On the morning of February 3, 2009 there was a devastating fire at Riverdale Housing Co-op in Toronto has resulted in one death, several injuries, damage to several Units.
There is a history of co-ops helping co-ops in times of crisis. The Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto has set up a fund to help the co-op and the families affected by the fire. You can help by donating to the Riverdale Co-op Fire Fund. Please make your cheques payable to the CHFT Charitable Fund.
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.
Rooftops Canada is pleased to announce the beginning of recruitment for the 2008 International Youth Internship Program. This is an excellent opportunity for new and recent graduates aged 19 to 30 who are interested in working overseas. Rooftops is recruiting nine interns for six-month internships in Chile, South Africa, Cameroon, Egypt, and India. The internships will start in July or August 2008. This internship program is part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, facilitated by CIDA's Youth Action Division. Each intern receives a stipend to cover travel and living expenses for the six-month overseas placement.
The deadline for applications has been extended to May 16, 2008.
On April 23 city council reconsidered the sports field environmental assessment (EA) and voted six to one, to approve the EA. Obviously councilors had been lobbied extensively by the university. A few councilors justified their vote by trying to separate their approval of the EA from the final approval of the sports field deal which will come later.
Councilors did not hear the arguments that the EA process and its conclusions were flawed.
In a marathon meeting on the evening of February 19, city council voted 5 to 2 in favour of delaying receiving the environmental assessment which recommends sports fields on the environmental reserve.