ECOASIS

Projet de / Project of

L'Association pour la santé environnementale du Québec / Environmental Health Association of Québec

Share Your Story

Does Anybody Care ?
Renée Gabrych

I am tired of living in hell
Olly Gabrych

Housing Crisis for People with MCS
Line

Two days later, the landlord threatened to evict me
Ruth

Sometimes I had to become homeless
Anonymous

Over the years, more than 6000 people have reached out to us with their stories. This has inspired us to create a space for the MCS community to share their experiences.

We want to be your publisher, we want this page to be a place where you can share your story with the community, to get the message out there that this disability exists!

Here are just a few of the stories shared with us, that have kept us motivated to keep fighting:

Dear members and friends,

Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

Canadians are facing a housing crisis, but those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) have long been in crisis when it comes to finding adequate housing. We know how debilitating this health condition, MCS, can be. How it impacts every aspect of your life; your relationships, your home, your work, every part of your life is suddenly unsafe and how isolating that can be.

We know many of you who experience MCS face discrimination in the housing market and extra obstacles when it comes to finding decent living arrangements. You have to consider how close your neighbours are, if your home is on a particularly busy street, if your apartment is not just up to standard but above standard when it comes to ventilation, material choices, pest control and more. That is to say, if you can find living arrangements in the first place…

Homelessness is a word that people like to distance themselves from but many people fall into this state with out realizing it. “Couch Surfing,” “Van-Life,” even staying with friends for extended periods of time are all different forms of homelessness and unfortunately homelessness is one of the greatest issues facing our MCS community. It is shocking and upsetting to be chronically ill and even more so, to be homeless during this period.

We admire your resilience, strength, ingenuity and courage. How you never give up and how you think of ways to cope in the face of insurmountable challenges. Often, on your own.

But where are your stories? Who carries them? Now and then we see press reports as though these are isolated cases. We know over one million people have been diagnosed with MCS in Canada (Statistics Canada 2020).

We want to provide a safe space for you to tell your story which can be as short or as long as you wish. You can use your name, or remain anonymous. We will edit your story for you and make sure a French and English translation are available and loaded on the website. From time to time, we will send your inspiring stories out via social media to spread awareness on MCS in the general public.

You may be wondering where to start your story. Here are a few suggestions:

Try to keep your story under 1000 words, or four pages. Font: Times New Roman 12, double spaced. However, we will accept any length provided by you!

  • What were the resulting changes in your lifestyle and home when MCS set in?
  • What, if anything, in your home made you ill?
  • How difficult has it been to find adequate housing with this condition?
  • Have you ever been homelessness because of MCS? (directly or indirectly)
  • Did you surf couches, stay with friends, live in your car or a van, or live with your windows open in winter? (These are different versions of homelessness)
  • Do you avoid cohabiting with others because of MCS? How does this impact your relationships?
  • Do you feel secure in your housing situation?
  • Have you faced discrimination when looking for proper housing?
  • What would you like to see change in the housing market to better accommodate those with MCS?

Click here to write to us about your interest in doing this, and if you need help. If you cannot be on the computer for long, we could take down your story via the telephone and send a copy to you for your approval.

We look forward to hearing from you.

With every good wish to you,

The Team at ASEQ-EHAQ

Who is ECOASIS For?

ECOASIS is more than a housing complex, it is a community for anyone who experiences the disability of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a health condition that leaves many vulnerable, neglected, and isolated in today’s society.

Quebec has long ignored the population experiencing MCS and has failed to provide the proper services, resources, and support that it urgently needs. It is time to create awareness of this disability, within the general population, on the rising prevalence and seriousness of MCS in Quebec (251, 000 diagnosed cases, Statistics Canada, 2020).

ECOASIS aims to fill the gap of healthy, affordable housing that is currently being ignored, and to provide a healthy space for the MCS community to regain strength, health, and social connection.

The foundation for any healing process is a healthy living environment. ECOASIS is that foundation; affordable, healthy housing with clean air, clean water, organic food, and a strong supportive community.

A New way to Live and Build

ECOASIS is the first project of its kind. A project that will benefit us, and future generations, on living without pollutants in our environment. ECOASIS will focus on having the best indoor air quality possible; and its benefits to personal and public health, and our environment.

ECOASIS will provide a solid foundation for good health and a new way of living by using the least-toxic available products across all facilities and applications, to ensure an optimal level of air quality. This will be achieved not only through product choices, but also through a variety of methods to encourage offgassing of chemicals, which include a process known as ‘baking’ as a means to clear harmful VOCs from the ECOASIS living spaces and by using the highest efficiency ventilation systems available.

ECOASIS will exemplify a new way of building by reducing electricity consumption, leaning into solar energy, planning for and installing effective mechanical ventilation, choosing the most healthy and eco-friendly building materials, and ensuring strict management of the worksite to prevent significant chemical exposures.