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Green Corner: The Agency and Greenhouse Gases (Our Own)
For many reasons, the Agency puts its heart and soul into encouraging our clients to work for environmental sustainability, as far as our mandate allows. Our clients can reasonably ask in return what the Agency itself is doing about its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
First of all, we’re measuring
Reduce Waste
Our great grandparents had the right idea. Use it up. Plan before you buy.
Go for the good stuff, even if it costs a little more, and then take care of it. Don’t buy cheap disposables. Get things repaired.
Use real dishes at your co-op, not paper plates and cups, even if it means buying a
Ontario Gas Companies Offer Energy-Saving Programs
We may be in the depths of winter, but we can still save energy while staying warm. Enbridge Gas and Union Gas have announced several free Ontario-wide programs that will help qualified co-ops and their members save money and energy this winter.
Enbridge Gas
Enbridge Gas has a no-fuss application
National Housing Co-Investment Fund Criteria
In July 2018, we reported on CMHC’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund as an opportunity for Agency clients. Interest in this loan and grant program is growing; to date Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has received in excess of 200 applications since April. In response to feedback
For a Greener Planet
Is your co-op planning a small, sustainable project to save money and help the environment? The Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada’s Greener Co-op Migrogrants program provides co-ops with grants of up to $4,000 for environmental projects. Simple changes can often have a great impact in
Putting It into Practice: Living Sustainably
If we each make changes to our daily routines, we can collectively move towards a sustainable lifestyle. Simple adjustments like composting food scraps, taking a reusable cup with you for your daily coffee-on-the-run or planting a garden to grow your own herbs and tomatoes will reduce your carbon
Renovation Saves Energy: Shalom Community Housing Co-operative
Over the past 30 years, building standards and techniques have changed. So it’s not surprising that Shalom Community Housing Co-operative gained more than its members expected when it undertook major renovations.
Located in Kitchener, Ontario, Shalom is a 40-unit townhouse-style co-op arranged in
Ten Years of On-Time Filing
We’ve seen great strides made over the years in the number of Agency clients that send us their annual filings on time. Recently, we recognized thirty-six co-ops—about seven per cent of our clients—for 10 years of on-time filing. Like all of our clients, these co-ops have their auditor file an
Tip of the Month
Co-ops without Paid Managers
Since 2007, the percentage of co-ops without paid help is down by more than half to a mere 2% of Agency clients. Another 12% just have a lonely bookkeeper.