Roger Gagne and Shauna Jones, along with Shauna's two teenage sons Caleb and Noah Jones, are part of Calgary's newest cohousing project, Dragonfly Cohousing.
Roger first heard about cohousing during the land search phase by Prairie Sky Cohousing, built in 2003, on Edmonton Trail NE. Roger is attracted to the concept of intentional community where spending time with neighbours whether in work bees, hanging out for a game of chess or else joining in on projects of common interest happens easily on a day-to-day basis.
A life long environmentalist, Roger is also drawn to the positive environmental possibilities in building a community; PassivHaus construction and purchasing of solar panels are more affordable when done together by many households.
It's also possible to live in smaller homes due to the large amount of shared space within the community. There will be guest suites within the Common House so each home doesn't require a spare room for guests. The Common House will also have a dining area and multipurpose rooms so individual homes don't have to have expansive space for hosting large numbers of people. Sharing resources will also cut down on the need for every family to own a lawn mower, power tools or a BBQ.
Roger introduced the idea to his girlfriend, Shauna, in 2010. She came to realize what a difference a community like this could have made in the lives of her sons while they were growing up with a single mother.
"As a single parent I made some difficult choices, often leaving my young sons behind the locked door of my home while I went to work because there was no one to watch over them, and other times taking them to work with me, sometimes sending them to the park or to Burger King on their own to give them something to do. They were often unattended and we had some very difficult times. Children need to be watched over and need to have the comfort and security of knowing someone is there. My boys didn't have that because there was no one.
“In a cohousing community that wouldn’t have happened because the neighbours become more than neighbours, they become extended family. There would have been 36 households with eyes on my children, and 36 households holding them accountable for their behaviours. A community like that would be invaluable in the lives of children who are being raised by a single parent, and invaluable to the parent as well", says Shauna.
Caleb and Noah are now in grades 11 and 12; who knows how long they’ll be home? Regardless, Shauna and Roger are looking forward to being surrounded by a community of friends and neighbours to balance whatever particular mix of family is found behind the door of their home.
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