If you squinted in the dark and noticed a house floating away from Dallas Road this week, you weren’t hallucinating.
Two Fairfield homes were taken away by barge to new locations on nearby Islands July 13. The houses – previously located at 1712 and 1720 Fairfield Rd. – were moved to make room for the Rhodo townhouse project, a collection of town homes by real estate developer Aryze.
Aryze co-owner Ryan Goodman said the company also moved three other homes.
“It is easier to demolish the homes but we’re trying to do things a bit differently,” he said. “We’re looking for ways to preserve the home and preserve the history of what’s happened in Victoria.”
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| Whenever possible, Aryze tries to move houses instead of demolishing them, says Ryan Goodman, co-owner of the Victoria-based development company. (Courtesy of Ryan Goodman) |
One of houses moved this week was roughly a century old, Goodman said. Those homes are made from old growth fir and other trees. The houses were moved by demolition contractor Nickel Bros. They were loaded off Dallas Road near the Ross Bay Cemetery.
“It would be a shame to tear down these older structures,” he added. “The way they were built in the past, you can really replicate it.”
One house is going north to Salt Spring Island, the other east to the U.S.. where young family is welcoming the house onto their Lopez Island property.
While moving a house isn’t always a possibility, Goodman said it’s a great way to give the structure another life and reduce the amount of wast that goes into the landfill during the construction process.
READ ALSO: Heritage homes on the move
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:nina.grossman@blackpress.ca. Follow us on Instagram.
