August 2017
villagevibe News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Construction Underway New mixed use building underway in Fernwood village
›› Lee Herrin
I
n 2011 Fernwood residents told the Fernwood NRG’s Neighbourhood Visioning Forum that a healthy and vibrant neighbourhood centre needs a critical mass and variety of business and residential units. We listened, and we are adding commercial space and housing in a new building right in Fernwood village. We purchased the house at 1310 Gladstone in November 2013 and after three and a half years of consultation and planning, we started construction of our new building this past June. The house was removed in March but a small change in the location of the gas meter delayed final permitting until May. As soon as we received the final permit, we completed the excavation and prepared to lay the footings. Through our architect, Christine Lintott, we selected a reputable and qualified local construction management firm, Knappett Projects Inc. to construct the building . Since we received our building permit, the Knappett team has been working steadily to get the sumps in place, the footings laid, and the foundation ready to be poured. Once complete, the building will offer two large commercial spaces—one at street level off of Gladstone Avenue, and one at ground level accessed by stairs to the west of the building. There will also be four apartments upstairs—two studio and two one-bedroom units—accessed by stairs as well. So far, everything is proceeding according to the revised schedule. Barring anything unforeseen, Knappett anticipates a completion date in February 2018. In the meantime, Fernwood NRG would like to thank all of our neighbours and fellow residents for your patience during the construction process. It will all be over in a few short months, and we’ll be able to celebrate a new addition to our beautiful village!
Foundation walls going up at 1310 Gladstone Avenue. Photo: Mila Czemerys
neighbourhood lives:
Remembering Dave Kesson ›› Bobby Arbess ave Kesson packed more virtues into one man than almost anyone I ever met. He was innately fair, kind, compassionate, caring, thoughtful, generous, easy-going, understanding, fun, hard-working and loyal. I remember moving with my family into a cabin in the Highlands. We had a young baby and a six-year old and it turned out the cabin was badly ratinfested. The owner let me tear out the walls and replace the insulation, which was saturated with the stench of rodent waste. Who showed up to help me on
a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon in July? Dave. He even brought beer. He always put others before himself, a quality most beautifully displayed in his dedication to his partner Tania and his two wonderful sons, Callum and Evan. He had respect for women and children, was nurturing to the disabled and understanding to those with mental health and addictions issues. He was well-read, held thoughtful and heartfelt opinions, and was very balanced in his point of view, tending to seeing all sides of a debate before arriving at his own conclusions. He thought for himself and was his own man, though draw-
Buzz
Feature
Mark Your Calendar
Top 3 free things to do page 3
Pole Painting Day, September 9 page 4
Food + Growing Workshops page 7
D
ing little attention to himself. He was deeply involved in initiatives to increase food security, affordable housing and to improve the quality of life in Fernwood. In the late 1990s, Fernwood was full of self-gloating characters diligently pursuing one version or another of revolutionary anti-capitalist politics. Around the square, at the Little Fernwood Hall, and at drunken parties there were fervid debates about whether you were an anarchist, communist, Trotskyite, Maoist or Wobbly. One point of commonality was that few of us had any money or kept down Continued on page 2...
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