B.C. man gives back by transforming 'eyesore' house into 'spectacular' display

Duncan, B.C. -

Tim Joseph will never forget the day he and his wife Mary-Ellen moved into their first house.

“It wasn’t the best house in the world,” Tim says. “But it was our house.”

After fixing it up as much as they could, Tim set up a security camera to deter criminals in the area. But he was surprised to find footage of sad-looking seniors.

“It really touched my heart,” Tim says.

It was during the pandemic and his elderly neighbours looked lonely.

“They couldn’t go to the mall,” Tim says. “They would walk around the block and there was nothing really for them to do or see.”

So, Tim and Mary-Ellen started putting flowers around the yard to brighten the moods of people passing.

“They liked it,” Tim says. “We put an abundance of flowers!”

Tim says it inspired an abundance of smiles, so he started decorating his yard with hundreds of other pieces of positivity — from sparkly whirly-gigs to beaming statues.

“It’s nice,” says Christine, who walks past the house regularly. “There’s a lot of other stuff that’s not so happy, so this is a good thing.”

The display is proving to be a very good thing for one of Tim’s friends who was struggling with his recovery.

“I thought, if we kept him busy with his hands it would help take over from his addiction,” Tim says. “And it worked out great.”

After Tim donated a bunch of wood, his friend built a colourful train that spans the width of the yard. Tim says its construction was the catalyst to keeping his friend sober for almost four years and counting.

“Caring goes a long way,” Tim says. “Caring for someone might change their life.”

Tim says it certainly changed his.

“I was no angel,” Tim says, before fighting back tears. “I was homeless at 13 years old. A lot of drug addictions and stuff.”

But thanks to the consistent caring of countless people in his community, Tim says he’s been living sober and drug-free for almost 18 years.

“People say you can’t do it,” Tim says. “You can do it.”

Tim ensures he keeps doing it by giving back. He volunteers for others regularly and maintains his display daily. There’s also a hand-written sign the yard, that explains its history and ends with a message encouraging recovery.

“This used to be one of the worst eyesores in town,” Tim says. “And we’ve changed it into something spectacular for all the people to see.”

A home transformed for the benefit of this neighbourhood, by a man transformed by the caring of his community.