“Eco-responsibility, ethical integrity and social responsibility must characterize the efforts of all Terra Perma’s partners.”
ongoing projects
Chef Dave Evans. medicinal & tea gardens.
With more than 15 years of experience working as a Chef around the globe, Chef Dave is absolutely passionate about food. After working in kitchens in Australia and most recently, Banff, Dave decided to establish himself in Northern Quebec. He met the Terra Perma crew three years ago and to this day, he remains an active and contributing member. He cooks, harvests, and continuously educates himself about about new ways to cook and preserve food only using wild, local, and seasonal ingredients. Chef Dave is already known for his delicious honey wine which is always served at Terra Perma events. His products: Hydromel made of Organic Terra Perma honey, tea, and herbs/spices.
Marc Laverlechère. Mycologist (mushrooms).
Having enjoyed access to the world of fungi since his childhood, Marc developed an in-depth knowledge of the mysteries of mycology over the years since then. As a certified trainer for professional mushroom pickers, he has shared his know-how and passion for his domain extensively. He is also one of the founding initiators of mycotourism in Quebec. Partnering with Terra Perma, he is inoculating layers of the forest floor with fungal spores, elaborating the pathways with interpretation sites, creating instructional booklets and offering guides tours for curious visitors interested in learning more about the fascinating world of fungi. Marc looks forward to sharing his passion for the harvest and storage of both edible and medicinal mushrooms to the widening Terra Perma community.
philippe leclerc. compost & vermiculure.
Compost really brings together the entire planet; it is a naturally occurring process but one which can be sped up by humans with thoughtful arrangement of the elements. It is truly one of most effective ways to create or improve soil quickly and is becoming more and more widely understood to be a vital element of productive food growing systems, whether in urban or rural settings. Mulching, composting, and vermiculture initiatives are underway throughout Terra Perma, all of which help create valuable and nutritious, high quality organic matter to use on and around our plants. Worm castings and compost “tea” are the products of these activities which are used as natural fertilizers by our many gardeners. With regards to vermiculture, we have a Red Wiggler breeding area of over 55 square feet at Terra Perma. Red Wigglers are the ideal choice for quick, effective vermi-composting and we have helped dozens of people get started with their own vermi-composting set-ups. We supply plans, materials, worms, read-made compost towers, installation, advice etc.
For more information on composting, please email Philippe at [email protected]a
Adrian Adams
Adrian is a professional freelance translator who tries to escape the city whenever he can to garden in the serene setting of the Maple Garden at Terra Perma. He is dedicated to transforming the space using sound agricultural practices, permaculture techniques and recycled materials. He and his long-time friends and fellow gardeners Amy Barrington and Sean Kropveld have used hugelkultur, lasagna bedding and mandalas to build and “hold” the soil and they use passive irrigation and rainwater capture throughout the garden. When he isn’t shovelling compost, raking weeds or translating a new website, Adrian enjoys travelling, hiking, snowboarding, playing basketball and learning new languages.
He is a certified translator with the OTTIAQ, or Trad. A. (Traducteur Agréé avec l’OTTIAQ).
Rivkah Rachel
Hi! I’m Rivkah.
I am committed to inspiring you to live the life of your dreams.
My practice and mission is to engage more intimately with life. Coaching, yoga and retreats are my tools. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions to help you dive deeper into your purpose and mission and to align that purpose with the particles (all the day to day details) that make up your life. I teach yoga classes designed to focus your attention inward and to tune into your body and intuition. I organize retreats that invite you to pause, relax, and create space for the universe to offer its wisdom.
I thrive on big picture possibility flourishing into reality. I have an eye for detail and envisioning where a project can go and the practical skills required to make it happen. I enjoy getting to know people’s motivation and helping them transform their goals into action. I adore designing and facilitating experiences that create space for people to connect more deeply with themselves. I think of it as coming home to oneself – no matter the setting or circumstances. My coaching, my classes, my retreats – and MY LIFE – foster a deep connection to the nature that is within and all around us.
Rivkah is my REAL name, the one my mother gave me. *Thanks mom!
Rivkah is the hebrew form of Rebecca. It means to tie or to bind, aka UNION. (Yoga is often translated as union!) Coincidence?
Rachel is my middle name. And I love alliteration.
Yoav Sasportas. Beekeeper.
Yoav Sasportas, Wild Bee aficionado and beekeeper is reinventing beekeeping by merging ancient and modern methods, a practice which he names ‘intuitive’ beekeeping. Currently a student of Farm Management at McGill University’s McDonald College, he is motivated to find solutions to today’s beekeeping challenges. His interest in beekeeping began when he worked at Terra Perma and was astounded at the diversity of pollinators and specifically, the different species of bees he found in the forest. In 2012, Yoav spearheaded The “Bee Project” which enriches Terra Perma by initiating bee education activities and encouraging Terra Perma’s bee population, which pollinate wild flowers, local crops, and flowering forest plants. His product: Organic Terra Perma Honey
Services
elan construction. elan neumark.
Elan Construction moved from the Montreal region to Arundel, Quebec, in 2012. We now offer a wide range of residential and commercial services to the entire Laurentian community. Elan Construction is a full service (general and specialized contractor, RBQ no. 5659-5028), able to realize your project from conceptualization through to completion. As a partner of Terra Perma, Elan Construction is both spearheading the development and construction of the Eco-tourism Center as well as offering its services to Terra Perma’s growing number of residents and entrepreneurs. Our vision for sustainable design, methods and construction materials drives us to constantly test, learn, and adapt.
Studio9. design & architectural services.
With ten years of professional experience in the discipline of architecture and project management, Ali Hammoud is Terra Perma Development’s major contributing member. Ali is recognized as one of the finest architects of custom, luxury residences in his native country, Lebanon, but has also worked extensively on multi-family housing projects, commercial contracts such as office buildings, sports complexes and business centers, as well as certain institutional edifices in Saudi Arabia. He possesses exemplary skill at transforming challenging sites into their highest potential by optimizing view orientation, among other things. Through many of his architectural mandates, Ali has had opportunity to develop his knowledge regarding sustainable building materials for clients with environmental consciousness. “I believe that the language of architecture is not a question of a specific style. Every building is built for a specific use in a specific place and for a specific society. My buildings try to answer the questions that emerge from these simple facts as precisely and critically as they can.” Ali Hammoud, Architect, Terra Perma member since February 2013.
hélène hamel. translation services.
Hélène was born in Abitibi and graduated from Laval University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Translation and Foreign Languages. After many years with translation departments in the fields of travel, tourism and broadcasting, Hélène started working as a self-employed translator-editor. Through the years, she developed a passionate interest for the environment, namely resources and wildlife protection and biomimicry. Hélène secured a number of prominent mandates in the field of sustainability and environment, from environmental impact studies to international standards in environmental management, threatened species, and sustainable management in the fields of aviation and ecofisheries; her professional work has no frontiers! For Hélène, Terra Perma is of great interest for the quality of life and the interesting future it offers.
Aliet Rogaar. iokai shiatsu therapy, cranial-sacral therapy and physical coaching.
Aliet Rogaar is an iokai shiatsu therapist and cranial-sacral therapist from the Netherlands. She has a private practice in Amsterdam and goes to companies to work with employees to help them relieve stress and live more healthy and happy lives. She grew up with a love for nature, but moved to different cities to study and work. In her late twenties she realised how far removed from nature the lives of many (young) people are and the different levels of stress this causes. She started to study various healing arts and combines shiatsu and cranial-sacral therapy and with movement and dance.Her workshops are an inner and outer exploration in the workings of our bodies both physically and energetically.
Alfonso Tarazona, Dance workshops instructor
Born in Las Morochas, Edo. Zulia, Venezuela South America with very strong Colombian roots. He came to the USA at the age of 14 in 1983 he graduated from Edgewood High School in Ellettsville, Indiana. In 1984 Studied Radio and voice projection in Maracaibo Venezuela at Radio Reloj under the direction of Rafael Ponce. Than in 1986 attended Marian College and IUPUI Indiana and in 1995 studied fashion design at FIT NYC. Alfonso Tarazona has worked in the arts; acting, painting, sculpture, photography, fashion design and dance for over 25 years. Alfonso will dance you into a fun and exhilarating fusion of forest and tango.
PARHAM YAZDY, CERTIFIED GOOGLE PHOTOGRAPHER
“PYstudio is a creative studio helping businesses improve their brand image and visibility with 360° Google virtual tours and Architectural pictures. Our mission is bringing visual values to your Website, Connect your business to Google maps and develop your Marketing/Social media materials. We work hand in hand with our clients, helping them identify and address their marketing needs. We know that good photos and visuals play an essential role in achieving memorable brand experience. Our Google partnership allows us to provide 360° virtual tour for the business and connect them to Street view of Google maps, This feature raises Google search ranking by increasing the traffic of your business.”
ÉNERGIE SOLAIRE QUÉBEC-ÉSQ
ÉSQ est le seul organisme sans but lucratif francophone indépendant et neutre à faire la promotion des énergies renouvelables (solaire actif-photovoltaïque-solaire passif-éolien-microturbine hydroélectrique-géothermie-biomasse, etc.) au Québec depuis 1983. En assumant le rôle d’intermédiaire entre le consommateur/utilisateur public et les acteurs corporatifs, ÉSQ a pour mission primordiale d’informer, d’éduquer et de sensibiliser tous les Québécois et Québécoises à l’utilisation optimale des ressources énergétiques et de favoriser l’émergence au Québec de la filière des énergies vertes.
Isabel Helianthus Gariépy
In my travels, I discovered how much I like to learn about the culture of a country by its culinary practices. Unfortunately, some countries have almost lost all their traditions since importing foreign ingredients, often cheaper and easier to cook.
The environmental issues have also always preoccupied me.
Where does my food come from? How is it produced? Who benefits and above all, is it respectful of the Earth?
I worked on farms, I studied plants, I cooked on site and experienced.
The farmers who do this all their life are, in my eyes, superheroes. A dinner in their homes has nothing to do with the fancy atmosphere of a 5-star restaurant. Yet, they produce high quality foods that make us feel good.
Now, back in Quebec, I want to promote my origins and go further by placing wild, fresh and local products in an exceptional atmosphere at the heart of my recipes.
Through my Farm’s Table project, I want to develop dinners that will represent every region of Quebec. I will take people to eat on a local farm by inviting them to interfere in the space time of the workers, by making them discover the true nature of the ingredients, the smells of the farm mixed with the cooking smell, the earth, our roots, ”directly both feet in the hay”.
During the events, some of the farmers will be present to talk about their experiences and share their passion for agriculture. I want to make them the stars of the dinner, because, really … They are the brave ones.
To be able to say that we met the one who made the meal in front of us grow is fascinating, and yet this was more than normal a few years ago.
Joining the ancestral and the modern, I try to bring everyone together at the same table, because basically, everyone is the student and the teacher at any moment and time.
Bon Appetit with a Pinch of Consciousness !