For the sixth time in the last couple of years, organizers of a Comox Valley project to build shipping container homes for people in need opened doors on a new residence.
For the first time though, they did it under the auspices of a newly incorporated group, WeCanShelter.
“This marks the beginning of a new era for us,” said board spokesperson Charlene Davis.
The project originally started as a collaboration between the Comox Rotary Club and Dawn to Dawn: Action on Homelessness Society. More recently, the Rotary Club of the Comox Valley has come on board. The new society will be totally focused on the construction of the homes at the Maple Pool Campground in Courtenay, while Dawn to Dawn works on a range of housing options for people experiencing homelessness.
“This is a fairly large enterprise all by itself,” Davis said.
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Davis said the society is officially registered as a nonprofit and has applied for federal status that would allow it to offer tax receipts. In addition to Davis, the board includes members involved in this project from the start: Tom Grant, Sue Finneron, Ann Scott, Stan Gaskarth and Jin Lin.
From the start, the project has been able to attract donations to help build the homes. Each unit costs roughly $25,500. For the latest one, much of the money came courtesy of one local donor, Marianne Muir, who with her partner provided $20,000. After selling some property, Muir said she contacted Finneron from Dawn to Dawn looking for ways to help.
“Sue got back to me and told me about this project,” she said.
WeCanShelter also got a boost for its next home, as Mayor’s Golf Charity tournament committee members Matt Beckett and Bill Kelly dropped by with a surprise cheque for $25,000 to cover the costs of home number seven.
“When the chance came up to be able to support this, it was unanimous,” Beckett said.
The homes are made from old shipping containers, or “sea cans,” and provide about 20-feet by 8-feet of living space, with a shower, toilet, sink, mini fridge and built-in bed. Patrick Davis, Charlene’s son and project coordinator, said the units take about four months as they are built with volunteer labour. One of his roles is teaching these volunteers how to build them.
“Every week you have a new set of volunteers,” he said.
He also they specifically design the homes to accommodate some shifting. The inner walls then are freestanding from the outside of the structure. They are well-insulated, he added, and they also take precautions to keep water and condensation outside the units.
The latest unit will be going to a woman, Tatiana, who has been living in a vehicle with her three dogs for the last year and a half, so she will be happy to have a place to call home. She also took part in the effort by helping with the work.
On top of the donations, many businesses offered or will be offering services. These include Georgia Strait Towing and Recovery, Harbour Kitchens, Signature Flooring, Barr Electric, Colonial Countertops, Integra Homes, Simba Investments, D&D Services Welding, The Foam Shop, Cedar Grove Building and Central Builders. They have also included specially designed plaques by Marianne Van Vliet to personalize each of the units.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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