First we would like to acknowledge:
We respectfully recognize that this land on which we are gathered is the traditional territory of the Petun, A-nish-in-abek, Haude-no-saun-eega , Mississauga of the Credit First Nation and Mississauga indigenous people. We honour their stewardship and I ask that we commit ourselves to the ongoing process of reconciliation and learning about our shared histories.
Contact Us
We are located at: 20725 Shaws Creek Rd., Alton, ON
Visitors by appointment only. Email: info at wholevillage.org
Our Story
Whole Village was created by a group of dedicated people from different backgrounds who came together to build a community where they could live in a deeply responsible and meaningful way. They envisioned an alternative to the problems and dysfunction they saw in the world around them.
The common thread through our history has been the belief that we have a greater purpose: to fundamentally change our relationship with the planet and with all its life forms.
We at Whole Village see ourselves as members of a species in the web of life on this planet. We recognize that the living systems that constitute this web are besieged by interrelated crises that share a common source: the rise of civilization with its centralization of power and wealth.
Historically civilizations have been unsustainable and unjust, tearing at the web of life and impoverishing the majority. The only difference today is that civilization has become global, threatening the planet as a whole.
We also recognize that as humans we once all lived within an indigenous culture. We are now victims of civilization, although, through our standard of living we are beneficiaries of civilization’s destructive and exploitative characteristics. Our ability to address these issues and build alternatives to this system is born of privilege. So not only do we have a responsibility to reject the damage we cause and build alternatives to take their place, we also need to work towards making these alternatives accessible to all.
We recognize that we are the ancestors of future generations and take our role seriously. We are attempting to answer the question that Buckminster Fuller once posed: “If success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do, then how would I be and what would I do?” Our answer is to live together with integrity, collectively designing, creating, and maintaining an ecovillage.
For us, building an ecovillage is not about waiting and hoping for a world that recognizes and respects humanity’s place within the web of life. We try to live that future now. Instead of talk, we walk. We will continue to demonstrate that new ways of living together are not only necessary, but indeed possible.
Finally, for us building an ecovillage is the rejection of despair. It is a living expression of hope, but not the passive kind that assumes change will simply happen. Our view of hope is different. It is born out of anger at the way things are and of the courage to act.
What’s Whole Village’s Vision and Mission?
