Live by Your Principles

By Gary Martens

I arrived at a moderate, conventional looking house on a 3 acre lot. The smell of baking bread greeted me as Gabriel opened the door. We talked while Gabriel tinkered in the kitchen preparing our “slow food” lunch of soup and bread but not just any soup and bread. All excellent food has a story as did this scrumptious lunch.

This lunch started in Lyster Quebec in the 1960’s. Gabriel remembers spending most of his early years outside in the beautiful places around his house on the banks of the Bécancour river. He had access to a canoe as well as snowshoes and skiis.

Then a dramatic event contributed greatly to setting the direction for his life. A major cyanide spill just a mile downstream of his home on his beloved Bécancour threatened his idyllic world. Based on his love for his surroundings and this dramatic threat to his environment Gabriel enrolled in a course to become a natural environmental technician with the hopes of working in the parks system.

Unfortunately Gabriel could not find a job in the field that he loved but he did not give up in his quest to live sustainably and find people with similar interests. Over the years he has chosen jobs that gave him an education. He has worked on organic farms, been the gardener for a religious community and led environmental groups in the area where he was living. He has worked as a building construction worker and has recently branched out to care for people as a nurse’s aid and now as a direct support worker at Envision Community Living.

Gabriel moved to Manitoba to provide support and be close to his son. While in Manitoba he continued his life long search for people that shared his values and actions. With much support from family and friends Gabriel was able to buy a 3 acre property, build a house and start his garden. His house is very well insulated by utilizing a staggered wall construction technique as well as south facing windows, thermal masses and summer shade. Gabriel has a backup electric furnace but his main heating supply is wood and direct sunlight. His total energy bill is about $120 per month including the cost of wood.

Gabriel’s garden supplies approximately half of his groceries. His cold room is filled with potatoes, carrots, onions and many jars of canning and dried products. His monthly grocery bill is approximately $125 per month but he rarely goes to restaurants. Gabriel has a very comfortable existence on a small income choosing to do what his skills and interests allow. He likes to include other people as this increases the pleasure of the task but also builds community.

I asked Gabriel for advice on how to live simply, sustainably and well as he is doing. He came up with a long list of suggestions. Read, inform yourself. Connect with people that have the same values and goals. Work for or with someone who is practising what you dream of doing. Get access to a piece of land or associate with someone that has access to land, start a garden even if it is small, if you buy your food get it local and organic and live by your principles in everything you do. 

This is the third in a series of articles prepared by Gary Martens focusing on the individual lifestyle of people who have chosen not to live conventionally and are seeking to make a difference. Gary draws our attention to the values of international figures, but also writes about our neighbors.