Houses saved from demolition being moved to First Nation on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast
A major move underway in Port Moody will see 10 houses saved from the wrecking ball and given new leases on life on the Sunshine Coast where they can nurture future generations of families.
"We had a lot of Christmases and birthdays here," said Wendy Kinloch, the former owner of one of the houses. "We've been in the house for 34 years and raised two beautiful girls here."
The house on Windsor Drive is one of 59 originally slated for demolition after being purchased as part of a land assembly by Wesgroup, a developer with plans to build a dense master-planned community with 2,500 new residential units at the site.
But now 10 of the old houses have been deemed appropriate for relocation.
"Demolition should be the last option, not the first. And as we're proving today, there's a very viable alternative. And a responsible alternative," said Glyn Lewis, owner of Renewal Home Development. "Which is to physically rescue, relocate and repurpose many more of these homes."
After driving through the neighbourhood and identifying the homes he thought could be saved, Lewis reached out to the developer to see if it would be amenable to the idea.
Once Wesgroup was on board, Lewis made contact with the shíshalh Nation near Sechelt which currently has 200 families on its housing waitlist.
"Most homes have to be torn down after a certain amount of time," said Lhehiwus Yalxmult, Chief of the shíshalh Nation. "But these homeowners really looked after their homes and appreciated what they had and we're so very excited to be able to continue that."
The homes are only about a kilometre from Rocky Point Park at the eastern edge of Burrard Inlet but they cannot be loaded onto barges there because they are too large to safely navigate the overpass that leads to the park's boat ramp.
Instead the houses will take a circuitous route through Port Moody and Coquitlam before being loaded onto barges for the trip to the Sunshine Coast and their final destination near Sechelt.
On the way, they will pass through the Skookumchuck Narrows, a fast-moving tidal rapids on Sechelt Inlet.
Once safely at their destination, the houses will be placed upon new foundations with basement suites – creating homes for 20 families.
Thinking about her home of 34 years nurturing another generation of children brings a tear to Kinloch's eye.
"It was just a wonderful neighbourhood, a wonderful home, and I'm so glad that it is going to someone else and it will see that life," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.