Falls Church, Va., Dec. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As we learn more information about the deadly shootings on Dec. 18 at the Bellaria Residences condominium in the city of Vaughan, just north of Toronto, Community Associations Institute expresses our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
According to York Regional Police, a 73-year-old male resident shot six people, killing five on several different floors of the suburban Toronto condominium building. Police say three of the five people killed were members of the condo board.
“This heartbreaking tragedy is devastating to the families and neighbors impacted and to all residents who call a condominium home,” says Denise Lash, a community association attorney and founding member of CAI’s Canada Chapter. “We grieve for the victims and residents at Bellaria, and we vow to support the homeowner volunteers who are elected by their neighbors to represent the best interests of the entire community. These residents are doing a job. They should never have to fear serving on their community association board.”
In Toronto and around the world, condominiums, horizontal properties, and stratas are popular places of homeownership—communities where residents live together and share common areas, amenities. Millions of homeowners willingly volunteer their time to serve on their community’s governing board and committees.
“Violence of any kind to resolve neighbor disputes has no place in our communities,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive officer. “As the leading international authority for community association living, our entire industry is saddened and shocked by the recent gun violence in condominiums and homeowners associations. We are committed to bringing changes to our industry, our culture, and to stop violence in our communities, here in the U.S., Canada, and across the globe. Our homes and communities are places we should feel safe.”
CAI is offering practical advice and best practices for managing conflict and creating a safety plan in community associations. Download CAI’s community safety guide at www.caionline.org/homeownerleaders.
>>CAI members can access conflict management webinars for free and receive applicable continuing education credit at https://cai.mycrowdwisdom.com/diweb/catalog/c/35/t/1940. Enter CONFLICTRES22 in your shopping cart.
>>The general public can access conflict management webinars for free at https://www.youtube.com/@communityassociationsinsti4991.
For more information about community associations in Canada, visit CAI Canada at https://caicanada.com.
About Community Associations Institute
Since 1973, Community Associations Institute (CAI) has been the leading provider of resources and information for homeowners, volunteer board leaders, professional managers, and business professionals in the more than 358,000 homeowners associations, condominiums, and housing cooperatives in the United States and millions of communities worldwide. With more than 43,000 members, CAI works in partnership with 36 legislative action committees and 64 affiliated chapters within the U.S., Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates as well as with housing leaders in several other countries, including Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. A global nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization, CAI is the foremost authority in community association management, governance, education, and advocacy. Our mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership, and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in community associations that are preferred places to call home. Visit us at www.caionline.org, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook @CAISocial.
Amy Hawkes Repke Community Associations Institute 17036242179 arepke@caionline.org
