Recent Events

(For our Environmental Events click HERE.)

We have regular public presentations and tours. For more information click HERE.)

Earth Day Workparty

Here's some pics of our April 22 Earthday work party. Is party the right word? There was a lot of old fence hiding in those bushes - another whole line along the covenant that we'd missed last year (and still a small section to complete next workparty behind the second neighbourhood), some blackberries to liberate from the wrong places, some broom to bash in the park and the area behind the unsold duplex to 'stage'. As you can see, Alan provided light for the potluck - our first in the commonhouse! Tristan came and...yup, eventually got down and dirty. Len found a wee rabbit in the bushes just after Nancy left with the pups. That's lucky or she'd still be out there trying to get those dogs home! Old Blue got put to use taking the old fence pile out to the dump. The afternoon was spent working, then finding shelter from the Spring showers, then working, then dancing in the puddles, then standing together under porches, then getting wet some more. Meanwhile Peter worked...and worked...and got totally soaked and looked very happy. Where was my camera when I needed it? See Milt and Barb's cart full of barbwire? It worked great and we'll likely be looking for more of those. As you can probably tell, party is the right word. Some folks came for the morning, others joined for lunch, and others came for the wierdly rainy afternoon. We made the boundaries of our land accessible and safe for play and wandering and just for being with the birds and other creatures. What a gift this Creekside earth already is for us!

Public Open House

"A public Open House on October 14 and 15 was a huge success. Newspaper articles generated plenty of interest- specially since one interviewer said that it was on Saturday instead of Sunday! True to form, local Creeksiders adapted and set up shop for both days. Lucky we did, as more than 140 people came to tour the Creekside Commons' site and talk with members about cohousing! Despite forecasts for heavy rain and strong winds, the rains eased off each afternoon, making the tours much more comfortable. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the high quality of construction and for the ideals expressed by the cohousing concept. It was fun to show off our homes to friends, neighbours and prospective owners. We continue to sense that a force bigger than our collective membership is supporting this project."

Landscape Improvements Event: July 16th, 2006

In conjunction with the Workshop Raising, some Creekside members joined neighbours from the small adjoining strata that shares Bing Crescent to cooperatively remodel overgrown landscaping and create a visibility triangle for vehicles entering and exiting Lambert Drive out of Creekside Commons. This work was required by the City of Courtenay due to the increased number of vehicles that will be using the street. Landscape Architect Tim O'Brien helped by developing a plan for pruning and plant removal acceptable to the City and then the volunteers took over.

Well rooted mugo pines, in typical west coast fashion, had grown way bigger than expected ten years ago and had to be massively pruned. Puzzling over how to then remove the trunks and roots, the group commandeered a large truck. A system of ropes rigged to the bumper then allowed the seemingly immovable bushes to be mechanically pulled out by the roots. Cherry trees and cedars were given a haircut, so that the previously hidden stop sign is now visible and the area looks open and welcoming. It was a great opportunity for future neighbours to get 'down and dirty' together, with much laughter heard over the sound of saws and grunts and the occasional groan.

On the other side of the land, near the tributary to Piercy Creek, another crew braved the blackberries, hawthorn bushes and undergrowth to remove rotting fence materials and barbed wire left over from a time when the land was farmed. Some people used clippers to free the barbed wire from the underbrush while others gathered the prickly stuff into bundles for disposal. Once again, a tough job became fun as the community worked together, showing different skills than typically come forward in meetings.

Workshop Raising Event: July 15th and 16th, 2006

On a sunny weekend in July, Creekside members and friends gathered from near and far with their various skills and tools and, under contractor Alan Fletcher’s competent direction, ‘raised’ the community’s future woodworking and craft shop. Having spent many hours together in meetings planning and making decisions, this was the first opportunity to produce something tangible together on the land. It was a heart warming confirmation of how the Creekside community works, in this case with about 30 people ‘raising’ the building over the weekend including a great support crew producing excellent food for all.

With the shell of the workshop completed, smaller groups have continued with work parties to complete the workshop to lockup stage. Volunteers tied re-bar to reinforce the floor and the concrete has been poured and finished. Two regular doors and an overhead garage door are installed and the membrane surface is being prepared so that a ‘green’ roof can be planted in September. More windows will be installed and both exterior and interior finishes completed closer to project completion, but for now the space is in use as the contractor’s site workshop. With 24’ x 32’ of shop space, the community will have a large open area for woodworking machines and workbenches and a small dust-free room for painting and crafts.

On Earth Day April 22, 2006 Creekside members held a land blessing ceremony on the site in preparation for the start of the civil works. The ceremony conveyed our intention to care for the land and all living beings on the land, plants, trees, and creatures of many types and sizes. The community connected through song and drum, enjoying each other and the opportunity to celebrate together another milestone in our project. After the ceremony a clean up of the land was done in honour of Earth Day.

During the second week of May, Warren Fleenor project biologist conducted a fish and amphibian salvage from ponds on the site saving significant numbers of Sticklebacks, Salamanders and Rough Skin Newts which were salvaged and released in a nearby habitat.

Warren finished his work in good time before the first earth moving equipment moved onto the site and started the civil works preparation. All topsoil moved in the construction is being saved for future garden use.