Let us introduce CHFT’s newest lifetime honouree, Kathy Bontje, who has lived in housing co-ops since April 1, 1992. But it surely wasn’t an April Fools’ joke. No, it opened a whole new world to her and one that CHFT has benefited from too.
Kathy and her husband heard about housing co-ops from a friend at Scarborough’s Rainbow Circle Co-op. When its waitlist opened up, they were accepted. During the nine years Kathy lived there, she became a single mother of two boys with special needs. Working as a school bus driver gave her the flexible time she needed to be a parent; being in a co-op, let her make it work financially.
In 2001, former Rainbow manager and fellow CHFT lifetime honouree, Donna Charbonneau, called Kathy to let her know about a unit available at Ramer’s Wood, Markham’s only co-op. The stars aligned for Kathy to move, even though she was lukewarm about the idea at first. She has no regrets now, 24 years later. Ramer’s is one of those co-ops built to foster aging in place so when Kathy’s boys moved out, she was able to downsize from her townhouse to an apartment while maintaining her role in the co-op community.
You see, Kathy is a doer and sees participation as the secret to successful co-op living. She’s been on the co-op board, including a stint as president. She’s been on the by-law committee since its inception, working alongside yet another lifetime honouree, Allison Chase. Kathy’s proud of how she’s fostered a culture of ensuring Ramer’s households who need a little extra help receive a good food box at the holidays. The program has morphed over the years, but one thing remains – the members continue to support a budget that includes something for folks who need it. And Kathy loves to see neighbours help each other with the food deliveries too, an example of co-op living at its best.
As well as being a leader in her own co-op, for the last decade Kathy has volunteered for CHFT. First, she ran for the CHFT board, winning on her first try. She enjoyed meeting people from other co-ops and learning from the more experienced directors on the board. She took a turn as president but, in true co-oper style, stepped back to give others a chance. For a number of years, she filled the role of CHFT treasurer. She also sits as an outside director on the board of another co-op.
Shortly after she completed her allowable terms on the CHFT board earlier this year, Kathy Bontje joined three of the CHFT land trust boards where she’s been selected as president, proving you can never really leave the CHFT family!
She’s also been a big proponent of CHF Canada’s annual conference where she always learns things that help her be a better co-op leader but also helps her in her life outside the co-op too. Because yes, Kathy is an active parent too. When asked how the experience of governance has affected her boys, Kathy speaks about how her being at meetings did have an impact on her kids, including the time it took away parenting. But there were good outcomes too: each of her sons did a turn as junior board members at Ramer’s, influenced by her need to give back, and how both have at times lived in the co-op, including her eldest who lives there now and sits on the by-law and elections committees.
Career-wise, the co-op experience has emboldened Kathy and provided financial flexibility to advance in ways she’d never dreamed of. Kathy left high school early in favour of marriage and motherhood. After time on the co-op board, she returned to night school to get her diploma. Then, in 2011, at age 53, she returned to school full-time. Armed with her two-year diploma in recreation and leisure, Kathy worked in long-term care until retirement three years ago. None of that would have been possible without the community and financial support of her co-op.
Congratulations to Kathy Bontje for being named by CHFT’s board as a Lifetime Board Member. Well deserved!