Winter is definitely upon us, and it's been pretty frosty recently. But who cares - there are still plenty of ways to have fun when it's cold.

We've achieved a great deal in just over two years, and have reached the point where we're offering our Full members the opportunity to transition to Equity membership. As the name suggests, that means buying an ownership stake in KCC. Judging from the great response, our members are eager to put some skin in the game.

Once the City of Peterborough has rezoned our site, and we've finalized our Memorandum of Understanding with our developer, everything will be in place to buy the site and start building our homes. Fingers crossed for a successful, exciting year for our community.

Rick and Suzanne are definitely ready to put shovels in the ground. Building community is something they've been doing for a while now.

But as we've said all along, community is more than just bricks and mortar. It's about building bonds between the people that are part of it. That takes work, so it helps to have a roadmap.

Once you've moved in to your brand-new cohousing project, you need time to settle in. This short interview with a resident of Vancouver Cohousing is a good overview of what that's like. And here's a short video featuring our consultant, Katie McCamant, talking about sustainability and how to get there.

Are you wondering if cohousing is for you? Want to find out more about us? Why not drop us a line at info@kawarthacommons.ca (add us to your address book), or visit our website. We're on Facebook too.

We'd love to hear from you!

We clasp the hands of those that go before us, and the hands of those who come after us. We enter the little circle of each other’s arms, and the larger circle of lovers, whose hands are joined in a dance. And the larger circle of all creatures, passing in and out of life, who move also in a dance, to a music so subtle and vast that no ear hears it. Except in fragments.

Wendell Berry

It was Polarfest earlier this month, an annual event in nearby Selwyn. As you can see from these pictures, there are plenty of ways to get outside in the winter months and have fun.

This dragon is more likely to breath snowflakes than fire.

Who says that canoeing is a summer sport?.

Marc, Sandra, Kris, Frances, and Linda taking in the action.

Our Members Speak - Rick and Suzanne

It was a shared love of community life that brought Suzanne and Rick together nearly twenty years ago. They are thrilled to have joined the Kawartha Commons Cohousing project, and have already made lifelong friends with so many lovely people.

For them, it’s exciting to be part of an intentional community with people who want to explore the challenge of living together in ways that are materially sufficient, socially and ecologically responsible, and satisfying to the soul.

Now that they’ve retired from the United Church of Canada, Rick and Suzanne are avid travellers, hitting the road when they can with their poodle Rusty. They love to bike, dance, visit, play cards, do creative things, work hard, and generally have a great time with friends.

Rick and Suzanne have one other reason for being a part of this community. They have seven children and seven grandchildren, and with KCC being located in Peterborough, it’s the perfect geographical centre of their family’s widespread universe.

Way of Community

From its very beginnings, Kawartha Commons has made every effort to build a caring, supportive community. To that end we've held a series of workshops and retreats to help each KCC member put words into action.

One of the fruits of our efforts is our Way of Community Agreement, introduced at our January business meeting. It's our way of affirming our principles, and we're proud to share it with you here.

Kawartha Commons Cohousing Way of Community

To Communicate With Integrity - I agree to tell my truth, with compassion for others and myself and to trust that others are doing the same.

To Listen With My Heart - I agree to listen respectfully and with empathy to the communications of others and to do so without judgment, giving others the benefit of the doubt.

To Own My Feelings - I agree to take responsibility for my feelings and how I react to the words and actions of others. I agree to practice compassionate communication methods, such as Non-Violent Communication, to express those feelings in a spirit of openness, compassion, and kindness.

To Honour Each Person's Process - I agree to presume the best of intentions when interacting with members of the community, to reserve judgment, and allow for vulnerability.

To Express Appreciation - I agree to express appreciation of others and to support the community and the individuals in it.

To Cooperate with Others - I agree to maintain a sense of cooperation and caring in my interactions with others.

To Honour Our Differences - I agree to value differences and celebrate diversity.

To Be Aware of Conflict - I agree to take responsibility for my own actions and to acknowledge my mistakes.

To Resolve Conflicts Constructively - I agree to deal with problems in a timely manner. I will not criticize another person, or say anything in their absence that I would not say to their face. Whenever I have a conflict with another person, I will first attempt to deal with it face to face with that person. When I feel unable to do this, or cannot solve the conflict on my own, I will not criticize or complain to someone who is powerless to resolve the conflict. Instead I will ask for support, empathy, and/or the opportunity to vent in a constructive manner from someone who is not involved in the conflict, or by requesting mediation.

To Maintain Harmony - I agree to make the effort to establish rapport with others and to reconnect with anyone with whom I feel out of harmony as soon as it is appropriate, to honour my own and other’s boundaries, and give space to others when they need it.

To Freely Participate - I agree that I freely choose to participate in the Kawartha Commons Cohousing Community. It is my choice.

To Lighten Up! - I agree to allow fun and joy in my relationships, my work, and my life.