NOTICE: Due to health issues, the directors of EcoReality Co-op have voted to sell the property and wind up the cooperative. The property has been sold, and the process of voluntarily winding up the cooperative will commence in February 2022.
COVID-19 UPDADE: If you are unwilling to follow public health orders, this is not the place for you. We have to work within the greater community, the vast majority of which support the reasonable public health orders that have been imposed for the common good. We expect people to wear masks as appropriate, to maintain COVID-safe distancing, and to be vaccinated. Exceptions can be made only for those with a written doctor’s exemption.
EcoReality Sustainable Land Use and Education Cooperative is developing an ecovillage in the south Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. This ecovillage will be a model of sustainable food and energy production and will include public outreach and education as goals.
We have acquired a 43-acre property next to a 61-acre “community farmland” site, backed by a thousand of acres of public parkland, all the way to the highest peak on the island, and down to the ocean.
The property has cleared, productive farmland (mostly in hay), riparian and laucustrine areas, and young forest. The public parkland extends from the highest point on the island (Bruce Peak, at 704 metres), all the way to the ocean at Burgoyne Bay, and up the other side to the second-highest point (Mount Maxwell, at 579 metres).
All of the property is irrigated by a two-acre pond and two year-round streams via an extensive buried irrigation system. The class-2 soils are in growing zones 8 and 9. We have been implementing a Permaculture design for the site.
Two houses with a total of 4,200 sq ft of living space have eleven bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two kitchens between them, as well as ample room for meetings and home-based businesses. Three members live in these buildings, sharing them with renters, WWOOFers, and visitors.
A garage/studio/workshop of about 1,200 sq ft is used as a classroom for Permaculture and agriculture classes and public events. The classroom seats 40.
We also have a 3,550 sqft “high tunnel” poly greenhouse, divided into zones for propagation, nursery, and direct seeding.
New as of September 2016: we have salvaged a wonderful 3,080 sqft glass and aluminum greenhouse, currently in pieces, awaiting drier weather so we can start foundation work.
We have begun a public education campaign leading to re-zoning that will enable construction of a number of additional dwelling units. Current zoning allows three additional houses and a cottage. We have completed studies that show a larger number of dwelling units are appropriate, based on both carrying capacity of the land and agricultural labour needs, which is the legal requirement for more dwellings. This will be a political process, with at least three government bodies and public hearings involved.
We are seeking additional members who can contribute approximately half the value of a typical North American suburban house to the project. Prospective members with outstanding skills who can contribute less are encouraged to contact us.
Due to illness, we are disbanding to be closer to medical care.
Our focus is permaculture, sustainable living, food and energy production, and education.
Because humans have tipped the planet out of energetic balance, leading to increasing overpopulation, conflict, famine, and extinction, possibly of humans themselves, we, the members and advisors of the Ecoreality community agree to honor our individual roles as part of a collective that is committed to sustainability in all its forms.
Here is our mission (an action plan that guides us):
We choose to build a loving community together in the South Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada.
As a community, we pledge to learn by practice and exploration how to apply principles of ecology, non-violence, awareness, diversity, and education toward the achievement of a lifestyle that is a result of intentional sustainable actions and alternatives to the state of the world (see first line). To do this, we agree to use clear, compassionate communication and written process, and to empower people through ongoing group awareness and processes that promote personal responsibility and accountability. We agree to share knowledge and materials in ways that promote our community values. Finally, we will support our mission actions by appropriate tools that we all agree to use, such as consensus decision-making.
Furthermore, we endorse a common set of values (http://www.EcoReality.org/wiki/Values) in priority order, from which we derive our common vision (http://www.EcoReality.org/wiki/Vision) and purpose (http://www.EcoReality.org/wiki/Purpose) statements, the latter of which we periodically review and ratify by unanimous consent (http://www.EcoReality.org/wiki/Consensus), although most day-to-day decisions are made via modified Sociocracy (http://www.EcoReality.org/wiki/Steward).
Need funding members (six figures) at this time, although highly skilled people with fewer funds are also of interest.
Check out our visitor information page (http://www.ecoreality.org/wiki/Visitor_information) for the latest information. No “drop ins,” please!
UPDATE September 2021: Due to COVID-19, impending deadlines, our workload, and health challenges here, we are heavily pre-screening visitors. Absolutely no “drop ins” — you will politely be asked to leave.
The only visitors we are taking are those who have been pre-qualified by correspondence, Zoom meetings, etc.
A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.
Everyone must agree before moving forward.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
We use modified Dynamic Governance (Sociocracy). Stewards are elected by consensus, and have considerable autonomy over their designated realm. Circles of Stewards with similar or overlapping responsibility make most decisions. Consensus is reserved for agreements that are of vital interest to every single Member, such as the addition of a new Member, or changes in Member rights and responsibilities.
Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.
Join fee: $1000
Labor: Yes (36 hrs/week)
Applicants must demonstrate a history of fiscal responsibility.
$1,000 for basic membership, plus an equity investment in land and buildings of around six figures.
Community labour can be “purchased” (currently, $15/hr) if one is unable to meet the requirement.
Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Internet
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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