The Junction Village Guelph

Something incredible, unique, and magical — though not yet totally clear — is taking root here in Guelph, Ontario in Canada. Our cluster of houses close to downtown Guelph is gradually emerging into a dynamic, diverse, multigenerational community. It feels bold and transformational. We are on the verge of something new — a place where people can create lives that feel meaningful, connected and inspired. There are core members who live here long term, people who live close by and use the communal spaces we have created, and people who pass through, taking ideas and learnings from their time with us to transplant elsewhere, or to grow something freshly inspired. Our community started as an idea — seeds that we planted have taken root over the past 20 years and have grown into this place called The Junction Village Guelph. This is a diverse community whose members create a safe, loving space for children to grow, for young people to flourish, for families to connect and for older people to be held with reverence and joy. This is a space where the neighbours are linked together and share things such as gardening spaces, child care and participate in bulk purchasing opportunities. At the center of the Junction Village Guelph is the house that forms the heart which we fondly refer to as The Purple Cow. The house is located on a beautiful urban property close to downtown Guelph and is owned by The Junction Village Community Land Trust. In the house above we have created opportunities to explore co-living for long and short term stays in any income bracket. We envision this will eventually have a large community kitchen surrounded by micro units. Currently it has three private rooms and a shared room called the Alcoves. Eventually we hope that the Purple Cow will be co-operatively owned with examples of owned and rented spaces. Across the road is a 6-plex apartment with 4 unfurnished units that are rented long term and two furnished short term spaces available for shorter stays. Surrounding this are a series of privately owned houses some of which are owned by members of the community. Behind the Purple Cow the two backyards have been connected creating almost half an acre of spaces for play, connection and food production. We are working to create examples of different ways to live together yet with our own spaces using bunkies, tiny houses, co-living spaces and single family homes. We host potlucks in the summer months as an open space for community collisions, connection, working group meetings, music, movie screenings and other wonderful things. We like it when different organizations host the potlucks and use the space to bring people together. In the communal backyard space we have backyard chickens, decks for gathering, a sauna, a pizza oven, a small co-working area, a skating rink, a 20 x 40 foot tent, play areas, a zipline, a slackline and lots of spaces to sit and connect or relax in a hammock. We have recently incubated a community land trust and are currently acquiring additional sites to build community.