Before settling in Nutana twenty-five years ago, we lived in a number of neighbourhoods close to downtown. So, when we move into Wolf Willow Cohousing, it will mean a return to the west side. Like the Broadway district, the area near 17th Street West has lots of amenities. We like the idea of being in walking distance to two live theatres, two movie theatres, a branch of the public library, the farmers’ market and the river.
While our children were young, Susan worked in child care and as a technician in a variety of labs on the university campus. After earning a graduate degree, she has taught for the past few years at the university. Susan is looking forward to living in a smaller more tidy home within a community of neighbours, sharing the co-housing common areas, especially the big kitchen for large projects like preserving and making jam, the exercise room, and the courtyard for gardening and visiting.
After trying out social work, forestry and journalism, Dave taught for many years in elementary school classrooms and libraries. He retired in 2008 to spend more time writing, mostly children’s literature. Dave is fascinated by the process of creating a social community as well as the physical structure and is looking forward to the challenge of shaping our various ideals into a real home. From past experience, Dave is aware of the difficulties of maintaining or retrofitting old houses. He is assured that one of the goals of our group is to make our building energy and water efficient.