Beaver Creek Housing Cooperative

York Region is going to court to try to force the sale of the assets of Thornhill Green Co-op to its housing company, Housing York, for little more than half the market value. The Co-op and CHF Canada are fighting the sale in court.

Plan to attend a rally in support of Thornhill Green Co-op.

• Where: Holy Trinity Church, 140 Brooke St., Thornhill
• When: Wednesday, December 3 at 7:00pm

Why Support Thornhill Green

• Thornhill Green Co-op has been a good neighbour for over 15 years.
• The co-op is fi nancially sound. It has more than $5.5 million in equity in its property and has received less subsidy than any co-op in the province.
• There is no reason to sell and lose the benefits of resident-controlled housing.
• Learn more at this special section of the CHF Canada website.

How You Can Help

• Show your support at the rally!
• Join the “Save Thornhill Green Co-op” Facebook group.
• Contact your local York Regional Councillor or Regional Council Chair Bill Fisch and let them know you support Thornhill Green Co-op.

This is the story that I told the younger kids at our Gazebo on Halloween before they all headed off to the haunted house followed by trick-or-treating.

Dracula's Secret

Galloping horses pull a coach along a dark road. The driver shouts to me. "We will arrive at the castle soon. I'll drop you off and leave at once. I must get out of these woods before the moon rises. Strange things happen around here during the full moon."

"What kind of things?" I ask.

I just received notice from my trusty Google Alert that Beaver Creek has been mentioned on the SNAP Kitchener/Waterloo site.

Beaver Creek Housing Cooperative in Waterloo is a great community to call home! On Sept. 13th they held their 2nd annual Fall Fair. From first thing in the morning until the wee hours, there was a jam packed day full of exciting events and activities for the whole family and live music from " Noisy Neighbours " to close the festivities. Even a torrential rainstorm didn't dampen the spirit of all involved!

The Cooperaitve Housing Federation of Canada (CHFC) has created a Federal Election Action Centre which details how we can help solve the housing problems in this country. Their list of advice includes:

• Make sure you’re registered to vote.
• Use our on-line tools to send a message to candidates in your riding.
• Question candidates about co-op housing when they ask for your support.
• Find out where each of the parties stand on co-op housing.
• Get involved in the co-op housing political campaign.
• Encourage others to get involved.

Be sure to visit the site, to learn more and help do your part.

I just got this email blast from the Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion made an announcement of funding to help co-op members and other Canadians renovate their homes to conserve energy. The event took place at Pine Ridge Housing Co-operative in Burnaby, which is exploring the option of converting to thermal heating. In a discussion with housing co-op members, the Liberal leader also promised to reveal his plans for social and co-op housing later in the campaign.

This promise addresses one of the key issues CHF Canada and housing co-ops are raising in this election.

CHF Canada welcomes this major announcement and looks forward to hearing more from all parties during this campaign.

Adam van Koeverden carried Canada's flag at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. Van Koeverden, a kayaker who won a silver in Beijing and gold and bronze medals in Athens, grew up at Chautauqua Co-operative Homes in Oakville, Ontario -- where his mother, Beata Bokrossy, still lives.

It’s not just ability that wins medals. It takes a very secure person to take the kind of personal risks and do the kind of work that Adam did, and the community was a big part of that. I don’t think that as a single parent raising two kids that I would have had the sense of personal security that I had if I hadn’t lived in a co-op, and that can’t help but have been transferred to my children. Adam is a co-op kid who understands and appreciates the value of having grown up in a co-op.

The Grand House Student Co-operative, in Cambridge, ON, is nearing completion. It is one of the first university student housing co-ops to be developed in many years. Its large house will accommodate 12 students. The building itself is on the cutting-edge of environmental design including using straw bale construction. The co-op has launched a Buy-a-Bale campaign to raise funds to help it complete the project. For more on the co-op, its unique construction, or its campaign, go to www.grandhouse.wacsa.org.

Last month’s announcement of funds from the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) for two homelessness shelters in Vancouver—while welcome—only puts a band-aid on the housing and homelessness crisis that is facing the city, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) says.

Kelly found this great video made by some of the members of a housing cooperative in Lewiston, Maine. I don't know much about Lewiston, but according to the video, it gets a bad rap. These members tell the world that Lewiston is not all bad, and that their cooperative is helping to create a worth while community.

Saturday August 16, 2008, Country Hills Co-op will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a community carnival, BBQ dinner, and evening street dance. Happy Anniversary!