Frontenac ResilienceSustainable community and more

For the last twelve months a small group has met the second Sunday of each month to imagine the local future and how we might meet uncertain or hard times and do better than we might all on our own.

We meet with a format of sorts from 7:30 to 9:30 approximately . . . and they stick around till midnight talking. So far I’ve been the host and “space holder” for the evening’s first part. Long experience in groups have created or confirmed in me a strong desire to hold some form so that everyone can be heard and we stay focused on our subject. My experience has been that when we sit and chat with no focused question before us and no one driving, that the meeting wanders, people’s needs don’t get met and don’t come back.

Persistent themes come up, fade, come back again! Among them, the desire to have more young people round here and to support them, toot cellars (an in joke), a local trading circle (we do some of this informally and plans for a bulletin board are likely to tip over into happening shortly), helping with projects, marketing the area as a go-to place for sustainabilistas escaping Ottawa, Montreal, T.O.

The Country Know-how column came out of the Conversations as did friendships, a wild-rice expedition, threads of social cohesion, fun nights.

There will be much more. Now that we’re a year old there’s a sense that action will be more possible and wanted. We’ve grown a bit closer, learned a bit more about each other.

Consider coming along some time and checking us out. Contact me if you like by writing to countryknowhow at frontenac dot net.