Homes, Huts & Hovels

Mega Reno

Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019 3

Old Building, New GROOVE To save history, sometimes you gotta go old school

M

ountain View School could preserve history in a living way.

Class Is In have slowly deteriorated.

The iconic 1914 building, which many locals at some point passed through as students, sat vacant from 2012 until recently.

QUICK HISTORY LESSON That’s when Gareth Jones — inking a

Not everyone can say they’ve had a cocktail in their old classroom. The restaurant used to be the classroom of Mr. Matko, a well-liked teacher, who van der Linden plans to eventually name a cocktail after. The joint also features original wainscoting, which he cleaned up but left with a patina of kids’ markings from classes past. The original

deal with the City and School Board 19 — took ownership of Mountain View.

He set to turning it into a craft distillery (Mr. Jones) complete “I wanted it to look like it was with a spanky restaurant (Old School Eatery).

100-years-old – but new.”

Inside the building was largely a blank slate for chalkboard is a blackened drinks menu what it could be, but with Revelstoke on the wall. He found some old quill growing in popularity by the day, it pens behind the walls, which I now meant a major renovation with a lot of suggest he use as martini stir sticks.) He attention and pressure not to wipe away originally wanted to do comfort food, years of history like so much writing on but says, “I thought the space was too a chalkboard.

“I’m trying to preserve the history here. sexy to be a diner.” The kitchen does I knew how I wanted it to look,” said Old comfort, but with a fine-dining edge.

School owner Chris van der Linden. “I “But by no means are we fine dining. wanted it to look like it was 100 years We’re casual. I don’t want it to be stuffy.” old – but new.”

Every time an old building is turned A+ NAME into a new anything, you will lose some Old School’s name is a double-meaning of the past, but here, he managed to

One of Revy’s most remarkable renos: After 12 months, six building inspectors and numerous unforeseen delays, Chris van der Linden (top-left) opened Old School Eatery in December.

(Bottom-right) The best seat in the house: From one table you can view four mountains.

for its menu of old school food and cocktails. “I wanted it to be ‘old school’ food I haven’t seen on menus in 20 years, like shrimp cocktails and muscles.

You don’t see that anymore ... Chain restaurants look the same and all serve very similar menus.”

MENU 101 +

“We went a little weird, but not too weird ...

I tried not to duplicate anywhere in town.”

Summer School

Of course, tons of former students and teachers, young, old and really old, have come by to see the old school. One woman hadn’t been there for 40 years.

People come in, peer up at the photos Vander has framed on the walls, and say: Hey that’s me! or, That’s my mom! 

AS SEEN IN VOGUE MAGAZINE (ooh-la-la!)

“There’s nothing old school about this spot, which serves up funky, updated comfort classics like twice-cooked crispy duck wings, chicken & waffles, and fried green tomatoes. It’s located in a former schoolhouse that was built in 1914, and offers sweeping views of the Columbia River. — TODD PLUMMER

Vox Pop

4 Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019

*SURVEY: HOUSING IN REVELSTOKE

How do you think Revy should manage international attention as a ski-town (in Vogue, for example)?

Reved Asked, You Answered Are we having a crisis, or is this just the expected growing pains of a popular mountain town?

“Crisis. There is no room for needed seasonal employees to live.”

“On the verge of a crisis. Full-on growing pains, though.”

“Depends on which side of the fence you live— are you a working class family, or did you just sell your house in Toronto or Vancouver?”

“Almost crisis-level. We need to have incentives for staff accommodation and explore affordable housing options.”

What ideas are not being considered to alleviate Revelstoke’s housing shortage?

“An area for temporary (1-6 mo) tiny houses and trailers with electrical hookup, potable water + garbage pick up.”

“Permit times for new construction; staff accommodation requirements + carriage homes.”

“Staff accommodation mandatory for employers of 50+ people in the service industry. They are low-income, primarily seasonal employees.”

“Building more rental apartments or staff housing instead of more hotels. Hotels need to be run by people, and there is nowhere for their potential staff to live.”

“We keep allowing hotels and other development without accounting for housing all their workers. We need lots of staff accommodation and more housing options in general.”

“Embrace it!”

"Offer incentives for beautification, increased sustainability and efficiency of buildings. (E.g. tax credits or rebates.)"

“Fix accommodation issues before EVER spending dime one on this.

We already have our name out there, and this is unnecessary.

We get published in dozens of publications every year that we have not even pursued.”

“I think we are on the map pretty well already. I feel like that story may have been paid for by a local business. If certain aspects of town are not improved to meet the expectations of those coming here, it could turn into bad press. I think the high-end and the low-end sides of Revelstoke need to be represented, since the majority of people using the high-end services are those from out of town.”

“Get ready for when the bubble bursts, inevitably.”

“We shouldn’t forget to support our local population. We need to stand up and say: ‘Yes, this resort is amazing, but so is our LIFESTYLE.’ Let’s not lose the lifestyle while we fawn over tourists (and the lame minimum wage tourism jobs they bring).”

What’s one big idea you would like to see builders, the City of Revelstoke and/or homeowners adopt?

“A suite in all new builds, and making it easier to apply for vacation rental zoning.”

“RMR should have staff accommodations for its 300 employees already. No new hotel should go up until they address this. A large part of the problem is they are driving the tourism market year-round, and need more staff to accommodate the volume of tourists.

There are no homes to rent, thus leaving houses with 10+ people living in them.”

“A combo of subsidies and taxes. Encourage homeowners to rent long-term, and discourage full-house vacation rentals. The Planning Dept needs way more staff to process building permits, business licenses, and other requests.”

“Cap rent. Crack down on illegal AirBnB’s.”

AND, IN OTHER NEWS...

Daytime TV, fancy mags and national press ... the Price Is Friggin Right. (‘Friggin’ added for emphasis.)

GREAT, JUST GREAT

“Low-income apartments with small square footage.”

“Coach houses and allowing easy prefabricated coach houses on large lots.

WE ARE THE BIG PRIZE Chris Pawlitzky was watching the Price is Right, when the winning woman, received a prize package to RMR. She told gameshow host Drew Carey, Revelstoke was on her bucket list.

“Just less red tape.”

“We need to stop making people trying to build jump through years of hoops to get permits.”

“Turn 3 Valley Gap into winter staff housing.”

A

ye... so you say you don’t want Revelstoke to be another Whistler or Aspen or [insert bougie ski town here]. Well, we’re in Vogue magazine and on

In Vogue’s “Hard to Get to, Harder to Leave: Why Revelstoke, B.C. Is Skiing’s Hottest Destination Right Now,” writer Todd Plummer touts Revelstoke’s privacy, while simultaneously blowing it all up “... [It’s] perhaps why this remote town has become a regular hangout for the likes of Elon Musk and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.”

HOT, HOT REVY CBC highlighted Revelstoke’s hot real estate market: “For all the talk of spiking real estate prices being centred in Vancouver, [Rev.] is the only municipality in B.C. where residential property values have risen by at least 18 per

BY THE NUMBERS. (BY THE WAY, WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS?)

*NOTE re. sURVEY METHODOLOGY:

There wasn't any. This was an anonymous survey, which received 22 submissions. From that number, REV’D selected a range of opinion and colour.

In February, it was found that Revelstoke’s population was underestimated — by about half. The city’s pop., it turns out, is roughly 13,000 or double what Statistics Canada reported in its 2016 census. The new #’s come from TELUS Insights, which uses aggregated data to prove what we already knew: Revy’s is growing—and FAST.

From The Editor’s Desk

shack in the woods

Follow along @RevedQ /RevedQuarterly

Write me (please. I get so lonely...) online www.reved .net email editor@re ved.net

PLEASE GOD, NOT ANOTHER BOUGIE SKI TOWN

W

e’re

Q: WHERE IN REVY

—anywhere

at all!

would you like to live?

HOUSE BOAT — “Noah’s Ark" or otherwise, houseboats topped the list of RQ’s Survey on Housing (p4) Second-most common answer?...

Anywhere affordable.

THE GLASS BOTTLE HOUSE on the shore of Kootenay Lake got one vote, despite being nowhere near Revelstoke. It was built in the 50s by David H. Brown out of embalming bottles to “indulge a whim of a peculiar nature.”

DEFINITELY NOT HAUNTED A daring few would choose to live in the old Holten Heritage House, but be they warned! Muhahahaha ...

MICRO-HOME, ANYONE? The most realisitc response: “A nice sustainable cabin with a garden that didn’t cost half a million." (p.13)

f ro m p a r t k e r s ? a U b ro s RC t set mor tgage a h W s& bank



myself all builders. included, No matter where consider it — is that we live or how it even exists. What it unhandy we may at times requires, more than seem, we create and modify our anything, is a slight living space, and in all sorts of little shift of paradigm.

PETER WORDEN ways physically build. We construct We must view — Publisher shelter (p7) carry out renos housing in different (p3) and help design towns and ways than solely financial communities (p7/8). It’s in doing investment. Homes can be quickly this, we shape who we are as a and affordably constructed. But society. What baffles me about our that means thinking outside the current housing crisis — as many, box; which sometimes also means

"All the decisions are made here. In the broker world, decisions come from corporate Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver.

Sometimes they don’t see the big picture of life in Revelstoke.

We live and work here. We know what’s going on. If someone wants to purchase a home but their application just isn’t quite right, because we know what’s going on, we can make that decision to approve. We can approve in 24 hours. That’s an advantage."

For more savvy mortgage advice from RCU's Frank Fik, see centrespread p. 9

WOOD = GOOD “We live in British Columbia where wood fibre products — both structural and insulating — are an abundant resource.” ­Scott Robertson, Absolute Contracting (see p9)

REV’D www.reved.net

SNIPPETS & SUCH

FROM AROUND THE PLACE NO BUILDING PERMIT REQUIRED Myron built this charming 10-storey House of Coasters at the Last Drop. At least two people in the bar thought it was photoworthy.

BETTER CALL SEL’

— Every year, international visitors come to Revelstoke, and invariably, many decide to stay.

They embark down a long and complicated road of permanent residency, navigating the legalese of express entry, extensions, work permits, LMIAs, LFOs, LMFAOs...

“Most of us who have never had to deal with it have no clue how complicated it really is,” says Michelle Bowlen, whose law

practice at Selkirk Law is 100 per cent devoted to immigration. It was a full house at her presentation on the subject, where she warned of unscrupulous employers taking advantage of those without work permits. She warned that workers have little or no recourse. “They’re under so much more risk than the employers .. I don’t judge them [employers] for hiring people under the table because they need people to work. But that doesn’t give you the right to exploit people, right?

That’s the biggest thing for me.”

HOME OF 1,000 (SAD) FACES — The Home of a Thousand Faces and its builder/woodcarver Rolf Heer were local icons in Radium, BC. Handmade by Heer, the building featured eccentric carvings. Last fall, the landmark Kootenay building went up in flames and burned to the ground.

IF YOU BUILD IT —... they will come ... and work for you.

Many in Revelstoke’s hospitality industry face a Catch-22: they need a job to afford rent, and they need to find a place to have a job. Cube Hotel owner Louis Simard decided he would build a smaller cube to accommodate his staff, and voilà! He and Bob the Carpenter built this “side cube” for the Cube, “so the Big Cube would have a friend to talk to,” he says. (From left) Karel, Abby and Hannah are the happy inhabitants of the new mini-cube.

Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019 5

ISSUE 52 Published by Reved Media © 2019 Reved Media est. 2005

Any reproduction or duplication is usually OK if you make it up to me with money or beer.

Send only kind words of adoration to:

REVED MEDIA

Box 57 Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0 Tel: 867 222 4556 Fax: Please don’t fax me anything.

Email: editor@rev ed.net ADVERTISERS Please support THE businessES THAT SUPPORT REVED RoyalLepage Revelstoke; Old School Eatery; Revelstoke Credit Union; Jacobson Ford; Spice O' Life Emporium; Cube Boutique Hotel; City Furniture; Mike McStay Masonry; Absolute Contracting; Metal Mind Forge; Petro-Canada Revy; Trans Canada Fitness; Travel Escapes; and Halcyon Hotsprings ... where I'm going right now.

SPECIAL THANKS TO CONTRIBUTORS Emily Kemp, Alex Cooper, Kim Kaiser, Angela Mowbray, John Morisson, Benji Adringa, Frank Fik, Emily Beaumont, Joe Lammers, Chris “Vander” van der Linden Scott Robertson, Sally Robertson, Greg Hoffart, Adrian Giacca and Brittany Lowden Reved wants you! If you have an idea, a story, a business, a product, a haiku, classified, catsified—anything!­—call or email right meow.

Reved Quarterly is published quarterly (obviously) every season with a theme. It has been in proud existence for 13 years and counting. Its publisher reserves all rights to have fun with this newspaper and its miniature newspaper. Rev’d Quarterly and Rev’d ¼’ly are a published by Reved Media, a division of Reved Global Inc., which is a subsidiary of, oh who am I kidding, my office is a van down by the river ...

PRIZES!

NO DOMBY HERE — Emanuel (“E-man”) built this very complex and very sturdy geodesic dome, which he uses as a greenhouse.

AT HOME WITH JOHN — If you see John Augustyn in his garden, say hello. He turns

Spot your home on the cover (or anywhere in the issue) and get a FREE Best of Rev’d book.

COVER GIRL: Maddie Teuton, pictured here being suchagoogurlll, is the issue’s back cover model.

Thanks to John Morisson for his photography and Benji Adringa @Lo

6 Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019

SOAKIN’ IT UP

LIFE at THE Halcyon Hot Springs What is it like working where everybody else goes to relax?

NICK, EXECUTIVE CHEF What is it really like to live at Halcyon Hot Springs — is it relaxing?

Is it really relaxing? (chuckles) It is amazing living right here. It’s beautiful, great views. I love living on-site, going and getting my morning coffee. At least my day doesn’t involve an hour of commuting. It’s a very peaceful life here.

Have you been to any secret spots?

No, people have told me about it, but I don’t get out that often. I go to the pools sometimes. It’s nice to have the hot springs pools here. I don’t take advantage as much as I should.

What’s the best time to go to the pools?

I don’t really go during the day.

I like going at night. The stargazing is amazing!

Book online welwinds.com

F

“...at the end of the day, you can go to the spa.”

YOGA IN THE HOUSE! Welwinds Therapeutic Spa



TCARD S O P E RE

Good little ad space here.

Just saying.

Contact editor@reved.net

THERESA, LODGE ATTENDANT TRASHION SHOW!

APRIL 29 @ THE LEGION

What is it really like to live at Halcyon Hot Springs?

I enjoy living here because it’s in the wild. I enjoy the outdoors, the hikes, I like everything that comes along with it and at the end of the day you can go to the spa and have a soak.

starting at $20

Is it really relaxing?

Yes, it is. You can hear the birds singing, you’ve got the wildlife, and can go fishing.

(CH ECK OU Tn ext pag e fo rm ore on this pla ce )

Do you know all the secret hot springs, and can you tell us which ones if we promise not to say anything?

Sure… three rocks on the left, four trees to the right, pass the gnome, and you’re a hop skip and a jump away — in that order!  

         

10

SPOT THE DIFFERENCES!

Carefully remove Reved

Rev’d Quarterly 1/4’ly SPRING 2019

I

This certified Passive House complex is ultra energy efficient (in addition to being an architectural jewel). No matter what’s happening outdoors, with 16-inch-

#1: IT’S SMART & STUNNING

Reasons why you should move to Nakusp and buy this house:

There is a caretaker on site for

#2: IT’s CARE-FREE LIVING

2. AND HERE.

Fine local fir timber has been

#4: It’S HAND-CRAFTED

This could have been #1, but we wanted to surprise you ...

#3: It’S LAKEFRONT

n case you needed more than outdoor maintenance. Sit back this picture , here are 5 Solid and enjoy the view.

No furnace? No yard work? Yes please...

thick walls, your heating and cooling costs are guaranteed to be a mere fraction of your neighbours’. (It has no furnace!

Avg. monthly energyt cost = $65)

Visit www.Bel-Air-Nakusp.com Or Come See It Yourself 95 7th Avenue SW Nakusp, BC

Everything you need is on ground level. Upper floor is perfect for guests or staff. It’s a short walk to shopping and other amenities in downtown Nakusp.

Revelstoke is one short ferry away.

#5: It’s ACCESSIBLE

uniquely handcrafted throughout the interior and exterior. From hefty joists down to the custom cabinetry, the quality shines.

Looking for the perfect place to retire? Your dream home awaits in the fairytale Land of Nakuspia

You there! Buy this home and move to Nakusp.

BLATANT ADVERTISING

...THIS NEWSPAPER IS A POSTCARD, TOO!

1. FOLD HERE. SEND TO A FRIEND!...

HOW-TO READ REVED 1/4’ly You We should:

Buy a house a in Nakusp Live in a box in Revelstoke Really start saving for a house.  Other ________________

3. AN-N-D HERE.

YOU MAY BE READING THIS UPSIDE DOWN.

WARNING!

Fold on dotted lines—

And voilá!—you have your-

HOME ... IMPROVEMENT? Things can get a bit hectic at Home Hardware Revelstoke in the springtime. Luckily they do all the heavy-lifting. All you need to do is SPOT 10 DIFFERENCES! ANSWER KEY Tammy’s got a new Rev’d; Sean’s tanning; Megan traded in sluggo for a battleaxe; Jacob looks ba-a-a-ad; cow is on the manure bag, there’s a T-Rex, obvs; the forklift mast is mastier; Byron is (just now) reading operator’s manual; Marie’s hand-bombing two bags of soil; and one of the 2x4s changed colour.

PHOTO PETER WORDEN ... I SEEM TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE THESE DAYS

REV’D QUARTERLY

SPRING 2019

Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019 9½

(This one righ t here...) 

PIRATE HOUSING PART I: I JUST WANT TO LIVE IN A BOX #HowDoIDoThat #BoxLife #NE1witme #LiveFreeOrDieTrying >> I.P. FREELY

I

could live in a box. In fact, I could live in a lot of things.

I’ve previously been drawn to living in small creative spaces (Airstream trailers, Seacans, that refridgerator box out by your curb...) and putting them in large, underused open spaces (warehouses, junkyards). And now, I’m onto the biggest open space of all: the water.

HONESTLY, HOW’s THIS A CRISIS? I see solutions everywhere. Especially in Revelstoke, whose history includes multiple building booms, the construction of pre-fab “kit homes” transported by rail, massive infrastructure accomplishments for hydroelectric power and the national railway, plus a helluvalot of good lumber and a general openness to people living in trailers, campers, and other small spaces. Why isn’t Revelstoke already a leader in innovative building and design?

chores; she helps me get a toehold in the local housing market. We both get reasonably good company.

“I wouldn’t turn that down,” she said right away. “I’m not hard to get along with.”

In the current shambles of local and global housing, all things considered, a man can live pretty good in a small space (floating or otherwise) that he owns.

SEE, I CAN I LIVE A SEACAN

TAKE IT FROM OTHER TINY PEOPLE

The current trend of tiny homes, including shipping containers, checks many personal value boxes: living in a simple way; reducing harm on the environment; building on a budget; the creativity of building one’s own domain; and perhaps most important, the ability to actually own something and not just rent. But there are several practical considerations, such as where do I put it.

Britt Lowden has lived (legally, I should say) in her tiny home for four years. Number One on her list of advice, she says, is figure out what to do with your Number 2: “Research your toilet set up!” Other pertinent tips: “Do your research, read blogs of other builders for the glamourous (and not so glamourous) realities of living in a small space, and be ready to adapt your original plan many times over ...

Salvage as many materials as you can, but don’t cheap out on safety — electrical, wood stoves, gas lines.” I float the idea of living in a box on pontoons on the water.

“I like your idea,” she encourages. “Yours is a different situation than the overall housing crisis. You’re like me.

I don’t want to be in a little home community; I want quiet and weird.” 

ENTER: BADASS GLADYS (AGAIN) Gladys is no stranger to Rev’d, which is why I joined her for coffee one morning. “I should rent you my carport,” she joked, when I mentioned the idea to modify a 20-foot shipping container. I proposed an exchange of toils for rent: I help with

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Reved Quarterly SPRING 2019 9¾

HOME FOR A JEST

This 1/4'ly finds affordable housing

THREE PLANTS TRYING TO INVADE YOUR CASTLE Look for these nasty plants in your domain >> KIM KAISER Outreach Coordinator for the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society

S

>> COUPLE GENIUSESES

E

veryone needs a home, even

PINTS & PRINTS: Tree mini newspapers. And Construction and Rev’d design so, Tree Construction blueprints for newspaper boxes. owner Greg Hoffart is designing homes for the Quarterly 1/4’ly in accordance with the Fibonacci Sequence. Such is the mad genius of his designs — even at the miniature level. ...STAY TUNED...!

tunning cedar-hemlock forests, pristine alpine areas and wondrous wetlands, the Revelstoke region provides diverse environments that are home to an array of native plants and animals.

Yet some plants and animals that have been introduced from other parts of the world can have a negative effect on our native biodiversity. Not only can these introduced species displace native species, some may also impact local infrastructure, including homes. Here’s a look at three invasive plant species that have taken root in Revelstoke:

 Himalayan Balsam: Invades riverbanks and wetland areas, causes erosion, spreads its seeds far and wide.





 Knotweed: Home owners used to intentionally plant knotweed in their garden before the damaging consequences were known; nowadays it can move uninvited into your yard, put roots through the foundation of your house and refuse to leave.

 Blueweed: Reduces biodiversity, creates monocultures, and is inedible to wildlife. Often found hiding in wildflower seed mixes!



(SPEAKING OF NEEDING A HOM E: ) 

[

[

12 Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019

Revelstoke Secondary School is in need of more host families for international students. If you want to be part of the home stay program, contact Jill Pratt at (250) 439 9817. (You get $750/mo. ­— not too bad!)

Quinzhee For a NighT

TINY HOME TRAVELS

... WTH is a Quinzhee?

Thinking of tiny home living? Why not try it out first in style. “If you’re not ready to take that plunge just yet, here are some interesting vacation ideas for you to try out living in small spaces,” says local travel agent Angela Mowbray.

T

his is Quinzhee Village, says Amy Flexman, showing a mini-villa of snow shelters made by RSS international students. The quinzhees are formed from piles of loose snow, which are shaped and hollowed out. How does one construct a such a thing?

Start by breaking the bonds of snow to reform and “sinter” a hard mound of snow over a couple of hours. Then, stick it with sticks, so you can gauge the depth as you carve out the inside. Finally, light a candle and make it look nice. It can sleep two to four people and last one or two nights. (I wish I had known about

VINTAGE CAMPERS IN BISBEE, ARIZONA QUICK SURVIVAL TIP! To stay alive, you need to stay positive. Get (i) a positive attitude in 3 seconds; (ii) Air in 3 minutes (iii) Warmth & shelter in 3 hours (iv) Water in 3 days; (v) and food within 3 weeks.

it months ago—I wouldn’t have had to worry about rent.) “I was going to build one in my yard then AirBnb it,” said co-helper-outter, and my next-door neighbour, Matt Gawler. Not a bad idea for next winter ... 

INSIDE the Revelstoke Women's Shelter

Forsythe House plays an important part in Revy >> EMILY KEMP

T

he laundry whirs and the scent of coffee beckons from the kitchen. In the living room, a fireplace crackles and the radio quietly beats out a cheerful tune. Doors open and close and hairdryers hum as the house comes to life.

Forsythe House is similar to any comfortable and safe home, except that it is designated a shelter for women and their children. It’s the type of home you may never expect to find yourself in, but for whatever reason, if your circumstances change, you will be glad it exists.

“I was able to come and get away from a very controlling home situation and used it as a bridge until I found my own

Huts to Hang

home,” one woman said of her time there.

Women of all types and backgrounds find themselves at the Revelstoke Women's Shelter. They come for a variety of reasons and they could easily be your friend or neighbour.

“My first impression was how nice the place was,” another woman, Q, says. “I had the privacy I needed, which is good when you are going through a lot.”

Like many Revelstoke homes, the shelter is a communal living space. The house comes together for nightly meals and special occasions. The shelter’s Moving Forward program offers skillbuilding activities and allows women to maintain friendships and a sense of community. 

Just south of Tucson, is a rad little Arizona mining town called Bisbee. The coolest place to hang your boots is the Shady Dell, which is an RV-Hotel property in operation since 1927. They offer the choice to stay in one of 12 lovingly restored and fully furnished vintage campers built between 1947 and 1959. Dine out at Dots Diner or BBQ in your vintage camper and dine under the desert stars.  Westjet offers direct flights from Kelowna to Phoenix.

GYPSY CARAVANS IN IRELAND The Irish call travellers “pavee.” You can be one and explore the Emerald Isle in style by renting a traditional caravan.

Your means of conveyance boasts just one horsepower and is named Paddy.

Sure, these docile horses won’t win any races, but they will win your heart as you traipse leisurely through the backroads of Ireland in your own horse-drawn covered wagon. Go from pub to pub, staying the night in a campground where you can shower and Paddy can graze. Cost is about €580 for 3 days.  Westjet has direct flights from Calgary to Dublin.

TINY HOME VILLAGES IN WASHINGTON There are beautifully designed tiny home villages in Leavenworth and Mount Hood, WA, where you can rent by the night, starting at about $150. This is super-handy since it’s a short, scenic drive, and you’ll be there in half-a-day.

But I also love this tiny home AirBandB rental in Olympia, located just outside of Seattle on the water. It’s a great base to go explore Olympic National Park with beaches known for exceptional surfing.

"PALAFITOS" IN RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO You don’t have to travel to the Maldives or South Pacific to enjoy the life of Riley.

You can be in one of in your very own over-water “palafito” bungalows in just six short hours. Starting at around $1,300 US per couple per night, this is a luxurious splurge. But what an amazing experience!

Sign me up for tiny home living if it’s built over the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean – and make sure I get a butler. This resort includes all your gourmet meals and top-shelf drinks. (And if one week is too rich, then add a couple of nights to the end your trip. (Or, find more affordable tiny homes over water in Panama, Roatan, Malaysia and Fiji.)

 Several airlines offer direct flights from Kelowna to Cancun.

Need more ideas? Come Talk to Angela!

(250) 837-8075 Travel Escapes 111 Connaught Avenue

Q+A

Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019 13

Micro homes, BIG dreamS

A Marianne Minute

How a tiny housing initiative is taking hold

A

fter spending eight months road tripping and studying eco-villages and sustainable living, 27-year-old Adrian Giacca moved to Revelstoke, and — like millions of people before him — couldn’t find anywhere to live.

This led him on another lengthy journey navigating a new affordable housing initiative. His Big Idea: a micro home community of structures roughly 8x23-feet (~200 sq. ft), built to minimize carbon footprint and maximize communal benefits.

RQ Let’s get into it: You’re definitely not starting a cult … right?

AG It’s not a cult because it’s not led by a religious leader.

RQ You’re only nuts about housing?

AG I just want to be able to afford to live in Canada.

RQ Ya, you lost me...

AG The reality is that if you’re building housing for the current [for profit] market, that home that was once affordable at $200,000, next year is being sold for $400- or $500,000.

So, you’re feeding into a system that continues to add value. We’re flipping that to give value to the individual and their lifestyle rather than their pocketbook.

RQ Where are you now in your Master Plan?

AG My goal right now is to gauge the community and partnerships to provide a plan so it can go through the approval process … then move forward with actual construction.

RQ Will you live in micro housing?

And will your neighbours have to pay you homage?

AG Haha. These are fun… I’ve lived in a camper van and would love to live in a home slightly bigger than that.

RQ You say this is less about solving a housing crunch and more about deciding how we want to develop ... explain.

TS The whole intention of the project comes off being about affordable housing, but it’s really about driving community change. With my concept, it’s not just about the home, but the structure in which the homes are located. When I look at designing a community, it’s about how to engage people to provide opportunities for cohesion, collaboration and growth.

RQ Are micro homes tinier than tiny homes?

AG It depends who defines it. There are tiny houses and tiny houses on wheels. There are micro houses and small houses. The way I’m defining it is tiny houses are on wheels — a livable space on an 8-foot-wide trailer bed. A micro home is somewhere between 300 and 500 square feet. A small home is between 500 and 1,000 square feet.

RQ—Why don’t we already build this way?

AG What we’re trying to do is pull our development outside of the real estate market by putting caps and covenants on the houses that

>> ALEX COOPER

M

arianne Wade only has a few minutes to spare on a

RQ How’s it going?

AG It takes a lot of time and effort.

You have to navigate the challenges of the OCP [Official Community Plan], building code, grow community interest, develop a plan, do feasibility studies, find the right site, build these partnerships with numerous organizations…

“The hard work has been to develop a plan so that I can jigsaw this together.”

RQ—How is Revy a good place to do this?

AG When I look at Revelstoke, I see not just an extraordinary place to live, but its extraordinary people with the drive to be outside and contribute and be a part of the community.

New head planner brings fresh thinking

don’t allow them to rise with the rising cost of property values in Revelstoke. You’re not buying into an investment, you’re buying into a lifestyle choice.

RQ You know, land is expensive but water is free! (See p9.) Do we not have the innovation to develop a floating community of micro-houseboats?

TS There are interesting individuals who have completely left the real estate market and built their houses on floating docks around the gullies of Vancouver Island. It’s something that regulations don’t know how to address. What I’m trying to develop here is long-term home ownership.

That is created through financing and titled properties. So, is it possible? I’m sure it can be done. It’s not at all what I’m trying to propose … I

TAKE THIS PLAN & APPROVE IT

Adrian with his business plan for a micro home community.

want people to be able to build equity and create an investment in a responsible way.

RQ So ... no ... pirate housing?

AG. [Shakes head.]

RQ If this article serves one purpose, what’s one thing you need right now? Options include billionaire mystery donor, etc …

AG I spent a ton of time meeting with numerous politicians and community stakeholders. I’ve now created a network of planners, engineers, donors and business mentors who are freely giving their time to critique and provide their intelligence because they want to be part of a contribution to an effort like this. The hard work has been to develop a plan so that I can jigsaw this together. The only part that’s missing is the financials, and that can only be truly understood with all these pieces of the puzzle. So yeah, if an eccentric billionaire approached me and said: “I want to support this project.” I’d say, great, but let’s hold back until I finalize and completely understand the project. We don’t want to get into a scenario where we finance a project that fails.

RQ Will you please shut up and take my money?

TS Legally I can’t. I want to when I have a better understanding of how your money plays.  —Interview condensed .

Interested in collaborating?

Adrian wants to meet YOU!

adrian@remotelandscape.com

Friday afternoon. For most, it’s the time to unwind after a hectic week, but in the City of Revelstoke’s Planning Department, there’s no such thing — especially when you’re in charge.

“I’m trying to clear my plate,” she explains.

MARIANNE WADE is the City of Wade started as the Revelstoke’s *busy* new city’s Director of Director of Development Services Development Service at the beginning of 2019, and her plate’s been full ever since.

“I couldn’t think of a better place ...

I am very ingrained and understand the resort community.”

Her interest in planning started early. She studied at the University of Winnipeg and the University of British Columbia.

There, she worked on affordable housing solutions on the Downtown Eastside.

“During that time I delivered over 1,700 units of affordable housing,” she tells me.

She went to Whistler, helping bring in policies for employee housing, worked on the development of Kicking Horse resort in Golden, and spent time in the public and private sector before Revelstoke came up.

“I couldn’t think of a better place for me, with all the housing issues going on and the fact that I am very ingrained and understand the resort community,” she says.

Wade has to plan for a community in the midst of a housing crisis and a population that might be double what the number crunchers at Statistics Canada say. Affordable housing is her passion, and she’s looking at policies to encourage development by the private and public sectors.

“Right now it’s important to get some policies in place and support the employers who are wanting to build employee housing,” Wade says. “The next focus will be dealing with the non-profits and how do we deal with attainable housing.”

READ ONLINE There’s a host of other issues such as updating the zoning bylaw to allow REVED.NET for more flexible development, looking at DCCs, and updating the OCP. On top of that, she has to repair the reputation of a department that has butted heads with developers and builders in recent years.

“We're really requesting people to come in and meet with us ... we want to improve the service, and get the turnaround up.” 

HAVE YOU TRIED

chicken n’ waffles ONLY AT

OLD SCHOOL EATERY

 #CATSIFIEDS CATSIFIEDS

MEERSED CATNECTIONS

Matt, just saw you walking your cat.

Call me...

CAT-T'S

PAWLINDROMES

OFFICE FELINES

Rev’d Quarterly SPRING 2019 14

CAT BUSINESS

BIERHAUS KÄT

THIS IS CAILA. She likes cats because they’re pur-r-r-fect.

STEVE! GREEN CAT CONSTRUCTION The Revelstoke Humane Society has kittywitties for adoptionwoption. To view animals, report a stray pet or if you’re looking for a lost pet, call (250) 837-4747 SEX AND THE KITTY DID’YA KNOW: A single unspayed cat can produce 470,000 offspring in just seven years. Don’t litter! Get your kitty spayed right meow. www.spca.bc.ca

Scribbles

winning at life.

DISTRCATIONS

HOW REVY CATS ROLL

#SHOTGUN KITTY

DEAR STOKE FM

DAVE

SYNCHRONIZED POOPIN’ @Ginger_cats

Please play more Cat Stevens.

I mean, Yusuf Islam.

CULTURE CATS

@lousae’s ...

Joey-in-a-Box!

‘s OPERA & REV’D

... made a kitty face to get in Rev’d, and so can you!

CAT-NOEING

CAT NAPS

KITTY CAKES

PLACE A CATSIFIED FIGARO

OTHER CAT BUSINESS

MOUNTAIN MIKE THOSE AREN’T PILLOWS...

Milk acceptable as payment.

(Steve Martin reference...)

WILL ALSO SHRED CURTAINS

and his mountain cat

#catsifieds

SALT & PAWPER

Happy Birthday,Alana!

You're a cool cat.

TACO

SLEEPIN’ W/ THE FISHES

LOVE HU

What d’Ya Call

LOVE HU

Andrea ruvs her cutiewootiekittywitty, Hubert.

TRACTOR CAT (A kioti, naturally.)

A gang of kitties out for revenge?

—a ...wait for it ... “paws”y.

Andrea ruvs her cutiewootiekittywitty, Hubert.

BONUS POINTS...

...if your cat reads Rev’d

PET-TRAITS

KITTY CASE

PET PAINTER FOR HIRE

RINA

is “feline” stylish.

@aalya_hash