Does the right to housing belong in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

May 29th, 2014 by Shelina Ali

This week, the Ontario Court of Appeal is hearing an appeal of the 2013 court decision in Tanudjaja et. al. v. Attorney General (Canada) et al. dismissing an application — of four individuals who identified as homeless, together with the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (the Applicants) — concerning the right to housing. The application in Tanudjaja asked the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to, among other things, make a declaration that the Government of Canada’s and the Government of Ontario’s failure to implement a national and provincial housing strategy violates the federal and provincial government’s obligations under sections 7 and 15(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). By seeking this declaration, the application put the issue of whether social and economic rights are embodied in the Charter squarely in front of the court.

Read more on rabble.ca

Considering social enterprise

May 12th, 2014 by Lauren Blumas

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology undertook an extensive review of the Canadian Business Corporations Act back in 2010 and recommended consultation on 4 discrete issues, one of which was the rules applicable to incorporation of socially responsible enterprise.

Much of the discussion since has focused on introducing a hybrid corporate vehicle similar to the Community Contribution Company form available in B.C. In a nutshell, these corporations are somewhere in-between a non‑profit and a traditional business corporation. They operate with a community purpose and can have shareholders. They are also subject to an asset lock that is intended to ensure that a majority of the assets are fed back into the community, as opposed to shareholders, upon dissolution.

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Client Profile: Turtle House Art/Play Centre

May 8th, 2014 by Iler Campbell

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Turtle House Art/Play Centre is a unique art-based organization in Toronto, designed primarily for children and families from refugee backgrounds. Turtle House uses art, including painting, clay work/ceramics, and music, to help children and parents from regions of conflict explore their creativity, play, express themselves and make meaningful  connections.

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Harper takes a swing at the Supreme Court after losing yet another case

May 7th, 2014 by Priya Sarin

In the past few years, the Harper government has aggressively pursued its own agenda without due regard for the Canadian Constitution, the rights of the provinces and the rights of the most vulnerable Canadians. It has pushed for Senate reform, tougher criminal laws, and even subtly attempted to shift the balance of the Supreme Court of Canada by appointing judges with a conservative bent.

Stephen Harper may have hoped that his five appointments to the Supreme Court would influence the outcome of the cases before it, but a recent string of well‑deserved thrashings in court have demonstrated that the Supreme Court is truly an independent, non‑partisan body, able to act as a check on the government’s (inappropriate) actions.

Read more on rabble.ca

Laura Bowman nominated as Provincial NDP candidate for York-Simcoe

April 16th, 2014 by Iler Campbell

We’re very pleased to announce that Laura Bowman is the provincial NDP candidate for York-Simcoe. Laura grew up in Holland Landing, East Gwillimbury and maintains many ties with the area. Regular readers of our blog will recall her articles on development issues in the Lake Simcoe region.

She plans to campaign on curtailing sprawl, improving transit infrastructure, protecting water,  affordable housing, local agriculture, improving local employment opportunities and municipal and planning reform.

Laura will continue working at Iler Campbell until the election, in which we wish her all the best. For more about her and her platform, visit her website at laurabowman.ca.

Iler Campbell at CHFT Spring Member Education Event

April 15th, 2014 by Iler Campbell

Shelina Ali will be leading a workshop on minute taking, Saturday April 26, at the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto’s 2014 Spring Member Education Event. Her workshop, entitled Minutes Matter, aims to take the mystery out of taking minutes for housing co-ops.

For more info about the event, see the brochure here (PDF).

If you’re interesting in having us lead a workshop for your event or organization, let us know. We’d love to hear from you.