TerraVie

Mission: Ecologically viable community

From www.ic.org/directory/terravie/:

TerraVie is a nonprofit charitable organization that acquires, preserves, and manages land for future generations, of which 25 percent is made available for the development of viable communities. TerraVie is a qualified recipient for an ecological gift, certified by the Minister of the Environment of Quebec.

TerraVie is devoted to scrupulously managing the land at their disposition in conformity with its charter and principles. TerraVie is committed to preserve its objectives, irrespective of the socioeconomic or political context.

This initiative is based on the principle that land is not a commodity, but a fundamental resource to be maintained for the community as a whole.

Although land trusts are established for similar reasons, TerraVie is different in that its purpose also includes the development of viable ecological communities.

It acts as a local, sustainable, environmentally conscious stimulator while educating the public about the various aspects of lifestyles in harmony with nature. It emphasizes the development of communities that minimize the exploitation of resources and financial speculation on land.

In Laurentides at Montcalm, TerraVie purchased on September 5, 2006, 250 acres of land with a lake (40 acres) and two downstream rapids.

On September 5, 2006, TerraVie purchased 288 acres of land near the hamlet of Moncalm in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal. The mainly forested land has access to a lake and two rapid flowing streams.

TerraVie rents part of the land (25 %) to two nonprofit cooperatives (housing and employment) that manage the activities of the ecovillage. The cooperatives are responsible for the buildings, but cannot own the land or the natural resources. They are obliged to ensure the ecological integrity of all activities and construction within their territory. The cooperatives must respect the ecological charter and fundamental principles of TerraVie as described on our website.

The board and members of TerraVie are working towards the creation of a legal structure to facilitate the establishment of community land trusts (CLTs) and ecovillages throughout Quebec. The research studies that stem from this project will be made available to the general public.

TerraVie received the ¨Phoenix of the Environment 2007" award in the categorie “sustainable development” for its pilot project at Montcalm. This prize is the highest distinction from the minister of environment of Quebec.

A service of the Data Commons Co-op. The project has been supported by Equal Exchange, the Cooperative Charitable Trust, the USDA, and many others - thank you! Tech volunteers over the years include: Benjamin Bradley with support from GAIA Host. Ben Mauer with support from Quilted. Paul Fitzpatrick. Ronin Tech Collective, Brattleboro Tech Collective, Sligo Computer Services. Jason Lemieux. Default map tiles courtesy of MapQuest. Default map data (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA.