We are very glad to have you as part of our community. We live in an environmentally sustainable building of 84 units (1, 2 and 3 bedrooms) built as part of the Athletes Village of the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. Our building was also designed to bring us together - multiple common spaces where we gather, outdoor hallways, and the shape of our building even focuses inward. We are neighbours, friends, grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren. We come from diverse backgrounds and work hard to build the strong fabric of our community.

We speak many languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Dutch, English, Farsi, French, German, Hebrew, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portugese, Sign Language, Russian, Spanish, Swiss German, Ukrainian.

We do many jobs, including: accountant, artist, architect, baker, bartender, biologist, birth doula, city planner, childcare provider, computer scientist, designer, doctor, engineer, film producer, librarian, lawyer, non-profit director, paramedic, project manager, retiree, software developer, stay-at-home parent, student, teacher, physiotherapist, writer.

We volunteer to do work that strengthens our community, we: attend meetings, draft new co-op policies, fold someone else’s laundry, grow food, govern, plan and run events, organize (the bike rooms, the playground, the library), watch each other’s children, welcome new Members, and so much more.

Many of our Members say that the community we are building is the best part of living here. If you are interested in visualizing our community, there are two options in the lobby. Each year (starting in 2016) we take a photo of as many Members as are able to gather in the courtyard. The most recent photo of our growing and changing community hangs in the lobby and past years are in the stairwell off the lobby. There is also an artistic representation of our community in the form of a mural, which we began in 2016. Hopefully we will continue to build on these projects.

Are you a new member with questions? Connect with your New Member Mentor on your floor. This  Mentor is a neighbour who can answer questions you may have about living here. They have volunteered to welcome you!

We look forward to the unique contributions you will bring to our community.

—The Board of the First Avenue Athletes Village Housing Co-operative