Fiddlehead Commons is creating a fun, livable cohousing space near Ottawa for individuals and families who value inclusivity and community. This will be a multigenerational community, situated in Almonte, an historic town of Lanark County.

The core group is seeking households of diverse ages, family sizes, and backgrounds to join them in exploring and creating their future home!

The group is guided by their chosen core values of:

Caring · Environmental Responsibility
· Trust · Joy and Openness

The Mississippi River of Eastern Ontario courses through Almonte, supporting old mills, riverfront restaurants and walking trails. While it is within a 45 minute drive to Ottawa, Almonte has all the amenities needed to prosper independently, including its own hospital, high school, commercial district and a vibrant community life for its residents. The municipality of Mississippi Mills, in which Almonte is situated, is welcoming of cohousing.

The building(s) design will accommodate the needs of the members

The site choice and building design and layout will allow for engaging common areas and inclusion of agreed upon shared amenities.

Building types will be chosen based on the budget allowance and being amenable to a smooth development process. Each private residence will be fully sound insulated.

The community will

Accommodate 15 - 20 households
Govern themselves using Sociocracy, equitable and efficient decision making
Locate within a walk or bike-able distance of town amenities
Will include outdoor space and gardens on site
May include a mix of different building conformities

Fiddlehead members at the Mississippi Mills outdoor international potluck

Working on design with our architect, Rosaline Hill.

Fiddlehead and Ottawa Cohousing members with the results of the “build a gingerbread cohousing community” event held at the Almonte library.

Fiddleheads members at a June 2025 collective design workshop & meeting.

Fiddlehead members at the spring Mississippi Mills Community Open House engaging everyone in crokinole.

Fiddlehead members explaining cohousing to attendees at the Ottawa Cohousing Open House at Terra Firma Cohousing.

Fiddleheads at the June 2025 social at the North Market in Almonte.

Current stage of project

Fiddlehead Commons have a core group of 5 committed households, and are actively seeking to expand their membership.

Researching and networking with local industry and housing experts, with an eye to site securement. Working on schematic design while determining criteria for a suitable site.
Actively considering various models of legal formation to help bring the project cost down.
Developing governance and organization structures and getting training in sociocracy.
Holding frequent in-person social and outreach events and regular online outreach presentations to attract new members.
Connecting with established cohousing communities regarding best practice.
Building our sense of community through frequent social activities and online communication.

Meet our members

Get to know a bit about the folks of

Fiddlehead Commons Cohousing Community!

Don Pettit

I have built a crazy little house that I have been puttering away at for a long time in northeast BC where I currently live. It generates most of its own electricity, collects water, it’s heated with wood and a heat pump, grows organic vegetables, and is in many ways wonderful.

But, alas, I find myself alone here. Now it is time to move back to Ontario, my homeland, where all of my dear family lives in the Ottawa, Kingston, Gananoque area. I see cohousing as the perfect model to cure my aloneness, share my passion for sustainability, and live in a group of likeminded folks of all ages. What could be more ideal? And beautiful Almonte is the perfect place to do it!”

P.S. I will also bring with me my most wonderful cat and dear friend Pineapple.

Ian Baker

After retiring from a career in Information Systems project management I’ve developed a keen interest in home construction. With the help of several great mentors, I built our house and now look forward to participating in the design and finishing of our next home. More recently I’ve been working as a handyman for several clients in town doing house maintenance and small renovation jobs. Now that we’re involved in cohousing, I’m enjoying learning about sociocracy, looking forward to making new friends, learning from their experiences and building a close knit, supportive community.

Catherine Baker

I enjoy tackling a complicated knitting pattern, choosing fabrics for a new quilt or finishing one I’ve worked on for a year. I like reading, especially by a fire. My idea of communing with nature is a long soak in our hot tub in the woods. I’m looking forward to potluck dinners in a common space I helped to design and knitting uncomplicated patterns while I visit with fellow Fiddleheads over coffee. And eating Nancy’s vegetables and getting to know Don’s cat.

Bernie & Anne Range

Retired life finds us outdoors, hiking, paddling, gardening, snowshoeing or skiing. Making music, weaving, painting and woodworking are hobbies that continue to add pleasure and creativity. Always up for a good game of crokinole, book-club, birding or a potluck dinner, we are looking forward to the vibrant co-housing Fiddlehead community. We are particularly interested in creating a sustainable, resource-sharing, nature-focused place to live. Many hands make light work, …and fun!

Cathy Langill

Cathy has been a main member of the group since July 2025. Raised in Ottawa, she has worked as a geologist in places such as the Rocky Mountains. She has travelled to scenic rivers and mountains in places like Georgian Bay, Newfoundland, and Peru to hike, paddle, climb and cycle. She is passionate about training and raising dogs, doing so for guide dogs for the blind and for her young Bernese mountain dog, Albi. She also loves live music, a good couch and delicious cookies. She is excited to have people around more often in her eventual cohousing community.

Sylvia and Lyell Bachelder

We enjoy exploring and learning about Canada and beyond through road-tripping,
hiking, walking, trains, planes, even busses and occasionally by water. Lyell loves
meeting new friends, chatting with neighbours, nature and driving the countryside, while
Sylvia gardens organically, knits/sews and thrives on a numbers challenge.

We read about a cohousing community being developed in the picturesque town of
Almonte, and met a welcoming group of like-minded and fun individuals with a vision to
create an intentional community.

Almonte is significant to us, as it is located on the ancient Mississippi River, territory the
Algonquins looked after for thousands of years, with values of Love, Wisdom, Truth,
Respect, Humility and Bravery.
Even though we live far away right now, we feel very fortunate to have joined in making

Fiddlehead Commons in Almonte, “a dream come true”, for all of us.

Want to get to know us or explore our group?

Send us an email, at
Fiddleheadcommons@gmail.com

find us on social media

insta

Interested in seeing inside a cohousing community?

Click this link to watch a video about an innovative cohousing commmunity in British Columbia.

'Whole ecovillage fits inside giant greenhouse'

Fiddlehead Commons is creating a fun, livable cohousing space near Ottawa for individuals and families who value inclusivity and community. This will be a multigenerational community, situated in Almonte, an historic town of Lanark County.

​

The core group is seeking households of diverse ages, family sizes, and backgrounds to join them in exploring and creating their future home!

​

The group is guided by their chosen core values of:

Caring · Environmental Responsibility · Trust · Joy and Openness

The building(s) design will accommodate the needs of the members

The site choice and building design and layout will allow for engaging common areas and inclusion of agreed upon shared amenities.

​

Building types will be chosen based on the budget allowance and being amenable to a smooth development process. Each private residence will be fully sound insulated.

The community will

​

Accommodate 15 - 20 households

Govern themselves using Sociocracy, equitable and efficient decision making

Locate within a walk or bike-able distance of town amenities​

Will include outdoor space and gardens on site

May include a mix of different building conformities

Current stage of project

Fiddlehead Commons have a core group of 5 committed households, and are actively seeking to expand their membership.

​

Researching and networking with local industry and housing experts, with an eye to site securement. Working on schematic design while determining criteria for a suitable site.

Actively considering various models of legal formation to help bring the project cost down.

Developing governance and organization structures and getting training in sociocracy.

Holding frequent in-person social and outreach events and regular online outreach presentations to attract new members.

Connecting with established cohousing communities regarding best practice.

Building our sense of community through frequent social activities and online communication.

​