In honor of the United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives, we’re spotlighting a number of Québec cooperatives throughout the year. The fourth installment in this series of mini-interviews is devoted to the Coopérative d’habitation L’Îlot fleuri in Québec City. This cooperative was incorporated in 1998, and its building was opened to its first occupants in 1999. We interviewed Louis-H. Campagna, one of the members of L’Îlot fleuri.
Why did you choose the cooperative model (and the specific type of cooperative you chose, e.g., solidarity, worker, producer, user, etc.)?
The Coopérative d’habitation L’Îlot fleuri (CHIF) is a consumer cooperative serving its members in the economic rental housing sector. Initially, in 1998, the cooperative was created to consolidate the urban fabric of Québec City’s downtown Saint-Roch area, which was undergoing a historic revitalization. The choice of a housing cooperative was intended to encourage households of varying income levels to take root in the area, supporting the vision of diversifying the economic profile of residents returning to live in an urban area that, after decades of decline, had become an urban wasteland in the heart of Québec City.
What has been the biggest challenge in the process of starting and/or running the cooperative?
Rather than being the fruit of a traditional process—the result of the mobilization of a group of citizens united in a common vision seeking to set up a housing cooperative—CHIF was originally a project that was initiated from above and whose founding members had neither an education in cooperation nor organic mobilization from the ground up. The first member-tenants to move into the brand-new building in 1999 were offered “condo life at co-op prices.” The result was a weak cooperative culture for at least the first decade, until a handful of members decided to take matters into their own hands and begin building a genuine culture of democratic economy and mutuality.
What is the best advice you received or the advice you would give someone else who is considering starting a cooperative?
The 5th cooperative principle is not a luxury [ed. Education, Training and Information Co-operatives]. Ongoing cooperative education is neither incidental nor optional! Developing a common vision and adhering to shared values are essential ingredients for a serene community culture and a healthy living environment. Training in the fields of real estate, finance, and, above all, associative life (e.g., conflict management) are crucial skills for the long-term survival of the cooperative project.
What are you most proud of about your cooperative?
The change in culture that began almost twenty years ago has led to a favorable evolution in the cooperative profile of households (through attrition and selection) and thus to a more equitable and effective distribution of responsibilities and the powers associated with these responsibilities within the cooperative.
The theme of this year is Cooperatives Build a Better World, and we believe this change starts in our communities. How does your cooperative make your community a better place to be?
True to the 6th and 7th cooperative principles [ed. Co-operation Among Co-operatives and Concern for Community], CHIF seeks out opportunities to cooperate with other cooperatives and shows concern for its community. Through its networking efforts in the neighborhood, both with neighbours and with local political bodies, CHIF gives life to grassroots democracy and seeks opportunities for solidarity between neighbours. In this way, CHIF supports community organizing and gives voice to the aspirations of local residents.
Photo credit: Suzie Genest, 25th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Coopérative d’habitation L’Îlot fleuri, Québec City, Saint-Roch, September 9, 2023.
