“I’ve never seen a house drive past my house before.”

Those were the words of one Riverside Drive resident as a 110-year-old heritage house very slowly made its way from Hope River Road to Riverside Drive Friday morning.

The home, built in 1910, was relocated by house-moving company Nickel Bros from the north side of the Hope Slough to the south side on Aug. 7.

The house was hoisted onto the truck the night before (Aug. 6) and the move started at 9 a.m. the next day.

Sections of Hope River Road, Menzies Street and Riverside Drive were closed to traffic as crews moved the brick-red house with white trim along the 1.7-kilometre journey.

Utility wires were disconnected along the route beforehand. Other cables were raised by hand using long poles and also lifted up by crews in bucket trucks so the house could clear the wires.

Residents along the way shot video and snapped selfies as the wide load made its way over the bridge at Menzies Street and Hope River Road.

READ MORE: Chilliwack home built in 1910 will be saved from demolition

Originally located at 46239 Hope River Rd. the large craftsman style house was built in 1910 by Thomas Gibbens who came west from Saskatchewan in 1907, accompanied by his younger sister Lydia. Gibbens died in 1949 at the age of 91, and his niece Edna sold the house soon after.

The now-empty lot is scheduled to be developed into a townhouse complex by Chilliwack’s Richlane Builders.

Chilliwack Progress