Paldi · Cowichan Valley · Vancouver Island
Elk Ridge is a new wellness community taking shape in historic Paldi, near Duncan: forest, food and neighbours, with the whole valley on your doorstep.
Welcome to Elk Ridge
Picture mornings on forest trails, an evening in the community sauna, and food picked from gardens a few steps from home. Elk Ridge is being planned so that living well is simply part of everyday life, in one of Vancouver Island's best-loved valleys.
Planned and built by Worthy Communities, with homes, water, food and wellness designed together from the start.
From the founder
Why we're building Elk Ridge, in our own words.
Video coming soon
Under development
The Cowichan Valley
The Cowichan Valley is often called the Warmland. The name Quw'utsun (Cowichan) comes from the Hul'q'umi'num' word for warming one's back in the sun. Wineries and farm stands, rivers and lakes, ocean villages and trails are all a short drive from Elk Ridge.
Vineyards, cideries, farm stands and some of the Island's best local food.
Swim, paddle or tube the Cowichan River, and spend summer days at Cowichan Lake.
Seaside Cowichan Bay, with fresh seafood, bakeries and boats.
Hike, bike or ride the Cowichan Valley Trail and the historic Kinsol Trestle.
Explore the valley Regional photos, not the Elk Ridge property. Credits on the legal page.
The wellness community
Elk Ridge follows Worthy's Circle Engineered approach: homes, water, food, nature and community planned together, so each part supports the others. Select a part of the wheel to see how it comes together here.
Life at Elk Ridge
01 / 08
Healthy homes on generous lots, with room for a secondary suite.
Phase 1 plans 103 lots on about 60 acres, part of the 196-acre property of forest and meadow. Most lots allow a total build area of up to half the lot area, and secondary suites are permitted, subject to zoning and permits. Homes are designed by Worthy and built off-site for quality and speed.
Phase 1 nearly build-ready
Explore lots & homes02 / 08
A licensed community water supply, planned from day one.
Elk Ridge holds Provincial Water Licence 505532, issued by the Province of BC on March 15, 2024. Water and sewer are part of the Phase 1 design. Wastewater is treated on site with a membrane-technology system that produces clean, Class B effluent: environmentally friendly and built to Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) standards. Rainwater harvesting and reuse is also offered as an optional home feature.
Water licensed
How the water licence came together03 / 08
Food growing where you live: food forests, orchards and community gardens.
Planned around permaculture design that works with the valley's climate, soil and water: a layered food forest, greenhouses, orchards and community gardens, and a small “food pump” demonstration plot of hardy plants as a first step. Joining in the gardens is always your choice: dig in as much or as little as you like.
Planned · in design
Permaculture at Elk Ridge04 / 08
Healthy, obtainable, affordable homes, and a pathway to ownership.
Our goal is to make our homes as healthy, obtainable and affordable as possible, with unique funding options that give families a real pathway to ownership. The Worthy Obtainable Lending Fund is in process.
In process
Worthy Investments05 / 08
A community sauna and lounge in Phase 1, and the Future Wellness Resort planned for Phase 2.
Lot 30 is set aside for the community sauna and lounge, a place to warm up, rest and meet neighbours. Phase 2 plans the Future Wellness Resort, with 50 units and a wellness centre.
Planned
About the Future Wellness Resort06 / 08
Forest, creeks and trails on your doorstep, and the whole valley beyond.
Parks and trails are planned to weave through the community, with the Cowichan River, Cowichan Lake and the Cowichan Valley Trail a short drive away.
Planned
See the land & valley07 / 08
A neighbourhood where people know each other.
Nature-rooted learning, for every kind of family. Child-led and outdoors, with conventional schools close by.
Planned
More about learning at Elk Ridge The Circle Engineered model08 / 08
A community solar utility, designed alongside the food areas.
A community solar utility is in design, planned to work with the homes, food systems and shared spaces so land can grow food and make power. It is under development, not yet built.
In design · under development
Energy in the Worthy modelWellness, close to home
Conceptual renderingPlanned · Phase 1
A quiet, treed park at the centre of the community, with paths, benches and food plants, set around a heritage site we'll care for.
Conceptual renderingPlanned · in design
Fruit and nut trees, berries, herbs and community gardens, chosen for the valley's climate. Join in as much or as little as you like.
Conceptual renderingPlanned · Phase 1 (lot 30)
A community sauna and lounge to warm up, rest and meet your neighbours, with the Future Wellness Resort planned for Phase 2.
Homes at Elk Ridge
Elk Ridge's modular homes are planned with a distinctive set of wellness and preparedness options, so each family can choose the features that fit how they want to live.
Wellness options
Preparedness options
Every Worthy Home includes fire-resistant exterior materials, non-toxic material selections, a heat pump for heating and cooling, and a harvest kitchen.
Designs and prices coming soon.
Nothing is offered for sale yet. Home and lot pricing will be set out once the disclosure statement is filed. Sizes are approximate.
Design your home
Tap any of the 103 Phase 1 lots to see its size, what you can build, and an estimate for a Worthy home in your colours and finishes.
Presales haven't started yet. Nothing is for sale and no deposits are taken until the disclosure statement is filed under BC's Real Estate Development Marketing Act. Prices on this map are for planning only. Register now and we'll contact you in sign-up order once the presale agreement and disclosure statement are ready.
The presale agreement and disclosure statement will be provided when ready.
Conceptual rendering of the preliminary Phase 1 plan.
Lot map: conceptual rendering traced from the preliminary Phase 1 plan; approximate and subject to final survey. Home images are examples for illustration. Deposit terms and presale agreement: in process.
Founder Village · a concept
Founder Village is envisioned as a separate, close-knit village of about 35 homes for the founders and entrepreneurs who want to be part of the backbone of Elk Ridge. It's a place for investors, elders and business owners who each bring different strengths and values, set around shared gardens and a central green.
A concept in development (Phase 2). Location, timing and design are not final, and no homes are offered for sale.
The masterplan concept
The full master plan spans about 301 acres: the 196-acre Elk Ridge property plus neighbouring lands, including 13 five-acre lots, planned in stages. Phase 1 comes first: homes along quiet, curving streets, wrapped in parks, trails and protected forest, with wellness and food a short walk from every door.
Explore the plan: tap a number or an area to see what's planned there and when. Phase 1 comes first; everything after it is planned or envisioned, subject to approvals, and may change.
See the Phase 1 lot map
Explore the masterplan
Phase 1 · Final stages, build-ready soon
The first neighbourhood: 103 single-family lots on a loop road with quiet cul-de-sacs, wrapped by protected creek-side forest, with Paldi Road access.
For individual lots and streets, use the Phase 1 lot map.
Phase 1 · Final stages, build-ready soon
A community sauna and lounge for Phase 1 residents, the first wellness amenity at Elk Ridge.
Location approximate.
Phase 1 · Final stages, build-ready soon
The Permaculture Zen Park is part of Phase 1, at the heart of the neighbourhood: Park C (about 3.1 acres in the plan), a quiet green with gardens and a food forest beside the heritage cemetery site.
Planting and design are still in progress.
Phase 1 · Set aside, kept as is
A heritage cemetery site at the centre of Phase 1 (about 0.6 acres in the plan) is set aside and kept as is, with respect. It is not a park or an amenity.
Phase 2 · Planned
A future wellness resort and wellness centre on the 2.56-acre commercial / mixed-use parcel just north of Phase 1, above the creek-side protection zone.
Site: about 2.56 acres (10,437 m²) in the plan. Density: a compact resort of about 50 units, with a wellness centre.
Phase 2 · Planned, subject to approvals
A school site, as shown on the land use plan, beside the north neighbourhood, with a sports field on the park to the west.
School use and timing depend on the school district.
Concept, Phase 2
A potential site for Founder Village, beside the school site. Founder Village is a concept in development for Phase 2, and this location is not decided.
Concept only; location and size not final.
Phase 2 · Planned, subject to approvals
A community sports field on the park just west of the Phase 2 school area, shared by the school and residents.
Size and layout not yet designed.
Later phase · Envisioned
A walkable, mixed-use village west of Phase 1, around a village square park.
Village Marketplace and commercial areas, about 100,000 sq ft total.
Later phase · In planning
Further single-family streets west of Phase 1, covering the full lot area either side of the hydro corridor, as laid out in the overall land use plan.
Lot count, layout and phasing are not final.
Later phase · Planned
Trout Lake at the north-west end, by the hydro corridor and the Phase 1 water reservoir: about 5 acres of water in the plan (shown as a fish pond), with trails and planting around it. It is separate from the Permaculture Zen Park.
Phase 4 · Envisioned
The Tiny Home Village, a small neighbourhood of tiny homes just south of Trout Lake, linked to trails and the creek-side forest.
Number of homes and layout not final.
Throughout the community
Protected creek-side forest and riparian zones run through the whole site, including the creeks north of Phase 2 and the highway side, and wrap the neighbourhoods, with parks and planned walking trails linking every part of the plan.
Highlighted: creek protection zones and parks shown on the plan. Trail routes are still in design.
Neighbouring lands · Part of the 301-acre master plan
13 five-acre lots on the neighbouring lands east of Paldi Road, between the Cowichan Valley Highway and the creek-side forest. Together with the 196-acre Elk Ridge property, they make up the 301-acre master plan.
Owned by Mayo Brother Co, in collaboration with Elk Ridge.
Lot lines as shown on the 2021 land use plan; area approximate.
Built in stages
Conceptual plan, traced from the engineered land use plans. Highlighted areas are approximate. Layout, phasing and amenities are subject to approvals, final engineering and survey. Utility sites (water reservoir, sewage treatment and effluent field) are shown in grey. The entrance rendering is a conceptual rendering.
The land today
Come along on our walk-the-land tour, see the entrance lane and the Phase 1 clearing, and get a feel for the forest that surrounds it.
Where we are
The slow, essential work came first: zoning, permits, water and engineering. Here's where Elk Ridge stands today.
Comprehensive development zoning on the land.
DP18F04, issued December 1, 2021.
Provincial Water Licence 505532, issued March 15, 2024.
Water, sewer, roads and services in design. Construction-readiness target: early 2027.
The disclosure statement is in preparation, and no lots are offered for sale until it is filed.
Built with partners and in collaboration with local First Nations. Read the full Elk Ridge story at Worthy ↗
In the news
Coverage of Elk Ridge in the Cowichan Valley Citizen and other Vancouver Island papers.
Cowichan Valley Citizen
· Robert Barron
The province issues Elk Ridge Estates a conditional water licence for its Paldi community, working with the Cowichan Valley Regional District on servicing.
Also ran in the Lake Cowichan Gazette, Ladysmith Chronicle and Vancouver Island Free Daily, and in the Citizen's 2024 Year in Review.
Read the articleCowichan Valley Citizen
· Robert Barron
A first look at plans to bring new homes, parks and community life back to historic Paldi, built with Cowichan-based builders.
Also featured in the Citizen's 2024 Year in Review.
Read the articlePrices and dates have changed since 2024.
“This licence represents a crucial step in addressing the region's housing needs.”
The story of Paldi
Elk Ridge sits on the site of historic Paldi, whose story has been told by Historica Canada's Heritage Minute ↗ (2023) and the Vancouver Sun ↗ (2019). These pieces are about Paldi's history, not about Elk Ridge.
Articles belong to their publishers and open on their sites. Details in older articles may have changed since publication; this website and the filed disclosure statement are the current source.
Mission & values
Our mission
Worthy and Elk Ridge exist to help create healthier people, stronger families, more resilient communities and regenerated places.
Our purpose is to help build a better system for living: one where people have greater access to health, home ownership, clean water, clean natural food, meaningful relationships, opportunity and nature, and where improving human life does not require sacrificing the land that supports it.
Our values
Technology, capital and development are tools. People are the purpose.
We seek to leave people, communities and land stronger than we found them.
Ownership creates responsibility. What is entrusted to us is cared for with a long-term view.
Healthy living should not be reserved for the few. We work toward homes and experiences at more than one price level, so more people can take part.
We design homes and communities to withstand uncertainty: prepared, without fear or isolation.
Our communities make room for meaningful relationships, family life and connection across generations.
We create pathways rather than dependency, through home ownership, work, learning and enterprise.
Technology must serve people, not become the purpose itself.
We communicate truthfully, acknowledge uncertainty, honour commitments and correct mistakes.
Prosperity with purpose. Built for generations.
From the Worthy Constitution, v1.0 (September 2026). Shared by Worthy and Elk Ridge.
Elk Ridge is developed with Worthy and a team of local partners.
Be first to know
Join the list to hear first when the disclosure statement is ready and Phase 1 opens. It's free and there's no commitment.
