Hesperus Village

Front entrance

Hesperus Village is an anthroposophical initiative located in Vaughan, Ontario, on a beautiful campus shared with the Toronto Waldorf School and the Rudolf Steiner Centre.

Hesperus was born out of the imagination of a group of parents and faculty of the Toronto Waldorf School in the late 1980s. The name, Hesperus, is Greek for Venus, the star that is equally bright when it rises as when it sets. The name of our organization serves as a metaphor for our goal —— to support individuals in the third stage of life to experience the fulfillment of their life’s journey. Where Waldorf schools support the healthy development of the individual at the beginning of their life journey, we support the continued development of individuals who have “experienced” life as they approach and pass the threshold.

Enjoying the westerly sunset

The original impulse of the founders was to create a an intentional, intergenerational community in which anthroposophists (Waldorf teachers in particular) would be able to live together in community until the end of life.   While no longer an intentional community in the traditional sense, the culture that lives at Hesperus today stems from its anthroposophical foundation and guiding principles. The residents are actively engaged in creating and sustaining the community life that exists through a strong commitment to a rich cultural life and a striving to balance the freedom of the individual with the needs of the broader community.   All of this is ideally supported by our relationships with other initiatives that are co-located in the Thornhill area; The Rudolph Steiner Centre, Toronto Waldorf School, Christian Community Church and the Pegasus Medical Center, all anthroposophical initiatives that while independent of one another actively work to support each other’s initiatives.

Sunday evening soirée

Today, there are approximately 100 elders that live at Hesperus from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. The residents, staff, volunteers and board members form a partnership which, guided by shared values and principles, supports a healthy social life for all that live, work and volunteer at Hesperus.

Hesperus is a microcosm of the world—an organization that strives to work in a human way to balance the freedom of the individual with the needs of the overall community.