Neill-Wycik

Neill-Wycik Co-operative College, located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a student residence with over 700 rooms, accommodating students of many of the colleges and universities in the city.[1] In the summer months, when only about 350 students are staying at Neill-Wycik, it also serves visitors as a low-cost hotel, serving upwards of 24,000 guests per summer.[2] Neill-Wycik is a co-op, which means that the residents/members are also considered owners. Members are given opportunities to make decisions, vote on by-laws and to set the policies of the co-op.[3]

History

In 1966, Kathy Whalen and a small group of Ryerson students developed an initiative to create Neill-Wycik. The then Ryerson Polytechnic Institute offered the group its property on 96 Gerrard Street that was scheduled to be demolished. The group then secured approval for a $5.4 million mortgage from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and used that money to construct the building.[4] Such loans had only recently been made possible by an amendment to Canada's National Housing Act which enabled student housing co-operatives to get financing from CMHC.[5] On August 15, 1970, Neill-Wycik opened its doors to students.[3] The building was named after three persons: Wycik was the last name of Aurilee and Raymond Wycik, who ran a small cafeteria in Ryerson University's Kerr Hall and Neill was A.S. Neill, the Principal of Summerhill, one of the most successful English free schools.[6]

Neill-Wycik commenced the building of an expansion in December 1986. The Marten's Wing, or McGill Wing, so named for the street it abuts, opened in January 1988.[4]

Present operations

Neill-Wycik is one of five members of the Ontario Student Co-operative Association (OSCA), as well as being a member of the Ontario Co-operative Association (OnCo-op).[7]

In 2006, Neill-Wycik was presented the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada's Jim MacDonald Award for Social Change for instituting its Member Contribution Program.[8] This program, which involves members of the co-op doing 2 hours of volunteer work each month to contribute to functioning and social life of the co-op, was implemented around 1995.[9]

Neill-Wycik staff members unionized as part of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1281, circa 1995.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Neill-Wycik Co-operative College". Ontario Student Co-op Association. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  2. ↑ "Newsbriefs - Ontario Edition" (PDF). Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  3. 1 2 "Neill-Wycik Co-operative College". Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  4. 1 2 Neill-Wycik Owner's Manual 2007-2008 (PDF). Toronto, Ontario. 2007. p. 3.
  5. ↑ "History of Student Co-ops in Ontario". Ontario Student Co-op Association. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  6. ↑ Neill-Wycik Owner's Manual 2010-2011 (PDF). Toronto, Ontario. 2010. p. 3.
  7. ↑ "Neill-Wycik". The Ontario Co-operative Association. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  8. ↑ "2006 Annual General Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  9. ↑ Re Neill-Wycik Co-operative College Inc. and C.U.P.E., Local 1281, [1995] O.L.A.A. No. 787, at para. 11.
  10. ↑ "Housing Organizations and Cooperatives". CUPE 1281. Retrieved 2011-07-20.

Coordinates: 43°39′37″N 79°22′39″W / 43.6603°N 79.3776°W / 43.6603; -79.3776

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