PENELOPE WINTER

Penelope Winter, 71, passed away peacefully, on January 8, 2026. Penelope was the second of four children to Frederick and Joan Winter. She will be lovingly remembered by her siblings, Elizabeth, Mary, and Michael. She attended the University of Toronto, where she met her husband, Jon Harstone, together welcoming four children, Colin, Suzanne, Neil, and Rachel, who will forever cherish her love and memories. A trailblazer in the movement for cooperative and affordable housing, Penelope devoted her lifelong career to ensuring communities had access to equitable and affordable housing. In 1974, Penelope became the first President of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT) as well as being a founding member of Dufferin Grove Housing Co-operative. She became the first co-op coordinator in Toronto when she was hired by Alexander Park Co-op in 1977. She moved into housing development work in 1982, joining Chris Smith and Associates, where she developed several projects including Niagara Neighbourhood Housing Co-operative. During the 1980s, Penelope did a turn as a board member of Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada.Her leadership and expertise continued to shape the sector when, in 2007, she became the Director of Operations at the newly formed Agency for Co-operative Housing, a role she held until 2012. She later returned to co-op management, establishing her own property management company in Ottawa before retiring in 2018. In her spare time, Penelope enjoyed gardening, reading and volunteering in the community supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. She attended and volunteered at many Special Olympics programs and events where she found connection with other families and took great pride in celebrating her daughter Suzanne's achievements. Penelope's legacy lives on through the many lives she touched, the communities she helped build, and the family who loved her deeply. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to CHFT.