Projects

Haney House Revealed

The Haney Heritage House has been recognized as a jewel since it was municipally designated in 1991. When "the grand old lady" turned 100 in 2010 it was apparent the building was in need of a lot of love and attention if it was going to be around for another century.

There’s been non-stop activity at the house for the last year and a half and the results are nothing short of spectacular. The house has been re-roofed and its exterior restored and painted thanks to $19,464 in funding from the Heritage Legacy Fund of British Columbia. The scaffolding finally came down in time for Spooktacular, the last event of the season. The verdict is in. The house looks beautiful and its beauty isn’t skin deep.

Many community partners assisted in this "extreme" restoration.

The restoration in the kitchen began fifteen years ago. Period-appropriate flooring, marmoleum, made from jute, cork, and linseed oil was installed in1993 and represents one of the many layers that were found in the kitchen when the flooring was peeled away. The same year a 'fifties kitchen sink and cabinet were removed and Mrs. Haney lost her much coveted indoor plumbing. In 2011 the Shuswap Community Foundation funded a

Earlier this year the City of Salmon Arm awarded the Salmon Arm Museum almost $12,790 to remove the asbestos from the attic. That job called for experts in hazardous material removal. The job was done in three days. When the attic was spotless, it was sealed, new insulation with a value of R44 was installed, and the house was made cosy for the winter.

But the Board of Directors at the Salmon Arm Museum has been energy conscious for a number of years. Like putting on an extra sweater in the winter, storm windows were created for the house in 2009, thanks again to the Shuswap Community Foundation, and the heat bills reduced. Thanks to the Shuswap Quilters’ Guild and Axel Hvidberg of Glass Protects, the storm windows were fitted with UV filter film. In 2010 the City of Salmon Arm granted the funds for a new, energy efficient furnace after the old one failed. Finally, Mrs. Haney was warm and her antique fabrics protected.

Over the past summer Shane Woods has supervised a Job Creation Project funded by Service Canada and administered by Salmon Arm’s Employment Place. One of the goals of the project is to complete the finer details of the restoration. Shane’s crew of four, Jordan, Mary, Nev, and Russell, take pride in the fact that the House is getting so much positive attention. The screens are in place on the back porch, the porches are painted, and the last of the siding repaired and painted.

Ted McTaggart, Manager of the Construction and Maintenance at the Village said, “We are extremely fortunate. We have an excellent crew and Haney House has never looked so good.”

Mrs. Haney’s house is ready for the next century.