Building A Swingers Community

Ha! Got ya with that headline! Read on...

Back in September 2007, I wrote about our foray into the world of real estate investment. Hubby and I purchased a condo in Collingwood, Ontario that we rented to a fantastic family and, we are still very happy with our decision. There's more though. One never knows where things can lead and many things have happened since then.

First, I was elected to the board of directors of the condominium corporation last year. It's been a tremendous learning curve but one I am so glad to have taken on. Having book knowledge of the Condominium Act and all of the inner workings of a corporation is quite different than having practical knowledge as I do now. Our little corporation may in fact be one of the more complex ones in the area for a variety of reasons and has therefore exposed me to a very wide range of issues from how parking is enforced to condo budgets, reserve studies, property maintenance and management.

When the condo development was first built, it had a playground for the children but over the years, it fell into disrepair and ultimately, it all but disappeared. Residents have called for its refurbishment for a long time now but money was an obstacle. This week, all that has changed.

At our last annual meeting, we put forward the idea of establishing a task force of residents to put together a business plan. It was astounding to see almost every single person at the meeting step up and volunteer to be on the committee. For the next two months, they worked together. Our own tenant used his engineering skills to pull together a design. The parents of one of our residents donated a swing set and slide. Other people donated time and equipment for land preparation and, a local company donated tires for edging and playing. Before you know it, we had a very workable plan at a relatively minor cost.

This past week-end, we called for volunteers and the turnout was outstanding. From 8 am to 6 pm, residents, property managers, owners and others worked side by side to build the playground. It was accomplished in a day. There was a BBQ. There was lots of laughter. The kids starting playing before the work was finished. It was an amazing day. More than building a playground, it was building a community.