Explore the fundamental principles of housing cooperatives and gain practical insights into the daily operations and member responsibilities at the Inukshuk Housing Co-op.
Pets are welcome including cats and dogs. However, we restrict to a maximum of 2 per household.
Canada post has two mailboxes located within our community. It provides secure, convenient, 24/7 access to your mail and parcels. For more information visit Canada Posts’ website.
Units are maintained by the maintenance committee and a contracted maintenance company. By doing much of the work ourselves, we keep our housing charges below market value.
We have a community centre that used primarily for committee and board meetings.
Each member is required to carry content insurance (also known as Tenant Insurance) and liability insurance. Members can be asked the Board for proof of this at any time.
We have an entrance on Williams Ave and an exit that leads onto Range Lake Road. Members and guests are required to use the correct entrances to ensure safety and smooth flow of traffic in the Co-op.
Visitor parking is marked at designated areas throughout the Co-op. Visitors are expected to park on Range Lake Road or Williams Ave if no Visitor parking is available. Overnight parking in visitor’s parking spaces is not permitted, and vehicles parked in visitor’s spaces may be ticketed or towed if they abuse the visitor parking area rules. Vehicles parked in the fire lane will be ticketed by Municipal Enforcement, and may be towed.
The Co-op has two large 8 cubic yard garbage bins and one cardboard recycling bin that are emptied twice a week. They are located at each the exit of the Co-op. To reduce overflow members are required to use common recycling programs and bins located throughout the City.
The Municipal Enforcement Division of the City of Yellowknife routinely drives through the Co-op to help prevent parking in marked fire lanes, speeding, noise issues and other normal City bylaws.
There are currently three Housing Co-operatives in the NWT: In Yellowknife – Inukshuk Housing Co-operative (50 units) and Borealis Housing Co-operative (50 Units); in Fort Smith – Garden City Housing Co-operative (30 units).
Yes and No. If members can do small repairs like replace their own light bulbs, paint, repair a broken toilet or leaking faucet, then this will help keep our expenses down. Repairs that involves electrical, water pipes, structural, and heat will be done by tradespeople to ensure building code requirements are met.
The various committees meet once a month or two to ensure that the business of the Co-op is done. Each committee has a Board liaison who may chair the committee.
Yes! A Co-op is where everyone helps to keep their home and community safe and enjoyable to live in. To do this committees are formed to help run the Co-op, meet neighbours, and take ownership in the Co-op they live in. In a Co-op, we have people who have lots to skills. Here is a chance to share what you know and we thank you for sharing.
No. Interest is not applied to common shares at Co-ops when leaving. Upon leaving common shares are paid out minus any debts or repair costs owing to the Co-op.
Please email all requests using the Maintenance Request form located on the ‘Contact’ page.
Any outside painting needs to be approved by the Co-op. We would welcome a fresh coat of paint on steps, balconies, window & door trims where possible. The more people do the less it costs the Co-op…again another way to help reduce monthly housing charges. Units are presented to new members with neutral tone to suit almost any décor. Members require permission from the Board to paint their unit a different colour. Remember that upon move out, members are responsible to return colors back to neutral tones that meet the Co-op’s standards at their own expense.
All work needs to be approved at the start and any type of reimbursement needs to be discussed before the work has started. Doing work prior to any approvals will be totally at the expense of the member. Remember upon move out if the work was done and did not meet the Co-op’s standards, the member will be asked to remove any changes and bring the unit back to the original condition at their own expense.
The Co-op is governed by the NWT Co-operative Associations Act and the bylaws adopted by the local Co-op. Those who pay a housing charge to the Co-op are not considered tenants because of their shared ownership of the Co-op. Their concerns or complaints are handled according to local Co-op bylaws. Housing Co-operatives are specifically exempted from the Rental Board legislation.
A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise.
Vote on the annual budget, which sets the monthly housing charges and affects the quality of your housing – for example, how much the Co-op will spend on property upkeep.
Elect a board of directors made up of people who live in your Co-op.
Run for the board of directors yourself.
Receive audited financial statements that show how the co-op spent your money.
Live there for as long as you like, if you keep to the by-laws agreed on by the co-op membership
For more information on what is required to create and run a co-op, the laws and regulations governing co-ops, and what sets co-ops apart from other kinds of housing, see the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Corporation’s “Guide to Co-op Housing”.
