By Kate MacLean
A year ago, Marie-Josée Martin was hunting for a community-based living arrangement.
She was thrilled to discover Conservation Co-op.
“When I found out what the philosophy of the co-op was, I was really, really excited that I had found it,” says Martin, who lives in one of the co-op’s eight wheelchair-accessible units.
Martin is one of about 175 people who live in Conservation Co-op, a co-operative housing community that emphasizes environmental living and community connections.
The co-op opened in November 1995, one of the first in Canada. With Ontario government funding, McGill University student Susan Fisher researched and developed the building for her Masters thesis.
Architect David Cole, who was responsible for designing and building the 84-unit co-op, says the building is progressive.
“It’s one of the first in Canada to have all of the environmental features in one building,” says Cole. “It sets a good example for people to follow in trying to create buildings that are better for the environment.”
Everything from the building materials to the water-recycling system to the non-toxic paint on the walls was carefully chosen to make the structure environmentally friendly.
“My wife and I moved in here because of the very strong environmental features of the building,” says Richard Guy Briggs, who has lived in the co-op for three years.
Briggs cites the bike room, the heat-saving features and the rooftop gardens as reasons why he and his wife chose the co-op.
The bike room is a rare feature, he says. The structure is accessible from the street by automatic double doors that prevent the bicyclist from having to wrestle with heavy doors or carry the bike up any stairs.
It resembles a parking garage for bikes. Members who choose to pursue environmentally friendly transportation have access to bike spaces.
Also, units on either side of the elevators are hooked up to a “grey-water” recycling system which filters and cycles bath water back through the eight units for use in their toilets.
“Grey-water is a pilot project that is being researched and monitored by the CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation),” says Briggs. “It’s the first of its kind in a residential apartment building.”
Briggs says in addition to the environmental features of the co-op, activities like community gardening and co-op volunteering promote a unique sense of togetherness and connection.
“It’s great,” says Martin. “You get to know your neighbours. I have two cats and it’s never a problem finding catsitters. I prefer it to the anonymity of other buildings.”
Chandra Boersma, also a co-op member, says she re-learned a sense of community.
“When people hear about the co-op, I guess some people run away screaming ‘Treehuggers, no!’ ” she says. “But people can easily learn to be kinder to the environment here.”
Though the co-op’s members say they are committed to fulfilling its original vision of providing affordable community living for environmentally conscious people, some recognize the it has challenges to face in the future.
Co-op co-ordinator Kim Lavoie says there is always a waiting list, and when space becomes available, it is almost immediately filled.
Fifty of 84 units in the co-op are subsidized, meaning that the amount of a resident’s rent is set as a percentage of their income. But even the co-op’s non-subsidized rental rates have not changed since 1997.
“Co-op living in general is designed to be more affordable,” says Lavoie.
The organization is now trying to increase participation of members who join because of money rather than an interest in the environment.
“I’ve run into people that have absolutely no desire to participate and no intent on participating and are here strictly because it’s affordable for them,” says Boersma.
“There’s been a lot of problems with member participation,” says co-op member Neena Sachdeva. “It’s mandatory to put in four hours of (community volunteering) a month.”
Members sign a contract upon moving in that says she or he is responsible for doing odd jobs, maintenance duties, as well as addressing concerns that arise at member meetings.
“I’ve heard from a lot of quarters that a lot of people are just not doing that and there’s a small group of people picking up for the rest,” says Sachdeva.
Though Sachdeva has only lived in the co-op for two months, she senses resentment between members committed to environmentalism and participation in the co-op community and others unable or unwilling to contribute.
“I haven’t drawn any firm conclusions yet, but there are certain issues that have come up,” says Sachdeva. “I talked to somebody … who has leukemia and is unable to participate. It would be good for other people to know that so that they don’t feel resentful.”
Members will soon complete a survey to find out how to cope with the issue of non-participation. In the meantime, they are doing their best to deal with the issue.
“The thing that I like is that I make my contribution, and there are certain things that I can’t do and people come and help me to do those,” says Sachdeva. “I think that’s a wonderful exchange that I haven’t had before.”