Profile information
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Host rating
100 %
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Last replied
7 Aug 2026
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Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
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Feedback
57
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Email verified
Badges (3)
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Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Details
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Description
We are members of a community project located south of qathet (Powell River), BC. We have been working together since 2015, and on our site since the beginning of 2019. In total 6 natural homes have been built on the land! This Summer 2 more are going up.
Oliver and Emily are building a slip chip house, and Jan is building a super Adobe earth-bag home. We are looking for folks to help with the projects from June through September, maybe a little longer weather permitting. Tasks include slip chip wall building and brown coat plastering, and for Jan's home filling and stacking bags with foam glass and clay as well as brown coat plastering. Folks who enjoy cooking for the group are also welcome!
Our community is a multi-generational group that lives together on a beautiful 42 acre property. There is a year-round river with swimming holes along one border, a creek & 3 ponds. We presently have 10 families living on site - ages from 6 to 79. The community uses Sociocracy as our system of governance and organization. We have meetings several times a month to make decisions and run the cooperative. You are welcome to sit in on our meetings and observe.
Feel free to reach out! You may hear back from either Oliver, Jacqueline, Jan, or any of the other people who live here. -
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
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Interests
Sustainability
LGBTQ
Farming
Van life
Self development
Events & social
Culture
Gardening
Carpentry
Water sports
Sailing / Boating
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Cycling
Beach
Dancing
Hiking
Outdoor activities -
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
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Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Learning about group communication and decision making - our governance model of Sociocracy has been used here for 7+ years and is a great system to witness and learn from. You may attend meetings and see it in action first hand.
We live in a rural setting about 20 minutes away from the city of Powell River. We have beautiful grounds, with lots of water around on hot days for cooling off! There is a gorgeous ocean beach about a 10 minute walk away (along a forest path). And we have a beach by the river that often has hammocks around it for our really hot days.
English is our spoken language, but there are folks here who are fluent in French, German, Turkish, Ukrainian and some Spanish. -
Help
Oliver and Emily's house: Building walls out of slip-chip (clay, water and wood chips) and applying 2 coats of plaster by mixing clay slip, then making the plaster (mixing cellulose and sand). Jan's house: Building the adobe walls by filling and stacking bags with foam glass and clay, then applying a natural plaster. Both households could also use a helper who enjoys cooking for the other volunteers.
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Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Turkish: Fluent
Ukrainian: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate -
Accommodation
Tenting. We have 42 acres of beautiful west coast temperate rain forest, along a year-round river. There are a few different sites available - on elevated tent pads close to the meadow pond. Tents with proper beds are provided and you will have access to the common house for bathroom/showers, cooking, eating & hanging out.
One RV Site is available with water and electrical hook-up; no sewage hook-ups.
Delicious, abundant food is provided, on working days we provide breakfast, lunch and a healthy snack for the volunteers. For dinner the volunteers take turn cooking for each other. -
What else ...
Lots of biking, camping, ocean, rivers, climbing - an outdoor paradise!
About Jan: Jan Steinman is a certified Permaculture teacher, trained by Jude Hobbs and David Holmgren. He taught Permaculture and natural building to over 100 students at O.U.R. Ecovillage. He has worked with cob, rammed-earth, slip-chip, and discrete earth bag construction, as well as conventional construction, including electrical and plumbing. Jan is excited to be using "hyperadobe" for this project, with a reciprocal living roof. -
A little more information
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Internet access
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Limited internet access
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We have pets
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We are smokers
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Can host families
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Can host digital nomads
We have a decent wifi connection (Starlink). And some office space available in the common house.
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Space for parking camper vans
Have a few locations that you could park a campervan/rv. One has hook-up for water & electrical. No sewer hook-ups.
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Can possibly accept pets
Yes, cats are indoor only. Dogs must be on leash in the homestead areas, but there are many off-leash trails on the land where they can run free.
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How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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My animals / pets
We have 4: Lilly, Patch, Dax, and Jasper
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (27)
Élisabeth is a very good cook who offers very healthy and varied meals every day. She is a calm and very caring person. Craig is someone I really appreciated for his patience and his advice.
The work was super interesting and … read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Élisabeth is a very good cook who offers very healthy and varied meals every day. She is a calm and very caring person. Craig is someone I really appreciated for his patience and his advice.
The work was super interesting and … read more
She is a person who also taught yoga and has a deep sense of spirituality...Beautiful both inside and outside.. We were very … read more
The work was hard but interesting and we learned a lot about clay and how to build a clay … read more
Learning how to build an earth house was a great experience, one we certainly won't forget. It was physical work which was rewarded with a dip in Eagle River when we … read more
He was highly respectful and a pleasure to have around. We would have him back in a flash.
I specifically worked for Elizabeth and Craig who were more than lovely : the schedule was always respected, they always cooked delicious dinners … read more
Craig and Elizabeth took very good care of me. But all the other people from the community are also very nice and approachable. I felt like I was at home. We cooked and ate together most of the time.
The work of building the clay house was fun and there was a lot to learn.
There are many good … read more
We spent 2 weeks and we learned a lot about many things.
Lana and John Michael are great hosts and have a great working system with regular hours, planned tasks etc..
The atmosphere was great since we were many people working and the meals were delicious thanks to … read more
The work can be repetitive but usually is not physically demanding. It can be enjoyable and you can listen to music. There are lots of … read more
Thanks to Lana and Jean Michael for the invitation and the great stay!!!
I stayed about 10 days within this community back in October. We were finishing up Jenna and Jamie's house, plastering, building up the ceiling etc.
Jenna and Jamie are such lovely people! Patient, kind, interesting and very keen to help and teach you what to do and how, even when you have … read more
Natural building requires a lot of work force, and during these month, work consisted mostly on finish plastering, setting up the roof, … read more
Great food and good times, would recommend!
Everybody I met from the commune was super friendly, … read more
Stepped right in and learned all the different parts and would happily jump in wherever she was needed. Worked hard & with heart. Was really lovely getting to know her and learn a little more about her home & family.
Jenna and Jamie are amazing hosts, they lead by example and we're always happy to take the time to teach and explain throughout the build. Always plenty of fresh … read more
Kenn brought such a wonderful spirit and really gathered the group together. Jeff was always right there and willing to help with all the different pieces of the project. They … read more
Worked hard and lifted so many buckets (plus helped with a lot of woodwork). Followed direction well and always checked in if he had … read more
Wonderful joy & enthusiasm for everything going on. Rolled up her sleeves and worked hard everyday. A treat to get to know her.
Absolutely wise beyond her years.
Amongst cooking unbelievable food, she still found time to come help with building our home. … read more
The place is just amazing, surrounded by forest … read more
