We are an urban community of 18 households: singles, couples, and families. We completed Alberta’s first cohousing project in May 2003. Prairie Sky is on three quarters of an acre two and a half miles from downtown Calgary, in three buildings that mix townhouses and apartments around a courtyard. We have a 3,400-sq ft common house that extends our private living spaces with a large kitchen and dining room, lounge, playroom, bathrooms, laundry, studio, rec room, guest room and office, and parking underground. Outdoor common spaces include vegetable gardens, a fire pit, children’s play area, clothesline, a climbing wall and spaces for both large and small gatherings.
We built for energy efficiency and water conservation, and for minimum sound transmission, so we’d stay friends in close quarters. We make decisions by consensus at monthly business meetings, and we divide responsibilities among seven teams: Administration, Building Care, Common House, Community Care, Geeks, Landscape, and Social with a representative Central Circle that coordinates these activities.
We value diversity and community involvement. We do not share any ideology beyond the belief that living more closely with our neighbours enriches our lives. Sharing resources (a second car, magazines and newspapers, gardening and workshop tools, pet care, childcare, and rides to the airport) reduces our expenses. Sharing fun (common meals, movies, hiking, skiing, canoeing, guitar playing, dance lessons, music events, and whatever comes up) increases the joy in our lives.
We are creating a community that celebrates the potential of cooperation. We want to live in a place where our actions can reflect our commitment to each other, and to social and environmental responsibility.
Creating and maintaining a healthy community is an ongoing process filled with challenges, celebrations, and growth. Our path is guided by principles of community, respect, sustainability and affordability.
The starting point is to attend an information session via Zoom. Following this, people are encouraged to tour the facilities, attend a number of social events/ meetings to get to know the community. If there is a place for sale or rent, and it feeling like a good fit, they will then complete an application form and be interviewed by some community representatives before the community decides upon their membership application.
Contact us by email or phone and explain purpose or circumstance and hoped-for length of stay.
The whole membership decides collectively.
Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
Committees make many minor decisions that don’t require group consent. Our committee structure is similar to that of sociocracy with a representative Central Circle but major decisions are decided by the full group, using a consensus process.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: Yes
Regular fees: $250
Labor: Encouraged or suggested (1 hrs/week)
Co-op fees to support Common House and grounds, pro-rated by sq.ft. of home owned. Membership requires that members are able to qualify for a mortgage to buy their home.
Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Workshop, Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet
Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.
Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
interaction while maintaining independence.
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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