These were the monthly star award stories for 2020!

December  2020 Co-op Stars 

Draw winners were: David F.W. and Nels

• Thank you to Caitlin and Ollie for organising the lobby decorating.
• Thank you to Katherine, Calvin, Maddox and Simi for organising the nightly singing!
• Thank you to Kristie for many years of excellent money wrangling, research, recommendations, organising, emotional support, and hilarious stories. You are a shining star! - submitted by Francesca
• I'd like to nominate Glen for recommending a tailor to me, via a hand-written and excellent detailed note under my door. Carlos was indeed quick, knowledgeable and affordable. Thanks so much Glen!  - submitted by Nels
• A huge thank you to Andrea, David, Nels, Atsuko, Alex, Joel, Erin, John, and Deb, who did the work of entire work parties sorting out the common areas for the fall junk removal.

November 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were: David D. and Brenda

• Emily, Andrea, David, and everyone who organized the Halloween event this year. Adapting to the pandemic restrictions while still ensuring all the kids could still enjoy a special night was so wonderful. Lachlan adores Halloween and we both had an excellent time. Thank you! - submitted by Nels
• Belated thank you to many members in the co-op community. It has been a very difficult month for our family since Ted broke his hip. Big thank you to Jordan Dawe, April Ens and Sebastian for Modo car rides, watching Ada and helping me pick up Red Cross medical equipment.  Thank you Francesca Defreitas for picking up Ada from school when I was not able to. Jenny Woodruff and Josie Driedger for babysitting Ada when I went to visit Ted post-operation. Calvin Lee and Peter Ghesquiere for taking Ada to the park, so I could get errands done.Thank you Mike and David Driedger for picking up Costco groceries when we were not able to. Jenny Bernard, Katherine Lee and Deb Cooper for dropping off food and treats. Meg O’Shea and Shane O’Neill for driving Ada to school on torrential rainy days. Kimberly, Rex, Arlen and Leigh for sharing turkey dinner when Ada and I were alone on Thanksgiving Monday. Patries Lips-McIntyre for helping drive Ted home when he finally got discharged. We are very touched by your kindness, Thank you! - submitted by Marlene
• I'd like to nominate Calvin for helping keep our bike room in order and making a donation run with some old bike equipment. - submitted by Brenda 

October 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were: Calvin and Marisol

• I would like to nominate Helen & Shawn for a Star Award! A big thank you to Helen, Shawn & Nico for checking in on us when we weren’t well (and for bringing cookies and a card!)  Also a long overdue & eternal thanks to them for offering to water my plants when we were away, which turned into unexpected flood disaster relief!  We couldn’t ask for better neighbours.  - submitted by Jenn
• Just want to thank Caitlin for holding the door for Sketch and I a couple different times while the auto button was broken - submitted by Brianne 
• I want to nominate Ryanne for coming up with the weekly challenge of introducing each other's dogs. Lots of fun was had,  I was so appreciative that Sketch was included, and I had a great day because of it! - submitted by Brianne 
• I'd like to nominate Patries for continuing to help us with school drop off in the mornings for yet another school year. She has done so much for our morning sanity. - submitted by Brenda
  Marlene, we think of you every time we use the muffin scoop you gave us, thank you!  - submitted by Francesca
• I’d like to nominate Francesca for taking on so many of the action items during Events Committee meetings.  It is a lot of work, and we really appreciate it. To Emily Kennedy and Kristie Keeney for always thinking outside the box when trying to help plan events for the coop.  - submitted by Marisol
• To Calvin Lee for always inviting my kids to whatever activity he has planned for his own kids and for letting us know of the informal “older kids" gatherings at Hinge Park. - submitted by Marisol
• I would like to nominate both Meg and Sue for listening to me when I had some weighty decisions to make. They helped me in more ways than I can even express!  - submitted by Anonymous
• Thanks Brianne, for picking up the JJ Bean vouchers for our star award and weekly challenge winners.  - submitted by Francesca

September 2020 Co-op Stars 

Draw winners were: Deb and Madalena

• Pouneh, Mila, and Deb hosted an amazing garden learning session - submitted by Liam
• I nominate Lauren, Steve & Izzy for taking care our our little Junia while Marcelo and were shooting a wedding. Their generosity, love and support are amazing, and I feel so lucky we have neighbours like them. - submitted by Madalena
• I nominate Meg for organizing the knife sharpening - submitted by Helen
• Thanks for so many loans of your bike rack, Alix and Adrien! The kids love having their bikes when we go camping. - submitted by Francesca
• I'd like to nominate Adele for our many chats over the years. You are sweet, kindhearted awesome lady and I'm so grateful.  I'd like to nominate Kim for all her help last week. So appreciated!!! - submitted by Brianne

August 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were: Nels and Sarah

• Thanks to Alex for helping me with Sketch in the park and also the conversations you two have, he's always adored you and your family! - submitted by Brianne  
• I nominate Marlene for so generously sharing her kale and beautiful dahlias from her community garden. They have lasted a week and have brightened our house immensely. - submitted by Sarah
• I nominate Pooneh because she waters my garden for me whenever I forget, which is probably more often than is good for those plants.  - submitted by Sarah 
• I’d like to nominate Alan Boysen for a star award. Not only does he bring good humour and general bonhomie to all interactions, he is also the beloved Cookie Fairy. There is nothing quite like coming home from a hard day and finding surprise cookies at your door. - submitted by Tara
• Thanks to Ted and Deb for offering Liam a laptop bag when we forgot to get him one, he's very happy to be mobile! - submitted by Francesca 
• Nels and Lachlan moved in on level 4 and handed out a lovely note introducing themselves, such a nice way to join our community   - submitted by Anonymous
• Marisol does an amazing job on the Events Committee minutes, and sends them out immediately, so we all know what to work on that month.  - submitted by Francesca
• I nominate Leigh for checking in  on my mail while Sketch and  I were away camping in July. Much appreciated!!! - submitted by Brianne

July 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were: Liam and Marlene

• Kerrie for planting flowers that reach all the way up to our balcony! - submitted by Francesca
• Brianne for lending me her crutches after I broke my foot. Francesca for a socially distanced trip to the park for my kids when I wasn't able to walk very well and they were out of their minds bored. Skirts and dresses from Pouneh, Amanda M and Natasha for a temporary aircast friendly wardrobe. Thank you to all! - submitted by Kristie.
• Cole and Mike are stars for building and maintaining the Minecraft Version of the Co-op and always being willing to listen and share gaming tales with the kids. - submitted by April
• Liam does an amazing job advocating for the co-op kids at recent Events Committee Meetings. - submitted by April
  Meg O’Shea has done us a million kindnesses but most recently she looked after our dear old gentleman cat, Max, on very short notice; picked us up on the first return to daycare day so we could walk together, and at the end of that first day took Finn and Beebs to the playground for over an hour. Truly a generous and helpful person. - submitted by Tara
• Thanks for cleaning up the mess on our doorstep, Lauren.  - submitted by Anonymous
• I'd like to nominate Pouneh for always thinking of me in the garden when raspberries are ready to be picked. She's my raspberry fairy. Thanks so much Pouneh, I love them for my smoothies! - submitted by Brianne
• I want to nominate Kristie because even after I did something for her by lending her my crutches, she gave me a loaf of bread in exchange. It was so thoughtful and delicious thanks so so much! - submitted by Brianne
• I would like to nominate Alan Boysen for the next star award. Thank you for being the cookie fairy! - submitted by Marlene
• Emily rescued a huge amount of stuff from the junk removal, and distributed it to new homes via various online groups. This was a such a big effort, and so many things were saved from landfill. - submitted by Francesca

June 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were: Mike and Brianne

• I’d like to nominate Alysun for the dirt devil vacuum. Excited to try it and it was very thoughtful of her to continually check in to make sure she could get it to me!:) - submitted by Brianne
• On a day that I was struggling to manage the task of parenting during a pandemic, I ran into Pouneh in the garden. From a safe distance, she was encouraging and uplifting and helped me climb out of a deep funk. For her selfless nurturing of all of us here, I nominate Pouneh as a coop star! - submitted by Meg
• Danny, Linda and Patries that took care of our dog Bacon for almost a week. They took him for walks, picnic, they made him company, fed him, played with him and kept us chill and not worried about him while we were at the hospital. We are so grateful to have them as neighbours! - submitted by Madalena
• I would like to thank Helen for sourcing fresh baked crusty sourdough bread to us in the building on a regular basis. It feels so decadent getting it delivered straight to the co-op.  - Submitted by Kristie
• Thank you Helen for the delicious bread that I’ve gotten a couple times now. Mmmm mmm good! - submitted by Brianne
• I wanted to nominate Kim for the beautiful Star of Bethlehem perennial plant she gave me a few days ago. I’ve always wanted plants on my balcony; I love it on my balcony and purple is my favourite colour! Thank you!:)  - submitted by Brianne
• Deb gave me the perfect little funnel to fit the milk jars I use in my pantry, and I smile every day when I use it. - submitted by Francesca
• Thank you to Mike for keeping us all in fizzy water! - submitted by Francesca

May 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were: Helen and Leigh

• Thanks for printing all our things, Andrea - submitted by Liam
• I’d like to nominate Deb for making masks for Marcelo and I. I have weekly hospital visits and always carry it with me, makes me feel happy and safer :)  - submitted by Madalena
• I would like to nominate Francesca for lending out her library!   - submitted by Helen
• I nominate Ria and Annie for their heart warming try to keep May day alive. - submitted by Pouneh 
• I nominate Leigh for going out of her way, rain or shine, to walk Sketch for 20min- a half hour at least twice a week sometimes more since this pandemic started. I’m so so grateful especially during this time also because Sketch's dog park is closed, and it's helpful that Leigh helps walk Sketch because in that park is where he’d get exercise and be social, when I take him for a walk people don’t social distance from us. - submitted by Brianne
• When we were feeling sick at the beginning of the pandemic and suddenly had to enter self isolation, so many neighbors helped us out behind the scenes! The community has just kept being awesome after we got out of apartment jail! Susanna and Kat dropped us off paper towels, Susanna provided critical drying hangers so we could do our laundry in the bathtub, Patries dropped Annie off some of her comfort food (boxed Mac and Cheese), Kats family made us muffins, Greg and Alison and Francesca fetched us groceries, Sarah dropped off surprise art supplies for the girls and Helen even got us even more, Deb made sure we didn't run out of oatmeal and flour, Meg searched my car for my forgotten card wallet when parkade thefts were high and we couldn't leave our place, Danny took our giant new home office desk packaging down to recycling for us so we wouldn't have to live with it for 10 days, Kerrie and Marlene kept our spirits high with garden starters and seeds, Stevo gave us cleaning supplies, and Andrea gave Annie a fresh new pair of sunglasses and Alex gave her some nice new beach sandals. I could keep going with this list and never feel done, so I will end it now! We are so lucky to live here during this memorable moment in time. - Submitted by Kristie

March/April 2020 Co-op Stars

Draw winners were:

• Emily, submitted by Francesca
• Yuri, submitting Shawn Price and Steph Voyer

Peter is a wonderful conductor and heart of the courtyard's 7pm grateful cheering. - submitted by Francesca

Francesca for all her work in keeping us informed and connected. And her great sign making skills. - submitted by Deb

Francesca... for always thinking of asking us if we need anything before your Cosco’s runs. We do not have a membership and thanks to you we can have our favourite cheese!!! A huge thanks :-))) - submitted by Alix

Matt was able to rapidly have the door to our parkade locked, which stopped break ins from happening as well as wanderers from being in the garbage room. This had been an issue for years. Many neighbours complained of the lack of security, and break-ins, we're grateful that Matt spent hours in discussion with the other building's people and Bechir to make a solution being put in place swiftly.  - submitted anonymously

Marisol Santos offered and ordered food for us on her SPUD order. She always kept us in the loop regarding when there was opening to order. We appreciate how caring she is to us, always.  -  submitted by Eve

I would like to nominate Pouneh for a co-op star award. She sewed, hand-delivered face masks to neighbours during a pandemic! She is always thoughtful and kind. - submitted by Marlene

I'd like to nominate Deb for her work with the AV buyer's club!  - submitted by Brenda

Thanks for the charger, Francesca! It will come in very handy as I ramp back up for work! - submitted by Brenda

Helen, Shawn, and Nico distributed fresh flowers in colourful bubbly soda cans to folks on the 4th floor. It's brightening up this moment big time!  - submitted by Veronik

And as one may express only kindness matters. I strongly nominate Mark our custodian for always taking time to say hello , share & care about every single child or any parent/grandparent or individual member in our community. - submitted by Adele

Shawn Price and Steph Voyer for their work in helping to provide useful information to co-op members during the early days of the COVID-19 response. - submitted by Yuri

Emily Kennedy has been so kind to check in with us and pick-up groceries and surprise chocolate while we have been sick and in isolation. We are lucky to have such an amazing neighbour! - submitted by Nicole

Peter helped me get my bike chain on the other day before work. - submitted by Brenda

Marcelo figured out how to lift my car after it fell off our jack onto its rotor (I had already removed the flat tire) and then installed the spare while I was racing around town trying to find a low profile jack. He saved me the price of a fancy jack as well as probably the price of a tow. When I asked how he did the impossible he said it was "Middle of Brazilian road flat tire" technique. I am seriously amazed!!! - submitted by Kristie  

Emily brought us our post while we were in isolation so Eoin got to wear his new jammies, made his confinement much more bearable, thank you! - submitted by Francesca