The old Mussallem residence has found its final resting place in the Maple Ridge Cemetery.
Crews from Supreme House Movers raised the house from its foundation where it sat since the 1930s and, in the quiet of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, hauled it down Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road to the cemetery, where it will be used as a caretaker’s residence.
The house was moved from its location at 22548 Royal Cres., in downtown Maple Ridge, to allow B.C. Housing to construct 55 temporary modular homes on the site for the homeless.
B.C. Housing paid $250,000 to help with moving the house, while an anonymous donor gave $100,000 to help relocate the building.
With the lot clear, there is now room to construct the temporary modular homes, which will provide supportive housing and 24/7 care for residents.
Coast Mental Health will operate the facility.
Council, though, on May 1, asked B.C. Housing to hold additional consultation on the project, following an open house in March.
The modular homes should be ready by this fall.
Bob Mussallem, son of former MLA George Mussallem, grew up in the house, along with brother Dave and sister Anne. Bob’s grandfather, Solomon Mussallem, a former mayor, founded the long-standing auto dealership business, Mussallem Motors. That building, at 223rd Street and Lougheed Highway, was recently torn down following a fire last November.
