The Little Shed That Could: The Rest of the Story

The Building

It began with getting the boards ready. Roz, Sean, Patricia B., and Patricia H. remove square nails from very old floorboards. Patricia B., project manager, says, “The construction used all recycled material that included French doors from some folks on Willis Point Road who did not need them anymore;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

two windows from another family living near the Gorge, and cedar shakes.  The cedar siding came from a fence on Cadboro Bay Road that was free provided you could take it down; thankfully it was screwed together. Only the roof, back wall, and hardware are new. Even the paint was a found treasure.”
John B. showed up with considerable knowledge and donated the use of his truck to retrieve and deliver the recycled materials to the site. 

The Team
The group spent spent many hours, in tough weather conditions, planning and constructing the temporary building one day per week over seven weeks under the project direction of  Patricia B.  Sean provided the stain which was found for free on the side of the road. He also brought the trim from home.  “I provided the cedar shakes, and extra wood to complete the project. We only had enough cedar to do three sides; that is why the back is plywood, but it all worked out. To think that just having extra wood from a shed I’d previously built started me thinking about building this one,” says Patricia B..

The Finished Project

The final touch, in progress, is the clematis wall mural from Liz.  Her sister Sharon Simpson and niece Sylvia Simpson were also involved. The mural will be flanked by two climbing clematis on either side.

The Clematis Taiga and Golden Bell will have blooms in complementary colors of purple and yellow which will be striking and provide impressive seed heads for flower arrangements.

Pat B.says, “If you include the labour, the shed’s real value is about $10,000. But its intrinsic value is priceless, it was a blessing how it all came together, both the people and materials.”

Government House staff Jerymy Brownridge, Krista Lavoie, and Tania Bonfield supplied the ribbon and large, ceremonial scissors for the official opening on July 9, 2024. Board directors also attended the celebration.