Why We Joined: Roger & Shauna

Roger and Shauna, along with Shauna's two teenage sons Caleb and Noah, will call Dragonfly home.

Roger, a life long environmentalist and passionate conservationist, is drawn to the positive environmental possibilities in building Dragonfly: “I’m excited about efficient PassivHaus construction, having solar panels on our roofs, and having an elevator generating electricity for us just like a hybrid car. I'm also excited about creating beautiful indoor and outdoor community spaces, and hanging out for a game of chess or joining in on projects of common interest. Hearty dinners together, made in part with food grown in our own garden, and long lingering conversations afterwards; yum! We’re both a mix of introvert and extrovert; at times we tend to isolate ourselves. We like that cohousing facilitates community, but does not demand it.”

Shauna, working full-time and being a tremendously busy single mom realizes what a difference that cohousing could have made while her boys were growing up. “Work and church were my social life; now, at day’s end, with Dragonfly, I know I’ll be returning to welcoming neighbours, maybe a cup of tea, a conversation – I’ll be coming home to community. As for Caleb and Noah, they’re in grades 11 and 12; who knows how long they’ll be home? Regardless, we look forward to being surrounded by a community of friends and neighbours."

Planning for Retirement in Community

Sharon's Story: I didn't take a long time to decide to join Dragonfly. I have fond memories of growing up in a wonderful community, a suburb of Edmonton. Now, my inner-city house is too big, too much work and too old. It's not insulated. And I don’t know my neighbours...renters who come and go.

I’ll retire soon—a chance to redefine who I want to be. I want...pride of owning my own home, summer evenings in the yard, potluck dinners, friends to go for walks with, kids and seniors, neighbours who care,...

A long-time member of Dragonfly told me that people who inquire about cohousing usually come with a list and they want to know if cohousing will give them what they want. After they join, they start to change and to care more about what's best for the community.

When I’m retired, I want a reason to get up in the morning, and I don’t think I’ll find that reason inside me. I think I’ll find it...in my community.

Common Ground and Kinship

Jim's story:

The first stage of my working life was with Outward Bound, an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor education organization. There, I found an immediate kinship with the people that I had never felt with any group.

I have found the same immediate and easy sense of connection with the Dragonfly folks. So easy to find common ground for conversation based on common values. The community-based decision making process which was used at Outward Bound for policy making may appear to be cumbersome to some but it is ultimately the most effective and certainly one that appeals to my own need to maintain influence over the decisions that most impact me.

My two adult childen are based in Virginia and now Boston but they insist that I stay in Calgary to maintain their links to the city where they were born and spent their early years. Dragonfly would give me more than just a place to live but a "family" in the very best sense of the word while I maintain a place in Calgary for my progeny.

Cohousing Community and the Single Parent

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.

Downsizing with a Family of 4

Meet Bryan, an engineer, and Lori, a social worker. They will be moving into the Dragonfly Cohousing development in Crescent Heights upon its scheduled completion in the fall of 2013.

“We’re looking to be part of a more intentional community, where relationships are nurtured, and there’s more opportunity for interaction between neighbours,” Lori says. “That’s probably one of the biggest motivators for us at this time.”

After they move, the Helfenbaums will have a third of their current living space, going from 3,700 square feet of space, including a finished basement, to a four-bedroom co-housing unit with 1,360 square feet of private living space.

As you might expect, the pending move has the Helfenbaums thinking a lot about space efficiency.

“When we moved out to the suburbs, there was certainly a sense of ‘success equals a big house,’ ” says Bryan, 36. “And we’ve come to realize that houses can make use of space very well or very badly, and the house we’re in now has a lot of wasted space.”

The decision to downsize is one the Helfenbaums have been considering for a long time, with a number of factors becoming more pressing over time.

“One of them is that life in the suburbs just wasn’t turning out to really reflect the values that we share,” says Lori, 35. “And it wasn’t really turning out to be the life that we wanted for our children. It’s kind of isolated. And ecologically speaking, we just felt it was hard to justify the space that we take up and the resources that we consume for such a large house for only four people.”

"We long to be part of something bigger; to create a life for our children that embodies shared kindness and regard for our neighbours, environmental responsibility, and respect for the diversity among us," says Lori.