Trades students at The Centre completing the first of what they hope will be many Tiny Homes.

By Staff

June 14th, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

The Centre for Skills Development and Training has partnered with the Oakville Trafalgar Rotary Club on a Tiny Homes initiative.

These Tiny Homes are being built by students at enrolled in different trades courses at The Centre. The students, supervised by fully qualified instructors, get hands on experience. Rotary gets a product they plan to sell and make available to disadvantaged communities.

What is a Tiny Home?

It is a little little home that has wheels. It’s not a toy, it is real accommodation.

The units are 24 feet long, 8 feet wide and 14 feet high.

They are set up to handle  50 amp electricity, plumbing, and ready to take a gray water tank.

Propane or gas for heating. The units are insulated to an R32 standard

The lower level is one large space with the bathroom set up as a separate space.

There are two small lofts

The units are built by students-and-volunteers at The Centre in Burlington.

An example of what students are building at The Centre in Burlington, ON

They will be on display at the Oakville Ribfest which takes place on Friday, June 22nd starting at 4pm at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar campus, and will run until Sunday, June 24th at 7 pm.

Rotary would love for people to see the home, and meet some of the people who cooked up the idea, and actually built it.

The new Tiny Home will be on display, and also available for purchase. Offers start at $40,000, all of which will be used to support Rotary’s charitable initiatives in Halton and beyond.

Cheque presentation from the Oakville Trafalgar Rotary to The Centre where the Tiny Home is being built.

“We really feel that this program addresses multiple issues now affecting communities around the country” said Oakville Rotary Club executive Lauri Asikainen, “Not only will it provide valuable skills training for students, but the homes they create have tremendous value, not just as affordable housing, but as green living spaces, or for people downsizing, adventure traveling, vacationing, or just trying to lead a simpler life.”

Ken Coulter, past president of the Oakville Trafalgar Rotary explained that they provided some of the materials funding and that much of the insides have been donated.

The first unit will be on display at the Oakville Trafalgar Ribfest on June 22nd to 24th.

How did the idea get started? The Oakville Trafalgar group was having lunch at their usual location one meeting and talking about new fund raising ideas. Mention was made of maybe building a Tiny Home; the waitress suggested that the Rotary talk to people at The Centre – and an idea suddenly had legs and before long, in typical Rotary fashion, something was happening.

A trailer base was donated, windows were donated, and Canadian Standards Association approval was obtained.

It all leads to the first of what the Rotary hopes will be a couple of buildings a year.

Rotary International happens to be meeting in Toronto the same weekend as the Rib Fest in Oakville. More than 100 District Rotary governors will be bused out to the Rib Fest to chow down on some ribs and have a look at the Tiny Home.

For more information slip over to – www.rcot.ca You can communicate with someone at TinyHome@rcot.ca