Interview with Associate Professor Jorge Sousa, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Alberta, on the Atkinson Housing Co-operative case study

1.Please describe the portion of your organisation that is involved with the CURA.

The Atkinson Housing Co-operative is located in downtown Toronto and was originally called the Alexandra Park Housing Project. Since 1969, there has been a strong active tradition in the form of a residents’ association in Alexandra Park. In the 1990s residents mobilized to deal with growing drug use and other social problems. They wanted greater community-based control in order to develop and implement local solutions that could improve the health of their community. In a referendum in 1996, 72 per cent voted to convert their project to a co-operative. After much community development and tireless negotiations the conversion occurred in 2003, which is arguably the result of a 12 year effort that relied on the commitment and expertise of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto.

The Atkinson Housing Co-operative has functioned well over the last 9 years, and coming up to the 10th year anniversary they have much to celebrate. The property has not fallen apart. There is an engaged membership, and a board of directors that are elected annually. The property management and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto have been pivotal to supporting the co-operative, but the final responsibility rests with the members.

Interview with Professor Mary Foster, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University on the Miziwe Biik case study.

1. Please provide us with a brief description of your organisation.

Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training was established in 1991 by and for the Aboriginal community in Toronto to address the unique training and employment needs of Aboriginal people. With its staff of 15, it offers programs and services to the Aboriginal community including career and employment counselling, community project training, skills development training, employment and training placement and an employment resource centre, where clients can access computers, the Internet, fax machines, as well as other employment-related resources. There are approximately 1000 client visits per month, and this number includes multiple visits from the same client.

In 2004 the Miziwe Biik Development Corporation was created to facilitate the economic advancement of the Aboriginal community within the GTA. This led to the 2007 establishment of the Aboriginal Business Resource Centre (ABRC) to provide entrepreneurs access to business training and skills development as well as microloans. The centre has about 75 clients per year, who come through a referral from Miziwe Biik’s employment and training services and programs, through the small business course, from Aboriginal Business Canada and other Aboriginal organizations in the GTA.

2. What model are you using for the research?