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EXTRA C O - O P E R A T I V E H O U S I N G F E D E R A T I O N O F C A N A D A
In N A T I O N A L E D I T I O N May 2007
Issue No.1
News
Newsbriefs
briefs
EXTRA
Co-operative housing:
Our future is

green
Why sustainability
matters to housing
co-ops and what
some co-ops are
doing to go green. Two Toronto co-ops have already
made headway on becoming
sustainable and are leading the
movement for a green change in
housing co-ops.
Hugh Garner Housing Co-op
proposed the resolution at the
CHF Canada annual meeting.
The co-op is partway through a
multi-faceted green roof project
at their downtown housing co-op.
They started by creating a rooftop
garden, and it will eventually
include a stormwater reservoir and
a solar collection system. In 2006
they submitted the resolution to
CHF Canada members to become
aware and take action. The co-op
continues with its green roof project
and is making other changes for
energy efficiency and improved waste
management. As well, Hugh Garner
Torontos Hugh Garner Housing Co-op
plans to include a stormwater reservoir
and solar collection system as part of
its green roof project.
Contents
2-3
It is easy being green
Hugh Garner and Arcadia housing
co-ops (Toronto)
4-7
Why sustainability matters for
housing co-ops and how to go
green
8-19
Greening our co-ops
What co-ops are doing to become
more sustainable, save money
and have a positive impact on the
environment.
9
Conservation (Ottawa)
10 Sundance
(Edmonton)
11
Co-operative Auto Network
(Vancouver)
12 Kitsun
(Vancouver)
14
Blue Heron (Ottawa)
15
Student housing co-ops
18
Quebec housing co-ops
19 Federations
16
Recycling and composting facts
Top 10 Sustainability action list
for housing co-ops (insert)
Publication information
This supplement to Newsbriefs is published
by CHF Canada. Material may be copied.
Please credit CHF Canada.
Editor: Merrilee Robson
mrobson@chfcanada.coop
Assistant editor: Fiona Jackson
fjackson@chfcanada.coop
Design, illustration and proofreading:
EGO Creative Solutions
design@egocreatives.com
Printing by Cielo Print Inc.
jim@cieloprint.ca
Printed on ChorusArt coated 70lb silk. FSC
Certi ed, acid-free, 25% post consumer waste.
2
N E W S B R I E F S S U P P L E M E N T
M A Y 2 0 0 7
www.hughgarnergreenroof.ca Sustainability
W W W. C H F C A N A D A . C O O P N E W S B R I E F S
S U P P L E M E N T
M A Y 2 0 0 7
3
member, Eleanor McDonald
notes, they will take a slight
diversion this summer for some
much-needed repairs to the
25-year-old building envelope.
The co-op is fundraising to help
cover costs and received a grant
from the City of Toronto. The green
roof will provide natural insulation
and cooling for the building, and a
long-lasting roof cover. It will be a
place for members to get fresh air
and recreation, and will provide a
wildlife habitat in the middle of the
city. Their green roof has generated
wide media attention as a project
that, when finished, will be the
largest and most innovative of its
kind in Ontario. For more details on
the scope of the project visit
www.hughgarnergreenroof.ca.
On Torontos Lake Ontario
waterfront, Arcadia Housing
Co-op also started their
sustainability journey by investing
in a green roof, but with a sense of
urgency. Their rooftop is a popular
spot for an annual gathering
to watch fireworks. So when a
building engineer warned them
that their roof would not support
more than a hundred people, they
looked for a solution. Long-time
Arcadia member Maggie Keith
recalls, We were absolutely
convinced that we wanted (the
roof) as member space.
They designed a rooftop garden to
break up the roof space, placing
heavier trees over the strong
building posts. With a close eye on
the co-ops budget, they changed
all their lighting to compact
fluorescents, replaced their fridges,
put in low-flow showerheads and
pressure-assist toilets. That was
four years ago. Last spring the
co-op won the City of Torontos
Environmental Award of Excellence
for Arcadias major project that
uses solar panels to power their
hot water heating system. They
have just worked out some minor
kinks in this system, and may install
more solar panels to meet the
co-ops other energy needs.
Arcadia has submitted a resolution
for the 2007 annual meeting that
asks CHF Canada to commit to
developing specific environmental
sustainability guidelines for co-ops
and members
to help all
co-ops fulfill
the promise of
a sustainable
future.
It is easy

being green
being green
At the June 2006 annual meeting, CHF Canada members passed a
resolution asking that the theme of the 2007 annual meeting be
Co-operative Housing: Environmentally Aware, Environmentally Active.
Many co-ops are already making changes or thinking about ways they can
lessen their impact on the environment.
Arcadia Housing Co-op began with a green
roof and expanded to energy and water use
initiatives winning the co-op the City of Torontos
Environmental Award of Excellence in 2006. Sustainability
4 N E W S B R I E F S
S U P P L E M E N T
M A Y 2 0 0 7 W W W. C H F C A N A D A . C O O P
The natural resources of the earth fossil fuels, rainforests, fresh water,
and undeveloped land are running low. Weve also added manufactured
substances to the environment which put more demand on natural systems.
At the same time, the population continues to increase and so does our need
for resources. With less and less available, and more and more demand, it is
as if we are between the narrowing walls of a funnel. Becoming sustainable is
making sure those walls do not close completely.
Why
sustainability matters
to housing co-ops
Declining potential of natural systems
Increasing demand on natural systems
Sustainability DECLINING POTENTIAL OF
NATURAL SYSTEMS
According to The Natural Step
heres what members of housing
co-ops should consider as they
work towards sustainability:
1. Reduce the amount we
remove from the Earths crust
and release into the ecosystem
things like fossil fuels (which,
when combusted, produce
CO
2
and other emissions)
and elements like lead and
mercury.
2. Reduce the amount of new,
human-made materials we
release into the ecosystem
things like synthesized
materials and plastics.
3. Reduce the destruction of the
natural habitat by reducing
the amount of land cleared
for development, and the
pollution of natural places and
bodies of water.
4. Make sure that people
can meet their basic needs
and that there is fairness in
distribution already one of
the principles that drives the
co-op movement.
Living co-operatively is already
a major step towards a more
sustainable way to live, as
it helps people meet their
basic needs for housing. The
co-operative principles are also
grounded in values that support
social sustainability (www.ica.
coop/coop/principles.html). For
co-operative housing members,
taking care to reduce their impact
on the environment, not only
helps minimize the crunch on
diminishing global resources, it also
helps them save money and helps
their housing co-ops continue to
thrive.
WHAT WOULD GREEN
SUSTAINABLE CO-OPS
LOOK LIKE?
Because housing co-ops provide
affordable homes for people, we
are already living in a way that
supports the fourth sustainability
principle and helping people meet
their needs.
Many co-ops have been working
to reduce the negative impact
they have on the environment
by recycling, composting and
making other energy-conserving
changes. Some new co-ops are
being built using renewable,
energy-efficient materials and have
green sustainable features. Older
co-ops are renovating to improve
their efficiency. If these changes
continue, co-ops of the future
just might be green, affordable,
community-oriented places that
will set a standard for liveability.
HOW CAN WE GET THERE
FROM HERE?
Small steps
Here are changes co-ops can make
with only a small input of time,
energy and money. Small changes
can add up to big cost savings and
environmental benefits. And with
the savings from small changes,
co-ops can consider making bigger
ones.
1
Close the loop
Reduce, reuse, and recycle
Reduce the demand for materials
and equipment through careful
maintenance of existing assets.
Reuse and/or choose products with
recycled content.
Reduce use of cleaning agents and
paints, and switch to those that
are made of biodegradable, natural
products.
Whats coming: the task
force and a tool
CHF Canada is working with The Natural Step (TNS), an
international non-profit research, education and advisory
organization that aims to promote sustainable development
around the world.
A CHF Canada task force made up of CHF Canada members
from Kitsun and Paloma housing co-ops in Vancouver,
Hugh Garner Co-op in Toronto and CHF Canada staff
in Ottawa and Vancouver, worked with the Natural Step
to determine how Canadian housing co-operatives can