Neighbourly Coffee - A Testament to the Possible

Know what’s cool? Going to lunch at that new place Neighbourly Coffee and having to wait in a lineup that stretched clean to the door. It was the most satisfying wait Janet and I have experienced in a long time. And not just because the space is beautiful although it is, but because the lineup was Fredericton’s way of showing support to Marcel LeBrun’s 12 Communities, the project that has provided 96 tiny homes for people who were homeless, and is now moving to the next phase, creating a link to the larger community and at the same time, providing employment opportunities for residents.

A shot from just inside the door to Neighbourly Coffee at Two Nations Crossing, just past the northside Walmart, which officially opened to the public on Friday.

 CBC Information Morning Fredericton did its show live on location last Friday morning to mark the official opening, and I must say it was excellent radio from host Jeanne Armstrong. Her interviews with tiny home residents and with LeBrun are well worth hearing. If you didn’t catch the show, there’s a second chance sitting on their website. There are five segments, but if you only have time to listen to one, listen to the one entitled Neighbourly Coffee. It includes an interview with Rodrigo Flores, who was a cook at the Fredericton Community Kitchen before recently moving to Neighbourly Coffee.

 As a volunteer at the Community Kitchen myself, I worked with Rod. Actually, as the cook he was my boss – they knew better than to allow me near the food, I expect because they understood my expertise in the kitchen is strictly in washing pots and pans, but I digress.  My point is that in Jeanne’s interview with Rod, he talks about the transformation he has seen in people who were homeless showing up at the kitchen for meals, to the path they are on now. Listen to how he describes the changes he has seen in people who were lucky enough to secure a tiny home, how they seem to walk taller now, evident that a great weight has been lifted off their shoulders, and how some, perhaps for the first time, can see a future for themselves. I’m not doing it justice here, but listen to the interview. He captures exactly how tiny homes changes lives.

Some of the tiny homes, as seen from the building at Two Nations Crossing that houses Neighbourly Coffee.

But back to Lebrun’s point that secure housing is simply the first step. As he puts it – the vision was always to build a community where everyone is cherished, barriers are challenged, and opportunities are accessible.  

So now, with the opening of Neighbourly Coffee, Phase 2 of 12 Communities has taken root.  

Al Smith, commonly known as Mayor Al of 12 Communities is usually available for tours. Here’s he’s inside one of the tiny homes where construction workers are still adding final touches.

When we were there on Friday, we took advantage of Al Smith, better known as Mayor Al, unofficial chief ambassador for the community, offering a tour. He’s great – personable, knowledgeable, and an example himself of the difference a tiny house can make to a life. He showed us around, and there was more to see than just the homes and the coffee and sandwich shop. The back end of the complex has meeting rooms where they offer art and life lessons, there’s a print shop for design and screen printing on various apparel, and a big area for carpentry projects. Speaking of which, they are now selling tiny homes for use as anything from studio space to a garden suite. And they also have their own community garden.  

It all adds up to employment opportunities and a greater sense of community, giving hope and purpose to a population that lacked both.  And it all started with a man of incredible generosity, exceptional vision, and an ability to get things done. It is a testament to the possible.

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