Our Story
Our Journey
For many of us, our introduction to cohousing was Windsong, a community started in Langley over 20 years ago which continues to be a success today. We began as a small group of people and brainstormed many ideas. Ideas and eagerness were never in short supply. The issue was always finding an appropriate piece of land, a challenge most cohousing groups struggle with. At last we found the perfect property in central Langley, close to public transit and many amenities.
All cohousing projects are started at the grassroots, and many cohousing communities act as their own developer and project manager. However, we wanted to shorten the learning curve, reduce the risk, and avoid pitfalls. We did this by enlisting the support of a builder who would work with us and take the time to learn about cohousing. We found those people in the Lark Group, a respected locally based, Canada-wide builder and developer.
We also needed an architect and found a great firm (Ankenman Marchand Architects) who have tremendous experience, both locally and with cohousing.
This is an extremely exciting time for Compass Cohousing and an amazing opportunity for anyone wanting to live in cohousing.
The most wonderful things about this journey have been the friends we have made, the relationships we have built and the trust and camaraderie that come from working toward a common goal.
By the time we’re done, we will have created a community of 40 strata titled homes.
We are ready to create our new community — YOUR new community… if you want it. This is where, together, we are building our new home.
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Langley’s New Village Opportunity
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Kids at Compass
At Compass Cohousing we are creating a multi-generational community that is kid friendly. Although all generations are welcome and valued, we think families with children will be one of our greatest assets.
The benefits that accrue to parents and children in cohousing are many.
Imagine not having to drive your kids to play dates because their friends already live right next door. All they need to do is take a short stroll to the common house to use the play room or go outside to frolic in the enclosed courtyard. Safe and always under the watchful eyes of their neighbours.
Parents, imagine being able to run a few errands while your neighbours watch over your kids for an hour or two. And, if you want an evening out, some of the older kids would be pleased to make a few extra dollars babysitting. All you need to do is knock on your neighbours’ door.
Kids in cohousing have the advantage of getting to know the older generation who are respected and trusted members of their community. Wisdom and skills are passed from one generation to the next and the senior members of the community stay young at heart by interacting with the kids. Everyone benefits.
For the older kids and teens we have a place in the Common House where they can get away for a movie night with friends. Imagine your teen being able to say to his or her friends, “Why not bring your guitar over to my place? We have a music room with a drum set, P.A. system and amps. We can rock out all day.”
Compass Cohousing will be a place where kids learn what community can be. They will learn about cooperation, compromise, consensus building and working together to create a caring environment for all.
Our Community
Compass Cohousing will be a multi-generational community of 40 strata titled units, with a variety of amenities in a large common house.
We are delighted to have secured a prime building location at 6644 – 203rd Street in Langley, with excellent transit access and in easy walking distance of shopping, medical services, restaurants and more.
Our Members
Bev, Andrew & Lee
Andrew enjoys spending his time gaming, cooking, reading, and sharing a beer with friends as well as outdoors canoeing and gardening. Bev can be found improving her craft skills, appreciating cinema, gaming or tearing up a dance floor. Lee loves watching Sesame Street, playing with his elephant and bopping to 80's pop music. Andrew teaches middle school. Bev has taken time away from being a barista to focus on parenting, and formerly worked in the film industry as a PA. They became interested in cohousing because it offered an affordable way for an expanding family to live in the lower mainland by giving you access to large shared indoor and outdoor common spaces. They were also attracted by the idea of sharing knowledge and resources to create a more environmentally responsible community. Lastly, they like the idea of raising Lee in a community where he's surrounded by neighbors, where 'we take care of each other' isn't just something that we say to him but something modeled to him and that he participates in. They are looking forward to speaking with other parents and having experienced parents on hand to help out. The first thing they are going to do when they move in is exhale and start a movie night.
Cam, Alejandra, Matias & Emma
Cam, Alejandra and their children Matias and Emma currently live in Vancouver but with a growing family found themselves priced out of the market. Not wanting to move to a traditional suburb just to have more space, they started looking for alternatives and stumbled upon Compass. They're looking forward to living a more simple and community-focused lifestyle where their children are free to roam and interact with a diverse variety of people of all ages and backgrounds. They are excited to have all the amenities of a single-family home without having to purchase and maintain all that extra space themselves! They both like to hike and camp and lately have been enjoying introducing their son to those activities as well.
Chris
Hi, my name is Christian, I go by Chris. I was born and raised in Langley, and I am a awesome guy. I am a Spokesperson for Special Olympics BC, and am a Athlete in the organisation. I’ve also done public speaking on behalf of that sports organisation and others as a self advocate. In spare time I like playing Games, and just hanging around.
Brittany
Brittany is a social worker with Fraser Health and an avid volunteer. She enjoys board games, reading, knitting and cooking. She was raised in Maple Ridge and looks forward to moving to Langley. She has experienced first hand the deep isolation that comes from living on your own without community as a young single woman. She believes that co-housing offers a way to move from the loneliness of modern living through the building of neighbourhood communities.
Deb
Deb is a divorced mom of 2 amazing twenty-somethings plus 2 adorable budgies named Piccolo and Coda. She likes board games, jigsaw puzzles, crafting, reading, and playing the flute. She has been a bookkeeper for over 15 years, and has owned 2 businesses. She loves the sense of community that living in cohousing offers, and loves the friendships she's already formed with other Compass members. She looks forward to the community meals, the games nights, and just always having good friends nearby to interact with.
David Gustafson
Dave is first of all ‘rich’ in most of what matters to him: valued relationships (many of which date to his many years living in “intentional communities” in the US and Europe) and opportunity to make a contribution in areas of his life-long passions. These include trauma recovery and healing, creating social structures that contribute to the making of a justpeace; assisting others who languish (trauma survivors, in the main) to discover their own gifts, to recover hope, to grow and to flourish. Dave is a sought-after speaker and trainer, often found working with non-profit and indigenous organizations throughout Canada and internationally.
Dave is Executive Director of Community Justice Initiatives Association (CJI), in Langley, B.C. (www.cjibc.org) an ordained pastor, Adjunct Professor in the School of Criminology at SFU, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Knight of Honour in the 900-year-old Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaler. Dave holds a PhD in Criminological Sciences from KULeuven, Belgium.
Dave is father of three, grandfather of three biological grandchildren and seven ‘honorary ones’. He loves sailing (and travel generally) and is a fervent ‘wannabe’ in areas as disparate as: justice reform, social justice and homelessness issues, fine-woodworking, classical music, blues guitar and desire to test his celestial navigation skills somewhere under the Southern Cross. He hopes to contribute to the common weal at Compass and never to stop dreaming about and exploring what lies just “beyond”.
Doug & Sue
Doug has had three distinct careers. He spent 7 years teaching English in high school and at what is now Trinity Western University, then owned and operated a photo studio, The Inner Image, here in Langley. Since 1989 he has worked in the software world, where he developed, marketed and supported a package for charities. He is now semi-retired. Doug spent about 10 years of his childhood in Cameroon in west-central Africa, where his father was a mission doctor; his education led to a B.A. and an M.A in English. He is actively involved in his church and in the Langley Community Chorus where, in addition to singing, he has the responsibility of arranging concert venues. Other interests include reading, travel, photography and bridge. He has been drawn to cohousing since attending a presentation by Chuck Durrett about ten years ago. Doug and Sue have two sons and three granddaughters.
Sue believes cohousing will be a great place for Doug (who is very social) and herself (a homebody). She grew up in Portland and lived in California and Washington before moving to BC in 1967. She has a business degree and has enjoyed working as secretary in several different venues. Since retiring, she has enjoyed volunteering at the Langley Food Bank. She also likes to read and cruise.
Kaylie, Andrew & family
Kaylie and Andrew love adventuring around the lower mainland with their son. They like to find new parks to rollerblade in, check out all the local events and taste test local restaurants. Beyond that they also enjoy cooking together, trying out new recipes, reading a book and playing games. Andrew is a full time dad and part-time graphic designer. Kaylie is a trainer consultant and violence and conflict mediator. They were drawn to cohousing as a semi-introverted neurodiverse family who wanted to live in a dedicated community that reflected their values and support each other while recognizing autonomy and its needed balances. They feel it will be a more meaningful and safer way to live in the long term. The first thing they are going to do when they move in is take a breather. Living as a renter has been stressful and finding stable housing and a sense of community will be a relief.
Sandra
Sandra loves being outdoors enjoying and experiencing nature whether that be on a hike with my dogs, cycling around town, or eating at an outdoor cafe with friends. Sandra is retired and recently moved out to the West Coast from Ontario. She spends her time volunteering with a dog rescue and exploring the Vancouver vibe. She wants to live in a community with a village feel and felt that Compass Cohousing would be a good way for her to put down roots and make friends. When she moves into Compass the first things he wants to do is meet everyone's dogs for some furry fun. She is then going to start digging into our community garden.
Gordon
Gordon is a retired lawyer who moved to BC in 1990 from Nova Scotia. He has lived in Fort Langley for over 24 years and has raised three children in this community. He is interested in home renovations, making music, documentary film, antiques and repurposing items to prolong their usefulness. His interest in cohousing stems from a desire to live along side a group of community-minded individuals who value the benefits that accrue to reducing their footprint and sharing skills and talents for the benefit of the community. He views cooperation and close relationships as elements missing from most present day housing developments. He considers these things to be the backbone of any successful, thriving and healthy community.
Loriane
Loriane worked in a library for nine years and has worked in a mail centre. She was the faculty assistant to the religious Studies department at Trinity Western University. She retired three years ago and is now volunteering at A Rocha. She enjoys gardening, crafts and reading.
Donna
Donna is a mother of two and grandma to four. She spent many years being an accountant, but since her retirement she has enjoyed living in Harrison Hot Springs. She would like to move closer to her family who live in Langley and Vancouver. A cohousing community seems very exciting to her and having neighbours as friends and sharing in the lives of young children and their parents is very special. In her spare time she likes to cook, read, do yoga, visit with friends and family and cuddle with her two dogs and two cats.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth was born and raised in Ontario but made British Columbia her home almost four decades ago. She is the proud mother of three millennials and grandmother to a cat named Spencer. Beginning at age 14, Elizabeth has spent much time in the volunteer sector. Her favourite volunteer gig was the eight years she spent as Head Coach of the Ridge Meadows Special Olympics swim team. Most of Elizabeth’s working life was spent as a pharmacist, in a variety of hospital and community settings. Hobbies include bonsai, reading, hiking, soup-making and gardening. She has belonged to a community garden in Maple Ridge since 2017 and is especially proud of her espaliered Japanese pear tree.
Michelle & Oliver
Michelle was born in Vancouver and is a Generation Xer. She has worked in healthcare for over 20 years and enjoys contributing to the health and well-being of others. Her hobbies include: gardening, lapidary, rock hounding, silversmithing, working on crafts, making jewelry, metal detecting, and photography. She also loves adventure, traveling the world, camping, exploring nature and spending time with her family and friends. Michelle believes that intentionally choosing to live within a community of diverse, like minded individuals of all ages, backgrounds and abilities will not only enrich peoples lives, but also create a balanced sense of well-being. Besides a more sustainable lifestyle, she anticipates having the ability to retain individual privacy while also having meaningful day to day connections with friends and neighbours, for her, will provide a cohesive way of living. Michelle is looking forward to the completion of Compass and sharing our new community with fellow Compass Members. Oliver grew up on a cul-de-sac in a small town, surrounded by family and friends. He thinks that if many hands make light work, than living in cohousing is the epitome of life. Oliver has worked in many fields such as: hospitality, warehousing and construction. His many interests include: lapidary, metal detecting, photography, camping, jewelry making, reading, wood working, electronics, brewing, and gaming (board and computer). Oliver looks forward to working, interacting and learning with his new friends in co-housing, as well as all the social and community events that he will enjoy taking part in for many years to come.
Carrie
Carrie has grown up living coast to coast in Canada and she is currently working in IT for healthcare. She has a passion for understanding how things work and her background is project management. She has a highly developed curiosity about most things. The community knows her as the one who will ask many questions.
Having lost both her pet and her father during the pandemic and living so isolated during such a scary time, she became very clear that even with a spouse it’s still not community. She is really looking forward to creating a village with her neighbours, the opportunity to not have to figure out what to have for dinner several nights of the week, and many comfy spaces besides her own condo to enjoy while still being at home. A flexitarian, she loves books and movies, dogs though not quite as much as cats, being outdoors, walking, and has just discovered the magic of growing food.
John
John is an elementary school teacher and father of three who strongly believes in community. He enjoys life more fully when he works with others in a reasonably sized group. He has been interested in cohousing as a model for living for many years and is excited to be a part of this project and community.
Diane
Diane is a retired Occupational Therapist. She worked mainly in White Rock but she was made in Ontario. She has just moved to Langley to be close to her new grandson and his parents too. For about 10 years she travelled by volunteering in meditation retreat centres for about 6 months of each year. She enjoyed living in Chinese Buddhist communities and is eager to experience contributing to the English speaking decision making process at Compass. She has been interested in cohousing since its Canadian beginning 25 years ago but circumstances didn't line up until now. Diane has been surviving the isolation of living solo during the pandemic by puppy raising guide dog in training. She dabbles in fun art projects in the winter and connecting with nature in the summer with lots of cooking in between.
Verla
Time passes; family grows and disperses; such is the natural progression of Life. I seek a connected group of individuals with whom to forge a neighbourly bond. I enjoy reading, writing, gardening, swimming, and solving (rarely) crosswords. I have been an avid dragonboater since 2004. A senior and retired teacher, I feel I have much to contribute to a multigenerational community.
Shirley & Grahame
Grahame has had a varied career working as a yacht designer and software developer in the past, he is currently a retiree and part-time novelist. He enjoys cycling, sailboat racing and cruising along the coast in his sailboat with Shirley. Beyond sailing Shirley loves gardening, reading historical fiction, watching dramas, cooking and eating. Shirley and Grahame became interested in cohousing after their son started living in and loving his life at Windsong. They are excited to be returning to a multi-generational community, where old and young look out for each other. The first thing they are going after moving in is to find a playmate for their dog Yogi. Shirley is also planning to start a Compass yoga club.
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Langley’s New Village Opportunity
Learn how we’re building a “best of both worlds” community right here in Langley. Includes our full story, who this is for and property details and amenities.