By Richard Reble, Volunteer and Member
On Sat., Apr. 23, a group of seven hikers, including me, set out from the Credit River crossing on what was formerly called Hwy. 24 to hike a 7-km mix of country roads and woodland and wetland trails to a place called Whole Village.
Located on Shaw's Creek Rd. near Orangeville, Whole Village is an intentional community and eco-farm committed to sustainability, land stewardship, and harmonious communal relations.
Unfortunately, our hiking group was an hour and a half late for our pre-scheduled visit, fatigued and famished, and my comrades had turned ugly because the leader, yours truly, had goofed in his calculation of the distance. A distance of five or six kilometres isn't a lot, but it is when it's unexpectedly added to what was supposed to be a total of eight or nine. Luckily, it was my first mistake in 2011 so I was able to readily forgive me, even if my fellow hikers couldn't.
I was also lucky that it was Brenda Dolling who was our host and tour guide. This woman is a bundle of warmth, charm, energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and experience. And she makes darn good brownies. As we ate our bagged lunches in the common area of Greenhaven, which is the name of Whole Village's eco-friendly, residential/meeting building, Brenda began our orientation session, during which the mood of the group gradually elevated, interest grew, and questions began to flow.
What we learned is that Whole Village seeks to:
-be a welcoming, diverse community that celebrates what members share in common, always mindful of each other's individuality.
-balance mutual interdependence with the need for privacy and private ownership.
-foster shared leadership within the framework of a consensus model of governance.
-create a safe, supportive, and healthy place in which to raise children.
-be sustainable in all ways.
-integrate biodynamic, organic, permaculture and other ecologically sound farming principles in an economical manner.
-commit to the development of ties within the Village and with the local community and the world at large.
What's not to like, I asked myself as we toured the property after Brenda's talk. Aren't these the principles preached by Environment Hamilton, the Dundas Transition Movement, and any number of other green organizations in our area? So why do I have reservations about joining their community? Partly because it would mean moving away from our children, grandchildren, and friends, but mostly, and frankly, because I'm not sure I could handle the communal, in-your-face part of the deal.
Fortunately, it's not a decision that has to be made all at once, but only at the end of a process. Whole Village itself establishes the process by inviting interested parties to camp on site, stay at their b&b, or even rent a private suite for a longer term in order to get a feel for the lifestyle and participate in shared duties and events. The first step in the process is to go to Whole Village for the orientation session, as we did. If you and some others decide to take that first step, it could be arranged. In fact, don't be surprised if you soon see an invitation to join a bus tour.
As we ended our tour of the property at the front door of Greenhaven, I thought that the only thing that would make the day perfect, apart from having made more precise measurements of the length our our hike, would be for Brenda to offer us a ride back to our cars. This was not a green wish, I know, but the road from "sinner" to "saint" has its ups and downs, so surely we can forgive ourselves the occasional one-foot slip downwards if it's followed by two-foot step upwards. And you know what? Brenda did just that. Perfect!
Cheers,
Richard Reble
P.S. My wife and I are leaders of a local hiking club (no fees) callled Rebel Hikers. If you are interested in more information, write to us at therebels_rands@mountaincable.net
or call us at 905-560-9556 anytime before 9:00 p.m.
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