Membership
As a member of the co-op you have the right to vote on decisions made at members’ meetings, and you can run for the Board of Directors. You also have responsibilities. You agree to follow the rules of the co-op, pay your housing charge (rent) on time, keep your unit in good condition and report any maintenance problems promptly, and participate in some way in the running of the co-op.

As a group, the members own the co-op. However, individual members do not own their unit and members cannot sell their unit.

Participation
All co-op members are encouraged to get involved in some way. General Members’ Meetings are usually held four times a year. However, there are lots of other ways you can participate.

Run for the Board of Directors – This is probably the most demanding volunteer role. The Board is elected each year by the members. They meet twice a month. Serving on the Board gives you a chance to learn about: finances, legal issues, property management and maintenance, human resources, and dealing with conflict. Board members are given training and support.

Join a Committee – We have many committees, for example: Finance, Maintenance, Social, Landscaping, Member Selection, Action for Inclusion, Outreach, By-law and Camera Club. Most committees meet once a month. We also have working groups: Recycling, Second Hand Smoke and Windmill Weekly (newsletter).

Serve On-call – Because we don’t have a live-in superintendent, we rely on co-op members to take turns covering emergency calls after hours. Training is provided and an honorarium is paid to members who apply successfully for an on-call position.

Help out informally – Members help out in many ways such as: snow shoveling, child care during meetings, typing minutes, delivering notices around the building, grounds clean-up, and just helping out when the need arises.

Staff
The co-op employs five full-time staff: General Manager, Bookkeeper, Administrative Assistant/Membership Co-ordinator, Maintenance Worker, Caretaker.

For more information about housing co-ops:

www.coophousing.com (Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto)
www.chfcanada.coop (Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada)

Windmill Line Co-op's By-Laws and Policies

Click here to see our Policies