TINY TOWN, the creation of local resident Jim Allen, is getting a new lease on life just in time for spring.
The 20 miniature buildings, replicas from Allen’s hometown of Youghal, Ireland, have been nestled since last year on the former Terrace Co-op site right beside the George Little House.
And now a crew from a Terrace and District Community Services Society employment skills program is leveling the location, creating walkways and repairing the buildings for a more attractive presentation.
Yvonne Moen, one of a group of citizens who arranged for the collection to be placed on the site, said the rejuvenation will appeal to locals as well as tourists.
“We’ll be doing as much as we can,” said Moen.
The workers, part of a 10-week program to sharpen their employment skills, began by moving in donated crush for the walkways.
“It’s good to get out of the classroom,” said program work development officer Gerry Sharples.
The workers will be at the location for a month gaining work experience which is a requirement of the program.
Tiny Town began life in the front yard of Allen’s Agar Ave. home, providing a stopping point for the curious.
Allen decorated the village at Christmas time with lights, providing a festive atmosphere to his collection.
The buildings are replicas of a post office, a butcher shop, a shoemaker, a barbershop, an info centre and two pubs mostly recreated by memory of Allen’s Irish hometown.
Circumstances dictated a move of the buildings and in 2010 they ended up in one of the empty store locations at the Skeena Mall.
“I give Judi Hannon at the Skeena Mall a lot of credit for that,” said Moen of the move adding that some of the tiny buildings were repaired once given a new home in the mall.
Even curtains were sewed and installed in the windows of some of the buildings.
The sale of the Skeena Mall and the start of a complete renovation project there in 2012 meant another move and Moen and a small group, which included Hannon and Terrace city councillor Brian Downie arranged for the current Tiny Town home.
