The Light Within –
Saving the 100 Year-old MurrayHomestead is unlikely – it is now up to AnmoreVillage Council
With September 30, 2017 deadlines for the re-submission of the Canadian Heritage Legacy Grant by the Village of Anmore and a further matching grant application for $250,000 by a partner not-for-profit society, the likely demise of Anmore’s first Village Hall looms ominously because of eleventh hour changes by Anmore Council. The Legacy Grant contribution is only available in this the 100th anniversary of Canadian newspaper pioneers, George and Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray, moving into the homestead that they built in 1917. The next opportunity would not be until the 125th anniversary.
Canada’s famous ‘newspapering’ pioneers, George and Margaret Murray, homesteaded to around 300 acres on a long strip of land which stretches from the current Anmore Village Hall down to the Imperial Oil Company town and lands (IOCO). TheMurrays’original homein ‘Stumpland’ became the Anmore Council Chambers on Village incorporation in 1987. Opposite the Murray homestead, where the Sasamat Volunteer Fire Department Anmore station now stands, the little brown Sunnyside school house was the social centre of the community.
In ‘Ma Murray and the Newspapering Murrays,’ McClelland and Stewart, 1967, the Murray’s daughter, Georgina Keddellsays:
“Another thing that Father ‘shoved out here’ was a north wing to the house. Ours was probably the first split level on the Coast. It was a very ambitious addition…The kitchen of the new wing had seven doors in it. No two were alike. One was formerly Room 409 in the old Vancouver Hotel, and another was off the writing room at Glencoe Lodge… Driving around Vancouver, he’d spot an old mansion being dismantled… or a house which had been built by some great idol when he was a young reporter…If possible he would loadup the stained glass, the leaded door, or the fancy newel post right on the spot. A trip through the new wing was like a trip through history.”
In the next heritage iteration of the Murray homestead, on September 14, 1988, the Tri-city News announced the dedication of the Murray homestead as the Anmore Village Hall and “in the process honoured one of B.C.’s most spirited residents ever – newspaper pioneer Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray.” The homestead and one acre property had been with $85,000 from the B.C. Lottery Fund for the land.
The homestead continued to serve as the Anmore Village Hall until November 2012. Local politicians, however, had much earlier started to explore possibilities to replace the homestead with a new Community Centre/ Daycare. A developer made a $600,000 donation and the land south of the Village Hall on Ravenswood.The Village commissioned architectural drawings by Atellier Pacific for approximately $200,000.
In November 2012, ostensibly because of rodent infestation and bad air quality, Anmore staff was quickly removed from the Village Hall. They were installed in a temporary trailer and/ or working from home. Subsequent tests determined that the air quality was fine. A building inspection was not done until three months later.
At a Special council Meeting on Tuesday, December 4, 2012, Chief Administrative Officer, Tim Harris presented five options for the Village Hall restoration and/orreplacement. Option Four was to purchase two (36 x 60) modular buildings at an estimated cost of $380,000. Note: one modular building to be used for the Village Hall staffand onefor Council Chambers and Community Centre.
At this time, Mayor Anderson and Councillor McEwen wanted to quickly “stop going around in circles.” “Bulldoze the homestead, but save the stained glass window.” The cost for a new Village Hall at that time was projected to be $1.5 to $2 million.
Councillors Thiele, Palmer-Isaak, and Green wanted more detailed information before deciding how to proceed with the trailer purchase. Councillor Green said that a Council had declared the homestead as heritage, another Council could un-declare it heritage. This was not done.
The Village went four months into a two-yearATCO trailer lease option($2600 per month) and spent $64,000 for transport and setup costs.Staff then recommended the acquisition of the trailer at $253,816.
In a February 21, 2013 an Emerald Inspection and Consulting Services Report estimated that the cost to completely restore the Village Hall to commercial standards would be $663,750. At that time, heating, lighting and other costs associated with the unoccupied homestead was estimated at $1000/ month. The Murray homestead was subsequently decommissioned. The current cost estimate to demolish the homestead is $140,000 to $167,900.
The original Village Hall has stood fallow since November 2012. However,in 2016, a second ATCO trailer was rented as Council Chambers and meeting space to replace the AnmoreElementary School portable. Since then, a Heritage BC architect inspected the Murray homestead and determined that both the original Murray homestead and the north wing built by George Murray, are historically significant and excellent candidates for restoration. The latest cost estimate for a new Village Hall is now around $3 million.
Wait. Is that a horseshoe we see in the foreground? The way things are going the Murray homestead needs that good luck – “and that’s a damn sur!”