July 7, 2010

WALTER FRANCL ARCHITECTS INC.

Honour House will provide temporary accommodations for first responders and their families

Vancouver Regional Construction Association members to build house for first responders

BRIAN MARTIN

correspondent

Members of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) are pulling together to work on a unique project. Honour House will provide temporary accommodation for first responders and their families, when they need to travel to the Lower Mainland for medical treatment.

First responders are commonly veterans returning injured from the war in Afghanistan.

They can also be people such as police officers, fire fighters or paramedics, who are injured while working in B.C.

Currently they must either stay in a hotel or in a limited number of institutional settings in the area.

Honour House, on the other hand, will actually be a “home setting” for up to 10 families at a time.

It will be the only such home in Canada.

The project is being created in a totally renovated historic 9,000 square foot Georgian mansion in New Westminster.

Each family unit will include a bedroom and private bathroom.

Cooking facilities, meeting rooms and lounges will be common areas, where groups can be together to form support networks, and enjoy recreation.

The Honour House Society paid $2.2 million for the property.

Renovations are currently underway and are expected to cost another $2 million.

The society is made up of a diverse group of local citizens, who simply saw the need for such a facility.

It is headed by Allan De Genova, a former member of the Vancouver Park Board, who is involved in marketing real estate around the province.

He had no professional connection with the Honour House property.

Don Vandervoort, a retired construction executive and chairman of the VRCA Life Members Committee, heard of the project and quickly became involved.

He is also a veteran.

“I’m very enthused because of my connection with the military and because of my affiliation with the VRCA,” Vandervoort said.

“I just had a strong feeling the association should do something and I couldn’t think of anything better to do.”

Initial attempts to acquire property in Vancouver ended in frustration.

At that point Mayor Wayne Wright of New Westminster became involved and welcomed them to the Royal City.

The mayor led them to the property they now have, as he was aware that the owners were willing to sell.

Like many old manor houses, this one has a colourful background.

It was built in 1937 by a gent, who had just won the Irish Sweepstakes.

The designer was A.J. Taylor, the engineer who oversaw construction of the Lion’s Gate Bridge, and for whom Taylor <0x000A>Way in West Vancouver is named.

The house remained a private residence into the mid-1950s.

Since then, it was employed for a number of institutional uses such as a nursing home and a halfway house.

It was occupied up until the past year.

The building is being completely gutted and the property re-landscaped.

The house’s attic roof is being raised to create an extra storey and provide additional space for bedrooms.

When finished, Honour House will have four floors.

Everything will be new except the spectacular original sitting room and a basement level media room.

Barrier free access is being provided, including an elevator.

While the society is basically in charge of fundraising, the construction industry, – led by the VRCA – is looking after subsidizing the actual remodelling.

Although it is still early into the project, Vandervoort reported an extremely positive response from the industry.

Scott Construction is acting as construction manager.

In addition to a donation to the project, they are also forgoing any mark-up on the work trade contractors do for them.

Ray Marquis, of Marq Holdings is acting as project manager for Scott Construction.

As would be expected, the Royal Canadian Legion has also become involved.

So far, they have donated $250,000 towards furnishing Honour House and will be assisting in the ongoing costs of operating it.

A large number of construction firms, people and associations have donated time, money or made in-kind contributions to the project.

More are still expected to come on board.

Other Honour House contributors

In kind donations:

Scott Construction; Stuart Olson; Anytime Demolition; SuperSave Disposal; Marine Roofing (1966) Ltd; International Play Company; Active First Aid Inc; Holland Landscaping; Western One Equipment Rentals; Gemelli Stone Works; Barkman Concrete; Skyline Scaffolding; Shaw Cable; Heritage Steel Sales; Harris Rebar; Maxwell Floors; Lafarge Cement; B.C. Aboriginal Veterans & Serving Members Association.

Construction industry associations involved:

B.C. Construction Association; B.C. Wall & Ceiling Bureau; Master Painters’ & Decorators’ Association; Insulation Contractors Association; Architectural Woodworking and Manufacturing Association; Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute; Glazing Contractors’ Association; B.C. Ready Mixed Concrete Association; Electrical Contractors’ Association of B.C.; Roofing Contractors’ Association of B.C.; Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Association of B.C. and the Canadian Elevator Contractors’ Association.

Cash donations:

Tight 5 Contracting Ltd. and Division 15 Mechanical Contracting. More are expected.

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