Annual awards for homes and gardens were presented by Townsite Heritage Society on Saturday, October 15. The awards, presented by the society since 1992, are a revival of the former Powell River Company’s tradition of presenting annual garden awards.
“The purpose of the awards is to foster, through a gentle and good-natured competition,” said society director Ann Nelson, “pride in the tradition of beautiful, bountiful gardens and to encourage homeowners to restore, rehabilitate and cherish their character buildings.”
The society promotes the preservation of Townsite, which was designated a National Historic District of Canada in 1995, one of seven in the country and the only one in western Canada.
Due to efforts of the society and residents who work to retain the authenticity of the neighbourhood, Townsite residents have been restoring original buildings from the turn of the century in a renaissance of sorts, according to Nelson.
“So many incomers are now taking the leap and peeling off the ‘60s stucco and ‘70s vinyl siding to reveal the original siding underneath with truly beautiful results,” she said.
Not all Townsite homes are of the original Arts and Crafts style from the period, having been updated with modern materials.
According to Nelson, many homeowners are removing modern windows installed in the 1980s and 1990s and replacing them with replicas custom-made for the architectural heritage that distinguishes Townsite and makes the neighbourhood such an attraction.
“There are people who are drawn to the Townsite, some don’t even know why,” said Nelson. “They just know that it feels right.”
It felt right for Calico Clark and Guy Chartier, who moved to Powell River from Singapore in 2010 because of a Townsite house.
“We came up one summer,” said Chartier. “We looked at houses, went back to Singapore, quit our jobs and we bought the house.”
According to Chartier, after that trip, they knew Townsite was where they wanted to be.
“I remember looking it up online and thinking the house was so cheap and we knew we needed to live somewhere,” said Clark.
They call their home Maison Bleue. “It’s quirky,” said Clark. “The floors are sloped and the walls have given us some issues in the last year.”
According to Clark, the house is a labour of love and if more needs to be done, “we borrow more and fix up more. I will never leave this house.”
Andy Davis has his own labour of love in Townsite or, as he said, his nirvana, “my personal peace of mind.” For the last 24 years, after the heritage society had a horticultural assessment done, Davis has been the lead volunteer in the restoration and maintenance of the Triangle Gardens on Marine Avenue.
According to Nelson, the gardens are significant, not only for their heritage value, but for community cooperation.
“The city ended up having a park they didn’t have the manpower to maintain,” she said, “so this is one of the most outstanding examples of cooperation in a volunteer agreement between CUPE, for letting us do the work on city property, the city for letting us do city work on city property, and a volunteer organization.”
2016 Townsite home and garden award winners
Garden awards
Spring Fling - 5491 Maple Avenue, Doreen Berrington and Lee Coulter
Most Improved Mixed Border - 5456 Maple Avenue, Ross and Shirley Munro
Most Improved Garden - 6270 Sycamore Street, Sonia Zagwyn and Steve Calvert
Best Garden Structure - 5824 Willow Avenue, Akene Mori and Richard Becker
Best Mixed Border - 5374 Laburnum Avenue, Ralph and Mary Johnston
Best Garden Overall - 6324 Poplar Street, Ron and Anne Walter
Best Kitchen Garden - 5608 Marine Avenue (lower house), Tom Gottselig
Best Container Garden - 5553 Maple Avenue, Isabelle Southcott
Best Commercial Garden - no award this year
Lifetime Achievement Award - Maria Ochenduszko, 6302 Oak Street
Honourable Mention - Guerilla Gardeners, Andy Davis, Richard Light and Larry Weaver
Home awards
Grand General -5400 Maple Avenue, Guy Chartier and Calico Clark
Grand Heritage Award - 5410 Laburnum Avenue, Steve and Stephanie Miller
Most Improved Home - 6354 Oak Street, Nicholas Simons and Scott Scobbie
