https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tiny-cabins-kingston-peninsula-1.6299813
Tiny homes, big dreams: How an Ontario family found freedom in the forests of N.B.
Couple's dream of building tiny-home rental cabins leads to 40 forested acres on the Kingston Peninsula
Six months ago, Tasha Robitaille and Cory Belcourt left their Ontario home, bought 40 acres of heavily forested land on New Brunswick's Kingston Peninsula and turned their lives upside-down.
And somehow, Robitaille says, nothing has ever felt more right.
For some time, Robitaille and Belcourt had been feeling the pull of nature. They both had steady jobs, Belcourt as a plant manager and Robitaille as a business owner and doula, but they longed to spend more time outdoors.
The births of their two daughters deepened that longing.
Then the pandemic hit, with its lockdowns and isolating restrictions, and suddenly, Robitaille said, they just knew it was time.
"Things were just getting really difficult, I was home with both girls ... and Cory was working a lot of hours. The pandemic definitely got to us so we needed to make a big change, to feel like our family was healthier and closer together."
They had a specific lifestyle in mind. They wanted to live simply, sustainably, on a sprawling plot of land and in a close-knit community.
"New Brunswick just kept popping up as an answer to all of these things," Robitaille said.
Drone footage of Robitaille's and Belcourt's property on Route 845 of the Kingston Peninsula. (Atlantic Drone Photography)
They found a 40-acre plot of forested land on the Kingston Peninsula, near Kingston Corner and backing onto Mount Misery, and immediately knew they'd found what they were looking for.
"We made some big decisions really fast," Robitaille said. "We sold and bought a house within a span of a week, and arrived just in time to plant our garden."
They bought chickens and ducks, they hiked the trails that snaked through their property, they picked apples, they had bonfires and barbecues and spent their days outdoors with their daughters, two-year-old Nova and four-year-old Rockie.
It was like a dream, Robitaille said.
But the dream was just beginning.
Cory Belcourt, seen here with his daughter, Nova, prepares for construction. (Submitted by Tasha Robitaille)
Tiny-home project takes root
For years, Robitaille and Belcourt had talked about building a sustainable guest house on their property.
"It's always been a passion of mine to have something off-grid, or a tiny home, a low-footprint cabin," Robitaille said.
Now, with 40 sprawling acres of land, much of it with spectacular views of the peninsula or Mount Misery, they realized they could expand their "tiny" plan.
They discussed building a handful of cabins to rent out to people who wanted to experience homesteading and a completely off-grid lifestyle in the woods.
At that point, Robitaille said, they committed to going all in.
Their trail hikes took on a new purpose: scouting out the perfect tiny-cabin sites.
Robitaille and Belcourt hiked the property's trails,
scouting out the perfect sites for each of the five cabins. (Submitted
by Tasha Robitaille)
"We followed our instincts," Robitaille said.
"We did a lot of walking and we just tried to instinctively find a ... really safe, cozy and beautiful spot in the forest. And then we went to work and created off-trails to those five cabins that are all private from each other."
Construction begins
Belcourt began clearing the sites, and they ordered five European pine cabin kits, each cabin measuring 108 square feet with a seven-foot loft bedroom.
In October, construction began. By late December, all five cabins were completed and the project was christened: La Belle Cabane, a reflection of the fact that the couple are francophones. Three of the cabins are now available for rent at labellecabane.com.
The cabins are heated with woodstoves, the lights are solar-powered, the cooking is done on a fire grill. The bathroom is an outhouse, and a community herb and vegetable garden and free-range chickens provide a daily supply of fresh produce and eggs.
To Robitaille, it felt right in her bones.
A loft bedroom in one of the cabins. (Shannon Park photo)
Robitaille said she and Belcourt, both of whom are Métis from Ontario, grew up listening to the stories of their fur-trading forebears, people who lived off-grid before there was a word for it.
"We've heard a lot of stories of our ancestors that lived in these little cabins," she said.
"Everyone would be close-knit, sharing each other's hobbies and cooking together and all of that good stuff."
The cabins seemed like they'd have been right at home in those adventures, Robitaille said.
Drone footage of one of the five tiny-home cabins, The
Coyote, nestled in the woods of the Kingston Peninsula. (Atlantic Drone
Photography)
Homage to Indigenous roots
The couple's Métis roots have been woven into many layers of the La Belle Cabane project.
"That's really important to us," Robitaille said.
"So we provide medicines in the cabins, the cabins are named very intentionally in line with our medicine wheel."
As well, each of the cabins – the Eagle, the Coyote, the Bear, the Elk and the Turtle – feature local Indigenous art and decor.
The goal is to blend the interior, the exterior, the setting, and above all, the experience, in a way that opens visitors' eyes to the possibilities Robitaille and Belcourt found in their new home.
"We wanted to find freedom in the forest," Robitaille said.
"That's one of the main reasons we moved to New Brunswick, was to have more freedom with our family and our lives and our kids. And that's what we hope other people will find here as well."
Cory Belcourt and Tasha Robitaille. (Shannon Park photo)
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/once-shrinking-maritimes-leads-canada-growth-1.6300145
Once shrinking Maritimes led Canada in population growth this summer
New Brunswick added 5,075 people in 92 days, the most in 46 years
"I'd say 95 per cent of the buyers that I've had this year have been from Ontario," said Burrell.
"People are going on Facebook and searching 'moving to New Brunswick', or they're doing the same thing on Instagram, and asking questions about what is, you know, what's life like there if I want to move my family there?"
The sudden attraction to life in Eastern Canada has been an ongoing and potentially transformational side-effect of the COVID-19 pandemic for New Brunswick.
Fuelled by a swell in immigration and a parade of Canadians moving east, the Maritime provinces have been flooded with years' worth of newcomers in a matter of months.
Hayley
Burrell moved to New Brunswick from London, Ont., at the beginning of
the pandemic, and as a real estate agent says most of her clients in
2021 were people moving from out of province just like her. 'No regrets
at all,' she says of the experience. (Facebook)
Just before Christmas, Statistics Canada reported that over July, August and September the three Maritime provinces added a combined 13,470 people. That made the once shrinking region the fastest growing part of Canada during the summer, ahead of British Columbia.
Individually, Prince Edward Island was the fastest growing jurisdiction, but all three Maritime provinces were among Canada's top four growth spots, according to Statistics Canada analyst Stacey Hallman.
"P.E.I., Nova Scotia, B.C. and New Brunswick are the four," she said.
New Brunswick's share of this summer's population growth surge was 5,075. It's the largest increase in one quarter in New Brunswick since the 1970s, and in just 92 days equalled the province's entire population growth over 16 years, between 1996 and 2012.
Added to more than 8,000 people gained earlier in the pandemic, New Brunswick's population is suddenly up to 794,300.
It's a number that gloomy demographic projections just two years ago suggested the province might never reach, and even the most optimistic models did not see coming for several years.
The average price
of houses sold in New Brunswick in November was the cheapest in Canada
at $253,009, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. The
average price in Ontario was $931,324. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
It's a stunning development in a province that has been fretting for decades about its stagnant population growth.
In August 2019, just months before the beginning of the pandemic, the New Brunswick government announced revamped plans to try to boost the attraction of newcomers to rescue the province from pending labour shortages caused by retiring baby boomers.
"Population growth is crucial to the future success of our province," said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder.
"The attraction and retention of new Canadians is critical to helping us increase our province's population and meet the needs of our employers."
The effort was launched at about the same time Statistics Canada constructed nine population projections for New Brunswick out to 2043 based on a variety of different scenarios.
None of the projections foresaw New Brunswick reaching 794,300 people before 2024. Six of the nine did not see it happening at all in 2043, and one projection saw the province shrinking by 35,000 people over 25 years.
It's a possibility the province took seriously and felt international immigration was the best chance to avoid. The idea thousands of Canadians would spontaneously begin moving to the region was not seriously considered.
The New Brunswick government is hoping thousands of
newcomers will help replace aging baby boomers in the
province's workforce. (Laura Meader/CBC)
In the first 15 years of the 2000s, New Brunswick lost a net average of 1,500 people per year to other provinces, including a high of 3,240 in 2014. Turning that flow in the opposite direction has always been a hope but not something the government formally planned on as a solution to its population troubles.
But it has happened anyway.
Boasting Canada's cheapest house prices, New Brunswick began showing up in the search engines of thousands looking for some space and a place to plant roots they could afford.
Burrell said her own decision to sell her home in London, Ont., and come to New Brunswick was driven by an internet search for a better work and home life balance. Most of the people who are buying homes through her tell a similar story.
"It's more affordable. They're looking for a different pace of life," Burrell said.
Jordan
and Jess Owens, with their daughter Irie, were one of the first Ontario
couples to land in New Brunswick during the pandemic. They hunted
online for a house they could buy for under $100,000 and landed in Saint
John. (CBC News/Graham Thompson )
Since the beginning of 2020, that pull has been strong. New Brunswick has had a net gain of 6,900 people from other provinces, with over half of those gains coming from Ontario.
Burrell said it is not a trouble-free transition for everyone. A few have run into problems accessing health care, including finding a family doctor, but she has heard few complaints beyond that.
"It's still overwhelmingly people saying that they don't regret the move, and they're happy they made the decision," she said. "Overwhelmingly.
"We've been back to Ontario to visit twice. And it's wonderful to see family and friends, but we can't wait to get back to New Brunswick both times that we've come. No regrets at all. It was the best thing we could have done for ourselves."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Came here from Alberta because my work told me to. I can not "work from home". So i guess i was lucky to get here already with a good job.
I DID NOT make mint selling my house in Alberta so i am not one of those richy rich from Toronto. Got here (Fredericton area) and house prices were just insane with people buying sight unseen and dropping 60k-100k above asking. Decided to downsize so we wouldn't be house poor. Got a nice mini-home on a decently sized piece of land in a quiet area. Grossly overpaid for it but it was that or being homeless. Was the market really THAT competitive? Probably. Did the real-estate agent manipulate the situation for a bigger commission? No doubt in my mind. At least we are warm and we got enough to eat. It's all good.
Now after a couple of months what do we think?
Love it. So much less stressful. People are not nearly as self centred. They are much more welcoming. As long as you adapt to the lifestyle that is. The area is beautiful. Not everything is perfect mind you. Healthcare sucks, bureaucracy is a pain, gas cost an arm and a leg but all in all, good place to live. If i don't have to move again, i could see setting roots here.
Methinks the Crown started the outward migration tradition in 1755 N'esy Pas?
He celebrated victory with the infamous chicken dance, and that was all she wrote. Covid does not care that anyone thinks they have it under control. We let our guard down and now we pay the price.
N.B. RCMP call for independent investigation after man dies following police shooting
1 officer received non-life-threatening injuries
New Brunswick RCMP say Nova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team will conduct an investigation into a shooting incident involving police early Friday that resulted in a man's death.
According to a media release, RCMP say two members of the Hampton Detachment responded to a call at Kingston, N.B., residence at 3:47 a.m.
Police met the man who was the subject of the complaint. The situation eventually resulted in both members firing their guns, the release states.
The man was taken to hospital, where he died. Police say first aid was applied at the scene.
One of the officers is at home with non-life-threatening injuries from the incident.
New Brunswick RCMP requested the external investigation. Police won't comment on the details of the incident, saying it would be inappropriate during an investigation.
The Serious Incident Response Team said an investigator is at the scene.
N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Premier tests positive for COVID-19; non-urgent surgeries cancelled
Province can expect up to 100 COVID patients in hospitals if 1,000 cases per day is reached in January
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 after completing a rapid test.
Higgs participated virtually in a news conference Friday morning to update the public on COVID-19 testing, isolation and contact tracing in light of the dominant Omicron variant.
The premier said he came into close contact with others who were positive and is now awaiting a PCR test result. Higgs, who had received two doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and a booster shot, said he is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms in the form of a cough, sore throat and head congestion. He is isolating with his family.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau conveyed his best wishes Friday for the premier's recovery.
"At the current rate of growth, we could see as many as 1,000 new cases every day within a week," said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard at the news conference.
She said while hospitalization numbers remain relatively low, that is likely to change in the days ahead.
The provincial government announced that non-urgent and elective surgeries and procedures are being cancelled due to the strain on the province's health-care system from the COVID surge.
"We're on the precipice of the most serious situation our province has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic began," Shephard said.
The minister was not able to provide a figure for the number of procedures that are now cancelled. The provincial update came as New Brunswick once again broke its record for new COVID-19 cases.
https://youtu.be/_Fxql3qloqk
On Friday, the province announced 682 new cases. Active cases now total 3,522.
There are 45 people in hospital with 21 in intensive care. Of those in hospital, 29 are over the age of 60 and 11 people are on a ventilator. No one under 19 is currently hospitalized.
A person between the ages of 50 and 59 in the Saint John region has died as a result of COVID-19.
As well, Correctional Service Canada has confirmed that three inmates and seven staff members at Atlantic Institution in Smiths Crossing have tested positive for COVID-19.
The new cases reported Friday break down this way:
Moncton region, Zone 1
-
228 cases.
Saint John region, Zone 2
-
265 cases.
Fredericton region, Zone 3
-
43 cases.
Edmundston region, Zone 4
-
100 cases.
Campellton region, Zone 5
-
3 cases.
Bathurst region, Zone 6
-
26 cases.
Miramichi region, Zone 7
-
17 cases.
Changes in booster eligibility, PCR testing, isolation requirements
The province announced that in January it will reduce the age eligibility for those seeking a booster vaccination dose.
To preserve the supply of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine needed for future booster clinics for those aged 12 to 29, groups that are currently eligible for boosters will be offered Moderna, regardless of which vaccine was administered for previous doses.
PCR testing has been limited to select groups as of Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.
For those who are symptomatic, but under the age of 50 and do not live in a vulnerable setting, they are advised to take point-of-care rapid tests.
A positive rapid test will be treated as a positive result for COVID-19 and people will be asked to register their result through a new form that will be available online next week. They will also need to follow new isolation guidelines.
PCR tests will now be reserved for:
- People in areas at highest risk, including health-care workers and those who live or work in long-term care. facilities, homeless shelters and correctional facilities.
- People who are symptomatic and aged 50 and over.
- People who are symptomatic and immunocompromised or pregnant.
- People who need a PCR test for travel.
- People who are identified as a priority by Public Health.
Isolation requirements have also changed for individuals who are either vaccinated or unvaccinated and their vaccinated, asymptomatic, close household contacts.
Vaccinated people who have tested positive will need to isolate for five days, while those who are unvaccinated will need to isolate for 10 days.
Close contacts outside of a household will be asked to mask continuously, avoid vulnerable settings and people, and limit their contacts as much as possible for at least 10 days.
Upon release from isolation, people must wear a mask continuously and avoid vulnerable settings and gatherings for the next five days. If a close contact develops symptoms, they will be directed to take a rapid test, unless they meet the requirements for a PCR test.
Due to the high number of cases and lack of resources, contact tracing among the general public is no longer feasible. Instead, people who test positive will be asked to notify their close contacts and members of their household. Case and contact tracing will be reserved mostly for people in vulnerable settings to help prevent transmission among those who are most likely to be hospitalized.
Hospitals reduce services
Both the Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network are reducing services and managing bed capacity to adapt to staffing challenges in managing the pandemic.
Horizon says 59 surgeries have been cancelled since Dec. 20, and noted that 468 staff members cannot work due to COVID-19. The breakdown includes:
- 300 staff members in the Saint John area.
- 75 staff members in the Fredericton/Upper River Valley area.
- 67 staff members in the Moncton area.
- 26 staff members in the Miramichi area.
All Horizon hospitals are at over 90 per cent occupancy, except for the Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville.
- Non-urgent medical procedures and elective surgeries will be postponed, unless patients are contacted by Horizon to re-schedule.
- Non-urgent ambulatory outpatient clinic and professional services are to be postponed. This includes: laboratory services, blood and specimen collection and diagnostic imaging appointments.
For Vitalité hospitals, the following services are being maintained or have been changed:
- Inpatient care and services: Care and services provided to inpatients will be maintained in all hospitals.
- Emergency departments: All emergency rooms will be open.
- Surgical services: Reduced activities; elective surgeries will be postponed.
- Ambulatory care services: Reduced activities.
- Oncology and hemodialysis services: Services will be maintained.
- Professional services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, nutrition, respiratory therapy, etc.): Reduced activities.
- Medical imaging services (x-rays, scans, etc.): Reduced activities.
- Phlebotomy (bloodwork): Patients can come in for their blood tests.
General visits are still completely prohibited in all hospitals. Exceptions are in place for patients who are eligible for a designated support person, unless otherwise stated for specific hospitals.
Return to classroom delayed
Beginning Jan. 11, all students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will begin learning from home until Jan 21.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy announced a delay to in-class learning for all students until the week of Jan. 17, when the decision will be reassessed.
In the coming days, the minister said there will be discussions with schools and staff on how to support vulnerable students and families who rely on school services.
The current interim measures for school sports and extracurricular activities will remain in place during this time.
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