Laughing Coyote Land Co-operative

Date of Incorporation: August 22, 2001

Membership: 4

Activity: Collective ownership and maintenance of 264 acres of land in the Little Slocan Valley, B.C.

Organizational Form: Land Co-operative

Area Served: West Kootenay Region, Little Slocan Valley, British Columbia¹

Our intention is to develop a consensus-based community that is committed to keeping our ecological footprint to a minimum and honouring and respecting both people and nature. We encourage diversity in age, culture and spiritual beliefs. We plan to create a space where we can grow, explore and develop both as a community and as individuals using the skills we have to interact and build connections with the land, each other, and the greater community.

- Little Slocan Land Proposal, December, 1998

Introduction

Nestled in the pristine Little Slocan Valley of South Central British Columbia, bordering the Valhalla Provincial Park is the Laughing Coyote Land Co-operative. Laughing Coyote is a 236-acre parcel of land co-operatively owned and managed by four founding co-op members: Allan Keane, Ron LeBlanc, Reno Sommerhalder and Julian Hall.

The Laughing Coyote Land Co-operative is a product of merging paths as people came together to create a shared setting where they could live based on common values. The story of the co-op is a reflection of the ideals and the events that brought these people together. Values of ecological and social sustainability have become the fundamental principles on which the co-operative is founded:

The members of the co-operative wanted to create an ecologically and socially sustainable community. To live with respect for the land, each other, and the animal and plant community...To live without hierarchy, using consensus as decision-making. To create a space where we may learn both from each other and from the land around us; and where the knowledge may be shared with the larger society outside. To participate in community-based activism, in connection with the other intentional communities of the Little Slocan Valley...To develop alternatives to the mainstream economic structure; to work toward the creation of a local economy that is both socially and environmentally responsible. (Little Slocan Land Proposal, 1998).

The Laughing Coyote's intentional community ideals began to surface out of the desire to actively resist an emerging social and economic system in North American culture which largely measures success based on material wealth. Instead, Laughing Coyote wants to create a collective that values self-sustainability with reduced impact on the environment.

Beginnings

In 1993 the controversial logging of old growth forest in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia became a major headline in both international and local newspapers. Because the concern over this environmental issue was so significant, a group of activists from Ottawa, Ontario became involved and began to relate and connect with each other over fundamental personal, social, political and environmental values. Many of their discussions eventually led to the topic of intentional community living; "each [person] has come to the conclusion that in some way community living represents a healthier, more sustainable way of interacting with our living world" (Valhalla Village Community Proposal, 1998). When the moratorium on logging in Clayoquot was reached 1995 the members of the group went their separate ways Although part of the group returned to Ontario and some members migrated to British Columbia and Alberta, the group remained in contact with each other. In the mid-1990s, with experiences and associations behind them, a number of these same people began to explore intentional community living in the Slocan Valley area of the West Kootenays.

Process

The natural beauty of the West Kootenays and the general acceptance of alternative lifestyles make this region of British Columbia a welcoming destination. Planning for intentional community began by a loosely organised group of people who were interested in the Slocan Valley area. The group included a number of professional environmental and social activists based in Banff, Alberta and was made up of both local Kootenay residents and individuals who lived as far away as Edmonton, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario.

On November 29, 1997 the group acquired 236 acres of land in the Little Slocan Valley as a result of a generous loan from a benevolent friend who shared similar interest in environmental preservation and responsibility. This created an opportunity that might not have existed otherwise as the group was unable to fully capitalise the purchase of the land without assistance. The group was granted two years in which to form a legal entity, to secure a land trust model that best suited the community, and to develop a plan for eventually repaying the loan.

Following the purchase of the land the group became more solidified and began to refer to itself as the Valhalla Community Collective. The collective spent a great deal of time developing a strong vision to guide their long-term goals and to form the ideological foundation on which the community would be founded. They created a policy of consensus around which all future decisions would be based.

Member, Ron LeBlanc recalls many long hours spent in meetings on the phone and in written correspondence as the collective worked out the complex details of their intentional community. Consideration was given to how the community would actually be physically positioned on the land and how the collective would develop socially. Additionally, the group conducted a detailed exploration of land management issues such as the carrying capacity of the land base and the potential human impact on wildlife and the environment.

The resulting concerns prompted the collective to develop a comprehensive and sustainable land use plan. It considered appropriate agricultural sites, the protection of riparian zones and wildlife corridors, levels of sustainable wood extraction for household use, and eco-restoration of previously harvested forest areas. It also consulted the Silva Forest Ecosystem Landscape Plan for the Slocan Valley as a tool for understanding potential uses of the land.

The group researched how to utilize low impact housing methods such as indigenous building materials, to find off the grid energy sources, and to develop a comprehensive solid waste management plan. It also decided to limit automobile use and domestic household pets.

Lessons learned

Members of the co-op recall the commitment that went into initiating this process. The challenge of reaching consensus over every issue was time consuming and often tiresome. Over the next two years the collective grew as large as forty-five people; therefore the decision making process became challenging at times.

People were making significant decisions about lifestyle changes that would impact their lives forever. LeBlanc explained in an interview:

It's very difficult on a practical level, and for a lot of people it's a huge step to leave their homes and jobs in Toronto or Calgary, and move to this remote area and to sustain themselves economically. The homesteading lifestyle is kind of glorified in people's minds but to actually live it, to deal with the social and economic aspects is very difficult...to deal with
the quietness of one's own existence is the biggest challenge for some people.

The collective lost some members due to these concerns and others were not suited for the detailed work involved in what ended up to be co-operative development; some people simply moved on to other things.

Regardless of the lengthy and difficult nature of the process the founding co-op members are grateful for the education gained from the years of discussion and exploration. LeBlanc expresses the value that came from working the issues through to completion and views the end result, "as accumulative knowledge, the visions, the perspectives; all that is still with us...And we want to be able to co-operate on projects that suit us and not be pulled into something that may not suit us."

Founding members recount the early idealism of the endeavor and the challenge of balancing process with action. Eventually they were obliged to take decisive steps forward to maintain credibility with their financial backer as they had already passed their initial two-year deadline. Equally important, the collective needed to get their roots in the ground and act on the objectives it had set out from the beginning.

Ron LeBlanc expressed the lesson he learned about how important it was for the group to compromise what is idealistic with what is realistic:

We've toned down our idealism a bit. We still want to be good neighbours and to deal with the land in a responsible way that is in line with our ethics. We want to be able to co-operate on projects that suite us best as a group and as individuals. We discovered that the co-operative model would allow us to do this. There can be a minimum level of participation, but people can choose to be involved in projects as they see fit and not feel that they have to be part of everything or that they are intertwined in everybody else's lives.

Co-op Development

In addition to the human, social, and environmental aspects of the proposed community, members spent two years working through various legal options from shared land lease agreements, to strata titles and limited companies, to co-operatives. The co-operative model provided a feasible and equitable way to share in the ownership and protection of the land. The members appreciated they would have equal input in the way the land would be administered. As a shareholder-owner each member would decide on the management of the co-op and would not be held personally liable for any debts or possible legal issues resulting from development of the land.

After the co-op model was chosen by the collective LeBlanc recalls the challenge of locating useful resource material to assist in developing the legal aspects of the co-operative. Co-op members had to wade through legislation that was difficult to translate into workable material. Members discovered that the local Community Futures¹ had excellent resources for the single entrepreneur heading into business development but had nothing to assist in the business of co-op.

When co-op developer Lyn Cayo was introduced to the group the process took on a new life. Ron LeBlanc explains the co-op development process would have been difficult without a person specialising in co-ops; "Lynn was able to make sense of a weighty thirty page document we fondly called our 'co-op manifesto' and fit the important parts neatly into a well managed constitution." In addition, Ron attended the You BET Plus! for Co-ops² training program run by the former Ministry of Community Development Co­operatives and Volunteers. The training assisted the co-op by providing grounded, hands-on co-operative business skill development. LeBlanc credits the training for helping make the co-op idea more coherent. The group's association with Lyn Cayo and the You BET! program also exposed it to the network of existing and developing co-ops in the Kootenay area.

The four founding members brought a strong and diverse set of skills and experience to the co-op including: business management and marketing expertise, intentional community work experience, advanced computer skills including website design, environmental research, conflict resolution, program planning and management, teaching, advanced wilderness guiding, and carpentry skills that benefit the co-op directly.

Co-op Structure

Membership shares in the Laughing Coyote Land Co-operative are $7500.00.  The shares entitle each member access to the land base and the option of buying a building site. Currently the co-op leases the property. When the co-op possesses more equity the title to the land will be turned over to the co-op who will put it in trust for the members of the co-operative.

The primary role of the four member governing body is to collectively administer the land. This includes the management of larger policy issues as well as business tasks such as money flow, negotiating legal agreements, and handling day-to-day issues of the co-op. As new members join they will be encouraged to get involved in all aspects of community planning and to participate in future developments. For the time being, the founding members have closed the door to new membership until they complete negotiations of the lease and begin on a strategic plan for the second phase of the co-op's development. In this second phase they hope to generate revenue for the co-op through sustainable ecologically friendly business activities. A list of potential new members has been established and will soon be re-opened for consideration.

Future Plans

The Laughing Coyote has moved a step beyond joint ownership and governance and has developed a comprehensive plan to bring economic self-reliance to the co-op through business development. In July 2001, members of the Laughing Coyote received funding to commence a feasibility study for the Little Slocan International Hostel Project. A separate worker co-operative was formed to operate the hostel, leasing the facility from the land co-op.

The hostel will maintain three separate business cells. The first division is the Little Slocan International Hostel, which plans to receive a license from Hostelling International, British Columbia Region. This license would strategically allow the co-op access to the association's member base. According to the proposal, the hostel will house 20 beds with additional yurts and teepees available for use in the high volume summer season. In the winter the members plan to operate it as a conference and retreat center, and as a backcountry ski destination.

The second division is the proposed café and commercial kitchen, which will be a certified multi-purpose kitchen that would be available to serve guests who wish to access prepared meals. Additionally, the kitchen will be offered to co-op members and to the community for use in food preparation and processing. It will also be a teaching space for education and awareness regarding food preparation, storage, and food safety.

The final division of the co-op is the Guide and Tour operation, which will offer "backcountry guiding, interpretive wildlife viewing, and touring services to patrons and tourists" (funding proposal for the Co-op Advantage Innovation and Demonstration Projects program, 2001, p. 12).

Community Impact

Through their long process of development Laughing Coyote Co-op members have been committed to building strong relationships with their land neighbours and the larger community. The community has already been the beneficiary of their collaborative approach to land use and social development.

According to the Hostel's funding proposal (2001) the community will further benefit from the Little Slocan Hostel because it will

• create long term sustainable jobs;
• stimulate economic activity directly and indirectly;
• diversify economic activity in the area away from resource extraction;
• provide a place for tourists to stop and spend;
• increase business for local eco-tourism operators;
• create opportunities for cultural exchange and interaction;
• increase awareness and education through workshops and seminars on community related subjects;
• enhance community development in the Little Slocan Valley (p. 6).

Co-op members will have ample opportunity to become involved in their community through the many activities that the co-op will sponsor. The co-op's success will be measured by the number of sustainable full and part-time jobs created, the profit margins and revenue generated from the various business sections, the level of personal satisfaction of co-op members, increased community economic and social capacity through job creation, and resources such as the use of a commercial kitchen.

Over then next few years the co-operative will face the challenge of raising the capital investment needed to build the hostel facility, to develop low impact access to the land, to market the eco-tourism aspect, and to develop alternative energy sources, gardens and sewage management. All of this will require extensive planning and community consultation. The co-op currently has one member who is dedicating his time to exploring development finance opportunities, coordinating market research, making links to consultants and legal advisors and drafting a comprehensive business plan.

The Little Slocan area will eventually be impacted by shifts in the resource based forest economy in British Columbia. If the community hopes to sustain itself economically it will need to consider alternative revenue generating possibilities. The proposed Little Slocan International Hostel project is a progressive step for both the economy in the region and for the preservation of its natural resources.

The Laughing Coyote Land Co-operative has emerged during a time when government support for community and business development is difficult to access. However, the Laughing Coyote's strength lies in its skilled and determined membership. Their tenacity and commitment provides every probability the co­op will witness its vision of a successful co-operative community.

End Notes

¹ The Slocan Valley is in south central British Columbia, near the Columbia River and Slocan Lake.

¹ The Community Futures Development Association of British Columbia, established since 1992, helps local entrepreneurship and offers business counseling and information.

² Youth, business and entrepreneurship training, helps teach how to form business plans and develop business ideas.

Case Study Information

This case study was developed for a report entitled Situating Co-operatives in British Columbia -2000 ­2001, which was prepared for the Province of B.C. (Ministry of Community Development, Co-operatives and Volunteers) by the British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria. To obtain the information for the case study BCICS and the co-op entered into a partnership agreement. BCICS is grateful to the co-op members for their contributions and time. The case study is published with the approval of the co-operative. Further information regarding this study includes the following:

Researcher: Colleen Shepherd

Date of research: 2001

Author: Colleen Shepherd

Date of writing: 2001-2002

Editing: BCICS editorial group

Supervision: Kathleen Gabelmann, BCICS Research Co-ordinator

Location