40 Years of Life in an Eco-Community !
1980-90
At the end of the 8th Rang in the beautiful village of Ham-Nord, the ecovillage La Cité Écologique was born. Thanks to Michael Deunov Cornellier, the dream began to take shape in 1983. A trained educator, Mr. Cornellier organized a nature-based summer camp for children. The experience was such a success that the children wanted more.
In fact, they wanted to live this pedagogy year-round. They asked Michael Deunov Cornellier to build a school in the heart of nature. With the promise of parental involvement, he agreed to lay the first stone of what would become, 30 years later, the largest ecovillage in the country.
In 1984, families and young adults gathered—boots on their feet, tool belts around their waists. Professionals and skilled workers shared their expertise with a common vision of mutual aid, solidarity, and sustainable development. A powerful synergy emerged!
The project, pedagogical above all, was innovative. The school worked in collaboration with the local school board and was officially recognized by the Ministry of Education.
In this balanced and stimulating ecosystem, parents were required to be part of the school. The creation of businesses within the ecovillage proved to be the best solution, generating jobs and offering a rich learning platform for youth.
Over time, organic farming, healthy cuisine, prepared meals, a bakery, health care, and reforestation became some of the first sectors managed by these enterprises.
1990-2000
Fueled by the enthusiasm of the second generation, new ventures emerged: Khéops International, Respecterre, La Ferme Bio-Maraîchère, Smart Energy Manufacturing, Palettes Grandmont, Deuxième Chance…
2000-2010
In 2003, the group expanded. Several families and young adults settled in the United States, in New Hampshire, where Khéops International became a thriving enterprise.
There, the “Universal School of Life” continued to grow in nature and was enriched by contact with a new culture. The school was also approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education.
Toward the end of the 2000s, the ecovillage opened its doors internationally and became involved in the GEN (Global Ecovillage Network). Exchanges with other communities began. In June 2011, the annual Canadian Ecovillage Conference was held with great success at La Cité Écologique.
Since 2009, a well-established interactive internship program has welcomed participants from Quebec and abroad.
2010-2020
In 2014, La Cité Écologique proudly celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Continuously developing new projects to share its values, the ecovillage created the CAP Eco-Community to expand and strengthen its training platform, offering its experience to those wishing to launch similar initiatives.
In 2015, the ecovillage became the first Canadian host of the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) training by Gaia Education. The course was a resounding success and deepened the ecovillage’s connection to the international GEN network.
In 2016, teams from the North American GEN network (GENNA), the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC), and the NextGENNA youth network gathered at La Cité Écologique for their annual meetings. They took the opportunity to honor founder Michael Deunov Cornellier with the prestigious Kozeny Communitarian Award.