't miss out on the latest co-op news, success stories, and helpful resources for your co-op. Sign up here to receive our eNews every two weeks straight to your inbox!