The Deanery Project is supported by a diverse network of volunteers and a core team of dedicated individuals including our Board of Directors, Staff and Resource Instructors.
The Deanery Project 2023 -2024 Board of Directors
James Fraser, Chair
Jamie is a professor of medicine at Dalhousie University specializing in Cardiac imaging. He has spent his summers on Petpeswick inlet since the age of three, and he and his wife Susan now live there full time. Jamie is a strong believer in the importance of community and social justice. He has led and participated in multiple humanitarian trips to Central America. Jamie and Susan became very interested in sustainable energy and the environment with the purchase of their first electric vehicle in 2014, and subsequently a photo voltaic solar home installation. These interests along with woodworking and energy efficient building techniques make the Deanery Project a natural fit for Jamie, and he is excited to be on board. His other passions include sailing, cycling, kayaking and hiking.
Ted Barager, Co-Chair/Director
Ted was born and raised in Ship Harbour. After a decade of traveling, puttering and exploring, he came home, built a cozy cob-wood cottage in the woods just up the road from the Deanery. and has been living a bittersweet peasant life ever since. Ted’s hand-crafted homestead, knowledge of local resources and traditional rural skills, highlight key permaculture principles in action. His day job finds him supporting high school students as an Educational Program Assistan
Chloe Donatelli, Secretary 
Chloe Donatelli settled down on the Eastern Shore in 2019, after having lived on Vancouver Island, Cape Breton Island and a few places in between. She has worked for the last decade in the community development sector, having the opportunity to learn from and support communities across Nova Scotia, Canada, and the United States. Chloe can be found on adventures around the province with her family or gardening on her property in West Chezzetcook.
Sheleena Forfar, Director 
Sheleena moved to the Eastern Shore in 2018 after living on unceded Lekwungen Territory (Vancouver Island). Throughout the years she spent as a natural health practitioner, a food activist, a yoga teacher, a social worker, a parks advocate, and a mother, she has cultivated a deep enthusiasm for holistic approaches to environmental sustainability. She is passionate about engaging young folk in nature-based play and about integrating participatory environmental education into urban spaces and learning systems. Sheleena brings with her over 16 years of experience in not-for-profit fundraising, program development, and operations management. She can also often be found studying herbal medicine, highland dancing, or exploring the Shore’s wild nooks and crannies with her son.
Chris Weisenburger, Interim Treasurer
With his financial and legal background, Chris has generously helped guide the Deanery’s accounting and budgeting since its inception. He has over two decades of experience as a solicitor, primarily acting as General Counsel to scale-up companies in clean technology and medtech sectors including TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture and Densitas Inc. He currently acts as General Counsel to CarbonCure Technologies, Cleantech Groups 2020 North American Company of the Year. He holds a BA, LL.B, Master of Business Administration, and passed level two exam of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Chris is also a near Deanery neighbour.
Kimberly Olson, Director
Debrah Eisan, Director
Staff
Kim Thompson, Executive Director
A resident of the Eastern Shore since 1989. Kim is passionate about nature, family, natural building, art, traditional skills and community. In 1993 with the help of friends, family and curious community members she built her straw bale home in Ship Harbour, the first of its kind in Eastern Canada. Drawing on that experience she continued to design, build and produce educational materials to help support a growing network of people committed to natural, low impact building methods. An adjunct instructor with the School of Architecture since 1998, Kim is deeply committed to creating experiential, educational opportunities for pre and post secondary students at the Deanery.
Kim has served as Executive Director since 2012. She infuses all she does with her love for learning, art, social justice and sustainability.
Olivia (Liv) Langille, Program and Communications Coordinator
Liv (she/her) grew up in rural Pictou County. Up until last year she spent 8 years coming and going from NS living, working, and traveling to different places around Canada and the world. She landed in Mineville in September 2022. In fall 2020 she returned to her studies and is now a distance student at Royal Roads University in the BA Environmental Practice program.
Her interests include learning as much as possible about sustainable ways of existing on Earth, whole food plant-based cooking, snowboarding, pottery, geography & maps, photography, small/tiny living, reading, and hiking.
Liv is eager to use her experiences from travel, work, and study in her efforts at The Deanery, and to continue meeting all of the interesting individuals that come through the doors.
Charles Williams
Charles is a Permaculture Designer and teacher with over twenty years experience managing land projects as well as teaching about nature connections and stewardship.
He has worked on a wide range of projects involving wildlife, forests, grasslands, livestock and gardens, along with infrastructure maintenance, surveying, developing land policy and managing easements. He has also worked extensively on building healthy groups through social permaculture and facilitation. In all of his work, Charles brings a spiritual component, founded in a strong belief centered around the need to foster connections between humans and their environments.
Kirsten (Kit) MacDonald, Program Assistant
Kirsten (Kit) graduated from NSCC in 2018 with a diploma in Natural Resources Environmental Technology that enabled her to pursue her deep-seated respect for the natural world, and explore the complex interactions between forests, wildlife, and humans.
Through her work as a long-time volunteer and staff with Hope for Wildlife she led public education experiences that introduced visitors to some of the amazing creatures we share our lands, waters and air with, as well as issues that arise with human-wildlife conflicts.
Kit is a program assistant with the Deanery where she continues to share her love of learning and sharing knowledge with others!
Resource Team Members
Megan Ashworth Hartlen
Megan hails from Halifax, and now resides happily on the Eastern Shore with her husband and three children. She works as an Educational Program Assistant close to home, and finds joy in the students with special needs whom she supports.
Megan has become an avid food grower since moving to Musquodoboit Harbour, where she has just enough space to keep chickens, and to add to her garden from year to year. She graduated from the Deanery’s first Permaculture Design Certificate course in 2018, and found that experience deeply reinforced where her heart resides. Social and environmental justice, especially indigenous struggles and rights, are very important to Megan.
Richard Bell
Journalist and author, Richard devotes most of his time on the Eastern Shore as the intrepid editor of The Eastern Shore Cooperator. He was one of the founding members of the Deanery Project, served as chair for four years. Richard is also Vice President of Communications for the Worldwatch Institute. He counts among his hobbies a practiced love of cooking, spicy foods, jazz, books, birds, the blues, and sailing. Richard is also a self-professed, full convert to localism.
Past Board Members
Geoff Moore, Past Director 
Geoff grew up in Middle Musquodoboit in the 1950s, when his family bought the camp property next to the Deanery Project. He studied physics at Dalhousie University and University of Calgary and worked as a geophysicist in Calgary before returning to Nova Scotia to farm. He has served on the board of several co-ops, credit unions and farm organizations. He has dabbled in carpentry, bookkeeping, system administration, sailing, skiing, cycling and canoeing. His current most active interests are boatbuilding, Scottish Country Dancing with his partner Holly, and reading 19th century novels.
Caryl Michaelson-Rotermund, Past Director
Geophysicist Caryl Michaelsen-Rotermund has been a long-time supporter of the Deanery Project, bringing her knowledge of permaculture, natural eco-systems, and outdoor exploration into many aspects of the organization’s operations. In addition to teaching at Dalhousie University, and being an avid sailor, Caryl devotes time to the Deanery, supporting programs and initiatives throughout the year.
Robert Kloske, Past Board Chair
Retired, and now settled on the Eastern Shore, Bob and his wife Pippa spend much of their time learning about, and building, their Earth Ship home in Ship Harbour. Bob worked with Ontario Parks for 37 years and during that time was very active with the Lions Club, and the Ontario Canoe and Kayak Association. Since 2017 he has served as Treasurer and Chair with the Deanery Project. When not building, or engaged with Deanery activities, Pippa and Bob are hatching plans to re-launch their flat water canoe paddling, and canoe instructor training business.
Seasonal Staff
Current Interns
Maddie Lee
Maddie is a 20 year old University of Calgary architecture student from Calgary, Alberta. In Maddie’s free time, you can find her hiking in the Rocky Mountains or performing on stage with her band Exit Division. She loves exploring the natural world and sharing this experience with others. Maddie wanted to be part of the Canadian Conservation Corp (CCC) program because she believes this experience comes with responsibility, and the opportunity to collaborate with others to preserve these beautiful places for generations to come. She is excited to strengthen her outdoor leadership skills, try new activities outdoors, and form connections with like-minded individuals.
Teagan Melnyk
Teagan is a 24 year old from Treaty 6 territory Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta). She is in her 3rd year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at MacEwan University. Teagan treasures her apartment where she lives with her instruments, books and giant, Siamese cat, Griffith (who is six years old and is her pride and joy). Teagan is inspired by community work and team building – she loves connections and communications. She hopes to connect with anyone and everyone while on her internship at the Deanery!
Past Interns
Isobel Gauthier – on a three month internship with Canadian Conservation Corps
Isobel was born in Happy Valley Goose Bay, Labrador, she is an artist with interests in illustration, painting, knitting, and tattoos. She cares deeply about the environment and sustainable living which 
she always tries to convey in her art. Isobel is part of the Canadian Conservation Corps, which led her to a three month Deanery Project internship where she spends her days making stained glass, gardening, and working on podcasts. She is enjoying the beauty of the Eastern Shore, and is looking forward to meeting more of her new community.
John Healey – on a three month internship with Canadian Conservation Corps
John moved to Nova Scotia from Newfoundland in 2020, pursuing his MSc. in Physics at Dalhousie University. After discovering that the life of a researcher was not for him, he joined the Canadian
Conservation Corps, which is what brings him to The Deanery. He has always had a passion for fighting climate change, and is very excited at the prospect of working to preserve the natural world while also enjoying its tremendous beauty. In his time here so far, he’s had the privilege to pursue his passions of making music, recording podcasts, and writing – all to raise awareness of The Deanery and the various causes it works for. He’s also been drawn into the world of natural building, and is excited to apply what he’s learned back home in Newfoundland. Most of all, he is enjoying meeting the wide variety of interesting folks that pass through The Deanery. It is a blessing to talk with people from such diverse backgrounds, hearing their stories, and sharing his own.
