Summary: Waiting for feedback from the City for the Technical Adequacy Review and from CMHC for funding. The October SuperWeekend. Ballyduff hiking trails. Aukje discusses what attracted her to cohousing.

We welcome feedback and ideas. Send email to outreach@kawarthacommons.ca.   

NEW READERS who are asking “What is cohousing? What are KCC’s goals? What will the building and site be like?” “How can I find out more?” will find lots of general information on  our website: https://kawarthacommons.ca/. For more detailed information on how to become an Explorer member, please register for the monthly online information session being held on Zoom at 6:30 PM, Wednesday November 6.

This newsletter and subsequent versions will have three main sections.

1. UPDATE ON THE SITE AND THE BUILDING

2. GETTING TO KNOW OUR PETERBOROUGH: What Peterborough area has to offer you. 

3. OTHER KCC NEWS (including “What has attracted me to cohousing”, part of a series by members)

UPDATE ON THE SITE AND THE BUILDING

After a feverish two months preparing submissions to the City for the site rezoning  and to CMHC for funding, we’re now in a waiting game. We expect a reply from the City soon. The CMHC application was sent by the September 15 deadline, with a reply anticipated within 60 days. We do not expect to get immediate CMHC approval because our application did not include all the required details, such as rezoning which is still in process. However, CMHC did encourage us to apply, regardless, so that they can give us feedback for moving forward if the application appears promising. In the meantime, we are working with our architect, Coolearth, to refine the common areas on the ground floor.

GETTING TO KNOW OUR PETERBOROUGH: What Peterborough area has to offer you. 

The Ballyduff hiking trails

This month we look at a nearby system of walking trails, Ballyduff Trails, which are on property donated to Kawartha Land trust by KCC members Jean Garsonnin and Ralph McKim. The trails are near Pontypool, about a 40-minute car drive south of Peterborough. The trails are unique in passing through a now-rare Ontario tallgrass prairie which used to be quite common in local forested areas. Only 1 to 3% of the original tallgrass prairies remain in Ontario, with the rest having been converted to farmland by settlers. For more than 15 years, Ralph has been restoring the prairie on his farm, collecting seeds and planting them every spring. At this time of year the grasses are up to 6 feet tall, and a gorgeous golden colour complementing the vibrant reds and golds of the fall trees. For a fuller description see this newspaper article.

OTHER KCC NEWS 

SuperWeekend October 18-20

KCC has a SuperWeekend every three months, as a chance for KCC full members and Explorers to get to know each other in person, not just over zoom. This weekend included a dinner at Imperial Tandoor restaurant, brunches at members’ houses, tours of the Maryland site and downtown Peterborough, and an afternoon at Kris and Marc’s farm which included their presentation of what they learned from the National Cohousing Convention in Denver, Colorado.

What has attracted me to cohousing, by Aukje Byker

I’ve been attracted to cohousing since I first heard about it many years ago. When my children were young, my then partner and I lived on a farm property with another family and a mutual friend. Each household had their own private space, but there were also shared areas. It was a great way to raise kids as there were lots of adults around and different places for the kids to go. 

I’ve also always enjoyed being in communities where there is ease in meeting others.  When I was in university, I loved that I could go to things on campus and there was almost always someone there that I knew. I often find the same thing here in Peterborough. I’m a member of the Unitarian Fellowship and often see other members at events here as well as some of the other KCCers. 

I also really value my private space. And in this way, I see cohousing as a perfect fit. I’ll have my own private space while also having community.  When I want to be with others, they will be there, and when I want to be alone, I can just go to my own unit.