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Awards highlight home and garden improvements

Townsite Heritage Society of Powell River recognizes homeowners for restoration and gardening efforts
Home and garden awards
RESTORATION REWARD: [From left] John, Lucy and Nia Wegner’s Townsite house was recognized as the Grand Heritage Home during Townsite Heritage Society’s recent home and garden awards. Society secretary-treasurer Diana Collicutt presented the award. David Brindle photo

Townsite Heritage Society of Powell River has created its own tradition by annually recognizing the dedication of neighbourhood homeowners who restore the integrity of the National Historic District of Canada.

The society presented its 2017 awards for homes and gardens at Henderson House on October 21.

Tremendous changes have taken place in Townsite since the awards program began 25 years ago, according to Townsite Heritage Society secretary-treasurer Diana Collicutt.

“There are lots of people moving in, lots of ambitious people who are willing to take these houses, fix them up and improve them,” said Collicutt. “Many have been respectful of the heritage architecture and that is what the heritage society likes to see.”

The revival is most evident along Maple Avenue, where 2017 Grand Heritage Award winners John and Nia Wegner try to balance work, life and construction. That balance is difficult to achieve when restoring a heritage home, but nostalgia includes a worthwhile charm, said Nia.

“You look at a shambled house and you say, ‘Wow, this is a project,’” said Nia. “It is exciting."

The Wegner home is a work in progress and, similar to many Townsite renovations, it is a do-it-yourself project.

John, who has worked in the building trades, said homes are not built the way they used to be, including how windows were made previously compared to now.

"It doesn't make sense when you see how these windows were designed and the intricacies of them,” said John. “It's way more ingenious, the design that went into these homes. They didn't have all the products we have now, so they actually thought things through.”

A few doors down from the Wegners, homeowners Joan Shacklock and Mike Franklin received the Most Improved Home award. Franklin saw the same potential for detail as the Wegners did on their home and went to work.

“Joan and Mike transformed their house into what it used to be originally,” said Collicutt. “They took off all of the vinyl siding, exposed beautiful shingles underneath and painted. Mike brought back the original window openings and built the windows himself.”

Collicutt said many new owners of Townsite homes venture deep into the restoration process.

“A lot of them are interested in the original house plan and what it looked like,” she said. “There were seven different housing plans that architects developed and, of course, a lot of it was based on the class structure, so you have the workers’ housing, then the supervisors’ housing and then the managers’ housing; they're interested in seeing that."

Society director Ann Nelson said Townsite Heritage Society is a compendium of information on the old Powell River Company town and essential in the accuracy of the restoration process.

“This is where we think we can bring immediate benefit to the neighbourhood,” said Nelson, “by providing the research resources for people who are interested. People are seeking out Townsite houses because of the character of the architecture and wanting to restore that.”

The Wegners did not seek out Townsite when they moved to Powell River.

“When we moved here, we never thought we were going to buy here,” said Nia. “We looked at houses in Townsite and fell in love. You walk in and it's home. All the other houses, the’70s and ’80s, they don't hold the comfort, warmth and the character.”

Garden award recipients included Ron Maier for Most Improved Mixed Border; David Sepkowski and Linda Shaben for Best Kitchen Garden; Ken Palfrey and Lynn Price for Best Structure; Willem and Brenda Van Delft for Best Garden Overall; Kathy Piechotta for Best Containers; Geoffrey and Kluane Koch for Best Mixed Border; and Marika Varro for Best Commercial.

An additional home award went to Krista Bangham in the Grand General category.