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Flourishing through mutual support
Our mandate is to build a neighbourhood of strata-titled housing for seniors that is affordable, environmentally friendly, and socially/culturally supportive, allowing people to flourish through mutual support as they age in place and in community. Our mission is to be a sustainable senior cohousing homeowner community that promotes healthy aging in place. The physical structures as well as the social fabric of our community will nurture an innovative culture with lively connections to the larger society. While respecting personal privacy, we will foster cooperation, social connection and affordability through design and through mutual support. Who we are - active, energetic people in the second half of life. We are starting now before we’re ‘ready for the home’ to develop senior cohousing for ourselves and to welcome others who share our vision and values.

Our Project - we have formed a development company, secured a waterfront site at 6669 Horne Road in Sooke, and signed a contract with Cohousing Development Consulting to provide project management services to help us develop our project. Our approximately 2 acre site is a five-minute walk to groceries, concerts at the church, dances at the Community Hall, coffee shops, restaurants, the post office, the bus stop, and a level block from beautiful Ed Macgregor Park. There is space for residents’ boats at our dock. Two of our members regularly facilitate a two-day Royal Roads University course Aging Well in Community. Registration for the course is required to become an equity member of Harbourside and also benefits those in the broader community.

WHO WE ARE

The People of Harbourside

Our ages range from "shy of fifty to better than eighty-five". We are physically active, creative, independent individuals who value privacy yet find we are already flourishing in the senior cohousing community we are creating.

Ralph
was born in Portland, Oregon. He studied at Portland State University and USC Los Angeles for a BA in Television. He then did an 8 year stint in the US Navy. Much of Ralph's career was spent in radio and that part of his resume is too vast and colourful to recount here - except to say that he was one of the godfathers of FM 'Rock Radio', and worked as The Nazz with the infamous Wolfman Jack on the Mexican 'Border Blasters'. Ralph came to Canada in the late sixties/early seventies and worked as a commercial fisherman up and down the Pacific coast. His fine Sooke property has been an integral part of his current venture into eco-tourism and seafood.

For more about Ralph, click here.

Margaret & John
met in a meditation group in Sooke in 2004 and haven't run out of things to talk about since. They enjoy spending summers cruising the inside passage on Savory, a steel sailboat John helped build. John was born and raised in California. He's a lifetime social activist who came to Canada in 1968. John has lived in Sooke for 30 years now, although he takes trips on his boat - as far afield as Mexico. He is a cycling enthusiast and when he's got some time you might find him in one or other of Sooke's coffee shops. He and Margaret make yoga and swimming part of their routine. Margaret was Professor of Social Anthropology at York University in Toronto for 25 years. Fieldwork took her to the SW Pacific islands of Vanuatu. She lived in a bamboo house with her family in a rural village, developed deep local friendships, and came to understand that "it takes a village" to be fully human. Cohousing is her new village.

Jane
was born in Khartoum to British parents. She was educated in England and became a Registered Nurse before setting off to see the rest of the world. She worked in South Africa before getting married and having 2 children. Later she and her family moved for to Hong Kong for 2 years, and after that, Toronto. Jane arrived on Vancouver Island via Winnipeg and Vancouver - and decided to stay here 'to age in place'.

Warren & Ellen
have lived, worked and played and raised three young adults in Sooke over the past 20 years. Now we are excited to participate in the development of Harbourside senior cohousing as we plan for the next 20 years. We were drawn to this project by the amazing people and the ideas and innovation that this project represents, and the prospect of aging well together in a mutually supportive environment.

Susan
was born and raised in New Zealand and came to Canada with two young children. Two more children were born here, and she is now a grandmother of four. She lived in Vancouver and in the Gulf Islands before moving to Sooke in the nineteen-eighties. Susan is a semi-retired midwife who sees cohousing as an intelligent way to live in a vibrant, supportive community. She is also a lover of horses, a gardener, an avid reader, and a yoga practitioner.

Wynn
is a retired banker who has chosen to live close to her only two grandchildren. She made the move to Sooke from North Vancouver in 2005 after living in the same home for 35 years, and now she looks forward to living in cohousing. Wynn is active in the community, serving on the board of directors for Ayre Manor Lodge where she also co-ordinates the tuck shop with other volunteers. She belongs to the Sooke Garden Club and enjoys sharing a plot with a friend at Sun River Community Garden.

Sheila
was born in England and came to Canada with her parents when she was very young. She went to school on Vancouver Island. Sheila has raised 2 sons in Victoria and had a successful career as a Nurse and an Office Manager. She is a music lover, plays the piano and the organ, and is a member of the Sooke Community Choir. She belongs to a hiking group, to Tai Chi & book clubs, and enjoys travelling.

Donja and Doug
moved to Victoria from the backcountry of San Diego County to find a good education for their daughters. They fell in love with Vancouver Island and Canadians and decided to become "North Americans" by having dual citizenship in both the US and Canada.

Dal and Noelle
met when Noelle moved to Victoria from Ontario after finishing university and Dal sold his fish camp on Sonora Island and was hired as a Special Education teacher with the Sooke School District. We moved to Sooke and made it our home. During the last 20 years we have built our own house, raised 3 sons, worked and loved and immersed ourselves in the community. We have enjoyed all that the West Coast has to offer in Sooke, fishing, hiking, dirt biking, camping, sports, music, art and community. We look forward to the next 20 years right here in this vibrant town as part of the Harbourside Cohousing community.

Priska
Priska's background is in molecular biology, and she studied and worked in Germany, Sweden and England before immigrating to Canada 10 years ago. Three years ago she moved to Sooke to be closer to the Sooke Hills, the lakes and the river and her partner, Mark.

Robert and Ellen
met in Victoria in 1980 and shortly thereafter they met and adopted Liisa.

Robert was born in south-central Alberta; he has Cree, Blackfoot Irish ancestry. As did many of the Indigenous children of his generation his formative education was received in a residential school in Northern Alberta. He worked in manual labor jobs each summer and got a taste of what it was like to have no education.

Mark
I was born in England and my family immigrated to Canada in 1948 when i was one year old. I grew up in Cordova Bay where we all worked on the local farms in summer. After graduating from the University of Victoria in 1969 I spent many years travelling and lived in India for 12 years, in love with the Himalayas, yoga and meditation.

Kaye
I emigrated from England in 1969 with my husband and golden lab. After two weeks of travelling across the Atlantic and then across Canada by train, we arrived in a very small community called Parson, which is located 38kms south of Golden BC. What a culture shock! We both had teaching jobs in the local 4 roomed school, and lived in the small "teacherage" that was provided. We eventually bought an acreage, built a house and lived and taught in the Golden area for the next 34 years.

Gail
I have lived in Greater Victoria since 1981, after living mostly in southern Alberta. My adult son currently lives with me.

I've been a Registered Nurse for many years, of late, working in both Home and Community and Vascular Access (which means I'm good with needles). Interacting with the elderly and palliative clients has given me pause to reflect on how I would like to spend the next chapters of my life. I believe that being part of a cohousing community will be an exciting and fulfilling choice.

Rene
Born in the Netherlands; my family came to Canada in early 1950's to southern Ontario. I grew up in a farming environment with a lot of range to roam , so developed a love of nature.

I graduated University of Toronto and University of Victoria - worked as a Registered Nurse - now retired.

Berken
Born at the Danish-German border on a tiny island in the North Sea, I moved to Canada in the early 1970s. After canoeing across Canada, I fulfilled my calling and became a professional forester. Since 1983 I have worked for Canadian and German government organizations in South and Central America, Russia and Central Asia on nature conservation, environmental and minority issues.

Alice
Alice was born in the United States in the early 50's. Emigrating to Canada in the early 70's, she worked her way across the continent in a variety of jobs, drawn west to the Gulf Islands.

Shirley
Shirley was born in Saskatoon Saskatchewan. I have a BA from U of S and a BSW from the University of Calgary, a few years later-- things were delayed by marriage to Bob and raising five children! I worked as a social worker in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Jack
Jack was born and grew up in Montreal, Quebec. He studied science and economics at McGill. Since then, like his parents and grandparents before him, he was employed in the food business: First dairy farming in Ontario, then grain and livestock farming in Saskatchewan, then the grain, seed and livestock feed business out of Winnipeg, Manitoba and finally general agricultural business consulting.

Arlene & Bob
Arlene and Bob Stamp met many years ago as students at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. Over the course of our married life, we have moved back and forth between eastern and western Canada, living in London, Calgary, Toronto, and Calgary again.

Catherine and John
Catherine grew up in Calgary; John grew up in Buffalo, New York; and they met in Pennsylvania. Catherine studied painting and printmaking. Her interest in the visual arts evolved into a career in educational media at Penn State University and later at New York University.

Karla and Chris
Karla and Chris are approximately 10 feet 11 inches tall, weigh about 300 pounds, and are 142 years old. They have: degrees in education, geophysics, and mathematics; diplomas in electronics engineering, fine arts, and an accounting designation; plus a total of five spouses, past and present. They both love the wilderness, hiking, and cycling; they appreciate the arts and efforts toward sustainability. At Harbourside they are looking forward to new friends and experiences.

Bev and Michael
The Harbourside venture represents the fulfillment of a long held dream to live in community for Michael after he ended a 14 year involvement in a spiritual community in the Kootenays over 40 years ago. For Bev, Harbourside offers the opportunity to recreate the close neighbourhood feeling of a small town (Golden, B.C.) where she raised her children alongside friends sharing caring and mutual support and forging life long friendships for 22 years. Bev was raised in Calgary and considers herself to be "a Prairie gal".

Jean
Most of Jean's younger years were spent in Saskatoon where she was schooled, married and raised three daughters. She and her family moved to Sherwood Park in 1970. In her 30+ years of employment in Alberta's capital city she has worn different hats.

David Hannis and Nancy Hannemann
David and Nancy live in Edmonton, Alberta, where Nancy works as the Director, Global Education, University of Alberta, and David is a retired adult educator. The couple recently returned from a two year stint with a new university in Nigeria where Nancy established the Centre for Innovation and International Studies and David set up the Centre for Community Development.

AVAILABLE HOMES

Homes for Rent or Sale Harbourside is still under construction. We expect a few homes to be available for rent in November or December 2015. All residents of Harbourside share the following amenities: Great neighbours who care! More about living in cohousing. A beautiful Common House which includes 2 guest bedrooms, library and community space where meals, meetings and social activities are held. A dock where boats can be moored (for a fee) and kayaks and other small boats can be launched. A 5 minute walk to groceries, concerts at the church, dances at the Community Hall, coffee shops, restaurants, the post office, the bus stop, and a level block from beautiful Ed Macgregor Park. More about Sooke. Sign up to be notified when a home becomes available for rent or sale.	Useful Information Siteplan (pdf) Floorplans A (pdf) B (pdf) C (pdf) D (pdf) E (pdf)

About Sooke

Information on this page is from the District of Sooke website.

Located on the southwestern tip of Vancouver Island, the District of Sooke is a scenic 35-minute drive from downtown Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. The incorporated community's approximately 10,000 residents enjoy a relaxed, casual lifestyle in a rural setting that also affords many of the amenities of city life.

A great community for retirees
Shaw TV featured attracting retirees to Sooke in January 2013. Harbourside’s dock can be seen in the video, as viewed from the Municipal Wharf — look for the big boat with the SUSHI sign.

Our Project

Construction Pictures!

A history of Harbourside.

Our approximately 2 acre waterfront site is a five-minute walk to groceries, concerts at the church, dances at the Community Hall, coffee shops, restaurants, the post office, and the bus stop. There is space for residents’ boats at our dock.

A level block away is beautiful Ed Macgregor Park, ramped to the marine boardwalk.

In the cohousing development model the future residents participate in the planning, design and development of the community so that it directly responds to their needs. Our plan is to develop a project of thirty-one newly constructed apartment and duplex style homes with common amenities to support interaction among neighbours and aging in place.

Architect's rendering of a Harbourside duplex

The materials and mechanical systems will be selected to achieve Built-Green Gold standards. Homes have been designed with our needs in mind with five unique and compact floor plans all with large south facing decks and spectacular views of the Sooke Harbour. The design will support opportunities for spontaneous connection and includes common gardens, a workshop, waterfront gazebo and other common facilities.

Our common house already awaits us — the resort building contains gracious dining and kitchen space, three guest rooms with luxurious baths as well as multi-purpose rooms, and a potential caregiver’s apartment.

Harbourside site plan

Elevation of west property boundary

In accordance with the development objectives for Sooke’s Town Centre, as identified in the Official Community Plan, 2010, the Horne Road property has been rezoned from Large Lot Residential (R1) to a Comprehensive Development (CD) Zone to allow a 32 unit senior cohousing community. The property is designated as part of Sooke’s Town Centre as identified in the Official Community Plan, 2010.

Harbourside members completed an Environmental Footprint Survey to get an idea of the difference in our environmental footprint based on where we live now and when we live at Harbourside Cohousing.

Harbourside is moving ahead on schedule. We have entered into a contract with Campbell Construction to act as the general contractor to construct our project. Construction started on October 6, 2014 and our estimated completion is late winter 2015. We invite you to contact us to find out more about our project.

Frequently Asked Questions about our Project.

About Cohousing

What is Cohousing?

Cohousing is a neighbourhood design that combines the autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of shared resources and community living - it encourages community while maintaining the option for privacy.

Not to be confused with co-op’s cohousing uses the strata title ownership structure. To find out more about the difference between cohousing, co-op’s and conventional strata title click here.

Cohousing is based on private ownership of complete, self-contained homes centered around and focused on shared facilities (common house), which typically includes a kitchen, dining area, lounge, guest/caregiver suites, workshop, meeting spaces and other features the members may choose. Although each home has its own complete kitchen, shared dinners are typically available a few days each week at the common house for those who wish to participate.

It is also an alternative development model where the future residents participate in the planning and development so that it directly responds to their needs. The physical layout is designed to provide personal privacy as well as create opportunities for interaction with neighbours.

Cohousing neighbourhoods tend to offer environmentally sensitive design with a pedestrian orientation and have documented lower vehicle use than conventional neighbourhoods.

The concept originated in Denmark about 50 years ago and is becoming popular in many countries. It was introduced to North America by two architects in 1988 and since that time 127 cohousing communities have been completed (seven of which are in BC), with numerous others in various stages of development.

The “Senior Cohousing Handbook – Second Edition” by Charles Durrett has inspired projects with a focus on the needs of an aging population.

For more information about cohousing, visit the Canadian Cohousing Network website.

For more information about senior cohousing in Canada visit the Canadian Senior Cohousing website.

Media Click on the banners below to view the articles.

Globe and Mail November 11, 2015 For Retiring Boomers co-housing is a livelier way of growing old.	CBC Sunday Edition November 8, 2015 BC Seniors building a new way to age in place

CMHC National Web Forum March 25, 2015 Affordable Housing Web Forum: Co-housing.	Communities Magazine Spring 2015 Senior Cohousing in Canada: How Baby Boomers Can Build Social Portfolios for Aging Well

Goldstream Gazette August 6, 2014 Seniors Cohousing... Elders Flourishing Together	Social Sciences Directory October, 2013 Co-caring in Seniors Cohousing

Family Support Institute Newsletter Summer, 2013 Thriving in Community	Sooke News Mirror June 12, 2013 Harbourside Membership Growing Fast

Scottish Review 25 April, 2013 Taking Charge of Your Own Old Age	Sooke News Mirror March 06, 2013 A new world vision of senior cohousing

Good Times Magazine January, 2012 Living Together: Two alternative-housing options for older retirees	Communities Magazine Winter 2012 When Do We Begin to Flourish in Senior Cohousing

CONTACT

How do I find out more?
We have had wonderful success attracting people interested in joining with us to create this exciting project! Thirty-one of our proposed thirty-one new homes have been spoken for!

We are keeping a waiting list in the event that any units come available for sale.

For more information please contact us at
[email protected]