The earliest student co-op in Canada was Guelph Campus Co-op, which started up in 1913 as a retail co-operative and later went on to develop student housing and other services. The first student housing co-op, Campus Co-op Residence Inc., was created at the University of Toronto in 1936. Its founders were inspired by the Japanese co-op philosopher Kagawa, who passed through Toronto on a speaking tour. A few years later Science ’44 Co-op at Queens University, Kingston, was established. A number of other co-ops formed and faded away during this period. Those that survived owned their own property. The co-ops that failed, for example, the McGill Student Housing Co-operative, leased their properties from the university or from the private sector.
The strong performance of the original co-ops and changes to the National Housing Act that enabled student housing co-operatives to get financing from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation led to a second wave of student housing co-operatives. Among the new co-ops were Waterloo Co-op Residence Inc.; Rochdale College in Toronto; Pestalozzi College in Ottawa; Roxburghe College in London; Neill-Wycik College in Toronto; Elrond College in Kingston; Assiniboia Co-op in Edmonton; College Housing and Common Ground Co-op in Winnipeg; and New Brunswick Residence Co-op in Fredericton. Of this wave of projects, four failed for different reasons.
The student co-op housing movement is now in a phase of consolidation. While some co-ops have sold properties they have found uneconomical to operate, some co-operatives have continued to grow. Neill-Wycik and Waterloo Co-op Residences are notable examples. Many student co-ops have also focused on improving their management and governance.
Credit: Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada Website
