Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee
This poster was created by the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada. It’s a good reminder of why (and how) we live in the Sunnyhill Housing community.
Member Letter Regarding Recent General Meeting
Submitted by Dorrie Derbowka
Dear Members of the Board and Sunnyhill members:
I am writing to express my feelings regarding the last general meeting, and to acknowledge the community concerns this meeting raised. The meeting was difficult to witness, in that the voices of a minority of members dominated the conversation, and that these voices were at times adversarial, inappropriate and disrespectful. This behaviour is concerning as it not only directly impacted the meeting in a negative way, it has also had a ripple effect whereby the negative behaviour of any member in a general forum inadvertently permeates our entire community.
Acting from an individual mindset and agenda, and forgetting the big picture of community and cooperative behaviour results in an outcome like what we saw at the March 2nd meeting. Although the acrimonious tone of the meeting was disheartening, the beauty of membership at Sunnyhill is that members have a voice. A voice to say that we will not allow this behaviour to dominate our co-op. A voice to say that these actions do not define Sunnyhill, and that we do not want them to be allowed to continue to impact our community. It is not the board’s responsibility to create the community for us. It is up to us as members to take responsibility for creating the kind of community we want to live in.
The creation of a diverse, fair and welcoming community involves holding ourselves and each other accountable to the standards and values we agree to abide by when we sign the membership agreement. Cooperative living involves valuing the opinions of other members as much as we value our own, and doing our utmost to ensure that our individual wants do not usurp the wants and needs of other members, or of our community as a whole. It also involves listening to each other, and ensuring that all voices have the opportunity to be heard equitably. I hope the membership can hold on to these values as we attempt to move forward in a positive way.
I would like to thank the Board for all they are doing to make Sunnyhill a vibrant, cooperative community for all of us. Your efforts are noticed and are deeply appreciated.
Sincerely,
Dorrie Derbowka
Unit #24
Memorial Bench and Llamas on McHugh Bluff
Submitted by Brenda Willman
Goats are not the first domesticated livestock to visit our bluff.
Once upon a time (very early 1990s) a small herd of llamas appeared next to our garage on Saturday morning, with side packs loaded with small evergreen trees.
These trees were planted beside the path and scattered along the bluff more or less between 5A Street and Centre Street. Some of them did not make it, but many of them are now stately evergreens, providing shelter from wind and snow and rain to animals and people alike.
I recently bumped into an old friend whose parents were highly involved in the preservation of the bluff during the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, my friend sent me a photo of “llama day” featuring his mom and dad, and a fellow from Alberta Forest Service who supervised the planting – along with 3 llamas wearing red packs – so I know this actually happened and wasn’t a dream. I haven’t got their permission to show their faces, so I’ve crossed out their eyes, but I do have permission to submit a brief announcement in the Sunnyhill Coop Newsletter, and so I am.
He also told me that a memorial bench, honouring his mom and dad (the Paulings), has been installed on the lower path near 5th Street. If you come across that bench be sure to give a silent thanks to those who came before us to save the bluff and all of its natural beauty.
Since then many more asphalt paths have been installed, a house has been demolished (and there is absolutely no trace of its having stood except for a rogue lilac bush growing just to the east of the path near our dumpster) and some paths have been widened or re-paved, but the area largely remains a natural space. We should do all we can to keep it that way. Momma and baby deer certainly appreciated (and might still) the venue this summer.
