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October 19, 2007

In Celebration of New Beginnings

Posted by shayna at 01:55 PM ET | Comments (0)

This posting has been a difficult one for me to write. I am tempted to say this journey is over, for the purpose of closure and convenience, but we all know life is much more fluid than that. The stories we have heard on this trip, and the lessons that they convey, are the type that reappear throughout one's lifetime. I know that the search for community is not just a 3-month phase, but an ongoing theme to be
explored from various perspectives throughout my lifetime.

This journey has surrounded us with such a diversity of people, all seeking out community in their own unique ways. As I write this, I remember Herald in Newfoundland, the philosophy major who was thinking about starting up a conscious living community in Saint John's with his partner Amy. Herald discussed communities of thought -- in other words, looking at the thoughts that inhabit our minds as communities in themselves.

From this perspective, our thoughts are inevitably influenced by the
people and environment with which we surround ourselves. In other words, the people with whom we choose to interact and exchange ideas have a substantial impact on our own thoughts. I feel like this journey has expanded the realm of possibilities that exists within my community of thoughts.

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September 22, 2007

Individual Space

Posted by shayna at 06:59 PM ET | Comments (0)

[KITCHEN WORK AT LOFSTEDT FARM, KASLO, B.C.]

We recently had an intriguing conversation about the (un)sustainability of communal living. Paul, who has lived at Lofstedt Farm in Kaslo, B.C., for the past 5 years, said that he doesn't think living communally is sustainable. From his perspective, "it's tiring."

His opinion comes both from his own experience and from watching other people's attempts at communal living.

Lofstedt Farm was started about 23 years ago, based on Rudolf Steiner's theory of biodynamic agriculture. Put simply, this means looking at the farm as a single closed system, where everything needed for agricultural production originates from the farm itself. It was intended as an educational and experimental farm -- a place where any curious person could come and explore or enhance their skills in just about anything.

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September 13, 2007

Paul and Loralee's Garden

Posted by shayna at 11:42 AM ET | Comments (0)

I have written a lot about people who are creating community somewhat outside of greater society -- often rural or, if urban, generally restricted to one household or so. Some of these communities do reach out to greater society through education programs such as the Free School offered by the Waldegrave Farm in Nova Scotia; however, I saw something recently that has got me thinking about fostering a sense of community in pre-existing neighbourhoods, in our cities and towns.

A few weeks ago, we got a comment on our blog. It read:

I am in Lethbridge, if you come through please stop by. My summer art project was a community guerrilla gardening project – you can see the blog here http://lethbridgegg.blogspot.com/

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September 07, 2007

Prairie's Edge

Posted by shayna at 04:21 PM ET | Comments (0)

1st lg.JPG

There is one community I had been postponing writing about. This group of people so embodies what we have been seeking on this trip that to put their story into a single posting seemed a daunting task.

Prairie's Edge Eco Village, in rural Manitoba, aims to live simply and co-operatively, in harmony with the natural world. They harness energy from the sun and wind to provide their electricity, grow most of their own food, and build their own homes out of mainly natural or recycled materials.

This might sound like a lot of work, and it is. But as we learned during our stay there, it can also be a lot of fun, not to mention incredibly fulfilling, to literally build your own life, in tandem with your closest friends.

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August 30, 2007

Creating a Place for Ourselves

Posted by shayna at 06:01 PM ET | Comments (0)

[BONNIE'S CREATIVE LIVING SPACE AND GUEST SUITE IN PIC RIVER, ONTARIO]

What seems like lifetimes ago now, when we were staying with the Belzers in Nova Scotia, Ed Belzer said something that has stayed with me ever since.

"The best thing I can do for myself," he said, "is to surround myself by people who help me to be who I want to be." This was part of the motivation for starting a co-operative housing project on his land.

I was reminded of Ed's words again while visiting Bonnie, in Pic River, Ontario. When I asked her what it was about the small First Nations community that first appealed to her, Bonnie replied, "I think it makes me make more sense to myself." As a Native person who moved around a lot before settling in Pic River, she said it is the first place that has felt like home for her.

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August 27, 2007

Beyond Romance

Posted by shayna at 04:42 PM ET | Comments (0)

[ED BELZER AND HIS GRANDSON JOE TILLING THE GARDEN]

We city-folk, myself included, tend to romanticize rural life. As we visit these communities, and see them for a brief moment through our outsiders’ eyes, it is easy to continue this tendency. We probably don’t see a lot of the trials and struggles, conflict, tension, and difficulties inevitably associated with sharing our lives with others.

Our last few postings have been quite optimistic, portraying the communities we have visited in a positive light. Our experiences have all been very encouraging, due to the simple fact that each one represents some kind of alternative to mainstream individualism. But I want to avoid leaving you with an overly idealistic sense of what it is like to live in community.

It was a hot sweaty day, and I was harvesting spinach on an organic farm in Portugal Cove. I was reminded of my travels, in other parts of the world, and how I have been awe-struck at the image of a woman with long, braided hair, the end of her deep purple sari floating in the breeze, surrounded by a broad field of green. Or how I marveled at a group of fisherfolk hauling in their nets in perfect rhythm. There is even a hint of magic in the image of a Canadian farmer pulling a plough behind a tractor or a team of horses, through a seemingly endless yellow field.

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Beyond Romance

Posted by shayna at 04:42 PM ET | Comments (0)

[ED BELZER AND HIS GRANDSON JOE TILLING THE GARDEN]

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August 21, 2007

Alternatives to Institution

Posted by shayna at 02:53 PM ET | Comments (0)

[ONE OF THE FIVE HOUSEHOLDS AT MAISON EMMANUEL, VAL MORIN, QUEBEC]

A lot of the people we are meeting talk about community as an alternative to institutionalization.

Nowhere has this been more tangible than with the communities of people with disabilities with whom we have spent time -- l'Arche Saint John (described in the previous posting) and Maison Emmanuel in Quebec.

Maison Emmanuel, about an hour north of Montreal, is one of many communities worldwide that follow the Camphill model, a movement of intentional therapeutic communities for people with disabilities. The aim is to create an environment of mutual respect, where people with special needs can live, learn, and work with others in healthy social relationships.

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August 17, 2007

Pieces of Ourselves

Posted by shayna at 09:32 AM ET | Comments (0)

[DEBBIE, A CORE MEMBER OF THE L'ARCHE SAINT JOHN COMMUNITY, DELIGHTS AT THE NEW SHOES SHE RECEIVED FOR HER BIRTHDAY]

I am sitting at the kitchen table in a community called l'Arche Saint John, in Saint John New Brunswick.

L'Arche Saint John is part of a network of l'Arche communities worldwide that provide a community environment for people with developmental disabilities. Live-in assistants share their lives with the "core members" with a be with rather than do for mentality.

I am reading a book by Jean Vanier, the founder of l'Arche. Vanier starts off the book by describing some of the challenges of living in community. He describes community as a place where "our limitations and our egoism are revealed to us"

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August 14, 2007

Victoria-by-the-Sea

Posted by shayna at 11:28 AM ET | Comments (0)

This place, a town on Prince Edward Island of 140-something in the summer (and half of that in the winter), reminds me of the growing need for people to be able to know where their energy is going, and to see its results. It is the spirit of entrepreneurship, and it runs deep in Victoria.

We are here visiting a friend, Emma, whose family owns a small chocolate factory. With Emma, her mom, her brother, and a close family friend working behind the counter, it is clear that customers keep coming here for more than just the chocolate.

The term 'people-sized' comes to mind. It is a term I had not heard before we began to talk to people about community in preparation for this journey, but that I have heard a couple of times since.

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