UniTea

The Story Of UniTea…
UniTea is part of a vision that artist Shylene Schlackl has been building for more than a decade. In 2007, when the Schlackl family bought the little house on Hillside, it was clearly with the idea of the house becoming ‘something’. This small 1940 beach glass stucco encrusted house felt like home for both the Schlackls and the growing vision. Being shared with the grassroots Not-For-Profit society (The Community Unity Society est. 2005) and the Mosaic the City Project magic started happening right away and without too much effort “The Art House” emerged.

Right from the beginning the house has been shared. The basement and garage space were quickly transformed into an artist studio for Shylene and workshop space were dedicated for use by the NFP. Additionally the Great Room was built to host the NFP’s Head Quarters and office space – which also served as a great meeting/presentation/viewing space. During this time the Schlackl family resided on the main and upper floors of the house. Shylene, her husband Jonathan, their daughters Alora and Ireland and their dog Milton make the Victoria Schlackl family.

2009 – 2014 Studio Twelve-Nineteen Opens and “Operation 1219” is launched. Over the course of the next five years many art shows, community engagement projects such as The Wish Tree, OUR Curbside Labyrinth, the Sofa King Cool Cob Bench, The Communitea Piano and the Communitea Book and Sharing boxes where installed. In addition, several community events were hosted at UniTea including talking circles, spa days, silent days, musical evenings and of course Tea Parties.

It was in 2013 things started to pick up. “The And Zen” philosophy began to immerge as a common practice at UnITea. Underused rooms and other spaces in the house began to be shared during the week days while the Schlackl family was at work and school. A sound artist and Reiki practitioner, a nutrition student, private consultants, a mixed media artist, a healing circle facilitator, multiple breath workers, and other artists have contributed to UniTea and the UniTea House dream becoming a reality.

In 2015 the time had come to move the house forward towards the ‘something’ that had always been envisioned. The Schlackls took most of their families’ belongings out of the house, retaining the studio, workshop, small UniTea station and private residence in the basement. Consequently, the main and upper floors of the house became available for additional and alternative use as per the overall vision of UniTea and Zen…..

For the next 2 years the main and upper floors were rented for living space to a group of students in various stages of their educational path. This was dubbed the "Chillside Manor" in 2016. What a great way to share the UniTea Home! They all finished their degrees and are headed UP and OUT into the world!! Finishing up their final weeks of university life in the house. Huge gratitude from the UniTEA Framily for helping co-create space those two years!!

Zen the house entered the next phase of transition and growth, in spring of 2017. New partnerships, Agreements, contracts & of course Tea Parties.
UniTea began seeking individuals who were interested in living in Community and began offering individual rooms as an opportunity for those interested to get involved. Each UniTea housemate selected must complete an application process that includes a letter of intention and a set of interviews to determine if they will be a correct fit for the house and the overall vision. Each New House Member will be part of building this layer of the vision, the contracts and agreements and development of this place. This is a licensed agreement between each roomer and the Schlackls. We don’t fall within the Residential Tenancy Act, since we are sharing this house and its spaces in unique ways.

NOW & ZEN TOGETHER the NFP maintains their office space in the Great Room and Artists continue to work from the around and throughout the house. Artists and doers can be found typically around the house at least two afternoons a week. Artists and the organizations that work with them, some reside at UniTea and partner with The CUPS, and will often be found creating and communing around, co-hosting gatherings, art shows, tea parties and other interactive, creative happenings. The Schlackl family keeps sleeping spaces in the house and members of the Schlackl family, UniTea Framily, and guests sleep at the house at various times throughout the year.
The concepts for UniTea and how to share this space are always on the move forward towards the vision of a shared house, life, art, healing, nature, tea, and community. UniTea is about sharing and growing, about building community through art, relationships and Zen!
We are going to build this together…think outside the box!

LOOKING FORWARD over the next few years (2017-2020) while we grow into life shared, the team at UniTea will be working diligently towards the future uses and needs for UnITea to flourish. There will be both small and large upgrades scheduled to the house, such as heating and cooling system upgrades to top floor, basement bathroom renovations, painting, staining and art installs etc. We will also upgrade our policies and procedures together. We will be looking at officially rezoning the house to be a mixed use residential, which will allow for businesses and residences to work cohesively within the by-laws and zoning regulations of the neighbourhood. We will be looking at moving a small new business in to share the basement space (and possibly take one the main floor bedrooms into Hoffice by 2019)

BIG IDEA shared Grassroots business and Living.
Welcome to Our Home and this Organic, natural evolution of the ideas and vision.
The Whole UniTea Framily!