Profile of developer

Bill McKechnie

Bill  has been constructing small speciality developments since moving to Victoria in 1971.

After practicing law for several years, Bill formed his own construction company and specialized in ‘heritage’ renovations of dilapidated Victorian, Queen Anne and Edwardian houses in the James Bay area. In the mid 70’s he was part of the growing movement which shaped the urban style of what Victoria is today. Bill’s work was exacting and detailed, reflected in three Hallmark Society awards for his restorations and adaptive re-use of buildings.

In 1983, Bill brought the bed and breakfast industry to Victoria with the “Beaconsfield Inn’’ a renovation of a 1912 Samuel McClure mansion. The resulting business changed the B&B industry in Victoria to what it is today. A short time later, ‘Abigail’s Hotel’ was created out of an old apartment building. The ‘Bedford Regency’ rebuilding was followed by other ventures, ultimately leading to the development of the Fernwood Urban Village.

At 67 years of age, and three attempts at retirement, Bill spent several years researching the concept of cohousing for his own personal reasons, and out of a desire to live within a community of like-minded people.

Bill is an investor and developer of the Village. He typifies what is known in cohousing circles as the ‘burning soul’, a person who  kickstarts a project into action and leads a fledgling cohousing community through the complexities of zoning, construction and financing.

Bill is taking the Fernwood Urban Village to the stage where a strong membership is in agreement with the management principles and vision of the community. After visiting and staying in many cohousing communities in the Western US states and Canada, Bill has developed a good sense of what works and what doesn’t. Apart from his job as the village developer, Bill gets to spend time with his family and doing volunteer work.  Bill is a long standing community volunteer who has served many local organizations. Currently he is an active director of the Fernwood Community Association and is  on the board of the Victoria Compost Education centre. He has strong connections with organic gardening groups and local food distribution networks.