MUTED

A Sunday morning read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_Ratched 

YESTERDAY

The roads were swept yesterday in the most amateur of fashion. Water was not sprayed on the roads to dampen down the dust, instead billowing clouds of street dust clogged and lingered in the air.  Hopefully, people who were not home during the daytime, hadn't left their windows open.

One would tend to think that cleaning the streets was the main objective, but it wasn't.  The main objective was to have certain parked cars towed purportedly to allow for proper road cleaning.  And what fun it was.  Board members came out of the woodwork to watch the drama unfold.  The City's parking by-law officer was in attendance, a special tow truck was assigned to do the hauling and who orchestrated the fiasco - none other than the Property Manager.  What a glorious opportunity it was to be seen and in control.  

The crowning glory, however, for our Property Manager was yet to come.  The piece de resistance came late afternoon when three members including myself received WITHOUT PREJUDICE warning letters for our very abusive behaviour towards our Property Manager.  I was accused of calling her an offensive name, not to her face, however, but to a member of the Board of Directors.  Oh yes, apparently I also had the audacity to claim that this co-op is a very crooked place.  I had actually used the word 'corrupt'.  This is my reply to that letter:

To:  The Board of Directors
       (Co-op)

I am in receipt of your letter dated May 3, 2013 indicating that there had been an incident between myself and [Board member].  That is incorrect.  I was called over by [another member] and it was she I was talking to. 

I do find it very strange indeed that the Property Manager, can be abusive as she wants to be with members, but members are not permitted to air their dissatisfaction regarding [her] tactics and favouritism shown in this co-op in a democratic institution.

Three members received these almost identical letters today.  Perhaps the co-op should pull itself up by its bootstraps and take note of how this co-op is being run and by whom.

Members are taking note of the conglomeration of Board members and friends partying in front of Unit [xx] - day and night - including drinking alcoholic beverages.  [Property Manager] is often seen at these gatherings going in and out of Unit [xx], during work hours and at off duty hours.

A Notice of Hearing is a prelude to an eviction.  I am soon going to be 67 years old.  I am the intended evictee.  My husband is not slated for eviction, but alas, I am his caregiver.  This would be a very serious undertaking by the co-op.

KINDLY GOVERN YOURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.

Sincerely,

And that's the kind of day it was ...


 

Ontario Human Right Tribunal Update

In March, 2011 my husband initiated an Ontario Human Rights complaint against the co-op.  The time has come to publish the process we've been going through - access/non-access to legal help, the various forms filed to date, the details contained therein and the co-op's lawyer's response.  Add to that additional forms we submitted to correct the co-op's lawyer's data beginning with the lawyer's Response to my husband's application and the lawyer's Amended Response received recently.

We went through a Summary Hearing by conference call.  The Adjudicator dismissed certain aspects of the case, but has allowed other aspects of the application to go to a Hearing.  We submitted a Request for Reconsideration for some of the aspects dismissed.  

The Adjudicator has approved our request to add me as a Co-Applicant.

The most shocking aspect of the co-op's lawyer's Amended Response was a contrived subsidy calculation document.  Good thing I have the original document signed by the co-op's Office Co-ordinator in my possession.  

More to come ...  
 

The Facts

We recently adopted a cat from the Humane Society.  She came with a documented history from her previous owner and from her foster home.

Our unit, strangely, has no history.

According to the co-op, there has never been standing water in the basement floor and the white efflorescence with water stains coming up around the cracks?  Well, they just don't show after the co-op painted over the floor - or do they?

Spring Thaw

What's nice about cleaning up debris in common areas is meeting and chatting with members who haven't been out and about much over the winter months.  The heart of the co-op lies in knowing some very good people over the years - it helps lift the oppression of the ever-looming management style.  

Now what to do with the tiny rock chips used to combat icy roads and which now fill the pebble stone playground area?  The road debris also contains other contaminants and quite possibly glass from broken bottles. Honestly, it just boggles the mind!

The Line

The co-op's newsletter slogan:

We look forward to working with all of you to make [Co-op] the most sought after place to live!

Visually, our co-op is a run-down, bug infested, garbage strewn slum.  Our co-op has a notorious managerial reputation, enough to make a housing counsellor's eyes roll in disgust. So, if people like to be controlled, talked down to, or yelled at, then this co-op is for them.

Our co-op, over the years, has been home to many co-op sector employees, whose lucrative salaries allowed them to up and buy their own homes.  We have been (and are) vital to the co-op industry.
 

CHANGE

Here are links to two films made The National Film Board, called The Things I Cannot Change and Courage to Change.  The first film was made in 1967 in Montreal (where I am from) and is about the struggles of family living in poverty.  They had 10 children, living in a 7-room flat in the slums, Griffintown, which has since been torn down.  The film was controversial at the time saying the filmmaker exploited a family in strife, but has since gained recognition in that it is an historicial record of the times and is studied in university social programs.  Here's the link to the first film:

http://www.nfb.ca/film/things_i_cannot_change/

The filmmaker sought out the family 18 years later and they consented to allow themselves to be filmed once again. Here's the link to the second film:

http://www.nfb.ca/film/courage_to_change/

The films are extremely powerful and I'm sure that many of us can identify with the emotions involved.