Mike Labbé Named Social Entrepreneur of the Year

November 9th, 2015 by Brian Iler

We were thrilled that Options for Homes’ founder, Mike Labbe was awarded a special citation as Ontario’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Options is a long-time client of ours. Continue reading “Mike Labbé Named Social Entrepreneur of the Year”

Top tips for managing your professional services budget — at Tools Conference 2015

November 3rd, 2015 by Iler Campbell

Is your professional services budget increasingly stretched? Do you worry that you are not making effective use of those you retain when you don’t have in-house expertise? Many readers of this blog are familiar with the annual Tools Conference that Iler Campbell LLP co‑hosts with Prentice Yates and Clark, an audit firm with strong roots in the non‑profit sector.

At Tools this year, in addition to all the great stuff you’re used to seeing, we’re trying something a little new.   We’ll end the day with eight professionals from the worlds of auditing, management consulting, IT, investing, fundraising, social media, design and law who will give you their top tips on how best to use their services.    Continue reading “Top tips for managing your professional services budget — at Tools Conference 2015”

What the court decision on the niqab ban was really about

October 29th, 2015 by Shelina Ali

This post was first published on rabble.ca

Voter turnout during the last federal election is estimated to be 68.5 per cent, the highest voter turnout since 1993. Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party campaigned on a platform of promising real change, which resonated with voters, giving the Liberals a clear majority of seats in the House of Commons and 39.5 per cent of the popular vote. Canadians showed that they wanted to uphold and participate in the democratic system.

One issue that, for the wrong reasons, garnered a great deal of attention as a hot button election topic was the Federal Court of Appeal decision on whether an individual could wear the niqab while taking their citizenship oath. Stephen Harper drew the other party leaders into a polarized dialogue about Canadian values, women’s rights and religious freedom, a misleading debate, considering neither the Federal Court nor the Federal Court of Appeal addressed those issues in their decisions. The decisions of both courts on the issue of wearing a niqab during a citizenship oath was grounded in the fact that the Harper government tried to circumvent the law by passing “mandatory” policies — in doing so, the Conservatives disregarded the requirements of a democratic system based on the rule of law. Continue reading “What the court decision on the niqab ban was really about”

Vote co-op housing – you hold the key

October 7th, 2015 by Iler Campbell

CHF Canada has launched a campaign calling on co-op housing supporters to help make the future of affordable co-op housing an issue in the federal election. On votecoophousing.ca they write:

Federal and provincial funding agreements that assist more than 20,000 low-income households living in co-operative housing with their rents are coming to an end in large numbers. Unless governments agree to help, the co‑ops where these low-income Canadians live will be unable to offer them affordable rents based on their incomes.

They’re calling on voters to call on their candidates for their support, share their co-op housing stories and help spread the word. Find out more at votecoophousing.ca

Affordable housing for all: Let’s make it an election priority

September 24th, 2015 by Celia Chandler

This post was first published on rabble.ca

Last week, I attended the AGM of Accommodation, Information and Support(AIS), a supportive housing provider for 104 Torontonians who have experienced mental health challenges and homelessness; many AIS tenants attended the meeting. Although AIS tenants have not had easy lives, they are lucky to have found permanent housing where they get the invaluable support services they need to live independently. Even as a mature organization with a 44-year history, AIS struggles to find money to create more housing. Each organizational resource ‑- financial and human -‑ is stretched to capacity, with no way to meet the burgeoning demand. The waitlist for people with mental health issues and/or addictions in Toronto has over 8,000 names — quadrupled in the last five years.

This is just one example of the critical need for a changed affordable housing landscape in Canada. Continue reading “Affordable housing for all: Let’s make it an election priority”

Celia Chandler at CHFT Fall Education Event

September 23rd, 2015 by Iler Campbell

Celia Chandler will be leading a workshop at the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto’s Fall Education Event on Saturday October 24th. She will be discussing human rights in a co-op setting and the duty to accommodate.

Also at the event are Viola Bardhoshi and Dionne Reid of Prentice Yates & Clark. All three presenters will also be at Tools Conference on November 25.

Learn more about CHFT’s event here.