Closer every day!

Over the weekend we got a number of things stained (but not with blueberries or raspberries) to bring the exterior of the station closer to being ready for the bricklayer and siding fellow. Kev was home so he helped me on the ground with the smart wood. (If it was really smart it would take care of getting itself to the color we want it - but it isn't that smart I guess!) The smart wood is being used as the trim for the corners of the building - around the doors and windows - and as the decorative trim in the stucco gable on the second floor. While Kev and I stayed planted firmly on the ground Peter wandered around the edge of the roof system to finish staining the brackets on top, stain the ledger that holds the rafters next to the building, and stain the corners stick framed the day before.



Numerous times during the day Kev or I had to go around the building moving the ladder for Peter so he could get down! Except once he did crawl through a second floor window on the track side of the building to come down and visit with some friends that stopped by to see how things were going. Actually, we had a number of people stop by Saturday to check things out. The day was a bea-u-ti-ful day, so I don't blame them one bit to be out and about!

Today, Monday, the framer is back at it. There is a threat of rain tonight - but the sun is trying valiantly to warm things up after a cool day yesterday. Today Leon, Todd and one other young fellow are installing the tongue and groove which we stained way way back in the begining of August.



The overhang goes on!



The overhang from the underside!

I think we will have to wait until spring to second coat all these elements that make up the roof overhang including the brackets. We need to make the building available for other things right now - like bricks and siding and a concrete sidewalk. I'm sure the work will still be there for us in the new year!

While we were upstairs this morning going through the electrical for our suite with Lorne, our windows came from Red Deer. They have been sitting in the Co-op warehouse for a while, and today they shipped them out! They are well wrapped so we can't have a closer peek at them. We can tell though they are the right color metal cladding on the outside. Whew! In the picture you can see just how big they are when Peter stands beside them checking them over - as much as he can at this point!



They ARE well wrapped!



They ARE tall windows!

Wonder who will get to wash them??

Interesting Interlude!

The last few days have been a bit of a blur! I think today is Thursday - I'm not sure though unless I think about it really hard!

Yesterday! I can remember what happened yesterday! After two hours at home working in the office, Peter and I found ourselves spending the rest of the day at the building site. The framer decided to give over his scissor lift to Peter so the remainder of the beam could be stained. Tuesday night, the north side and part of the west side was stained. Peter was able to do that after the framers working hours, so the scissor lift was available then. It worked so much better than trying to do it with a ladder! All this time I was down on terra firma (!) staining rafters. So Tuesday night and Wednesday all day (until dark!) was used up staining! But hey - now this morning I can say the beam is stained it's nice dark "River Rock" color and most of the rafters are finished with their mid-toned "Clay" color. We were color matching the rafters etc to the window color. Sounds like tomorrow (Friday!) they are coming to be installed. Any wonder I can't keep it all straight - things are moving along quickly again. Right now as I type up this post the main floor entry doors are going in!

So a quick review of our part in the weeks events:

Monday evening - staining most of the fascia boards.
Tuesday evening - staining part of the beam and some rafters.
Wednesday day and evening - more staining of beam and rafters.
Thursday morning - bit of prep work for main floor door installation and preparing to move some lumber so front sidewalk and pad gravel can be put down. Later when the sun shines (forecast says it will!) I will go finish up the rafters

Yesterday as well we got some walls installed upstairs in our suite!!! We had pizza supper in the room designed for meeting customers! Sorry - no picture yet of the upstairs. Never thought of it at the time! The framer had little choice but to move inside while we finished up some of the outside finishes. I don't think he had a big problem with it at all! When we left the site this morning Leon and Todd were loading the scissor lift with another load of lumber to take around to Peter's window and unload into the "offices to be" of PJB Design Consultants. We are almost blown away driving up to the builidng these days. We are blessed beyond our comprehension!!

Here are some pictures we did get this week so far!



Leon and Todd installing the beam



Last time looking out my 2nd floor window and see someone chatting!



The reason I am doing the rafters!
This is work for Peter instead!

NOW for my interesting interlude!!

While we were working yesterday a gentleman stopped by our site. We turned around - and there he was!! He introduced himself as Sid Long. We had received his name from a couple of different people in town saying he was an important person to talk to about the original station building. I had talked to his wife a few weeks ago but we hadn't made arrangements yet to meet with them. And there he was!! Peter kept on working and I spent about an hour or so chatting with him about Lacombe in the 50's and his part in the station. He was involved in the freight area of the station doing accounting - I believe it was. I'll know more after we visit with him and his wife. Apparently there was a functioning second floor in the 1911 Lacombe Station. Even though the CP blueprints don't indicate it - there was a stationmaster's office and a lunch room upstairs. Also there was a basement that was originally used for a coal burning furnace for heating. Somewhere along the life of the building, this concrete basement had an interior wall added and part of it was turned into a bomb shelter or bunker. The things we are finding out! Mr Long is a very interesting 89 year old gentleman with many stories to tell. He is going to talk with another fellow in town Roy Richmond who also worked at the station in his CPR career and see if we can all meet together. We look forward to listening in on their reminiscing!



Visiting with Mr. Long

We are getting off the Ground!

We are so relieved to get the brackets up off the ground as well now! The timberframes upstairs brought about a big sigh of relief - now the remainder of our truck load from Golden B.C. is finding it's way to it's new home on the building. Today, even though the skies are dreary and the air is nippy, Leon and Todd are installing the brackets. As long as the clouds don't shed anymore of their moisture, Leon wants to do outside work. The inside can wait until another day.




A Scissorlift is a good thing!




Todd balances on the outside
while Leon drills for the bolt inside.


Yesterday we came by the site (sometime during the day in one of the blur of visits we make these days) and had a big surprise. Our stairs were delivered and Leon and Todd had them installed already! We didn't expect them quite yet - but it is good to not use a ladder anymore! Remember, I am the one with a thing about unstable heights. Or what I perceive to be unstable!




And a nice "lazy" stair it is!

INSIDE




AND OUT!

Way up High and Way down Low!

Wouldn't you know it! I have nothing of any significance to write about for almost a week - and here I am doing a second blog today! After lunch I went back to the building site with the camera and took some pictures of all the activity going on! I ended up parking on the road - the parking area was full of trucks and lumber! Basically I wrote about it all this morning - now I have some pictures to show you!



Todd & Levi working up high!




Lorne and his crew working down low!




The complete picture!

The roof gets a covering!

Last week was a lousy weather sort of week - if you want to finish off a roof! Not if you're a duck!

Yesterday the framers were finally able to get going on the roof again. They have a bunch of the sheathing on and today they are working on the truss system for upstairs. The roofs all need to be blended together with some stick framing as well before they can finish the sheathing.

In the meantime - inside the building the plumber is digging and placing plumbing lines and the electrician is digging and putting in the electrical for the panel room. Last night Peter and I went over there and started installing the base flashing that covers the foundation. I'm a bit awkward with a hammer - but I managed to keep up fairly well with his cutting and fitting of the pieces. I've only one blood blister on my thumb to show for my attempt! We also installed a number of pieces of Tyvek where the brackets will go. It was pretty dark by the time we needed to round up our tools and head home at 8:30! We can only count on two hours after work and supper to get much done over there during the week! Winter is on it's way! Oh! I'm not sure we are ready to even think about that one yet!

Closer every day!

Last night Peter and I went over to the building after supper to poke around a bit. We took a few pictures we thought you might enjoy. Just as we were leaving we had a visit from Allen and Adam Patterson. Remember, they were our delivery men who brought us our timberframes and brackets! The framer's ladder was still inside so we set it up and Peter took them upstairs to look around at the results of their delivery way back in July. While the men talked, Adam attempted a rock toss through the little cut outs in the walls for the brackets. He did it too!

Enjoy!



View from the track side



There they are! Assembled and installed!



Sawhorses can come in handy!

We Get our Lid!

Today the roof trusses are going on! Alken Basin is on site with a 75 foot crane to lift them up. Our lid is going on! Rain is on the way so this looks like the last good day for weather this week to make the job as safe as possible for Leon and Todd. After this - things will get slippery! We need to keep praying for their safety as the work reaches higher and higher heights! (These are words from the mouth of someone quite nervous of heights herself!)



UP THEY GO!



LEON AND TODD WORKING UP THERE!



PEAK TRUSS FOR OUR COTTAGE ROOF

What an exciting moment to see those going on! Today they should lift the timberframes into place too!

On a lesser note - but one just as crucial - we started our morning in Red Deer picking out the last of the exterior colors. We have a nice copper color for the base flashing around the foundation. It will match the brick incredibly well and disappear. We also now have sitting in the office a large sample of our shingle choice. We should be done co-ordinating all those exterior elements. Whew! Glad that is over! Next colors to choose will be in the office space. Other than flooring, I'm looking forward to that!

The Building Grows Taller!

Friday morning we arrived at the site to find roof trusses! Sometime between 6 Thursday night and 8 Friday morning they slid onto our parking lot! Leon wasn't anymore sure than us when they were coming, so he and his young apprentice were already up on the second floor preparing to frame the upstairs end walls. As of now, one wall facing the parking lot is standing and the other one that overlooks the tracks and downtown Lacombe is framed, sheathed and waiting to go up.

Peter keeping a watchful eye on the site!

Me keeping a watchful eye on Peter!

Thankfully a ladder to our offices will be temporary! It is so exciting to go up there! These are moments we have waited a long time for!

Today we tidied up the site, re-sorting and piling usable lumber and gathering stray nails. It was two hours well spent, both for a sense of accomplishment and for the pure joy of working on the site. Who would have thought putting rusty, bent used nails in a scrap box would be pleasurable. But it was! I guess spending all those hours planning and wondering and praying for a start to construction makes one find pleasure in these sorts of menial tasks.

Tuesday this coming week we have a meeting with the mechanical contractor to go over tackling getting our suite upstairs functional while preparing for the yet unknown tenant needs on the main floor. Peter has much more peace with the whole process since going over to Civic Mechanical's office Friday morning and talking with Randy White, the owner. Again, Randy is a nice guy to work with. Peter drew his house a few years ago and he also knows him from way back in his commercial construction days. This too will work itself through as we carefully plan and pray about the heating and plumbing for the station!

So many little things are working through - it is almost incomprehensible! I know God is orchestrating all these things! How else would they come together as they do.

We need a base flashing where the wood wall meets the foundation before the outside finishes go on (brick in particular). Our roofer put us in touch with a siding guy who will "break the metal" for us to install ourselves. (Now why would they call it breaking the metal when all they are doing is bending the metal strip into the correct shape? I don't think you really want it broken! But who am I to argue with the industry! I will use the correct terminology!) We've now found someone to break the metal for us to create the base flashing. He only needs a day to do it!

We possibly have a siding fellow - someone with experience with Hardi-plank! We've had real concerns with this area. Another specialized, expensive material to work with! Some days I have to remind myself why we are doing a replication. It certainly is more work and more expense! It will be worth it in the end though. As tradesmen come forward though it is exciting to see how possible it is to do a re-creation and not compromise with construction materials that will not fit the time period of the origial building.

Tenants. We still have a number of active possibilities here - with more coming across Peter's desk this past week. We will be meeting individuals this coming week concerning possible leases. Again, we're seeking God's choice, since this will be the best for us.

Main Floor - "Stationmaster's Office"

Looking Down from Up High!

Peter talking with framers -
Todd & Leon (on the phone)

This morning Peter coaxed me up to the second floor of our building! The framer Leon accomodated us with a nice long ladder that extended beyond the floor level so I had something to hold onto once I reached that un-nerving height. (The floor trusses are all on and sheathed.) What an exciting moment for us! It was early morning when we were up there, so the pictures don't do justice to the beautiful view out east towards Hand Hill.



View from Peter and "Etc's" office



View from Lorraine's Office

We are still waiting on the roof trusses. Sigh! Today the framers moved on to building the pony wall in our upstairs spaces. Tomorrow the plan is to start assembling the roof timbers for our office space. They may have to wait until the picker comes to lift up the roof trusses to set the timber frames in place at the same time. They will be heavy! Now driving towards our street there is something more than a box to see! How exciting to think we are this far!

We continue to pull together some other elements of the construction process that are not as exhilerating, never the less, just as critical. We are in the process of talking with a number of potential tenants. If we could firm up the main floor needs, we could proceed more intelligently with our plumbing and heating requirements. This is another expensive area of construction that needs careful planning. Again, sigh!

This week is a blend of reaching "new heights" and still "digging down deep" to make some crucial decisions! Praise God for those higher moments that encourage us with the nitty gritty!

Bits of this and bits of that!

This past week and and half or so have been quiet on the site. This has helped us out here in the office to keep focused on work - but it does feel strange to not have a flurry of activity going on across town on our behalf!

Before the gentlemen took a break from our construction, they installed 4 of the large brackets for ease in putting in one of three bolts that is necessary to keep them in place. No - not three bolts for every 4 brackets - every bracket gets bolted in 3 places! Think it will hold?

This pic is the bracket right outside our foyer door. It looks like it will interfere with the swing of the door - but nope! There is a transom window above our door. Much time was spent making sure it would work! I really would not like to be locked inside because the door won't open!


BRACKETS!

Another goodie this past week was gas! We have gas! Again, we don't have a meter (otherwise they would send us a bill I'm sure!) but the line is running to the building now. Ah - when the winter winds blow we will be warm! We had our first frost the other night. Made me extra appreciative of that gas line in anticipation of what is to come. This is Alberta!


GAS!

And yesterday, finally, some of the trusses arrived. The floor trusses from Didsbury have come at last! The roof trusses should be following not long after this. We didn't expect this delay, but somehow the truss company managed to be "late". They are here though! Peter says once they are installed he is putting up the extension ladder and climbing up to our floor. I guess if I want to anticipate the view too - I will be climbing as well! Up isn't the problem - it's letting my feet go over the edge and go back down! But I really don't want him to have all the fun now, do I?


TRUSSES!

With all the excitement of building, God is blessing as well with potential tenants. One whom we have talked with before is still interested. Two more have come forward to get more information and talk with us about rates etc. I almost forgot what we were doing with the main floor of the building! Pray with us as we deal with these requests for leasing! God knows who He wants in the building!

Our building grows!

At noon today Peter and I went over to see the building. The fellows weren't there so we had a chance to poke around inside the building and take some pictures. Now that most of the main floor walls are sheathed, I can get a better feel for the size of the building. Peter took a picture standing at the south wall and I stood at the north wall. It sure looks a long way from one end to the other!

The fellows also have the steel posts in place to hold up the beams that are ready to be installed. Each day there is something new to check out! We might see a bit of a slow down for a few days while waiting for the floor and roof trusses to arrive.

In this picture of the exterior you can see a row of small openings near the top which the brackets will be lined up with and a "tail" on the top of the brackets inserted into. Wow! That is a long way up!



It's so much fun watching the building grow!

We have More Walls!

Peter and Eric looking around




Becky and Keira checking things out

We now have more walls! The pictures only show the east and west walls, even though the north and south are already built as well. Those last two went up this week - I just haven't taken the camera along to get pictures of them! I'll hopefully get some tonight!

Peter and I are trying to adjust to yet another change in our household. This past weekend we helped our youngest son move to Calgary. He will be studying at the SAIT campus by the airport (Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technologist) and staying with family, Rob and Suzanne. They live close by in Harvest Hills, so Kev is so excited to be able to sit at breakfast and watch the planes take off! Rob and Suzanne and their little girls, Samantha and Maja, were at the building dedication way way back in June! I've put in a few pics of "the big move" as well.



Will it all fit in?

Again, will it all fit?

Both times it did! We are now officially "empty nesters". No one told us it would feel quite like this!

WE HAVE WALLS!

They may not be very long but they are tall! We have the walls standing for the short bays on the station!

We took my mother there last night (when things were quiet) to show her the start of the walls going up! I didn't realize just how tall the main floor walls were going to be. And windows! The window openings are huge! No wonder the invoice will be what it's going to be! Now I am understanding more the immense size of everything. Imagine what it will be like when the roof goes on!

This afternoon we went over with Kev and paced out on the main floor what will be happening in our offices upstairs. Just too cool! It's almost unreal! I have to pinch myself and say "Thank You Lord!".

If you asked me if things were progressing as we hoped - I would have to say for myself, personally - I wasn't sure what to hope for. Every day it is so amazing to watch the building take shape and see how Peter keeps things moving forward with incredible patience for everyone he needs to deal with. This is one part of his past career in construction that I didn't get to see in action. Even that is "just too cool!"

There's the picture of me standing in the doorway to the foyer leading up the stairs to our offices. Thumbs up for "Just too cool!"

Father Lacombe and the CPR

There are many books written about the history of the Canadian Pacific. A number of those are in Peter's own personal library. In numerous of these sources of information we have found a reoccuring story which we find interesting.

As you know, our not so sleepy little town was named after Father Albert Lacombe, missionary to the Cree Indian in the western plains. Even though Father Lacombe did not actually spend much time here, he was well known by any travelling from Calgary to Edmonton. Originally our town had a number of names. Names like Barnetts's Landing (after the founding family), Siding 12, and another possibility was Almonte - after the original home to the majority of the new residents at the time. The name Lacombe though was chosen by the CPR in honor of the "black robed" missionary.



Father Lacombe

Father Lacombe was instrumental in keeping peace between the Cree and the Canadian Pacific as the railway pushed it's way across the continent. One day Father Lacombe found himself in the presence of a group of men "who were binding Canada together with rails of steel". At the luncheon were men such as Donald Smith, William Van Horne, R. B. Angus, Count Hermann von Hohenlohe ("after whose estates in Germany the nearby station of Gleichen had recently been named") and the president of the CPR, George Stephen. They were gathered together in the president's car on the first train to arrive in Calgary, so there was lots of celebration and toasts to the occasion. Some sources say the president, somewhat weary of his occupation and the serious discussions around the table (or possibly from the excessive celebrating), resigned as president and bestowed upon Father Lacombe the position of president of what was then the largest corporation in Canada. Father Lacombe, being the good natured man he was, accepted the position and in returned nominated Mr. Stephen to the rectorship of St. Mary's parish in Calgary. Amid much laughter at the voting and acceptance of these new positions, Mr Stephen's only comment was "Poor souls of Calgary, I pity you!". Within the hour, the men resumed their former positions. None of this would be known today if someone within the confines of that railway car wouldn't have shared this with someone else to have it recorded someday in history books now available to us for our pleasure to read.



George Stephen


Many years ago, while camping in Jasper, we saw a restored train waiting in the townsite at the station with names on the passenger cars. Names of former presidents. Some we didn't recognize at the time, except one for sure was familiar. One car had the honor of being called "Lacombe". So along with names like Stephen, Van Horne and others that eventually did become president of the CPR, was one who was president for only one hour. Our little town shares it's name on a posh and luxurious tourist passenger car, only because a CPR president gave his position over to a travelling missionary who was well loved and respected by all.

(Some sources for this posting include "Father Lacombe, the Black-Robe Voyageur" by Katherine Hughes and "Lacombe, the First Century" published by the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce, 1982.)

The Lumber Man Comes!

We have more than concrete now! Yesterday, while we were on our way to Jasper, Co-op was dropping off the first of the lumber etc. needed for the framer to start tomorrow. Leon (our framer) is meeting Peter tomorrow morning at 7:00 am at the job site office - Tim Horton's!

Why were we going to Jasper in the middle of all that is going on here you ask? Our in-between son Brent and his wife Kirstin did a four day hike! They started north of the Columbia Icefields and hiked over a number of passes and through some beautiful valleys (we got a sneek peek at some of the pics they took!) ending at Maligne Lake. They needed to get back to their truck at the Sunwapta Warden station, so earlier this summer we agreed to be their transportation back! Only after Pizza supper in Jasper though. "Jasper Pizza Place" - the best pizza in town! We can hardly wait to see all the pictures they got - without sharing a tiny camera viewer! I'm sure they will share all about it on their own BLOG site.

Our Parking Lot

By the end of today we should have a much better parking lot than the one we have been enduring for the last number of months. Two evenings ago Peter and I went over to the lot to mark out where the pavement will be and where we will eventually have "green space". Right now that "eventually" feels a long ways off! I'm just happy to not be slopping around in the slippery, wet black stuff!

While we were measuring and pounding in stakes and preparing to run surveyor's tape to mark off the property, friends stopped by for a quick peek at how things were going. We ended up spending time at the local coffee shop having a wonderful chat instead. We still got the lot marked out though, because John and Brenda Hand stayed and helped us finish up our evening's work before the sun set any further behind clouds that once again threatened to make construction a challenge. Also, I now have a name for the eastern hill that I will hopefully see from my new office window. Hand Hill. John's family has farmed that hill - so now I can give a name to that beautiful view beyond town that will greet me in the mornings!

We now have power all the way to the building. Lorne Green came by and finished running telephone and electrical lines to the mechanical room.



Today DB Bobcat was back filling in what was dug out yesterday. In the picture you see Danny (Danny Beach) on the phone while a skidsteer is spreading some pit run over what is called "filter fabric". There is a quite a bit of black dirt on the property - so rather than dig and dig and possibly dig down deeper, a heavy black fabric is put down and then pit run spread over top and compacted to prepare part of the base for our pavement. In some spots the clay wasn't too far down - but that wasn't guaranteed everywhere on the lot! Peter assured me this is not an unusual practice! Makes me wonder what the former grain elevators were built on!

The Pile Goes Down!

Remember the huge pile (6400 lineal feet to be exact) of tongue and groove that I told you about a few posts ago? Now that pile needed moving once more - this time with it stained the same color as our windows.

Monday - when most of Lacombe was out beaching, or camping, or enjoying the sunshine which finally came back - five people were out getting that lumber stained. And they did it!!

What a team we made. We had two sets of sawhorses, four rollers and five workers. Peter, Kev and I worked with two high school football buddies of Kev's - Matt Archibald and Tyrone Mamchur - to accomplish what we weren't sure could get done in one day! Like I said - incredible teamwork. Do you think these young men have learned what it means to be on a team - maybe somewhere in their travels in life as part of the Lacombe Rams? I think so!

Peter and Matt worked at one set of sawhorses and Tyrone and I worked at the other. Kev was our "board guy" making sure we were supplied with boards from the pile, neatly swept of any dirt or dust and facing the correct way. We all worked hard, and it was a warm day!

In the first picture you can see Peter and Matt working away as one part of the team staining boards. In the second picture you see Tyrone (minus me seeing as I am the one taking the picture) at the second set of sawhorses with Kev in the background preparing boards for us.

We are very pleased with these young men and how they can keep on working in the hot sun on a very dry and packed gravel surface with no shade for our "ice-cap" breaks!