"This didn’t feel like much of a community when we moved in. And now everybody says ‘Ah, this is such a great place to live!’" — Steve Fick
Steve Fick has lived at Terra Firma, one of the Ottawa-region’s only cohousing communities, for more than 25 years, and is one of its founders. From shared meals, to shared tools, to neighbourhood-wide street parties and art tours, his insights from a lifetime of centring community are the inspiration we all need to seek more “us” in our lives!
In this episode
- The organizing journey that allowed the Terra Firma co-founders to build enough faith and trust in each other and the concept that one couple bought into the project site unseen when the right property surfaced
- How Terra Firma’s residents turned six residences into seven, plus a common space, and an oasis of a shared backyard right in the middle of an existing single-family home neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario
- The benefits for parents, children (and later grandchildren!) of raising a family in a cohousing community
- Insights on managing conflict in a manner that balances quick, effective repair with the human need for pause using skills like non-violent communication and compassionate listening, and having a budget for a mediator
- How an entire neighbourhood joined together in a street party to celebrate Terra Firma Cohousing’s 25 year anniversary. A gathering that Steve describes as “a little piece of heaven.”
- Steve’s latest co-created community project: The Old Ottawa East Art Tour
- Why there’s no room for new members in Terra Firma (hint: because all the original founders are still there!)
Find Steve:
Find Other Episode References:
Old Ottawa East’s Terra Firma Celebrating 25 Years
Cohousing is a potentially key way to combat loneliness — but it's difficult to get off the ground
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