A Question of Honour

An All Members Meeting was held to oust a Board member. The member, I suppose, had simply asked too many probing questions, as the charges outlined were preposterous.  When it came time to vote on the matter, numerous children on instructions from their parent(s), raised their hands in unison to remove the Director. 

Long standing members were astonished at what they witnessed, but were assured by one parent (ex-preferred Board member) that all the kids were Sixteen (16) years old and indignantly asked whether the members were questioning his honour. 

The By-laws state that Sixteen (16) year olds can become members and I guess that is what they were doing when they were lining up at the office the day after the meeting.

In the decades I lived in the co-op, I never knew of one family whose kids became members.

It is not a Question of Honour - it is a Question of Ethics!

When the Co-op Calls

A Community Education Meeting was held on Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.  It wasn't a formal meeting - it was formulated by the co-op's Property Manager and cohorts.  The notice stated:

What to Expect:

• Video Presentation

          Exposing your Neighbours   Interesting Footage

• How to promote Positive Behaviour
• How to deal with Illegal Activity
• How does this negatively affect the operations of your Co-op and you?
• What should the Members do next?

We will provide refreshments and light snacks.

Everyone should participate.  You may be surprised at the outcome.

*****

The Property Manager presided over this Sunday afternoon meeting.  No video footage was shown, nor any of the above agenda items discussed.  The cohorts of the Property Manager each praised the other for their complete devotion to the co-op and members were encouraged to 'love, love, love' one another.  A dedicated member was on hand to translate these self-praising spiels into Arabic for many meeting attendees.

This gathering proved to be an excellent indoctrination ceremony for upcoming meetings.

Buying Time

In late April, 2015 a Petition to remove the co-op's property management company was signed by many members and deposited with the Board of Directors.  The reasons for the Resolution was concern about the Property Manager's interactions with members, the methods being employed, as well as a dubious hiring process.

On May 25, 2015 a letter from the co-op's lawyer was distributed to all members stating that the Board of Directors voted not to "act on it".  An excerpt of the letter is as follows:

Had the directors passed a resolution to terminate the contract with XXX, that would have exposed [the co-op] and its directors to a claim for damages for breach of contract.  In my view, such a resolution is not therefore one that, in the words of the governing legislation, "may properly be passed" by directors . . .  Furthermore, the petition contained erroneous statements about the Co-op's by-laws.

The Board of Directors called a Special Meeting on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 6:15 p.m. - off premises.  The Agenda did not state the purpose of the meeting.  There was barely a quorum at the meeting and the resolution was not passed.

 The Co-operative Corporations Act R.S.O. 1990, c. C.35, s. 70. states:

 (8) Where a by-law or resolution in respect of which a meeting of directors is requisitioned under this section is not passed or confirmed at a meeting of the members, no requisition for a meeting of directors in respect of a similar by-law or resolution shall be made for a period of at least two years. 

There is strong contention in the co-op that this whole process was rigged top down from beginning to end to ensure that the property management company remains firmly in place for years to come.

Collusion at its best!

Ex-Member Here!

After twenty-five years of living in the co-op I most talk about, we made the decision to move. The long moving process didn't seem quite real as my ties to the community were very strong and at this stage in my life, I wanted things to remain the same. Roots, I guess.

I devised ways in my mind to find a quick route back to the co-op - buses routes were too convoluted. If only I could walk diagonally to the co-op, I could be there in less than one half hour. But that would have meant walking through a swamp and trespassing on a wide expanse of railway tracks. Skateboards, roller blades and a spiffy two-seater wheelchair scooter crossed my mind, but I don't use a chair and the vision of me being the driver, with my husband in tow was too comically surrealistic for my kids. Oh well, I'm adjusting to my new locale.

There are tons of greenspaces where we live - multi-use nature paths everywhere and a connecting park every second block.There seems to be more social housing complexes in this community, but they're practically unnoticeable, as they are constructed in mostly the same manner as the private homes and just about as well maintained. Many of them back on to the beautifully landscaped multi-use walkways, extending their back yards to accommodate their own play structures. Having strolled through these complexes on our recent walks, reflecting back in time, we would have chosen to live in one of them, instead of half a lifetime living in the co-op and for reasons which I will elaborate on in future blog posts.

I may have departed the co-op, but I have not yet escaped.