Laurel Zaseybida, Avalon Community Consulting Alliance
by SARAH ROWLAND, photo by Jaime Kowal
Social justice, ethical marketplace, peace-on-earth Laurel Zaseybida wants it all, and in one Kelowna-based eco-village. Nine years ago, she had a spiritual vision for a utopian, sustainable living community. So she packed in her cushy urban planning gig to start Avalon Community Consulting Alliance Inc., a company that emphasizes how important it is to integrate all aspects of life into every project.
“When you’re talking about health and wellness, for example, you can go in and get a massage and some therapy but you still have to go back out into the world, where your food is toxic, your housing is poorly designed, and your workplace sucks,” she says.
Attempting to build the world’s most energy-efficient community from the ground up has given this former environmental activist a new appreciation for her former foes.
“I used to have certain views of developers—it was like us against them,” she says.
“You know, when you’re in your 20s and you’re into social change, it’s like, ‘Those damn corporations; they’re screwing up the world.’ But at a certain point, I had to move beyond that and start thinking more strategically.”
So what has kept this spiritually driven woman inspired during all the various council and investor meetings she’s had to endure?
“What motivates me is love,” she says. “I grew up in Kelowna and it’s a beautiful valley. Part of me is responding to wanting to help protect it from the usual horrible impacts of growth.” Zaseybida’s designs on a low ecological footprint community is a step in the right direction.
—Sarah Rowland
photo by 
