A New Chapter in Life - The Background .

My love for Canada, right from the start of my first three years working at DRDC Toronto (2000-2003) on a UK Canada naval exchange, was for its vast open spaces and amazing scenery.  For that, I perhaps have to partly thank my then OC of the Experimental Diving Unit.  In my joining interview, he ran part of the discussion on the lines that he would never question whether my work was up to date as he knew it always would be, and that he therefore fully expected me to take every opportunity to travel and explore his country, be it through work or my own time.  As such he was entirely unquestioning and generous. Work took me regularly to the vistas of both coasts and the Great Lakes, and generous vacation time gave me more opportunities to explore the same on extended road trips or by air.  Hence my eventually returning in 2008 as an immigrant to live initially in Vancouver and then Ottawa.  My seven years in Ottawa were enjoyable, but latterly work in the Department of National Defence (DND) did not give me the time to travel and enjoy what I had come here for, and while working for some excellent people, and one particularly impressive Boss, I nevertheless found the mindless bureaucratic "process" and the lack of the Canadian governments strategic vision and realistic financial support for its nations defence, just too frustrating and unfulfilling. I left DND in August 2014 and chased contracting consulting work with moderate success over the next two years, but did at least gain the balance of time off between contracts to travel.  But ultimately the satisfaction was still not there.   Inspired both by both my fathers sage advice in my parents rural home in France many years before, and others who had chased similar dreams, I decided that by 55 I should seek a step change and go and do something very different, while age and health still allows.  Some who know the greater detail have admitted to being envious that I can or would take the risk of going totally off beat to the middle of nowhere, especially some who have been Canadians since birth and who look at a middle aged Brit immigrant going off to do what they, in spite of the their heritage, can't quite bring themselves to.  Others have said I must be completely off my head to leave city life where I have the means for well paid work and social life.  Hey ho!

So why this part of BC? In 2012 I was referred to and subsequently monitored a blog written by Chris Walch, who for his own mid life crisis reasons, had moved from UK to British Columbia's East Kootenays to build himself a log home.  Fascinated by what he was doing, we eventually established contact and found amongst other things that we both attended the same naval boarding school (we never knew each other due to age difference) and then followed our respective military careers, both which had brought us to Canada and stimulated our interest in this country.  Every time I had a mind numbing work week in Ottawa I would turn to read Chris's blog.  It was clearly an adventure, giving him both much satisfaction but also much angst as his build took much longer than he had ever planned (nearly 4 years), partly due to the fact his initial log build contractor ran off with some of his money, and partly because Chris had always planned to do a considerable amount of the practical work himself in order to save money.  In September 2014, just after I left DND, I flew over and visited him in his by then almost completed house (he understatedly calls it a log cabin but the facts are it's a log mansion), to see first hand what he had done and the general area.  My thoughts began to further develop.

Front aspect of Chris's log mansion

Great Room

Views of Koocanusa Lake from Chris's Deck 

Travelling south on Wardner Kikomun graded road towards US border

Down near US border

Over the next six months, while also chasing contract consulting opportunities back in Ottawa, I continued to think about the dream and in idle moments researched my options for land in various parts of BC.  I ultimately came to a conclusion that buying in the same area as Chris, as opposed to the Okanagan or on BC's west coast or Vancouver Island, offered me good value per acre, lower build logistical costs, an excellent semi arid and sunny climate, a considerably lower earthquake risk (but perhaps higher wildfire risk), a local provincial airport that could quickly get me to an international hub such as Vancouver or Calgary to fly elsewhere, and a mentor who had been through all the hurdles of this before and therefore could offer valuable guidance while I was both planning and then managing my own build.   

I revisited in March 2015 and looked at land both on Koocanusa Ranch (KCR) and the surrounding area.  Keen not to be isolated or become a complete hermit, but also seeking adequate space, the advantage of KCR was there were other properties within shouting distance, of which only 3 are permanently occupied and the other are normally visited as second homes at weekends and vacations by their Calgary owners.  A perfect balance of week day peace and weekend socialising.  I bought a 1.2 acre plot on the side of KCR's slope above the main properties already built along the 60 ft cliff edge overlooking the lake, mine giving me set back but more extended lake views and where I could be sure of 100 ft + separation from neighbours. The photos below (taken in 2015) give you a perspective of the views from my intended building site. 

Looking left from my intended building site towards Bull Mountain

Panning 20 degrees right and zooming back

My neighbour's cedar log cabin directly below

Panning right

Looking south towards Montana 

Looking up at where I intend to build

Zooming in on the intended build site 

A close up of the future build site

While making two more visits that year, one by driving 3850 km in 4 days for a 14 day visit and then returning in 5 days, and one by air, I had to wait over a year until the Ottawa des res semi eventually sold on 23 June 16, and had to accept a slight loss on that sale. Two days later, furniture and possessions dispatched for long term storage in Cranbrook, BC, and house sale proceeds split between six banks, I departed Ottawa and did another 4 day mad dash across half of the country.     

So where am I?  I've produced and annotated from Google Earth four maps below, gradually zooming in over the western side of the North American continent. In the first one below you can see the US states of Washington, Idaho and Montana, and north of the 49th parallel (the US/Canada border on this side of the continent) are the Canadian provinces of British Columbia with its 5 or 6 ranges of mountains running roughly North to South, and then the prairies commencing in Alberta.  1000 km to the West I have marked Vancouver, and south of that Seattle.  The blue oval shape indicates Lake Koocanusa, dammed to the South in USA by the Libby Dam, as part of the huge Columbia Basin system, designed to control the historic seasonal flooding and produce hydro.  I am on the North West end of Lake Koocanusa (top left for those that don't have a naval or army navigation background) as indicated by the yellow arrow. 

Zooming in a little in the map below, I have marked Calgary at the top of the map. Calgary, the capital of Alberta province, is my nearest big city (population approx 1 million) and about 4 hours drive away, or 35 minutes flying time from  my local airport (between Cranbrook and Kimberley - a 40 min drive).  Lake Koocanusa (the Canadian top half I have marked in green) is situated in between the Rockies to the East (right) and the Purcell Mountains to the West (left)!
  

In the third map below you can see I have marked Wardner village (it's so small there is not even a pub or village shop) at the top of the lake, plus to give ski and snow board enthusiasts their bearings, I have marked both Fernie (a small but world class powder resort) and Kimberley (good, but not well known outside Canada).  Both are about 45 mins drive from me.  The town of Cranbrook is about 30 mins drive.  Aesthetically Cranbrook is little more than a 3 km eye sore of a strip mall, but it has everything one needs in terms of supporting life out here.  Fernie old town is, by comparison, delightful, but smaller.  The towns I marked on the first map of Whitefish and Kalispell, south of me in Montana, are just under two hours drive away, and Whitefish especially is another very picturesque ski town, and  has recently become my overnight away option every 4-8 weeks when I need a bit of a night out, normally tied in with my sourcing certain build materials from the USA.  

Zooming in even further, this map shows the top end of the lake with Wardner village and the approximate bounds of Koocanusa Ranch which you access by driving up a loop on a 3.5 km graded (gravel) road from when you leave the blacktop road in Wardner village. I've marked with arrows my plots position and the position of the house where I currently reside until I have my place built (more on where I reside in a moment).

The last map indicates the lake (reservoir) fully flooded.  To the observant of earlier photographs, the reality is this is not always true.  For most of the winter months the levels are dropped significantly at the Libby Dam in order to mitigate the historic risk of spring and early summer flooding when the snow pack melts, and so up at our end it returns to the original bounds of the Kootenay River with flat but dry mud banks on the flood plane, and then we start seeing a gradual rise mid to late April, again reaching full pull anywhere between end of June and July, depending on how deep the previous winters snow pack was.   

One of the biggest concerns I had in my mind before I took the decision, was what would I do for accommodation for the year or so of planning and then building.  My friend Chris Walch, having trodden this build experience before me, first had a leaky caravan on site, and then wintered in a very mediocre cabin along with resident mice and some very odd neighbours.  You will all know that living in a caravan as trailer trash is just not me, and camping, be it under canvas or in a leaky wood cabin, is something I can only do for a few days until the fun has gone and it all becomes thoroughly irksome.  As for odd neighbours ......... The alternative of renting an apartment in a local town like Fernie and spending money on gas (petrol) to do a daily 100km+ round trip was beyond the means of my intention to live carefully off my RN pension.  Fortunately for me, Chris raised the question and then made me an offer I could not refuse! Chris's log house has two bedrooms on either side of the mezzanine above his great room, and a small self contained two bedroom apartment above his garage.  For my first two months I moved regularly between his basement and any available room , depending on bookings he had agreed with friends and family or AirBnB guests, and on 1 September took up residence in the apartment, ostensibly for one year.  You can get a perspective of my current abode from this link Self Contained Apartment, Carn Brae Cabin and a good feel for the rest of his home from this second link Bed and Breakfast, Carn Brae cabin. 

Part of the lifestyle change in moving from city life to the wild interior of BC is a change in one's mode of transport.  Within a month, it was obvious my much loved BMW bought new back in 2009 was unsuitable.  First a maintenance liability, as the nearest BMW garage for servicing or breakdown repairs is four hours away in Calgary.  Second, even though AWD, it  was too low and therefore unsuitable for travelling on graded (rough gravel) and often pot holed roads, or in deep snow when those roads are the very last to be snow plowed.  Third, the load hauling I would end up doing while building and in years to come cutting firewood or towing a boat (if I have any money left).  OK, end of my excuses.  The simple facts are if you live in the interior of BC you have to drive a honking great big truck, wear a checked shirt, cowboy boots and hat, and if I still had any hair, grow a pony tail!  

So, second day of August, the Bimmer was traded in for a new Ford F 150 Lariat - which has to last me 10 years (about how long I imagine I will live out here before returning to a city as I grow old). The F 150 is as ubiquitous as the Ford Cortina was in UK during the 60's to 80's, and as boy racerish as my various Ford Capri's of the same era.  So in modern terms, after eventually growing up and achieving respectability by owning a succession of  Audi's , VW's and BMW's, I've gone back to the updated but Canuck version of what is definitely "not a Naval Officer's mode of transport" that I was once accused of driving in the UK in the 1980s.  Quite a beast: 2.7 tonnes, ridiculously over powered (360 HP and 420 lbft torque), 4x4 drive modes, and 12,000 lbs of towing capacity.  Great straight line acceleration but definitely not a sports saloon.  Very quiet and with all the toys, including all  leather seating.  My father thought that totally ridiculous in a truck.  And most important, it is wide enough for a short man like me to sleep on the back bench seat when travelling and weather is not conducive to pitching a tent.  And I did when doing a 3000 km loop to the West coast of Washington state and then back through BC a week after I bought it.

The Beast!  

So other than transforming my driving image back 30 years, and taking a driving holiday last August across Montana, Idaho, Washington State, and then back through BC in my new rather gauche toy, what have I done about building since getting here 8 months ago? Planning the design, negotiating contracts, and oh, a complete surprise exam.  

When I left Ottawa last June I had a rough Sketchup design scoped to build a log house as an Owner Builder, using the budget from the sale of my Ottawa house, and with the intention of remaining mortgage free so I could live on my RN pension and not need to seek serious work again. As an Owner Builder I completely manage the project (what is known here as being the general contractor) rather than handing it to one builder who would go from start to turnkey finish.  Had I gone with that norm, the simple facts are such a builder will add roughly 20% to each sub trade contractor he employs  (there will be up to 15 sub trade contractors in this build), plus his own profit margin.  That would come to anything between $150,000 and $300,00 of additional cost in this build.

Within my Owner Builder plan my intention was to use one key contractor to produce the main log frame and roof system with my sub contracting all other components out. Alongside spending my first 3 months transforming an initial basic Sketchup design into proper architectural drawings, I started getting in initial figures from many sub trades.  It became clear on talking to individual trade contractors that not only had the initial advice I had received on many costs (e.g. electrical, plumbing, heating, windows, flooring and other turnkey finishing) occasionally been wildly inaccurate, with the reality being that for some of those components I might face an additional 20%-50% on those costs, and in one particular case a shocking additional 100%, but also that building in cedar logs would also prove 30% to 50%+ more expensive than originally advised.  In all cases the issue was further frustrated by the fact many contractors just would not give me the transparency I demanded in their figures, or wanted an open cheque book on labour - too used to Calgary oil money in years gone by when oil was at its peak and Alberta was rich, and too quick to label people coming to this part of BC as easy cash. The joke is that BC does not stand for "British Columbia" but "Bring Cash". In only one case did I decide straight off on a first tender for my business (my electrician) as that man provided me with 4 itemised pages of his material costs and a good electrical layout proposal on my architects drawings, and I had also seen his excellent work and heard the strong recommend from one neighbour.  By contrast, another potential contractor who handed me barely more than a price, when challenged, said to me that he simply was not prepared to give me that much detail in a quote as it was too much effort for a contract he might not get.  My retort was unusually abrupt for Canadian ears!!!! In addition, another challenge in seeking reliable contractors was weeding out those that might just not turn up because it looks like a good few days for fishing or hunting - an interior BC mindset, and who is to say they haven't got the balance of life right, but not on my time or money.   

To give myself a little manual fun work outside all the mental planning and verbal negotiation, I bought myself a chain saw early September and felled approx 15 trees to make ready my build site, then chopped them up into 8-9 ft lengths for future use in possible external buildings or fencing (and if not I shall cut them later into fire logs), and trimmed all the branches and stacked them into piles for use as future kindling.  The truth is I have always, and still do fear chain saws, and had until this stage never used one, let alone take down trees.  But it was a simple  case of cost economics as well as seeking Chris's tuition - do the work myself or pay somebody else $3000 + and they would also take the wood away and sell for their own pocket.

That fun was followed by October giving me another shock. The BC Housing Protection Office had brought in a requirement on 4 July (5 days after I arrived) for Owner Builders to do an exam.  The amazing thing was not one of the many contractor sub trades I had been negotiating for pricing was aware of this and I only found out from an ex Brit who runs a building supplies company.  BUT the big licensed builders did know!  Forgive my characteristic and vocal cynicism, but this was more than likely a big builder lobbying ploy to deter people like myself, in the misguided hope there would be no alternative than to give them the business at their inflated profit margin prices. It is actually a historic constitutional right in BC to be able to build your own home, dating back to pioneering days, but clearly some aim to try and make the rules to difficult for people to bother anymore. After much gut wrenching as to whether to carry on or give up, I spent an average of 4 hours a day for two months studying the BC Building Code (a 1200 page cross referenced nightmare publication) along with a few other rather better written books lent to me by another ex Brit in the local building trade that saved my day.  I successfully passed my exam in early Dec. 

Throughout all that time it was becoming clear to me that while log houses look superb, they continually expand and shrink, which causes a host of issues, not least that they are difficult to keep properly sealed (bug tight) and in the -25C extremes of a cold winter are not easy to keep warm. Stunning structures, but being a man who likes his views and wildlife staying outdoors, and own comforts indoors, I have gradually come to regard log houses as the most upmarket version of "glamping".   

So in early December, with the cost of cedar logs and my doubts about log houses, I decided to change course.  Never a fan of conventional North American wood framed housing as I think of them as rather flimsy, I spent much time cost analysing before turning the plan into a house to be structurally built in Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), to be sided in cedar planks, and to have a number of internal timber accents, along with the original plan for a post and beam/rafter roof system. Effectively this change in materials took about $120,000 out of the project and brought me back closer to my bottom line, rather than what was otherwise by now beyond my means.  The design is very much a hybrid, and should result in an unusually strong structure but also one that is extremely well sealed and insulated.  My architects artistic  impression gives you a feel for what the house will eventually look like.  Not sure about all that grass, but I'll worry about that next year! 

I've attached five key pages of the architectural drawings to give you a feel for the layout. Essentially, the house consists of two floors of 1550 sq ft each and a loft mezzanine of just over 600 sq ft, has three good sized bedrooms with own bathrooms, a main floor living area that is totally open plan, an 800 sq ft deep double garage to keep my toys in, and lots of outdoor covered deck space from which to enjoy the views.  The daylight walk out basement living takes advantage of the slope, and is quite deliberately designed so I have the option to do AirBnB short lets, either as two rooms with own bathrooms, or as a self contained apartment.  (While not indicated on the plan it may have a small kitchenette area). Also great for friends and family visiting (outside my anticipated summer peak 3 months for AirBnB) but giving me space when I am struggling with conversation first thing in the morning while surfacing with my customary gallon of tea.  

Daylight Walk Out Basement and Double Garage

Open Plan Main Floor and Decks 

Loft Master Bedroom

Front and Rear Elevations

Side Elevations

With my Owner Builder exam passed and my architectural design re scoped  to change from logs to ICF and winter dumping record heaps of snow on us, in early January I contracted an engineer in Kalispell, Montana to prepare the structural engineering drawings. Be it log houses or any other unusual design other than a standard wood framed house, engineering is key to the local planning authority approving your build. In spite of my brief to my engineer "do not over engineer this building otherwise I won't be able to afford it, and other people won't get the contracting work they are hoping for" I think they took that as a challenge.  To be fair rather than glib, engineers, just like doctors and lawyers, will never unwittingly risk their professional status being challenged in a subsequent litigation case.  You either accept that increased cost or build a conventional wood framed house that doesn't need engineering input - a bit like they used to say "if you need to ask how much fuel a V12 Jag uses, you shouldn't be buying one".  I suppose the consolation is, having managed to financially contain their additional strengthening of my house well beyond the building code, I will sleep well at night, come howling gale or earthquake.  

Winter view across the lake bed from the balcony of the apartment at Chris's house 

With the engineering plans completed late January I went into the final few weeks of negotiating with those contractors that I had previously shortlisted as fair on their pricing, associated transparency, and reputation, and making my final decision on who would be best fit in terms of working both with me and in sequence with my other contractors.  Much of January and early February proved hard work in tying this down, but by the second week of February my decisions were made and contracts signed with the key team players (excavation, concrete footings and ICF house frame, internal walls, post and beam timbered roof, decks, plumber, septic system, heating and electrician).  Having originally thought the whole plan would be in place by mid November and I would then go and do 3 months globe trotting (Peru, Chile, UK, Oman, Singapore and maybe Tonga) I ended up doing a quick 16 day trip to UK to see family and friends and flew back here ready to be prepared to start second week of March if the winter thaw came as normal.  As the interior of BC had its heaviest winter in over 10 years, it didn't, and we eventually started excavating two weeks later than planned.  

The forthcoming posts will show you where my fun time really gets going for the next 6-8 months with the practical stages of building. First one all about digging holes in mud and playing with concrete.