about
Hi, we are Trine and Jean-Michel, the parents behind Lykkå Village, a community-building and co-living startup wishing to effect social justice and innovation… one neighbourhood at a time.
We come respectively from Denmark,
where co-housing originates from and which
today has the most co-housing communities per capita in the developed world, and Canada, with one of the largest immigrant populations per capita, and immigrant parents without family support.
Lykkå is a weaving together of two
Danish words, ‘Lykke’ and ‘å’.
‘Lykke’ means ‘happiness’ and ‘å’ means ‘stream’.
“Many small streams create a big river”
is a beautiful Danish proverb symbolizing what
we’re trying to accomplish together.
our journey
Lykkå Village was born out of our own personal struggles as parents to a little girl, with no extended family. We were uncomfortable asking for help and as such, we found ourselves routinely overwhelmed. We realized that we had to create a trusted community around our little family, and fast!
We both had experience living with roomates
before we became a family, so our first
solution was to simply create
community in our home.
We have
now lived like this for 12 years.
Co-living has for sure had it’s ups and downs,
but the journey has taught us so much and has
improved our quality of life more than we could have imagined. The extra hands and eyes have been invaluable in our ability to walk the dog, take a shower, parent in a meaningful way, run multiple businesses, deal with health issues, and to actively be involved in bettering our community.
our vision
dear parents,
We don’t think we’re alone in saying that our current model of urban family living is kinda killing us. There’s so much loneliness, stress and depression, not to mention an affordable housing crisis. So many of us are living right on the edge.
Things have got to change, starting with breaking down the myth of independence.
Ask yourself, who’s there for you when you need a playdate for your kids, a moment to answer an important call or email, or just a little moment to breathe? Who’s there for you in times of crisis? Who gives you peace of mind while you keep yourself and the family running?
With the modern challenges of urban living, we envision a future when families are empowered to build their own resilient support networks, while raising the next generation of children and looking after our elders. It’s time we start taking care of ourselves and each other, together.
This is the underlying belief system which Lykkå Village rests upon. This is the ‘why’ we believe Lykkå Village is important, will make a difference, and be part of a needed shift in our society to help heal ourselves, our communities, and the planet. The benefits at all levels are both great and critical. Real societal shift can come from families, from how they are supported, and how the next generation is nurtured.
about
Hi, we are Trine and Jean-Michel, the parents behind Lykkå Village, a community-building and co-living startup wishing to effect social justice and innovation… one neighbourhood at a time.
We come respectively from Denmark,
where co-housing originates from and which
today has the most co-housing communities per capita
in the developed world, and Canada, with one of the largest immigrant populations per capita, and immigrant parents without family support.
Lykkå is a weaving together of two
Danish words, ‘Lykke’ and ‘å’.
‘Lykke’ means ‘happiness’
and ‘å’ means ‘stream’.
“Many small streams
create a big river”
is a beautiful Danish proverb symbolizing what we’re trying to accomplish together.
our journey
Lykkå Village was born out of our own personal struggles as parents to a little girl, with no extended family. We were uncomfortable asking for help and as such, we found ourselves routinesly overwhelmed. We realized that we had to create a trusted community around our little family, and fast!
We both had experience living with roomates
before we became a family, so our first
solution was to simply create
community in our home.
We have
now lived like this for 12 years.
