Meet CHF Canada’s newest Board members

Published September 01, 2021

The members of CHF Canada’s Board of Directors bring a wealth of diverse experiences and knowledge to the table.

Read on for some quick facts about those newly elected or appointed to our Board in 2021.

You can also read the full bios of all of the Board members on our Board of Directors page.

Allison Chase

Ramers Wood Co-operative
Director, Ontario

• Retired after a career in teaching, Allison sits on the executive for the Retired Women Teachers of Ontario and the social committee of the Retired Teachers of Ontario.
• “I’m a people person, a strong listener. I genuinely care, and people sense that.”

Mary Ann Hannant

Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto
Vice President and Director, Ontario

• Mary Ann has worked for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto for 33 years, and is currently a Co-op Advisor with responsibility for CHFT’s education program.
• Mary Ann enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, and reading.

Sarah Jensen

Castlegreen Housing Co-operative
Director-at-Large

• Sarah is in her third-year of the pre-law program at Lakehead University
• She can often be found working with her bees, enjoying a hike, or kayaking one of northern Ontario’s many waterways.

Cassia Kantrow

Trout Lake Housing Co-operative
Treasurer and Director, British Columbia / Yukon

• Cassia is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 25 years of experience working with non-profit organizations, small businesses and co-operatives
• She enjoys knitting and playing at the dog park with her five-year old Chocolate Labrador.

David McFarlane

Bain Apartments Co-operative Inc.
Director, Ontario

• David worked as a co-op manager with Homestarts, then managed Bain Apartments and Arcadia Housing Co-op.
• He likes spending time with his two young children, enjoying walking trails and working out at the gym.

Claude Pépin

Québec-Chaudière-Appalaches housing co-operative federation (FÉCHAQC)
Director, Québec / Nunavut

• 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.

Sahara Shaik

Wit’s End Housing Co-operative
Director-at-Large

• An MBA graduate student, Sahara is a marketing manager by profession with ten years’ experience in marketing, finance and communications.
• Sahara is also an artist who enjoys oil painting, pottery, calligraphy and mandala art.

Tanya Von Idler

Island View Housing Co-operative
Director, New Brunswick / Prince Edward Island

• Tanya is a small business owner
• She loves the natural beauty of her home province and often can be found at the shorelines storm-watching or simply enjoying time in the great outdoors.

 

Nicole Waldron

Atahualpa Co-operative Homes
Director-at-Large

• Nicole serves on the board of The Co-operators, CHF Canada, Atahualpa Co-operative Homes and Sisters4Hope.
• Nicole is the voice of the “Victory Speaks” podcast and online show, and she has recently become an author (her work can be found in the anthology Pursued by Purpose).

 

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With new governance changes effective this year, all positions on the Board were open in 2021.

Elected during the National Business Meeting to fill at-large director positions were:

• David Boyde (CHANAL, St. John’s, NL)
• Anne Davidson (Granville Gardens Co-op, Richmond, BC)
• Sarah Jensen (Castlegreen Co-op, Thunder Bay, ON)
• Dawn Obokata (Saint Nicholas Co-op, Toronto, ON)
• Sahara Shaik (Wit’s End Co-op, Vancouver, BC
• Nicole Waldron (Atahualpa Co-op, Toronto, ON).

Regional directors were elected during online elections that took place in April 2021. This year, all of these positions were acclaimed:

• Cassia Kantrow (Trout Lake Co-op, Vancouver, BC) – British Columbia/Yukon
• Isabel Ciok (Sarcee Meadows Co-op, Calgary, AB) – Alberta/Northwest Territories
• Coral Hetherington (Westboine Park Co-op, Winnipeg, MB) – Saskatchewan/Manitoba
• Allison Chase (Ramer’s Wood Co-op, Markham, ON) – Ontario
• Mary Ann Hannant (CHFT, Toronto, ON) – Ontario
• David McFarlane (Bain Apartments Co-op, Toronto, ON) – Ontario
• Claude Pépin (CQCH, Quebec, Qc) Quebec/Nunavut
• Don Goss (High Hopes Co-op, Halifax, NS) – Nova Scotia/Newfoundland and Labrador:
• Tanya Von Idler (Islandview Co-op, Charlottetown, PEI) – New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island
• Tina Stevens (Native Inter-Tribal Co-op, London, ON) – Indigenous Community

David Corson (Fairlea Park Co-op, Ottawa, ON) was elected to the Finance and Audit Committee.