Killick Ecovillage Connection Week

September 6, 2026|Rick Juliusson

I should be nervous. Last summer we discovered Killick Ecovillage, the Newfoundland cohousing development where 51 families will (about two years from now) live in housing clusters and share life on 57 acres of farm, woods and wetland. After a single land walk and one group meeting/potluck, we unreservedly lowered our anchor (“Killick” is a traditional anchor made of wood bound around a rock) and declared this to be our forever home.

Now we’re spending a “Killick Connection” week here, with people we’ve only met in Zoom-land or not at all. “Hi, you don’t know me yet, but I’m going to be your best friend and bring you soup when you’re sick and play with your kids and grow old together.” No pressure whatsoever…

Thankfully it turns out to be as natural and flowing and Joy-infused as we knew it would be. We didn’t approach this week as a test, but all our assumptions passed anyway with flying colours. Here’s just some of the ways we have been envisioning our rich life at Killick, and how we experienced and co-created them in real time.

Work and Play, Every Day

No matter what time we show up at the land each morning, Viviana has already laid out a spread of snacks and drinks. With all the freedom of a camping morning, we sip, chat, connect. Then maybe it’s over to the garden to pull some weeds, help build the new greenhouse, cart 1,000 tree seedlings down to the hoop greenhouse over the hill. There’s never a shortage of work on a farm and future housing site, and this week there’s never a shortage of willing workers.

Outside of this unique week, there’s still a constant stream of members and neighbours who are inspired to just show up and pitch in. It’s the healing, balanced, Joyful type of work I cherished on our Wildside Farm. After move-in, that feeling of something meaningful and rich to do with my hands will always be there. Not in a stressful “I’ll never get this off my To-Do list” way, but in a “Gosh it would feel good to chop wood or help Kyle pickle some beets” way.

Peacefully co-existing and intertwining with the work flow is the opportunity for Play. Deb has brought wooden fish to be painted and planted around the land. Around the campfire or the crafts table we sing along with traditional Newfoundland songs (especially “Sarah, Sarah, won’t you come out tonight.”) Always a baby to be bounced, a kite to be untangled, a child’s hand to be held or swung or cleaned or clapped.

There’ll be plenty more Play when we come to live together. More babies and children. Trails and forts and swimming and a field and playground. Games, storytelling evenings, movies, fabric art groups, photography walks. An easy and eager group to enjoy the slide show from our latest travels. There’s a lot of creativity and quirks within 51 families, and a cohousing community is the perfect environment to share and nurture those passions.

Killick Ecovillage is gloriously inter-generational

Land Blessing

We begin the week at the hilltop, looking out over Portugal Cove bay and Bell Island beyond. One member, an Inuk (Inuit roots) from Labrador, leads an intricate, inspired land blessing. Our prompt for introductions is “How does this land inspire you,” and amidst tears and laughter we share our excitement about the farm, nature walks, pond swimming and kayaking, and children running (or sledding) free on the hillside and in the car-free zone between houses.

We once again happen to be here during an unusually sunny, warm spell, but we all collectively embrace the idea of outdoor living even in one of Canada’s harshest winter climates. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and skating. Shovelling the walkway for neighbours. Knitting and storytelling around a warm fire in the common house on a windy winter’s day or night. We are attracted to the strong Newfoundland spirit that embraces rather than endures the travails of winter. (Putting this in writing now in case y’all want to laugh at me later…)

Blessed Community

Yes, we’re all excited about the work, play, and land, but it’s the sharing of all those that we are most drawn to. The chance to live in close physical and emotional and rhythmic connection with people who share this intention of living well, together. Dinners in the common house (5x/week), pulling weeds together, late-night jam-making with more than just me and Sarah in our steamy Cowichan kitchen. When it’s time for my annual birthday viewing of Dirty Dancing, why not do it on the big screen in the common house with Liane’s new party-size cauldron full of popcorn?

This week is full of deep hugs, plentiful laughter, easy yet deep conversation, shared enjoyment and care of all the children. No-one has to sign up for clean-up duty, there’s just a natural uprising of people clearing plates and collapsing chairs. The 6-month try-it-out-before-committing period has organically weeded out people for whom this life would not be a good fit, so the ones who have continued are - without exception - people I look forward to growing old with (or watching grow up).

This is already a community or people who care for each other. I push someone’s tired baby in a stroller before Norma (also not related) sings her to sleep. Sarah does a free consultation with a new friend ready to set up their Google business page. And everyone bends over backwards to ensure that Sarah, 2 months post-knee replacement, can have a chair, elevation, ice, mobility-appropriate activity, and most importantly inclusion in all that we do. No-one is left behind; everyone is valued for what they bring to the table.

Killick Ecovillage has wildly succeeded in attracting a diverse group of members. This week I hang out with people from 8-months to 80 years. A range of gender identity and sexual orientation. Single, married, partnered and poly. English, Spanish (Guatemala, Colombia), Farsi (Iran), and French native speakers. And thanks to our innovative financial model (monthly payments capped at 35% of income), a much wider range of income levels than usually achieved in cohousing, and a corresponding range of professions and skills - lawyer, carpenter, engineer, military, teacher, commercial fisherman, counsellor, paramedic, photographer (thank you, Ian Winter, for some of the beautiful photos in this post)… And that’s just the folk who managed to show up this week.

Killick Ecovillage uses consent decision making — Group decision making by Consent (similar to censensus) builds trust

Working together gives strange opportunities to chat

Imagine All the People

After a delicious ocean swim at the nearby Beachy Cove on our final afternoon, I see I missed an invitation to swim at the pond on our own land. Far from feeling any FOMO, I feel warmly included and also happy with my healthy choice to swim solo - part of the magic of this co-living is balancing participation and independence. We also miss the fish’n chips run, but people are generously sharing their generously-greased fries - there’s always enough for everyone, a lesson I learned in Africa but don’t see applied in Canada so much.

In the early starlight my 10-year-old future neighbour takes me by the hand for our grand finale lantern walk up to the lookout. Back in the closing circle we celebrate the bonds that have been formed, the vision shared, the commitment strengthened. We had no doubt about this choice walking into the week, and we have even less no-doubt walking away. This is not “Good-bye”, this is “Until we come home again.”

Imagine all the people sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one..