This is an ongoing series about Copperstone AGM 2026. Some parts will be information, some will be opinion. Opinion pieces will be categorized as such and only reflect the views of me, not council, or anyone else at Copperstone.
A strata council can have 3–7 members on it, per BC government regulation. Copperstone has had a full 7-member council for a few years now and usually one or two spots open up as some council members choose to not stand for re-election.
That is likely to happen again this year (though I do not have any knowledge of who may or may not be running again).
I want to encourage owners to run for council—but only if you can bring something to the table.
What Copperstone needs from council
If you’re thinking of running for council, here’s a short list of what is needed:
- Building and property maintenance knowledge and experience
- Finance and budget skills
- Organizational, communication and research skills
- Time and resource management skills
- A basic understanding of how strata corporations operate
- Familiarity with the Strata Property Act and other regulations
- Familiarity with Copperstone’s bylaws and rules
- Familiarity with strata resources, like the CHOA (Condominium Home Owners Association)
- Being able to work as part of a group and respecting different points of view
- A commitment to all residents of Copperstone
There are four officer roles that must be filled, chosen by council after election:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
This CHOA PDF details what each role is expected to do: The Roles and Responsibilities of Strata Council
This is a lot to know or understand before you make the decision to run for council, but it’s important, as you will otherwise spend time trying to “learn on the job.” It’s better to come in with at least some preparation.
What Copperstone DOESN’T need
Here are some reasons to NOT run for council:
- You think it will be easy (it’s hard work and very time-consuming)
- You think it’s just going to be some monthly meetings and voting on a few items
- You want to see the finances in order to determine if you should stay or sell
- You want to push through personal projects or your own agenda, regardless of how it might affect others
- You want to enforce the rules over everything else. Council is not meant to be “strata police”–rules can be imperfect or become obsolete and council members need to adapt and evaluate how best (or whether) to apply them.
- Conversely, you ignore rules, including informal ones set by council regarding its own actions. There’s a difference between being an independent thinker and wilfully acting against what everyone has agreed on.
- You are unprepared to commit the required time (which is significant), especially over the full 12 months
- You don’t work well with others
- You are rigid and inflexible in your thinking
- You expect others to provide you answers without having to do any of your own work
If you want to run for council at the AGM
If you think you’d be a good fit for council, here’s what you need to do:
- Be an owner at Copperstone in good standing
- Show up and register at the AGM. It’s on March 31, 2026 at 7 p.m. at Sapperton Community Hall, 318 Keary St., New Westminster.
- Volunteer yourself or have someone nominate you when the call is made for nominations for council near the end of the AGM
- Be prepared to offer a short speech to the owners on what you will offer to Copperstone as a council member
On the last point, here’s what NOT to do:
- Offer empty platitudes like “I’ll work hard” or “I have plenty of free time”. These don’t mean anything, anyone can make generic promises.
Instead, offer this:
- Tangible examples of skills or experience you can bring to council
- Your vision for Copperstone as a community
Good luck to all who run!