FAQS

The Land

The property is beautifully located on over 1 mile of the Fraser River. Pasture on the river comprises about 300 acres. The balance of the 540 acre site varies between meadows, forests and riparian areas with a number of high benches and hills. There are a number of springs on the property. Buildings include a 4 bedroom Common House, 2 river cabins and a log hay barn.

The Legacy of the Cedar

The interior cedar hemlock forest of the Robson Valley has taken hundreds/thousands of years to mature. Stewardship of the watershed and ecosystem is a priority. There are a few stands left on the property. They link with the energy of the remaining cedar of the valley.  The addition of the 11,000 hectares Ancient Cedar Forest Provincial Park ~15 km away will support the stewardship of Nature in the Valley. Tourism is likely to increase.

Themes and Models

A place in time and a mélange of current world influences dedicated to building a sustainable culture: Canadian Worker Cooperative Federation, Social Ventures Institute, The Findhorn Foundation, Crystal Waters Eco Village, The Centre for Alternative Technology, Open Source Ecology, organic farming, consensus decision making, right livelihood, renewable energy, dance, a spiritual path, and holistic education.

Climate

Weather has been changing so much globally the old patterns are no longer dependable.  Our winters have not been severe. We experience our share of snow and ice, but ~ 3 ft of snow max on the ground with a 10 day period of -30C nights would represent the extreme. Lots of -5 to -10C days during the winter. Spring and Summer tend to blend together with average daytime temperatures of +17-20C.

Crops

All root crops such as beets, potatoes, carrots, leeks, etc as well as cabbages, lettuce, onions, peas, bush beans, rhubarb, some squash, currants, raspberries, strawberries, saskatoons, haskaps, gooseberries, huckleberries, and wild hazel nuts do well here. With the extra effort of cold frames, hot beds or greenhouses you can grow tomatoes, peppers, basil, etc.

The orchard is a work in progress. Along with the berries noted above there are apple, plum, and cherry trees planted, as well as some oaks in the larger landscape that will bear acorns.

Ownership

The design is that all the land will be held in common, through a cooperative. In turn individuals would own their housing through a housing cooperative, even though it might be a single family residence.

Costs

The current membership  fee is $4000 per voting member. In addition  there are 3 budgets an individual or family will participate in: the Ecovillage budget which is constructed annually by all members; their portion of the land cooperative; and their individual house construction and expenses. Additional details are made available by visiting or attending a public meeting.

Workshops

All members are able to suggest annual workshops which can be a source of individual as well as ecovillage income.

Employment

There are no traditional jobs on site. There are potentially substantial incomes available from  organic farming production, including livestock; workshop related accommodations, meals and services; and a wide variety of ecotourism  activities. ADSL broadband internet on site lends support to consulting and other types of self employment.

Pets

Due to the potential mass chaos of 50 residents and a potential 50 dogs we have a no pet policy. This does not mean we have a no dog or cat policy. The animals we have here are working animals and belong to everyone. We do not permit any domestic animals or wildlife to be chased/hunted on site by humans or animals except when predators are being encouraged to leave areas frequented by humans or livestock.  We regularly experience  >60 visitors annually from multiple  countries  often with very small children. Any additional dogs/cats/other welcomed to the community will be subjected to intense scrutiny.

Appreciating the territoriality that dogs often exhibit we maintain a no pet policy for visitors.

How to get here

7 km off the TransCanada Hiway 16 makes us fairly accessible. We are 90 min from a regional airport in Prince George. Via Rail makes stops on site for passengers with reservations. The Walker Creek Forest Rd (our access off of Hiway 16) is  maintained year around by the Ministry of Forests. ~ ½ of our private road access is snowplowed in winter by Telus our regional communications company. The balance is the ecovillages responsibility.

Local Community

The small settlement of  Dome Creek has a post office, library/community center, and community hall. It can be fairly active in the winter and is ~30 min drive. The next closest town McBride  is ~50 min drive with grocery store, hardware, schools, hospital, etc

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