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“Strong social connections are the greatest contributors to human health, happiness and resilience. We need to turn multi-family housing into an engine of social wellbeing.”
There are 27 strata titled homes in Driftwood Village. As with any condo, each household purchases their own unit and a share of the common facilities. If a mortgage is needed, each household qualifies for their own personal mortgage. Each household is responsible for paying monthly strata fees to the strata corporation and annual property taxes to the City of North Vancouver.
As with any strata titled unit, owners can sell their unit in the future for market value*, and the owners choose who to sell their unit to. The community can provide marketing support (e.g. website listing and tours of community amenities) but the community does not ‘screen’ or ‘approve’ potential purchasers.
Strata homes in cohousing communities tend to have comparable market values to similar units in their neighbourhoods; however, very few other strata developments have the same level of common amenities as provided in a cohousing community.
*Driftwood Village includes 19 market units and 8 below-market units. Through a Housing Agreement with the City of North Vancouver and a covenant on title, resale of the below-market units is capped at 25% below market value. All below-market units have been purchased.
As with all strata titled properties, Driftwood Village falls under the BC Strata Property Act. As such, the community operates with a strata corporation, strata council, monthly strata fees, annual operating budget, and contingency reserve fund. Details are available to potential purchasers through a disclosure statement.
Comprehensive information about our strata corporation is available for potential purchasers; however, some commonly asked questions are answered below:
Driftwood Village uses consensus as the decision-making method for council meetings, instead of relying on majority vote
All units are represented on the strata council, not just a few households
Driftwood is a pet-friendly community
Rentals are permitted
Smoking / vaping is not permitted anywhere on the property
“I’ve heard stories about people buying a condo and later finding themselves ‘stuck with a bad neighbour’ or the ‘strata council from hell’. But during the last three years of planning and building our project, I have gotten to know my future neighbours so well that I’m sure we can work together to solve whatever issues come our way in the future.”
Need advice on mortgages?
Ask your mortgage broker, credit union or bank about purchasing a “pre-sale condo in a strata development”.
If you don’t have a broker, Lysa Dixon is a mortgage specialist based in Vancouver with cohousing experience.
As the ‘right’ mortgage for your household depends on your personal financial situation, Driftwood Village cannot provide advice about financing.
As with other strata titled complexes, each household purchases their own home. If a mortgage is needed, each household must qualify for the mortgage and may choose their personal mortgage based on the advice of their mortgage professional. The Purchase & Sale agreement requires a 10% deposit, but your preferred mortgage may require a higher down payment. Please contact your mortgage professional to determine your mortgage qualification limits.
This website does not constitute an offering for sale. Any such offering can only be made by way of a disclosure statement. Potential purchasers are welcome to contact us for more information, as well as our disclosure statement.
The current members of Driftwood Village Cohousing are also the directors and shareholders of the development company, Driftwood Village Cohousing Ltd.
Becoming part of our company is an option for the future purchasers of our available units, which would allow your household to participate in decisions before move-in, giving you more control into the development of your future home. Please contact us for more information about the details, benefits and responsibilities of joining the development company.
From the Canadian Cohousing Network:
“Cohousing provides personal privacy combined with the benefits of living in a community where people know and interact with their neighbours. It’s about living in a way that’s responsive to a world that has changed dramatically in the last fifty years... Cohousing offers hope in our often dissociated society. Through cohousing, we can build a better place to live, a place where we know our neighbours, a place where we can enjoy a rich sense of community and contribute to a more sustainable world.”
From the Cohousing Association of the United States:
“Cohousing is community designed to foster connection. Physical spaces allow neighbors to easily interact with others just outside private homes. Common areas including kitchen, dining space and gardens bring people together. Collaborative decision-making builds relationships.
Prefer to learn from a book? Our local public libraries can help you out:
Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities, by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett (North Vancouver City Library) (Vancouver Public Library)
The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community, by Chris ScottHanson and Kelly ScottHanson (North Vancouver City Library) (Vancouver Public Library)
The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living, by Charles Durrett (North Vancouver City Library) (Vancouver Public Library)
Our community values working cooperatively. Since 2015, we have worked together to create this community, both in terms of the building under construction, and the social connections amongst neighbours.
“One of the things we most miss out on by not having deep community is the abundance of support, resources, and care that exists when you’ve got many hearts and hands surrounding you. We can create more of what we all need when we are in community.”
How do different people participate at Driftwood Village Cohousing?
Our community succeeds and thrives based on member participation. Each person finds their own niche, based on their skills, passions and capacity to contribute. In addition, we recognize that flexibility is important (e.g. new baby, family illness, disability).
Typical areas in which people choose to participate are governance (e.g. committees, facilitation, record keeping, bookkeeping), physical work (e.g. gardening, maintenance) and community building (e.g. social events, conflict resolution).
Our community also has a system of common meals. Meals are provided 3 times per week and are optional to attend (if it works for your schedule and sounds tasty!). In each 5 week cycle, everyone signs up for 2 cooking and/or cleaning shifts, according to their skills and interests. Each meal is cooked by a team of 3 people, gratefully enjoyed by a group of neighbours, and then cleaned up by a team of 3 people.
“I’m looking forward to swapping skills! I can do some things but not others, and we all have this mix. Together we will have so much more.”
Driftwood Village uses consensus decision-making, which is a cooperative process in which the community works together to understand an issue and develop a suitable proposal, and agrees to support a decision that is in the best interest of the whole group (as opposed to a decision that is in the best interest of certain individuals). In cohousing jargon, it usually works out as “most people get most of what they want, most of the time”.
“The promise of cooperative culture is that decisions will be made collectively — rather than by the strong, the quick, the rich, the loud, the privileged, or the clever.
Doing that well means creating and sustaining openings for the input of all interested parties to be heard and taken into account.”
While we aim to be respectful of our neighbours and understanding of different perspectives, we know that interpersonal conflict is inevitable with 27 households and 20 children living on one-third of an acre. As such, we have skills and strategies to give and receive feedback and to constructively address conflicts. Over the years, we expect to go through some awkward conversations, but that’s preferable to letting a disagreement with a neighbour fester.
“The reality is that all of us do things that bug other people, and it is easy to have that slide from irritation to conflict. Different tools approach conflict resolution in different ways, and are offered so you have the right tool for the situation. ”
Children benefit from living in a multigenerational cohousing community; there are always other kids to play with (and to practice working out differences) and neighbours available to supervise a park mission, read a book or teach a craft.
“I hope there are a LOT of dogs in cohousing so I can play with them all. ”
Especially for parents of young children, cohousing can smooth some of the wrinkles of day-to-day life. Besides the convenient camaraderie of our common meal system, knowing your neighbours comes in handy when school has early dismissal or you’re hoping to swap childcare.
How many families live in Driftwood Village Cohousing?
Seniors can be vulnerable to isolation, and aging in place in a community where you’re known - and needed - can alleviate that risk.
“Graceful aging is possible in cohousing - you can reciprocate small favours with your multi-generational neighbours. Humour and social connection just happen.”
Check out the “Growing Up in Cohousing” panel at the 2018 Canadian Cohousing Conference
“Creative in-house childcare solutions will ease the burden of parents as well as the expense of external childcare resources. As children grow up, teenagers are engaged as integral community members; giving them purpose, respect and a sense of belonging, plus an entire community of mentors.”
We're a multi-generational group of singles, couples, families with kids, and retirees, from different walks of life.
Rather than becoming too busy or frantic and feeling over-extended or isolated, we want a more practical and social lifestyle, based on co-operation, respect and caring for our neighbours.
The young families in our group are excited to raise kids in cohousing, giving them room to be independent beyond their own backyard, as well as many opportunities to compromise with, learn from, and care about a wider circle of people.
The older members appreciate the chance to downsize, while maintaining access to amenities like a garden and a workshop, and sheltering themselves from isolation in the long run.
Takes a village.
Do more with less.
Money matters.
Working together.
Embrace diversity.
Learning from each other.
We work together to support and sustain our successful, thriving cohousing community.
We’re committed to building a cooperative community through learning, growing and connecting with our neighbours.
DOUNG + MAUREEN
Maureen and Doung have lived in Windsong Cohousing since 1996. They have two adult daughters who live in Vancouver. Originally from Trinidad, Doung is the coordinator of a counselling program for the BC government. Maureen has taught English for many years in BC and Yukon; now she's writing a novel. They're excited about living in cohousing in a diverse, urban walkable neighbourhood!
MARCUS + LILI
Lili and Marcus currently live in Vancouver. They met in Halifax, Nova Scotia and bonded over their common Eastern European background and interest in traveling. They love chasing after their daughter, traveling, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, watching a good movie and sharing meals with the company of their good friends and family. Cohousing speaks to how much they value community.
CAROL
Carol is originally from the UK and loves all things design-related. She has lived on the North Shore for over 30 years, but has also lived and worked in countries as diverse as Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Australia, and continues to love traveling in her summers off. She works in post-secondary education and has interests in sustainability and social innovation. Carol believes that cohousing and community living are the way of the future!
TATIANA + DMITRY
Dmitry and Tatiana came to Vancouver from Russia over 16 years ago, and enjoyed living downtown until their kids had to start school. When finding school didn't work out, they decided to relocate to the North Shore to appreciate the slower pace. As a family, they love spending time outdoors hiking, biking and swimming. Cohousing would add value to their life - having strong relationships with your neighbours makes people happier!
COLIN
Originally from Calgary, Colin came to Vancouver to follow his sister Andrea and Brady, also Driftwood members. He loves to fix, tinker and dream of better ways of living small. Colin had his own ‘mini-cohousing’ house for 11 years, where he lived with 27 different roommates in a 6-bedroom house, including Andrea and Brady for 3 of those years.
JENNIFER + WAYNE
Wayne and Jennifer met when they were both working in southern Africa. They share a sense of adventure and a love of coffee! Now with two young adult children, they're looking forward to downsizing and joining new neighbours in a host of activities and friendly conversations.
JANET
Janet moved to Vancouver after a successful career as an artist / photographer and arts educator in the Toronto area. In a remarkable stroke of luck, she was invited to live at The ARC (Artist Resource Centre) among like-minded people - all engaged in various arts disciplines! Now fully acclimatized to a creative life in Vancouver, Janet is looking forward to cohousing. She will be enthusiastically photographing, singing, cooking, gardening, hiking and exploring with a caring community who share her vision of cooperation, adventure and intentional living.
TOM + CATHERINE
Tom and Catherine met 45 years ago when Tom was studying in university in Taiwan. After Catherine got her degree, they moved to Vancouver, and then bounced across Greater China for nearly 20 years, before returning to Canada in 2005, both accumulating more degrees along the way. These days, when he’s not complaining about his sore back, Tom keeps busy translating history articles for Chinese academic friends. Catherine is also fully retired now, and her greatest joys are working in her garden or playing with her four grandkids just up the hill in North Van.
MEGHAN + MATTHEW
Meghan and Matthew have enjoyed living in North Vancouver for the past ten years, and are looking forward to creating a supportive, sharing-minded community through cohousing. Originally from Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island respectively, Meghan and Matthew met in their last year of university at UBC and remained in the Vancouver area for work. They spend much of their time currently enjoying local parks and cycling routes with their delightful toddler, and look forward to when she is old enough to participate in kayaking expeditions.
ANDREA + NATSUKO
Andrea is from Milano; Natsuko from the beautiful Japanese island of Awaji. After meeting in the Sunshine Coast and some moving back and forth from Italy, they found a middle ground in North Vancouver, where they live with their two daughters. Living in a shoebox they miss the warmth and inclusiveness of a community, so they decided to try building one. They enjoy hiking, traveling, dreaming, good food and nice people.
ANDREA + BRADY
Brady and Andrea are originally from Alberta. After coming to Vancouver ‘temporarily’ for school 6 years ago, they fell in love with the west coast and now they live in their little condo with their little family in North Vancouver.
They are beyond excited to raise a family in a supportive community setting. Their new baby Tegan is already loving the trails and hanging out with her fellow Driftwood baby friends. After move-in, Andrea will bring her best baking skills and Brady will gladly fix any bike. In the meantime, you'll find them in their tent in the woods, flying down mountains, or chilling with a book at the beach.
PATRICE
Patrice was born in Akron, Ohio, and the story of how she moved from the US to Canada can best be told over a cup of coffee! She is retired from a career in the labour movement, where she worked with credit unions and co-operatives, as well as not-for-profits and the disability movement. Patrice now lives in Burnaby, but looks forward to returning to the North Shore. Her daughter Jordana lives in New Westminster, but spends many weekends and holidays at Mom’s. They are both looking forward to living in a caring, intentional community.
DOMENIC + MARTA
Marta and Domenic are originally from Ontario, but North Vancouver has been home for the past 26 years. As a family, their love of hiking, running and biking has kept them close to the North Shore mountains. They want to downsize from their current home, as well as have the ability to walk and bike to local amenities. They are looking forward to building deeper connections within a diverse cohousing community that shares similar values. Domenic is a passionate wine blogger in his off-time; Marta, a life-long learner; their daughter, an avid geocacher. They are looking forward to this next chapter in their life.
MIKE
For the past forty years, Mike, who hails from Australia, has lived on the North Shore. Mike enjoyed his career in Computer (Mac) Technical Support; now he’s playing the retirement game. Mike enjoys classical music, photography, tending the compost heap, falling down rabbit holes on the computer and climbing out of wombat holes in real life. He anticipates that many good things will happen as a result of downsizing his home and upsizing his community.
CHRIS + MICHELE
Michele and Chris and their twin boys have called North Vancouver home for ten years. Michele is born and raised in the Lower Mainland, and Chris moved here from France twenty years ago. Michele is an Occupational Therapist, and Chris is an Osteopathic Practitioner with a private practice on the North Shore. Michele enjoys dancing, fine and performing arts, connecting with nature, nurturing friendships and creating community. Chris is happy when he's active outdoors, and enjoys kayaking, hiking and backcountry skiing. Their boys love dancing, soccer and Taekwondo and so many other fun kid things!
CARLA + TYLER
Tyler and Carla moved to Vancouver from the BC Interior, and currently live in East Van with their two children and dog. They're enjoying having a yard with soil under their feet for the first time in ten years, and just being outside with their family. They hope that cohousing will create a strong sense of community and let their kids grow up knowing their neighbours.
KATRINA
Katrina was born and raised in North Vancouver and loves spending time outdoors. She especially loves running in the mountain trails and riding her bike on the spirit trail. As well as being a university student, Katrina is an active community member and participates in many North Shore clubs. Katrina is looking forward to getting to knowing her neighbours more and introducing her dog Luna to the community.
ADAM + ROSIE
Rosie, Adam and Parker currently live in Vancouver, but are looking forward to calling North Vancouver home. Rosie grew up in North Vancouver and met Adam teaching English in Japan. Adam, originally from the US, has been living in Vancouver for seven years. Before sweet Parker was born, they spent their free time rock climbing, hiking and skiing. Now they spend all of their time chasing a toddler, but hope he'll be keen to join in their outdoor adventures as he grows up! They are excited for Parker to grow up in this community-oriented and environmentally conscious group.
ALLISON + DEAN
Dean and Allison moved to Vancouver from Australia four years ago and have been following the cohousing movement from afar for a long time. They are excited to be moving into a supportive community of friendly neighbours whom they can call their adopted extended family. This family of five loves everything about the outdoor lifestyle in Vancouver: winter sports, hiking, camping, beach combing, biking, and just hanging out in the forest.
PATRICIA
Patricia is originally from Uruguay, but has been in Vancouver for 50 years, where her two daughters were born. She has retired as a teacher, and enjoys being a grandma and being immersed in art, the outdoors, biking, music, dancing, gardening and watching a good film. Patricia loves people of all ages, especially kids, and looks forward to being part of the “village”. She believes that living in community makes people happier and healthier. Let's be a role model for a better world!
JEANETTE + JAMIE
Jamie and Jeanette are British Columbians from the start and are thrilled to bring their new family into Driftwood Village Cohousing. Like many Vancouverites, they like to explore and play outside, taking advantage of the West Coast’s amazing natural setting. In the winter you can find them on skis high up in the coast mountain range, and in summer they are on their mountain bikes, running, camping or paddling. They enjoy fulfilling careers, engaging city life and slowing down to enjoy good food, friends and creative endeavours.
STEVE + MACKENZIE
Mackenzie and Steve are looking for closer connections with their neighbours through cohousing. Both originally from (different sides of the river in) Kamloops, they lived in Calgary and Halifax before coming home to BC in 2012. Besides wrangling children, Steve likes bikes and Mackenzie loves crushing a to-do list.
SHERRY
Sherry grew up in a large nuclear family and huge extended family. And while she loves living in the city, she misses community. Participating in cohousing is the perfect opportunity to regain community.
BECCA + GORDON
Gordon grew up in the Yukon and Becca not far from the Driftwood site in North Vancouver, but they have called East Vancouver home for the past while. They're both excited to move to the North Shore, to be closer to the mountains and family, with the “extended family” of other Driftwooders. Becca is an urban planner and Gordon works in data and growth marketing, and they spend most of their free time hiking, rock climbing, and backcountry skiing.
