Obituary of Glenn Charles Haddrell

SEPT.24, 1930- AUG.20, 2016 Glenn passed away peacefully at the age of 85, after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was predeceased by his wife Vida Mae (To whom he affectionately referred to as ‘Lovely’), Also predeceased by his parents Charles (Ace) and Mary. Glenn will be sadly missed by his children, Craig (Christina), Blair (Cheryl), Lisa, Tara (Nick), grandchildren, Shaun (Caitlin), Brandon, Claudine, Reanna and Maisie, great grandchildren, Elissa, Kaidance, Clark and Carson. Glenn was a loving and dedicated husband, father, and friend to many. He was a tireless supporter and creator of Co-Operative Housing across Canada. His legacy will live on in all the lives he touched, by creating affordable housing; including a co-operative housing complex that bears his name in Ottawa. Glenn loved to travel and sample fine ales from different lands, and enjoyed opera and classical music. He read enough books in his lifetime to fill a library. A memorial service will be held Sept. 3, 2016 at 1:00pm at Garden Hill Funeral Chapel, 11765 224th Street, Maple Ridge, BC. In lieu of flowers, a donation could be made to the Parkinson’s Society. CHF Canada mourns founding figure, Glenn Haddrell AUG 26 Members and staff of Canada’s housing co‑ops are saddened to learn of the death of CHF Canada’s first executive director, Glenn Haddrell. “In no small measure, nearly a quarter of a million low and middle-income Canadians owe their co‑op homes to Glenn Haddrell’s ground breaking work,” said current CHF Canada Executive Director Nicholas Gazzard. “Glenn really planted the seeds of our movement.” Glenn began his career in B.C. as a forestry worker and union organizer where he developed a passion for economic justice. As assistant manager of the Abbotsford credit union, he realized that the co‑op business model could be applied to help his credit union members find affordable housing. This is how he became the developer of one of Canada’s very first continuing housing co‑ops, Abbotsford Co‑op Villa, providing financing for it with a loan in his own name. He was then hired by the newly formed Co‑operative Housing Foundation of Canada (later CHF Canada) as executive director and only staff person. During his tenure from 1970 to 1986, he almost singlehandedly convinced the federal government to create programs supporting the development of tens of thousands of co‑op homes. He also shaped CHF Canada into a powerful, democratic institution supporting the success and growth of co‑op housing through education, training and advocacy. In the process, Glenn mentored many future leaders of the co‑op housing movement. “While he would be the last to claim any credit for it, Glenn Haddrell’s nearly two decades at the helm of the Co‑operative Housing Foundation (now Federation) of Canada is surely the most significant contribution any individual has made to the success of co‑op housing in Canada,” said CHF BC Executive Director Thom Armstrong. After serving as executive director, Glenn was recognized as a CHF Canada Honorary Life Associate in 1988 and received the CMHC Award for Outstanding Contribution to Co‑operative Housing in 2000. He stayed active in the co‑op housing sector, working as a developer with Columbia Housing in B.C., later becoming its executive director. He also served as vice-chair of Four Corners Community Savings, an institution set up to provide banking services in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “My dad was a kind, sensitive, generous, patient and helpful person – a psychologist, counsellor and mediator, not to mention a socialist,” said Glenn’s daughter, Tara Haddrell. “He was open minded and careful never to judge others. He loved travelling and one of his most memorable trips was a bus tour he did of Cuba in the 90s. He loved music and reading. He was a fan of opera and musicals, and the books he read over the years could fill a whole library.” There will be a memorial service for Glenn which is open to the public on Saturday, September 3 at 1:00 pm at Garden Hill Funeral Home, 11765 224th Street, Maple Ridge, BC.