Building community
When people think about being part of an ecovillage, they usually picture homes, paths, gardens, and a common house with a happy kitchen space and yoga room. All of that will begin to come to life in 2026-2027, but for now, we are still in the planning & dreaming phase. Still, those of us who are already a part of Killick Ecovillage are learning something important early on. Community does not start when the houses are built. It starts long before, with people showing up for each other.
Right now, Killick exists mostly as land, plans, and many conversations. Many of us do not live in Newfoundland yet. Some are across the island. Some are on the mainland. A few are very far away. Still, we are already practicing what it means to live in community.
Our 2025 holiday season has been a great example of building community long before our anticipated move-in date. Instead of waiting until we are all physically together someday, we hosted both in-person and virtual celebrations.
A Zoom Holiday Party
As we all learned during the COVID pandemic, it is absolutely possible to build community from afar via Zoom. We recently enjoyed a virtual holiday party with ecovillage members who are currently living away from Newfoundland and Labrador – plus a few locals who simply wanted to join in, and one who had car trouble that morning! It was simple and surprisingly lovely. We had members show up everywhere, from Guatemala and Costa Rica to Heart’s Delight, NL.
Over mugs of tea or hot chocolate, we learned about one explorer member’s tradition of bringing crepes to neighbours on Christmas Day. Others shared their love of textiles and happily knitted as we talked. We imagined ways that we will one day celebrate together in person with our favourite food traditions. A few dogs and cats showed up on screen. We laughed about winter weather, enjoyed a slideshow of community photos from the past year, and reflected on the wonderfulness of feeling the seeds of our new community reflected on our computer screens.
Plus, an in-person Solstice Party right here in Portugal Cove-Saint Phillip’s!
For those of us who are already nearby, we also gathered in person for a solstice party. We had a mix of little ones as young as one year to seniors in their 70s. It was the first time many of us met the newest members of Killick in person. We started off immediately with a ‘snowball fight’ – a wonderful ‘Ice Breaker’!
It was overcast and cold, in the good Newfoundland way. There was delicious food to be shared, donations for the food bank, and a strong sense of shared intention. We even celebrated our newest Resident Member, Liane, by presenting her with her Share Certificate.
Norma read the book, “Winter, A Solstice Story” by Kelsey E. Cross.
We also participated in a “Solstice Escape Room”, with members of all ages working together to solve the challenges. It was delightful to see parents accompany other children at the Escape Room, allowing moms with babies time to visit other members. Another favourite group activity was the candy cane twirl – competing to keep the candy cane up the longest!
A station was set up for the littlest ones with Christmas-themed animated toys, Christmas storybooks, and building blocks (which the 7-11-year-olds loved).
Several senior members appreciated the opportunity for long conversations, since 1:1 deep discussions at our Full Circle meetings are not possible.
Members worked together to lay the table for a delicious potluck. As one member shared later on, “Shout out to whoever made that delicious chilli. I’m also inspired to grow green beans this summer just so I can try to reproduce the green bean dish that someone brought!”
And so we marked the turning of the year together, even though our homes at Killick do not yet exist. Standing there, it was easy to feel that something real is already taking shape.
These gatherings might seem small. A Zoom call. A seasonal get-together. But they are doing big work. They are building trust. They are creating shared memories. They are helping us practice communication, care, and patience. All the things that matter when you choose to live in close relationship with other humans.
Community is not something you install after the fact. You cannot pour it like concrete once the buildings are done. It grows through repeated, imperfect moments of connection. Through showing up when it would be easier not to. Through making space for people who are not physically present yet, but are still very much part of the whole.
At Killick Ecovillage, we are choosing to start with that. We are learning each other’s names, stories, and rhythms now. We are celebrating holidays, seasons, and milestones together, even across great distances. By the time the houses are built, and we are finally all living there in the same place, we will not be strangers moving onto shared land. We will already be a community.
And that feels like exactly the right place to begin.