Yarrow is a hidden gem about 15 minutes drive to either Chillwack or Abbotsford where you can access everything you can imagine.  

Yarrow itself is an up and coming area with all the basics at our doorstep.  From the ecovillage, we can walk to the community school, library, and the park next door.  

We have enough restaurants and take-out to feel like we have choice when we don't feel like cooking.  The kids will tell you that Rainbow Gas has the best selection of candy.  The teens will show you the skate park right next door.  We have ice cream, fruit stands, and artisan hobby shops.

 

There are hardware stores, food stores, and even a miniature pony sanctuary near by.  Combine that with all the nature trails, lakes and rivers and we live in a pardise!  Yarrow might just be the last small town in the lower mainland and it is all our very own!

There are two cohousing developments at the Yarrow Ecovillage:

Elderberry Commons 50 plus Adult Cohousing (for people who want a little more "peas and quiet")

A group of 50-70 year olds who love living in Yarrow are about to begin the design process for their very own adult living community.  We value community living, and feel that having a caring community on our doorstep is our best chance at aging with success.  We know we can't rely on our children to be there for us as much as we one day might need.  We know that we want to make these changes before our bones feel any older than they are beginning to.

Are we "seniors"? I don't think any of us feel like "seniors".  We feel young and active.  We are enjoying our lives, and they feel busier every day.  We want to be the most active, and most involved mature adults we can be.  We are still learning and growing, and we want to do that together.

We only have room for about 17 homes in this community that we have affectionately begun to refer to as "Elderberry Commons".  It will be at the Yarrow Ecovillage, which means we'll have access to community farmland and wild spaces while still being able to walk to Rainbow Gas and the rest of the Yarrow essentials. 

Our homes will be designed over a series of six workshops which all of the future residents are welcome to attend.  We'll work with the architect, and a meeting facilitator to plan our site, our homes, and our common spaces.   The facilitator will also help us learn the communication and meeting skills that will make this community thrive like the many that have come before it.  

For more information please contact us a welcome@elderberrycohousing.ca or call Yonas at 778-898-9951.

Groundswell Cohousing multi-generational cohousing at Yarrow Ecovillage

- building the final phase including the Common House and final 16 residences of 33

- all plans are finished, and we have room for 6 more neighbours!

Please email welcome@yarrowecovillage.ca for more information.

In either case- the first step for moving to a community like this is always a tour.  You can find tour information on the contact page.

 

What is cohousing?

Imagine living in one of 33 residences nestled between our mixed use commercial/residential and a 20 acre Organic farm within the Yarrow Ecovillage. Know your neighbors, enjoy fresh veggies grown by your community farmers, enjoy the natural swimming hole, children’s play areas (complete with other children to play with!) and all the local amenities Yarrow Central has to offer.

Each household occupies a private on-site residence with its own kitchen. The residences are mostly owner-occupied, not rentals, though some rental will be available.

Grounsdwell Cohousing is not a commune nor co-op housing. We aren’t affiliated with any particular religion nor do we have a guru, or leader.   The legal structure of our cohousing is that of a strata which is typical of most multi-family town-home and apartment developments in British Columbia. Similar to a Condo, we offer shared spaces. Our common spaces have been designed by residents to include a play room, craft room, music room, guest room, kitchen and eating area, laundry facilities, huge BBQ area, hot tub and sauna, wood shop and other bonuses special to being on farmland.

A typical family day in the village might look like this:

Residents chatting on the street in the village. The site has been designed with the intention to bump into people much more frequently than you would in a typical western neighbourhood

  • wake up and have breakfast with your immediate family, or wander over to the common house if you'd rather.
  • get on with whatever your day hold for you, after bumping into a neighbor who reminds you about a scrapbooking workshop/ board game night/ yoga session being held in the common space that evening.
  • come home to water your garden (each household has a private yard, and access to a space in the community garden if they desire)
  • wander down to the common house for supper, with or without your family. Sometimes Hubby might choose to just stay in.  Two community members have whipped up a beef stew with a vegetarian option on the side.  When you cook next week you'll happily return the favour of treating your neighbours to dinner that night.  One night of cooking every month is worth it when it frees up so many other nights.
  • Enjoy a dinner with friends in the community, then pitch in and do some dishes
  • perhaps there is a group meeting about a subject your are interested in to attend, perhaps not.
  • So-and-So pulls out a chess board in the sitting room, you watch for a bit, then head over to the craft room for that scrapbooking session.
  • when the kids get tired of the play room you huddle them off to bed.
  • hmmmm…. Kids are sleeping, now Hubby decides to challenge the winner of that chess match. You toodle on to your deck with a book while he wonders down for some chess. If you feel like being alone, you sit on the back deck in your private yard. If you don’t mind company you sit on the front deck and I’m sure some interesting conversation will find you.
  •  after a nice night you pay the baby sitter… NO WAIT! You did all this from home and within seconds of your front porch! Hubby returns gloating his victory and you toast his victory before heading off to bed.

A typical single man's day might look like this: 

 

  • wake up and head over to the common house to have your coffee with friends before heading off  on a hike together.
  • You have visitors for lunch.  You decide to keep the visit to yourself and have a quiet lunch in your own backyard.  Neighbours may see you, but because you are in your private space- they politely ignore you and go about their business.
  • A couple of the guys are working on a beer brewing project. You decide to help them harvest the barley they planted in the back feild.  The hard work calls for a beer togehter after the harvest.
  • You may wander down to the common house for dinner.  Perhaps it is your night to cook.  You go check the dinners bulletin to see.  It is Janice cooking tonight.  She makes the best stews.  You secretly hope for stew.
  • Tonight you've decided to challenge one of the village moms to a game of chess.  Her husband heards the kids out of the common house and you make a fire in the side room.  She usually wins, but you've been working out a new strategy. One of the other young moms watches the first few moves and then heads of for her scrapbooking session.  she's working on a Christmas project for the village. you can't wait to see it.
  • You've defeated Julia!  Finally!  But then another friend pulls up a chair and challenges you for another game. You've never played him before.  Maybe you'll let him win the first time.
  • As the Common House begins to quiet you decide to take a walk on the farm.  It is quiet.  The stars are always so bright.
  • As you walk past the hot tub you hear giggles.  You take caution to make a wider circle as you pass.  You feel like some quiet time.
  • After making a wish on a falling star you head back to your two bedroom home.  You've hardly been in all day.  when you arrive there is a bag on the front porch.  Ann was going to be in Vancouver for the day.  You asked her to stop by Lee Valley for you and she remembered!
  • Smiling to yourself you head in to put the new cabinet pulls on your pantry doors.  Then off to bed.

For more information on cohousing try http://www.cohousing.ca