Welcome to Pioneer park
A 55+ co-operative modular home park
About Us
Pioneer Park: Where nature and community come together.
Our community offers co-operative living in a picturesque park setting on Matsqui First Nation land on the corner of 272 Street and 0 Avenue in Aldergrove.
Nestled at the bottom of the hill on the edge of the Fraser Valley’s fertile farmlands, the location boasts the serene and tranquil setting of a park as well as proximity to amenities such as Aldergrove Village shops, Aldergrove border crossing and a vast network of nature trails. Our co-op is the opportunity for you to be actively involved in not only the care of your home but also the surrounding parkland and shared community spaces.
This is a 55+ park where, once you have an accepted offer to purchase a unit, you will be interviewed by the Board and, once approved, will be required to purchase membership shares.
We all share a mutual responsibility and pride of ownership in where we live.
What is a Co-op?
A Housing Co-operative is a group of people who form a corporation to provide housing services for themselves. Co-op living is unique to all other forms of housing because it represents a community living within a community. All members in a cooperative share in the advantages and responsibilities of co-op life, which makes it more than just a place to live. “Participation and Volunteerism” is a vital component and contributes to the advantages of living in a co-op.
As a co-op member, you have security of tenure. This means that you can live in your home for as long as you wish if you follow the rules of the co-op and pay your pad assessment. As a co-op member, you have a say in decisions that affect your home. You and your neighbors own your homes co-operatively. Members form a community that works together to manage the co-op. Co-op communities are made up of all kinds of people – people with different backgrounds and incomes and special needs. These diverse and vibrant communities are the unique strength of the co-op housing movement.
- Vote on the annual budget, which sets the monthly housing charges
- Elect a board of directors made up of people who live in your co-op
- Run for the board of directors yourself
- Receive audited financial statements that show how the co-op spent your money
- Pay a Pad Assessment
- Live there for as long as you like, if you keep to the Rules, Occupancy Agreement and Policies
Our History
During the late 70’s a few members of the Aldergrove Legion came up with the idea of a mobile home co-operative housing entity dedicated to providing low cost housing for, primarily, veterans. This group, headed by Fred Zaharia, went on a mission to acquire land and formulate a plan to finance the operation. Through his contacts with the Matsqui First Nation, this 48+ acre patch of overgrown abandoned gravel pit became available. With the guidance of Ron Hall, a local lawyer, a duly registered housing co-op was formed known as “Royal Canadian Legion Co-operative Housing Association Branch 265”. Sales of shares were advertised, many of which were sold out of the back of a pick-up truck where our Office now stands. A 40 year Lease was signed beginning on July 1, 1983 with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (as it was known then). An engineering firm was contracted to design the Park and its infrastructure and work began to clear the site of trees, underbrush and assorted garbage dumped over the years. This was accomplished mostly with volunteer labour as well as assistance from the Matsqui, including Chief Alice when she was just a teenager. Not quite sure when it became known as Pioneer Park but these folks were the true Pioneers who built it with the thinking – “Build it and they will come”. After application was made, we officially became Pioneer Park on November 2, 2004. Over the years improvements were made, facilities and equipment added and technology updated but the basic spirit of contribution to our own lives through volunteerism remains.
The key is PARTICIPATION so that the Park can renew itself.
* Information courtesy of Fred Dalkeith
Park Map
Gallery
