I absolutely loved this comment, and I wanted to make sure it was visible to those of you who do not visit the site, and therefore do not see comments. Please take a few moments to think about this and give Patty an answer, even if it's a negative one.
Here goes:
I live in a VERY small hamlet (pop. 150) in north-central Alberta. It's very rustic, sort of central to 2 or 3 major urban areas (and when I say central, we're within 150kms or so) in the middle of a fantastic wilderness area, and we are suffering the same fate as many small towns everywhere - we're dying.
School enrolment has dropped this year below 100 and we are entering into a crisis stage. The town, the school board, the county, and the people in the community had a meeting here this past week to discuss how we could "fix", if that's even the right word, the issues that are facing us, and invited people to come up with ideas.
Now, having said that, my family and I are here because we want to be - my family farmed in this area in the 30's so we have a bit of history here, but it IS mostly farming and oil/gas industry (from afar). An idea came to me as I was thinking about this blog, and due in part to a comment somebody made at this meeting, to the effect of, "Well, nobody wants to come and live here, there's nothing here".
There IS something here (as there is in every small town) - it's liveable, there's water, yes it's cold in the winter, but we have a terrific full-size arena (thanks to 1970's government money), we skate, we skidoo, we toboggan, we play hockey - we have no traffic issues, little or no crime, everybody knows each other, land is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP, and we have a terrific growing season - we in the midst of the BC/Alberta Peace River country, so lots of sunshine in the summer, and midnight baseball games in broad daylight.
People are self-sufficient, we have many Hutterite and Mennonite communities, neighbours help neighbours and we're far enough from any major urban area not to have any of those problems, but close enough so that if you absolutely HAVE to go go a theatre to see a movie, you can make a day out of it.
Now here's my question (and sorry to be so long winded in the wind up!). What could a community like this do to attract new people - and I specifically mean people who are interested in the concept and practice of prepping, who appreciate the fact that there's no mall for your kids to hang around, but when they're out past bedtime, you can usually still stand on your front porch and yell for them; where it's very likely that if you have a partner who's reasonably handy, and has some basic skills (carpentry, electrical, water, etc.) could certainly keep a family happy on anything from a house in town to a couple of acres or a quarter section; what would make this place want you to come here? Could we convince anybody to come here??? I want to take these ideas to our county council, and I keep thinking about how this country got settled in the first place - people were offered land if they stayed on it and cleared it for a certain length of time, and stay they did! It's just this generation that can't convince our kids to stay and farm, or to live small instead of living large. Would the prepper community be prepared to make the commitment to come, and to STAY, if there was some incentive as far as cheap or free land? Better yet, would they bring their kids, families, grandparents, cousins, etc. with them?
I'm only touching the tip of the iceberg here, and I know the same problem exists for small towns everywhere. I'd like to put my hand up and say that it can be done - my family and I moved up here from the Lower Mainland of BC to escape the rat race almost 9 years ago, and have never regretted it. I've gone from being an urban career woman to a moose processer, a canner, a dehydrator, a freezer, a from-scratch-maker, a vet, a homeopath, a mechanic, you name it!! Anyways, I would really, REALLY appreciate any feedback, suggestions, ideas, comments, etc. because I know we're not the only ones out there with this problem - and could I just invite you all up here to settle in??? Thanks for your help, Patty.
For one set up a web page that highlights all the pluses of your town. Get a realtor involved to put up land and homes for sale with prices. Pictures are worth more than words so make sure to put up lots of quality pictures.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see what your area has to offer.
One of the best things you can do is what is going on right here on this blog.... you need to market the town. If the City Council spent a little time doing that, you might draw families in. It would be slow, but if they came up with a campaign of some sort...maybe like the Self-Sufficient Capital of Canada....
ReplyDeleteHere are some others:
1. Offer free classes to people on how to can, process, deydrate, etc... Advertise these classes in free publications around those big towns/cities that are close. Talk about the need to be self-sufficient, etc...
2. Start a meet-up in one of those big towns for self-sufficiency and drive there...letting people know where you are from and talking about the advantages of living out there.
3. Write articles on preparedness and in your tagline mention where you are.
4. Offer something, reduction in taxes, etc... from the city for moving to town...kind of what big businesses are offered to move their businesses to another city. I'm not sure how this would work...but I'm sure someone can work out the details.
5. Promote the school district as safe....bully free....quality education.
Just some thoughts off the cuff...
I'm curious - what do you define as "cheap land"?
ReplyDeleteOne issue regarding the free land - there are many places in Canada where you can get land for almost nothing, sometimes as little as $200/acre. (Yes, that's two hundred.) But the biggest cost in setting up a home is not the land but the building. Building codes are so strict that it costs $100K or more to build even a small house. You can't have a house approved without a working toilet, electrical outlets every X feet, etc. - even if you plan to go low-electricity and use a composting toilet or outhouse.
I do want to say that, if you want to appeal to preppers, especially those who aren't already permanently settled somewhere, your biggest selling point would be if the local government interferes as little as possible - is homeschooling promoted, can you trap rabbits, can you build an extra room on your house or even build your own simple house? (Okay, well, maybe that's just stuff that appeals to me.)
The thing that jumps up for me, is cooperative housing. There are some very successful co-ops here in the bc lower mainland, all with waiting lists.
ReplyDeleteI didnt grow up as a farmer, and, much as the life you describe sounds awesome, I would be worried that I wouldnt know enough to be successful. If I could sign up to join a housing cooperative, knowing that I would then be joining a group dedicated to sharing knowledge and skills I would feel safer in making the jump. An Eco village would also especially appeal to a certain group. Check out Yarrow Eco village here in the Fraser Valley for the sort of thing I am talking about. I think a lot of people would be excited to have the opportunity to join something that sounded a bit like that. It's the safety net of having others around you that makes it attractive. If the town then markets itself as being available and motivated to helping such a project succeed then that would be a big plus too.
Part of the problem is that realtor.ca, where all of us who dream of a better life look for properties constantly, only currently lists one property in your area and no listings for land or agriculture. For incomers, websites like this are the ones that encourage us to come on fact finding tours. From looking there right now, it looks like you're full! Lovely husband is very excited about your land prices and now frustrated that he cant get further forward on line.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm not the only one who immediately looked Eaglesham up on MLS? :) (Or who spends way, way, way too much of her time there?) By the way, that is VERY north. Not quite Fort McMurray, but close. I'm amazed that it would have a good growing season - that's definitely a selling point, because I would assume a very short growing season unless assured otherwise.
ReplyDeleteMr D and I had a very long discussion last night because he actually feels much the same way. I grew up with outhouses, gardens, subsistence farming, all of that, and I have NO problem chucking the system and jumping into a "pioneer-like" farming experience. He has the same concerns you do..
ReplyDeletedeer tags to hunt deer are purchased, a tag for an elk or a moose is a draw. Rabbits I believe are open season for hunting but if trapping you may need a trapping license. Though I think you can trap them on your own land for personal use ie non commercial.
ReplyDeleteOn the school closure item I live in a small southern Alberta community a bit larger than yours and we are going through the school closure issue here too and the school board wants to close all rural schools and have a mega school in the middle of the county that is equally inconvenient for everyone.
the growing season if managed correctly is amazing, when DH says to me, where in canada would you want to "retire" my answer is always, peace river country or spirit river country in alberta, LOVE, LOVE!!!!! this area..
ReplyDeleteAlmost bought into it this spring, Big brother called as he had been told about 2 sections being sold, for an amazing price, and in the couple hours it took, mom/step-dad, myself, and big Brother to talk and start to figure out how to make an offer, it was sold.. (it was a amazing price!)
I was not planning on moving anytime soon but we would have been fools not to buy in if we could have..
Dh felt the same way eight years ago but he was alwasy a bit more willing to rough it, given his time in mining camps, summers spent on the land etc, but now, he is good with it, the only thing he says is that we have to buy a place that is set up, as by the time we "retire" to contract work etc, that he worries about if we will be healthy enough to do it all. I am greatly looking forward to showing just how much of a help having a working draft horse (its alot easier to buy horse equipment then oxen locally) on the farm will be.
ReplyDeletebush/land/house just down the road from us for sale (69 acres of bush/hay fields that are rented out, house and small sawmill, he is asking 525000 for it, Currently around me, its about 7 to 10, 000 per acre..
ReplyDeleteSomeone is selling a small acre wood lot by us, asking 40 thousand for it.. The price of land in my neck of the woods is up! alot since we bought here..
My mom found us a fully done really nice yurt being offered for off-grid living that meet all the local codes for if we wanted to move it to my dad's farm for under sixty thousand, if we do the farm, we want to build into the hill and create a earth house, as there is no tree's for winter heating, so DH wants to go geothermal in as many ways as possable.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much of that comes from where we grew up? No matter how long I live in Ontario, I yearn for the Atlantic.
ReplyDeleteI would love to relocate to a similar area. I currently live in a college town where my partner grew up. I grew up in a rural area like you're talking about (and we went through the same school consolidation nonsense some 15-20 years ago... thankfully we won out and the recent trend has come back to decreasing school sizes, hang in there), and I would LOVE to return to that small town/rural community setting. I miss the farms, the open areas, and having neighbors that I could borrow sugar from and who looked out for us (strangely that seems to be less the case the more people you pack into a square mile/km).
ReplyDelete1-Have you considered working with current residents to create public transportation network? Would newcomers be burdened if they didn't have multiple cars to get to and from work, etc?
2-And how's the job situation in your area? Would newcomers find work easily and locally, or would they have to travel some distance to find work (goes with the public transit question)?
3-Is there already a barter mentality that could be advertised to encourage people that money isn't the sole method they could use to pay for services (helps if newcomers are not able to get work right away, but have useful skills they could barter with)?
4-Is there a homeschool network in place, people already schooling their children at home or might even work as a group (helps negate the school closure fears and means the community has ready made teachers in the mix to help out)?
5-Are there many community activities to help draw newcomers into daily life? Things like festivals, sporting events (local school), music...
6-does your community boast any local medical services? Big draw for prepper types (well, anyone really) to know they're moving into a community with medically trained neighbors.
Unfortunately for me, immigrating to Canada probably isn't in the cards, though your community sounds quite nice. I'm hoping to get moved into a similar community near here, one that also includes plenty of family members for support. :) Great post.
The pacific has better weather.
ReplyDeleteI will look into this as I hae a friend in the industry.
ReplyDeleteIt is in the process. I just talked to one.
ReplyDeleteFYI everybody, Terry Pattison is the principal of the very same school we're trying to save here in Eaglesham. I'm very excited about the information we're gathering here, so please keep it coming! Thanks again, Patty
ReplyDeletewe can't offer you any help but have the same problems where we live. we live on a small island of only 75 people with a school of 4! Its not a good climate here but is lovely. would join you but canada wont want a disabled middleaged couple with an autistic (mild) son!!
ReplyDeleteI have a realator in place and have talked to 8 families who are willing to sell their property. They should be at this site within a week or two.
ReplyDeleteThis is the link to our golf course. It is simply awesome.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.golfeaglesham.ca/
Here? If they email information to me at canadiandoomer@gmail.com, then I can highlight the properties one by one.
ReplyDelete