What does energy-efficient construction and design have to do with social development?
Jeff knew he was in the right place when he attended the Passive Housing Initiative US (PHIUS) conference this fall. The conference was about more than just energy-efficient housing design. The keynote speakers shared their passion for developing energy-efficient projects which also foster social development, inclusion, and equity.
These were not new concepts for Jeff. His New Hamburg company, Just Working Construction, has similar and equally visionary goals:
- to provide employment in the trades for new immigrants to Canada
- to provide energy-efficient and sustainable construction and design
- to preserve the historical buildings that grace our landscape
- to contribute to social development through its construction projects
Beyond social development – getting to the heart of things
As important as these kinds of goals are, they are not at the core of what drives Jeff as a person and business owner. This becomes clear when you talk to Jeff. When you think you’re talking about energy efficiency, reclaiming old buildings, and social development, suddenly, you’re not. You’re talking about the loneliness and the struggles with addiction that Jeff experienced as a young man. In the end, it wasn’t social development projects that saved him but an encounter with God. But looking back, Jeff wondered what might have helped him emerge sooner from that loneliness and isolation.
Too often, we barely pause to greet our neighbours. We don’t stop as we pass them in the driveway or the apartment hallway. We hurry to enclose ourselves in our solitary or single-family existence. We close the door behind us and look to entertainment or alcohol to dull the pain of our isolation.
What Jeff had longed for as a young man growing up was true community. He wondered what it would look like to create a community built around loving others. And he knew there was something he could do to make that a reality.
Love Your Neighbour Community’s pilot project in New Hamburg
When Jeff talks about why he helped initiate Love Your Neighbour Community (LYNC), his face becomes quietly alive. Enough to make you a believer. You can start to believe that people’s lives can be changed, that people can be touched. That this initiative could make a real difference in people’s lives and in a community like New Hamburg. You can believe that a community can exist where love is stronger than loneliness and isolation. That brick and mortar can house a miracle. That hope can take the shape of an endearing, historic landmark in downtown New Hamburg.
At his core, Jeff wants to help solve the problem of loneliness and isolation that has enfolded our society like a mist. It’s a mist that obscures what is real, what is true – that we are loved. Loved by others, loved by God. That meaning, life, and hope are gifts that are available to everyone. They are especially for those that cannot imagine in their moment of despair that they are worthy of such things. But love reaches out. Love can penetrate even brick and mortar to find the one who’s despairing.
New Hamburg and its mill: out of the ashes, hope rises
Like other small towns in Ontario, New Hamburg got its start when a sawmill was built here in the 1830s. It was industry that drew families to the new town and provided resources for their homes and livelihood. Soon a grist mill was built in the centre of town. In 1902, an explosion destroyed the grist mill. Two years later it was replaced by a new, four-story mill. It was purchased by B-W Feed and Seed in 1972.
Many successful factories were established in New Hamburg, and churches and true community took root. Now, a century later, only a few factories still operate in New Hamburg. Nevertheless, in many ways, it remains prosperous. Upscale neighbourhoods have grown up on its outskirts. Many New Hamburg residents get in their cars and drive to nearby cities to work. Others work in local stores that struggle to attract local dollars.
A growing number of people in this small town can’t afford to buy or even rent homes at the market rate. New Hamburg Family Services is a witness to the hardships faced by many, especially women and children living here. Addiction issues tear at the fabric of families struggling to make ends meet and to find meaning in their lives.
People come from Toronto to enjoy the handful of cafes and the few shops that have been able to capitalize on the charm of this place and its history. But under the surface, New Hamburg is struggling with the same social issues as everyone else.
An old mill with a new purpose
The B-W Feed and Seed mill still dominates the landscape in downtown New Hamburg. Until recently, B-W trucks navigated through its small side streets to load animal feed through an industrial-scale chute. But now the mill will serve the community in a new way.
While Jeff was attending the PHIUS conference in Chicago, LYNC lawyers were securing purchase of the mill. This purchase was the first phase of a groundbreaking project to repurpose the historic site. The plan is to create a place for togetherness and prosperity called Millblock Community, right in the town’s centre. This inclusive community will provide homes both at market value and geared-to-income rates. Its ground floor will also provide space for vibrant commercial and social enterprises and for community gatherings.
Jeff is the construction manager for the Millblock Development, and this provides a perfect fit for him because it combines so many of his passions. Newcomers to Canada will work on its construction. Green energy principles will help make it sustainable for the long-term. A historic landmark will be preserved in downtown New Hamburg. And the end product will be a beautiful, brick-and-mortar space where loving community and inclusion can happen.