This may be a dumb question, but is "strata" just a Canadian term for apartment or condo building? I don't think I've ever heard of it before this thread.
"Strata" is a type of land title ownership in Canada. It's somewhere between an American co-op and an HOA (HOAs are uncommon in the Lower Mainland).
If you own a house, you generally own it freehold. You own the house. You own the land. You have broad decision making powers for the house and the land.
If you own a condo or a townhouse, you usually have strata title. That means you own the part of your unit from the drywall in, and also a proportionate share of the land. The strata is governed by a strata agreement, a set of bylaws and rules that ideally you would peruse before purchasing. Those rules govern the shared space, set the fees, and make some rules about how you can use your unit. The rules are enforced by the Strata Council. Stratas are supposed to be self-governing, but failing that, both the owner and the council have recourse to the Civil Resolution Tribunal and, if that fails, the Supreme Court of BC.
Unlike a co-op, the other members of the strata do not approve each new purchaser. Anyone can buy into a strata. The exception is that some stratas are 55+, like Miriam's.
Stratas are not the kind of places that Kiwis thrive. The rules can be extensive. You can at any point become liable for a portion of extensive repairs or other special levies: e.g. the Strata needs a new roof, or some moron guest keeps pulling the fire alarm and now you all owe the fire department money, or some moron caused your janitorial service to quit and the new one costs twice as much.
People live in strata buildings in the Lower Mainland because property is so expensive that they can't afford freehold.
It is possible for the Strata Council to force you to sell your unit if you make a pain of yourself. I outlined the process in a previous post.