Co-operative Law

The other side of eviction — one co-op’s story shows the gaps in our system

March 25th, 2021 by Celia Chandler

 

It’s been a tough year to be a landlord-side housing lawyer with a social conscience. Our tenant-side colleagues post horror stories of evictions happening by the dozen without tenants getting notice or benefiting from other procedural fairness protections. Continue reading “The other side of eviction — one co-op’s story shows the gaps in our system”

Equity Housing Co-ops – the Forgotten Cousins

March 24th, 2021 by Celia Chandler

This article was first published in The Co-op Current, by Ontario Co-operative Association.

The neat thing about the co‑operative model and its principles is that you can apply them to just about any endeavour.

We see the third principle, Member Economic Participation, driving large commercial enterprises like Gay Lea Foods Co-operative or Co‑op Cabs in Toronto. We see Autonomy and Independence, principle 4, fueling the workers at Urbane Cyclist in Toronto and Planet Bean in Guelph – both worker co‑operatives. We see non‑profit housing co‑operatives enriched by their Voluntary and Open Memberships, Democratic Member Control, and Concern for Community, principles 1, 2, and 7. Continue reading “Equity Housing Co-ops – the Forgotten Cousins”

From a little idea comes a big program: CHFT Diversity Scholarships

December 7th, 2020 by Celia Chandler

One of the highlights of the Iler Campbell year has always been attending the CHFT Diversity Scholarship Awards night every June.  We get dressed up and head out for a night on the town.  It’s such a heartwarming event, showing us the results of the support people pursuing post‑secondary education can get from the co‑op sector.  We hear such remarkable stories from co‑opers, each one striving to make the world a better place for themselves and everyone around them. Continue reading “From a little idea comes a big program: CHFT Diversity Scholarships”

AIS joins WoodGreen – a case study on organizational integration

November 3rd, 2020 by Iler Campbell LLP

A Tudor style, 3-storey walk-up apartment building with 13 units built in 1995. A landscaped rear patio, and large trees add to the appeal of this building located within 10 minutes of the beaches.

An east end café was the setting for an energetic conversation between a leader of a small supportive housing program and the CEO of a large community service organization. Accommodation, Information and Support Inc. (AIS) a pioneer of the supportive housing model for persons with mental health challenges and WoodGreen Community Services, a systems leader in providing innovative solutions to challenging social issues, began a conversation about the mutual benefits of joining forces.   Despite the global pandemic, we continued with our plans and completed a voluntary integration on April 1, 2020 into a single corporation, WoodGreen Community Services. We felt it was an opportune time to leverage our combined expertise to better serve clients, who need us now more than ever, with intensive mental health and supportive housing supports. Continue reading “AIS joins WoodGreen – a case study on organizational integration”

What’s the status of your file?

November 2nd, 2020 by Iler Campbell LLP

Last week, we received a worrying email from the Landlord and Tenant Board (the LTB) regarding a specific application. The email introduced a new form, called Advanced Resolution Request, for Landlords, Tenants and Co‑op Applicants to submit. The LTB describes the purpose of this form is to “help the LTB understand if there have been changes with…application[s] after it has been filed”. Continue reading “What’s the status of your file?”

CHF Canada launches its first-ever Virtual Fall Education Forum!

October 27th, 2020 by Iler Campbell

Tomorrow marks the first webinar in CHF Canada’s month-long Virtual Fall Education Forum.

Tomorrow, Celia Chandler will join co-op managers across Canada to talk about human rights in housing in a live Zoom session.  Later in November, Celia will participate in a session on mental health and human rights; this one is geared to all co-op members and staff.

But these are just two of the 20 or so sessions that are on offer.  For the complete line up, click this link.  There’s something for everyone.

That’s not all though.  No conference – even an online one – is complete without sponsors.  Be sure to check out the partners’ page found here.  Iler Campbell is proud to be on the list.