1. www.chfcanada.coop
The
Co-operative
Housing
Federation
of Canada
NewsBriefs
Southwestern Ontario
Spring 2013 | Volume 8, No. 1
London Hydro’s Lisa Charteris helps
Roger Robinson, president of The
Oaklands Housing Co-operative, sign
on to participate in a provincial program
that finances new energy-efficient
appliances and lighting.
Inside
this issue:
Stampede to Calgary AGM Page 2
Go green with grants Page 3
Regional members
meeting Page 4

2. The
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
Local co-op president honoured
o n N at i o n a l H o u s i n g Day
In November, R. Bob Sexsmith was placed on the National Housing Day
Honour Roll for his contribution to housing and the communities of London
and Middlesex.
Since 1965, Sexsmith, president of Twin Pine Village Co-operative Inc., has
worked for affordable housing and the environment and served as union
delegate, community organization volunteer and founder and former president
of Huron Pines. He’s also a director of the London & Middlesex Housing
Corporation Board, chair of the London Housing Advisory Committee and
member of the London Homeless Coalition.
National Housing Day is a joint effort of the City of London and Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation to acknowledge the work that housing
stakeholders can achieve.
Stampede to the Calgary AGM!
The CHF Canada AGM is a priceless opportunity for
members to network, update themselves on current co-op
housing issues, engage in co-op business and workshops,
and fine tune the day-to-day experience of co-op living!
TELUS Spark Science Centre, the iconic Calgary Tower and
other sites and attractions including CHF Canada’s annual
tour of local co-ops. And for natural beauty, Calgary is only
80 km east of the Canadian Rockies!
After attending last year’s AGM, Suzanne Rajeh
of Bridge End Housing Co-op in
London has advice for this year’s
delegates. “Take every opportunity you
can to be involved,” she says. “Don’t
skip anything, go to lunch with people
every time and keep connecting.”
For more information, visit www.chfcanada.coop/2013agm.
CHF Canada is offering members
50 percent off registration fees for
all AGM participants under 30. The
popular Member Education Forum
will host a workshop series to help
co-ops engage and inform their
members. Learn about being a board
member, running successful meetings
and ensuring your co-op has both
short and long-term plans in place
to achieve its priorities.
The 2013 Annual Meeting is taking
place June 5 to 8 in beautiful Calgary,
Alberta. Participants will enjoy access
to the Glenbow Museum, the new
2 NewsBriefs | Southwestern Ontario Edition Spring 2013 – Volume 8, No. 1

3. The
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
Co-ops benefiting from
energy retrofit grants
By Marni Norwich
The Home Assistance Program (HAP) funded by the
Ontario Power Authority is providing free energy upgrades
for income-eligible co-op housing households throughout
Ontario.
HAP is operated in each municipality by the local electricity
distribution company (LDC). London Hydro has provided
seven London-area housing co-ops
with free energy upgrades since
September.
does have income eligibility requirements, but they
are high enough that all of the members at one co-op
qualified, even those paying market housing charges.
So we urge all co-ops to apply!”
Charteris says that the key to maximizing incentives is to
talk to the local LDC conservation officer and get some
advice as to what would work best. London Hydro tries
to provide program options and guidance to each co-op.
“We started with co-op housing
because we had a good relationship
with them and they were keen to
participate,” says Lisa Charteris,
a program co-ordinator for London
Hydro. “The early adopters really
helped us get our program off the
ground and working for which we
are grateful.”
HAP comes from the Green Energy
Act which mandates that all LDCs in
Ontario reduce demand off the grid
across their customer base. HAP and
the Retrofit programs are available
throughout Ontario.
Suzanne Wright, Senior Program Manager for
McCormick and Zock, manages 16 properties in
Southwestern Ontario, half of them co-ops. She says
HAP provided energy-efficient light bulbs for four of the
co-ops she manages and replaced older fridges, freezers,
air conditioners and dehumidifiers with new Energy Star
appliances for those who qualified. Wright estimates that
members are saving 10 percent on their Hydro bills, and
the co-ops have saved tens of thousands of dollars in
new fridges.
“This is a priceless opportunity for co-ops to save money
and support environmental initiatives,” says Denise
McGahan, Program Manager, Member Services, for
CHF Canada’s Southwestern Ontario office. “The program
Some co-ops have chosen the
HAP route and several are
performing complete facility
upgrades which offer even
deeper energy use reductions.
Above: Suzanne Wright,
senior program manager for
McCormick and Zock, has
helped clients such as The
Oaklands Housing Co-operative
participate in the Home
Assistance Program (HAP).
Right: London Hydro’s Lisa
Charteris works with Wright
on the paperwork to secure
HAP funding for one of the
co-ops Suzanne manages.
NewsBriefs | Southwestern Ontario Edition Spring 2013 – Volume 8, No. 1
3

4. The
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
Third Annual Southwestern Ontario Regional Members Meeting
Thursday, May 9, 7:00 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton, 1150 Wellington Road South, London
CHF Canada’s spring regional
members meeting in Southwestern
Ontario is your opportunity to weigh
in on housing co-ops’ vital current
issues. It’s also a great chance to
connect with CHF Canada members
and staff.
Whether or not you’re attending the
AGM, this meeting will be engaging
and important. It will include a
discussion of current topics of concern
to co-ops as well as this year’s
resolutions, elections and an
AGM orientation.
Beyond business, this annual meeting
is a lot of fun, and you won’t want to
miss the food!
For more info or to RSVP, contact
Denise McGahan at 519-453-0999 or
email dmcgahan@chfcanada.coop.
W h at i s yo u r c o - o p d o i n g
i n 2 013 ? S ta r t p l a n n i n g …
Co-ops that plan are healthier financially and have happier
members. Through the planning process, boards think
about the future and identify priorities for the coming year
and for years to come. It ensures that there are trained
people and money budgeted to carry out priorities—in
2013 and beyond. Most co-op boards understand the
importance of planning, but results from the 2012 Sound
Management Challenge tell us that only 40% of co-op
boards actually hold annual planning sessions.
Recognizing the benefits of planning can really make the
difference. A good planning process:
• offers practical steps to identify your priorities and
match the people and dollars to deliver them
• is a useful tool for communicating what will be done
and for tracking what has been accomplished.
Mission
statement
Planning
is part of
Environmental
Good
sustainability
governance
the board’s
leadership role and
also enhances the board’s
credibility and reputation
Long-term
Sound
by showing members and
plan
management
others that the board is
thinking about the co-op’s
future and its long-term
viability. This is why
planning is one of the
five standards for CHF Canada’s 2020 Vision Program.
Contact Denise McGahan at 519-453-0999 or
dmcgahan@chfcanada.coop for information or assistance
on setting up your board’s next planning session.
Publication information
NewsBriefs is published by the
Co-operative Housing Federation
of Canada.
Material may be copied.
Please credit CHF Canada.
Story ideas, comments or questions?
Denise McGahan at 1-800-644-3949
or email dmcgahan@chfcanada.coop
Editors:
Denise McGahan and Scott Jackson
Printing:
Cielo Print Inc.
Contributors:
Marni Norwich, Rebecca Richardson
Southwestern Ontario
c/o Ontario Region Office
313–720 Spadina Avenue
Toronto ON M5S 2T9
Tel 519.453.0999
Fax 519.453.6854
Toll-free 1.800.644.3949
Design and production:
Aerographics Creative Services
www.aerographics.ca
4 NewsBriefs | Southwestern Ontario Edition Spring 2013 – Volume 8, No. 1