Kitty

I grew up with the Rocky Mountains as a constant physical presence, so mountains mean home to me. West Wind Harbour not only enjoys panoramic mountain views but also has the delightful bonus of the ocean at its door. I love Sooke’s earthy connections to sea and forest and am very excited to be involved with establishing the West Wind community within sight of my present home at Harbourside. Cohousing is more than an interesting theory for me; my private life is balanced within a sustaining and vibrant community—now times two! I am grateful for the enthusiastic grace of Harry and Sissel in welcoming the expansion of their family home into a new home for many more.

Besides a love of the outdoors, my life is grounded in scientific curiosity and literature. As a nuclear medicine technologist, I had the good luck to work in a wide variety of settings from a small regional hospital in the Kootenays to the Cancer Control Agency in Vancouver to the teaching hospital in Geneva, Switzerland. While my children were growing, I worked in a family medicine clinic in the Maritimes and returned to academia, pursuing graduate studies in English and then teaching at Saint Thomas University, the University of New Brunswick, and University Canada West in Vancouver. I’ve been a student nearly all my life and continue to read, write, and edit. Read more…

I have an international family: two sons, Rob and Chris, plus two accidental daughters who were exchange students in our family, Martha from Germany and Mónica from Cuba. Rob is a helicopter pilot with the RCAF, and Chris is a mining engineer and investment analyst in Sydney, Australia. Martha is a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology in Göttingen, and Mónica works on the frontlines of the opioid crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

As I handle inquiries for West Wind Harbour and organize workshops with the brilliant Margaret Critchlow, I am surprised how useful disparate past experiences are proving. Who would have guessed that a brief stint writing online learning programs in the IT industry or organizing and refereeing speed skating meets would come in handy? We are very fortunate to have Ronaye Matthew and Cohousing Development Consulting expertly guiding our development—yet more amazing learning possibilities! It is so exciting to correspond with the interesting people from all over Canada and beyond who are interested in our project.

To have the opportunity to make a conscious decision about the community I live in is a privilege; to participate in the formation of a cohousing community—not only the physical design but also building the human connections essential to a vibrant community—that is a rare gift, indeed. With energetic and interesting people with whom to share life’s little pleasures, with mountains and sea outside, and with piles of books inside, I’m living my dream.