Departure on the wings of Air Canada, the sun setting, crossing the sandbox without too much turbulence, a spiritual lift above the Rockies, an anticipated landing with joy, and here I am, arrived safe and sound, but like a crumpled package, tired from the last few days of preparations... During the taxi transfer from the airport to Little Mountain Cohousing, The colors follow one another, it's almost disturbing. The lawns are moss green, the apple and cherry trees are in bloom. I'm hallucinating with joy. In Quebec, I left behind a Montreal with dull greenery, consoling myself by thinking of my friends in the countryside with their mounds of snow lingering into spring. In short, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ couldn't have expressed herself with as much fervor as I did, jolting from the back of my seat, ready for adventure, moved by every bud and every flowering tree. Upon arrival, my host was waiting for me: Hello Lysa! Nice, see you Louise. We are in English Canada, it must be remembered.
Once settled into what will be my cozy little nest for the next few days, I was introduced to a couple as endearing as could be, Roger and Ilda. They did me good, and their kindness instantly erased my fatigue. With a first music video and an interview completed, Lysa and I were on our way to Thursday night dinner.
The cohabitants of Little Mountain meet three times a week to share a meal. And they are su-per-or-gan-ized. It costs 5$ per person, and the food is good. Lysa told me that many of the residents (35 condos and about 51 souls living there), ages 32 to 38, frequent the cafeteria on the days these very communal meals are served.
An application named Gather, allows for the management and coordination of all cohousing activities. Each meal has its ‘chef’ and sous-chef, as well as a cleaning team. You sign up on Gather and that's it. This way, there will be a rotation of responsibility for shopping, preparing meals, and cleaning. The same applies to all meetings, get-togethers, and events. Gather offers a calendar where everything is listed and synchronized. We use the app Slack, to chat and socialize. A resident can create an activity Sshortage according to their wishes or as needed: knitting club, bike rides, floor discussions (there's a space for those living on the 5th floor)e floor.
This not only allows for exchange, information sharing, and gathering, but also gives a sense of freedom to the occupants. There's no need for excessive meetings to coordinate co-housing, leaving more room for fun, for fun's sake! Super great!