ABOUT QUAYSIDE
Learn a little more about us. Click to jump to the following sections:
THE BEGINNINGS
History
Quayside Village is the first urban cohousing community in Canada. The brainchild of three bold and brave women, Quayside Village opened its doors to owner-residents in 1998 following two years of meetings with city officials, architects, and builders.
The creators and prospective owners shared the goal of fostering a safe, friendly, affordable, intergenerational and environmentally-conscious community. Throughout the years, residents continue to work collaboratively to build and nurture our shared community.
DESIGNING COMMUNITY
Our Building
Our 19 residential units accommodate a range of household types varying in size from studio to multiple-floor 3 bedroom townhouses.
Opportunities for participating in shared activities are created in a common house which includes a large kitchen and dining room—doubling as a meeting and party room—a bookable guest room, laundry room, and a children’s playroom. Other shared spaces are a central courtyard, a flex space, and a third-floor deck surrounding an enclosed dome which is used for individual and small group activities. Common gardens, which surround two sides of the building, are used for growing vegetables and decorative plants.
The building incorporates reclaimed wood floors, doors, and stained glass. These and its dome formation are architectural features that honour the historic buildings previously on our site.
Dome Room
Foyer
Flex Space
Courtyard
Third Floor Deck
CORE CONCEPT
What is cohousing?
Cohousing is a type of intentional community. Developed in Denmark in the late 1960s, the first cohousing community in Canada welcomed residents in 1996. Fundamental components of cohousing include buildings with private and shared spaces, resident involvement in decision-making, participation in community activities, sharing meals weekly and socializing.
To learn more about other cohousing communities, see the Canadian Cohousing Network or Cohousing Association of the United States.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Community Decision-Making
Decision-making at Quayside Village builds on our values of trust, communication, camaraderie, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.
We practice consensus-based decision-making, which uses discussion, negotiation, and sometimes compromise in order to arrive at decisions that everyone can support.
WIDER WORLD
Connections
Quayside’s founding residents wanted to create a community integrated with other local communities. Many of our residents also undertake regular volunteer work, forming connections with social, political and environmental organizations, thus practising the community-building spirit of cohousing out in the world-at-large.
We enjoy hosting friends, neighbours, journalists and researchers, so that more people can learn about cohousing.
