Solisterra Take Two: The Art of Parging

Posted on November 13, 2012 by admin

Three weeks ago, the grade 9 and 10 enriched math classes were invited to go on a community service trip to the town of Kazabazua in Quebec. The moment this was presented to me, I knew I wanted to go. Three hours later, my form was already handed in. I could not wait to go back to Kazabazua for the second year in a row.

There we slept in a straw bale house at the Solisterra Eco-Cottages. We were going to stay for two nights and work for two days. Our task was to build a straw bale shed that would create solar energy by using solar panels and be used as a storage room. Straw bales were going to have to be modified and sewed together to make the walls. The entire shed was going to have to be chicken wired. And finally, the walls of the shed were going to have to be parged with a mixture of cement, sand and water. So much to do!

The highlight of my trip was learning the art of parging under the guidance of Andrew the expert. Saturday consisted of applying the first layer of parging on the walls of the straw bale shed. Making the parging was a lot of fun. We got to observe how adding different ingredients changed the texture and stickiness of the parging. Covering the straw bale walls was my favourite part of the process, as I applied this gooey playdough-like substance with my hands. Needless to say, I got very dirty.

During our two days, we got the chance to learn and work with unbelievable people. We learned about our natural environment, about the importance of trees, solar energy and the art of parging. We spent two full days in the cold, working nine hours a day to complete our project. We are happy to say that the shed was successfully built with no complications. What a wonderful experience!—Zack Shine ’15

Solisterra: An Influential Journey

Posted on November 8, 2012 by admin

This year the grade 9 and 10 enriched math classes were invited for a second time to Solisterra in the town of Kazabazua. When I heard that I had a second opportunity to head out for Solisterra and work on another outdoor building project, I couldn’t wait to sign myself up. Not only was I super excited to work on a straw bale shed and learn how to sew the bales together and apply the paraging, but I was also grateful to be able to spend another weekend on the actual property of Solisterra.

I loved working on the shed all weekend but what I want to share is how inspiring and relaxing Solisterra actually is. Solisterra is located in a small town one hour north of Ottawa called Kazabazua. It is a property of 350 acres and there are two straw bale houses on it, one playhouse and now there is a straw bale shed! There are two beautiful lakes on the property as well and the land is covered in trees.

The nicest part of the trip was walking in silence, in the pitch black, through the property from one house to another. As we walked, we heard the sounds of our own footsteps and the rain lightly hitting the trees, the wind that rustled through the leaves and the sound of coyotes way off in the distance.

Knowing that Solisterra is completely off the grid and that you are staying in a place where you can’t hear the sounds of cars is the greatest feeling. You feel as if you are living in a different but better world. Visiting and working in Solisterra opened my eyes as to what our earth can give us. And our hosts Frank and Dominique inspired me to work with solar energy and an environmentally friendly building. All in all, these experiences to Solisterra have been the most influential journeys of my life. – Mia Roberts ’15

Middle School Pride: Environnement

Posted on September 17, 2012 by admin

Bonjour, je m’appelle Alexandra Gardilcic et je suis la responsable de l’environnement au Middle School Pride cette année. Pour ceux qui ne le connaissent pas, c’est un groupe d’étudiants qui se rencontre chaque mercredi à 7h30 du matin pour planifier des activités pour le Middle School.

My goal as the environment head is to raise awareness about the environment in the Middle School. Cette année, j’espère planifier plusieurs activités pour vous, par exemple, une collecte de bouteilles et de piles. Si vous avez des idées, des commentaires ou des questions vous pouvez me contacter à cette adresse : [email protected].

Last meeting, Holly Faria ’15 came and talked to us about how PASSION+ISSUE=CHANGE. This basically means finding your passion and applying it to real world issues to make a change. For example, if your passion was athletics, you could apply it to an issue such as homelessness. And with this you could make a change. Such as last year there was the Hockey for the Homeless, a tournament that raised money for people in need. Si vous avez une passion pour la musique et que beaucoup de personnes âgées souffrent de la solitude dans les maisons de retraite, vous pourriez peut-être organiser un concert de musique pour eux.

Don’t forget to look at the new announcement board in the Middle School corridor to see any school events that are coming up. All in all, I hope that you have a great year! Thanks! – Alexandra Gardilcic ’16

A New Building in Kazabazua

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

Last week, our enriched math class went on a community service trip to Kazabazua in Quebec. There we slept in a straw bale house at the Solisterra Eco-Cottages. We worked closely with the town and helped build a pavilion and a shed for the community centre. For most of us, it was a trip we will never forget!

We got the chance to work with unbelievable people such as Andrew and Mr. Bergeron. We enjoyed working with the power tools, the recycled wood and other various materials under the close supervision of Frank and Dominique. We spent three days in the hot sun, working nine hours a day to complete our project. We are happy to say that the pavilion was successfully built and that we all returned home with all ten fingers.

The people from the town were very nice. We visited the town’s fire department and to take a look in the three fire trucks. We were fed delicious food over our three days. The cookies were to die for! We also got the chance to live in a straw bale house at the Solisterra Eco-Cottages. When I was first told that I was going to be staying in straw bale house, I imagined a house the three little pigs would’ve made. Wow, was I wrong! The house was outstanding, clean and environmentally friendly.

My favourite part of the trip was watching the shed that I worked on be lifted from the ground and seeing it as a three dimensional figure. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment for our work done for the community.–Zachary Shine ’15

For more photos, view gallery

Environment Week Sets Stage for Sustainable Practice

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

LCC celebrated “Environment Week” in late April. Thanks to all the hard work and dedication by our green team members, the week was very successful. We had a fun cook off, planted tomatoes, had a green café with cupcakes and pastries, and even a trash art display. Thank you to all that participated in the activities and to those who wore green on Wednesday. We hope you all had a great earth week, and that the enthusiasm you all showed will continue throughout the rest of the year.

As mentioned during the assembly, we have created a recycling bin for electronics. There are four bins, such as phones, batteries, ink cartridges etc. If everyone would bring one thing that could fit into one of these categories, it would really make a difference. The recycling company that collects these has agreed to donate the money to MIRA, which works to help disabled individuals lead their lives independently as functioning members of society. They do this by providing dogs bred and trained to respond to their adaptation and rehabilitation needs. They need as much money as possible, considering they provide these services free of charge. Please bring in what you can, and again thank you for such a successful week! —Kelsey Wiseman ’13