Kate’s Rest

Wellington artists create new sign at supportive housing community

There is a new sign at Kate’s Rest on Big Island thanks to a generous donation by Wellington artists Willem “Wim” and Annelies Kerkhof. They had heard about the supportive housing community through media reports, and invited founder Brian Hart to their home to discuss how they could help. Hart mentioned that they need a sign at the site, and Wim and Annelies offered to design one. Their design and quote for construction was taken to the board of Kate’s Rest, which approved it. In the meantime, though, Wim and Annelies decided they would cover the entire cost. The design started with a stylized logo from Kate’s Rest’s letterhead, with the eventual look reminiscent of the barn quilts seen around the County. “Brian gave me the K and the R and the heart, and I came up with the design of the rainbow colours—meaning everyone is welcome here—and called it the ‘rainbow burst’ and it is all arrows going in different directions,” said Wim. “I designed the rough cedar frame around it, with the roof and the bench—which was Brian’s idea. The roughness of the cedar means that people came here from the rough, being on the streets, and then having a roof over their head, and the bench is for rest, as in Kate’s Rest. It was a pleasure to make it for the group here.” The sign is mounted on metal “boots” on a concrete base and held in place by threaded rods that are epoxied into the bedrock. The sign is welcoming and radiates a solid and enduring presence, much like the mission of Kate’s Rest itself. “I think it’s a wonderful way of making a statement about where we are and where we exist. It adds colour and it adds a place for young people— as well as the seniors— to sit and wait for transportation as they leave the property. It really adds to the character and the hospitality of our community here,” said Hart.

Kate’s Rest is now home to 22 people, who Hart refers to as his friends. With the approach of winter, several new friends have joined the community. “We’ve had people come here who have lived in their vehicles for three years, who said they couldn’t go through another winter,” said Hart. “So we’ve found nooks and crannies to keep them housed. But more than that we are giving people the opportunity to pursue social enterprise activities around aquaponic farming and it’s really starting to catch the imagination of the greater community.” There will be a community engagement meeting in the Demorestville Town Hall on November 9, where people from different organizations and backgrounds will speak about aquaponic farming and local employment opportunities not just for Kate’s Rest residents, but for anyone in the wider community who is interested in farming but lack the economic means to do so. Aquaponics could be a less expensive way to pursue that interest.

Central to a plan to begin aquaponic farming at Kate’s Rest is the recently installed water purification system from the Kingston company Purafy. It uses graphene technology to remove contaminants from well water or lake water. There are two separate systems at Kate’s Rest. The first purifies well water—which is actually perfectly fine for drinking as-is. The second takes “grey water” and purifies it for use in toilet flushing. By re-using the grey water, the water outflow at Kate’s Rest has been reduced by more than 50 per cent. As a result, this allows more housing to be built on the site, and plans are in place for the construction of two “tiny homes”. The purification system will also be used to charge the water system for the aquaponic farm, which will employ residents at Kate’s Rest. Eventually Hart foresees the revenue generated from the aquaponics enterprise will be used as seed money to replicate Kate’s Rest elsewhere. “I call this the ‘home and farm model’ where we have not just a place for people to live, but also something to engage them in a therapeutic work environment that they can contribute to farming,” said Hart. “This is something my friends here can take leadership in, and be a leader in the community in this endeavour.”

Wim Kerkhof is making another contribution to life at Kate’s Rest. He was a member of the Dutch Marines, and while in Canada he became certified in teaching survival skills to the armed forces here. He will put that experience to use by offering training in urban survival to residents at Kate’s Rest. It is intended as a way to diminish the trauma associated with being unhoused and having to live on the streets for an extended period, and residents will be taught how to make up a survival kit. For more information or to make a donation, please visit katesrestfoundtion.ca.