Growing up in her hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, Joan Fitzpatrick always knew someday she would end up living near the ocean.
“I didn’t know where or how; I just knew it would happen,” she said.
Her daughter visited Powell River with a friend who had grown up here and told her mom she needed to see the community.
“I looked online and made a decision to fly out at the end of February so I could see what winter was like here,” Fitzpatrick said with a quick laugh. She stayed for five days, and bought a rundown trailer in a park that was under foreclosure for $100,000.
As a bank manager, because she was not yet 55 and eligible for a pension, she did not return until June 2017 afterher birthday.
“I never thought I would be able to afford to live on the coast but found out it was possible, so I retired as soon as I could.”
Looking around at some family heirlooms she did not want to part with because she would never be able to replace them, Fitzpatrick paid $10,000 to have them transported to Powell River and drove herself across the country.
She proceeded to gut and renovate the trailer into a “lovely little home.” However, she had always owned a house and land so she started looking around for a vacant lot. She found what she was looking for on Centennial Drive at the same time she was searching for a house to be moved from another location.
It took a year of looking at three different houses before she found one that intrigued her located in Greater Victoria.
“The owner had paid $2 million for the Oak Bay property but didn’t want the 1500-square-foot house,” said Fitzpatrick.
Based on its location, Fitzpatrick said it was obviously an executive home in the late 1950s when it was built with an ensuite and walk-in closet in the master bedroom.
“I loved the cove ceilings and oak floors and knew I could work with it because it has good bones.”
Fitzpatrick had the house barged to Powell River to the lot being readied. It was placed on blocks while the foundation was prepared.
As with most projects, things moved more slowly than anticipated. Fitzpatrick had hoped to move into her new home in November but it actually took until May.
“Everything is connected and when something needs to be done, something else has to be done first.”
Perhaps that was a good thing as she had some hydro and no heat. That has been rectified with a new horizontal fireplace that will warm the house.
“I had to fix the hole in the floor where the original fireplace was located and put down tiles. All the bricks had to be removed before the house was moved.”
Fitzpatrick also put up concrete board around the insert and will surround it with more tiles.
“Up until recently, you could see through the living room wall where there have been two new windows installed. Now that they are in, I’ll replace the interior wall.”
She does as much of the renovation work as she can.
She is keeping the original kitchen cupboards with new countertops arriving this week. Her large fridge stuck out too far so she had someone remove part of a pantry wall so it could be moved back. He is going to build a wine rack above the fridge and a shelf where the stove was located before it was moved to a different place.
“I have found great people to do the jobs that I have to hire out, including a new roof.”
Fitzpatrick is happy with her first tiling job on the kitchen floor. “I’ve done backsplashes before but had never done a floor.” She bartered with someone who wanted help with taxes for a lesson in tiling.
When the plumbing was complete, she put in a sink and toilet and in-floor heating in the main bathroom.
“I had never done that before and was very excited when the floor heated up,” she said. “It feels great stepping out of the shower.”
Three decks have been added to the exterior, including one that was built twice to accommodate Fitzpatrick’s two dogs who come and go inside and to their outdoor area.
Fitzpatrick estimates it will take about a year to complete the renovations. Next spring, she will be ready to tackle the yard. While it is not on the agenda, she is confident she will do well if she sells it. Unlike a trailer which can only achieve a certain value, real estate with a house and land is the best option.
Wherever she ends up living, it will be somewhere in this community. “I’m here in Powell River for life.”
Fitzpatrick has lived in Powell River since 2017.
