Brian Eng doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t somehow connected to the broader co-op sector. Growing up in Alberta, his family shopped at a food co-op and banked at a credit union. But when an ex-girlfriend was looking for a sub-occupant for her unit in Oak Street Housing Co-operative in the east part of Toronto’s downtown, Eng moved in, beginning his 30+ year relationship with the housing co-op sector.
Brian was keen to become a member and make his housing less temporary. When his ex elected not to return to the unit, his name was the only one on the waitlist, so the board approved him for membership and took over her occupancy rights.
Oak Street was just the beginning. He soon moved an eight-minute walk north to Spruce Court Co-operative and then made the trek back to Oak Street a few years later. Eventually, though, Brian made the long-term commitment to Windmill Line Co-operative in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. He lived there 15 years until he relocated to Vancouver Island in 2018.
Throughout those years, he was an active volunteer. Upon becoming a member at Oak Street, he quickly became a director. The manager, Lifetime CHFT Member, Brynn Teale, spotted his skills and political savvy and suggested he run for a director position for CHFT, a role he filled for six years. He’s proud he was on the CHFT board that began the Diversity Scholarships Program helping many co-opers seeking post-secondary education, first in Toronto and now across the country. Brian prepared the slideshow for the first CHFT Diversity Scholarship event and helped CHFT move with the technological times for events that followed. In 2013, Brian Eng was elected to the board of CHF Canada where he stayed for four years, continuing the great governance work he’d started here in Toronto.
Eng worked in housing co-ops from time to time, experience that led him to the part-time role of Executive Director of CoAction Staff Association, a non-profit co-operative that provides representation and support to co-op and non-profit housing staff with the express aim to strengthen co-operative housing.
Eng didn’t just confine his sector activity to governance and management though. For many years, he was active with CHFT in a consultancy role too. You may know him as one of the pool of meeting chairs CHFT has drawn on, a role he now performs for CHFBC in person on Vancouver Island (where he now lives) and in virtual meets for many of the co-ops on the BC mainland. Brian estimates he’s chaired a whopping 400 meetings in the last 15 years! In addition, he’s shared his governance expertise with co-op directors in CHFT, other Ontario Federations, and CHF Canada by leading workshops on what makes a good director.
Brian Eng calls himself a talented amateur when it comes to technology. At CHFT, though, we think of it as more talent than amateur – Brian helped to build the first CHFT website and set up many of the communications systems we continue to use, including the Mailchimp newsletter and our YouTube Channel.
His skills don’t end there. Brian actively promoted the co-op sector to politicians and policy-makers as a government relations staff person for CHF Canada, Ontario Region, and also as a volunteer for CHFT and CHF Canada. Outside the co-op sector, he also worked hard to shift thinking in various public policy areas including working as a constituency assistance for long-time City politician – and fellow co-oper – Pam McConnell, and as a community engagement director at the Wellesley Institute.
When asked about his career highlight, Brian is quick to recount the 1996 Raise the Roof Rally at Danforth’s Music Hall where co-op members gathered to protest the federal government’s plan to download co-ops to the province. The event gained the momentum necessary. Federal co-ops have remained federal to this day.
Brian believes the secret to a successful co-op community is open communication. To him this means people knowing what other people are doing in the community to make it healthier and better, providing options for people to contribute to their community. On the business side of things, Eng is a strong proponent of boards taking the time necessary to get solid information from their staff and other resources to allow them to make decisions in the best interests of the community and that will be sustainable.
Brian Eng joined the list of Honorary Lifetime Board Members in 2012. And we couldn’t be happier he did.
