There is a long history of utopian communities but the sixties and seventies saw an extraordinary flowering of “intentional co-operative communities”, communes, based in part on voluntary simplicity, egalitarianism, good food, and the power of a group
to accomplish great tasks.

       In the early seventies there was a cadre of young people with a desire to change the world or at least do something different than what their parents’ generation espoused.

       Texas Lake Community near Hope, BC was one of these groups.

       The central task of the Community was feeding and putting up travellers in a youth hostel beside the Trans-Canada Highway 6 ½ miles north of Hope. There were dozens of Canadian youth hostels in the seventies, supported by a federal government that encouraged unemployed youth to hit the road and see their country. Lodging was rudimentary and inexpensive and usually came with supper and breakfast, all for $2.00 a night. If you didn’t have the money to pay, there were always chores to do.

       Texas Lake went beyond most hostels as it spawned a permanent community. The Hope Hostel first opened in 1972 and then moved in 1973 to the location on the shore of Texas Lake. It stayed open for transients all year around from 1973 to the late fall of 1978. Texas Lake Community grew beyond the hostel, purchasing land in the interior of BC, and becoming involved in a wide range of activities. However, the soul of Texas Lake revolved around running a youth hostel. When that became redundant due to a lack of travellers, the Community dissolved.

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       The 1973 Franco Zeffirelli film “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” described the life of St. Francis of Assisi and drew parallels with the hippie movement. The soundtrack was by Donovan and one of the songs was adapted by Trish to serve as a table grace at the hostel.

       Here are some reflections on the words of that grace:

                  ‘For food before us, we give thanks,’

       We had good food. Many of us did not know how to cook when we arrived at Texas Lake but by the time we left we had culinary skills (for at least a vegetarian diet).

       We were cooking everything from scratch. We picked vegetables from a large organic garden out back, collected fresh eggs from our chickens and milk from the cows or goats. The rest of our food was purchased in bulk from Fed-Up Food Co-op.

      I would be lying if I said that all our experiments were successful and all the meals were great, but as training in how to cook using basic, nutritious ingredients it was a good school.


                   ‘For life within us, we give thanks,’

       We were lively, it is true. A group of young people living together and entertaining thousands of visiting travellers from around the world in a beautiful location – it was an interesting life. We made risky choices then which we might not repeat today – smoking cigarettes, having unprotected sex, riding with sixteen people in a pickup truck, burning wood for heat in rickety stoves – but we made it through.


                    ‘For acts of service, we give thanks,’

       There is a theory of “right livelihood” – that you should be doing work that benefits the planet and the people on it – and to a large degree we were living that. We pooled our communal earnings from the Hostel and from outside work and paid ourselves $1 per day. Most of the people I know from Texas Lake have continued to live lives where job satisfaction means more than a high salary.


                    ‘For love and brotherhood, we give thanks,’

       And belatedly, sisterhood.

       The people living at the Hostel had the same standing as family – they might not be your first choice of people as friends but they were living with you and you had to get along. There were some tough times reconciling the differences between members with very divergent methods and aspirations. When one moved on, another would drop in and fill their place, bringing their own strengths and weaknesses.

       We learned a lot and we made some good friends. Those were interesting times with interesting people and I am glad that we went through them together.


                    ‘We give thanks’


                     (Don Fugler)

Andre                             1979                      
Barb B.                           1973
Brad
Bruce G.
Bruce L.                           1978 - 1979                     
Carl                                 1976 – 1978
Cathy                              1974
Chaez                             1972 - 1977
David S.                          1978 - 1979
Deedee
Diane                              1977 - 1978
Don                                 1973 - 1979
Gabriel                            1973 - 1978 (with gaps)
Gert                                1978 - 1979
Gino                                1973
Holly
Jacqueline L.                   1974
Jake                                1974 - 1979
Jay                                  1974 - 1977
Katsume Kume (Mash)
Kit
Lise                                 1978
Luc
Lyn L.
Maiken                             1976 - 1978
Marge                              1975 - 1977
Mary Anne/ Merry Anne
Mary                                 1973 -
Mike L.                              1974 - 1977
Mel
Peter Z.
Richard                             1974 - 1975
Raven
Ray
Richard D.                         1974 - 1975
Ro                                     1978 - 1979
Robert
Sharon                              1976 – 1979
Slim                                   1973 - 1977
Stephen F.                         1979
Steven T.                           1974 - 1976
Toresa                               1977- 1978
Trish                                   1972 -
Tyhson                               1972 - 1978
Timothy                              1976
Wally
Yanzeh                               1972 - 1978