Real Houses of… Halfmoon Bay from Heather Newman on Vimeo.
Billed as a “yacht built onto rock”, the Pointhouse made it’s TV debut on the new W networks series Real Houses of… We hosted a special screening night with friends October 27th, 2015.
David Byrne, Scottish freelance travel journalist and broadcaster, encourages British Columbians to keep blowing their own horns about the beauty of their home province.
Miss Style Run, Catherine Tan, made a visit to the Sunshine Coast May 31- Jun2 . Beginning with a walking and tasting tour of Sechelt, she and hubby Kevin quickly took the pulse of the Sunshine Coast lifestyle. Staying at the Pointhouse their first night they got to check out our luxury digs and spectacular scenery. They captured some great shots shared on the dedicated Pointhouse Blogpost. I particularly love the last few photos of the star spangled night sky and dramatic Pointhouse interiors. http://www.stylerun.com/2014/06/06/stylerun-x-sunshine-coast-pointhouse-sargeant-bay/.
BC Living has just published an article by Amy Watkins, a British writer living in Vancouver, with seven great reasons to visit the Sunshine Coast in winter, one of which includes the Pointhouse billed as a Bond-esque “secret lair for lovers”. From inspiring sunrises, solitary snowshoeing, to spa gardens and earthly journeys the rest of the lineup is about stepping back , relaxing and enjoying what the coast has to offer, right on Vancouver’s doorstep. Read the whole article. http://www.bcliving.ca/travel/sunshine-coast-in-the-winter
The private two person tubs with intimate ocean views were a big hit with the three journalists who visited the Sunshine Coast Jan 20-22. Especially after a Dakota Ridge snowshoeing adventure.Great way to soak away city stress or tired muscles while gazing at the beauty of Sargeant Bay. Read more about Mike Morrison’s tips for holiday relaxing and enjoy some amazing sunrise and painted sky photos along with the “bare all” personal travelogue.
Travel: The long lost art of relaxation on BC’s Sunshine Coast!
Some might consider a luxury granary to be one filled to the top with golden grain, but for Heather Newman of Dawson Creek and her many guests, a luxury granary is a honeymoon paradise or a relaxing get-away.
The Granaries on Bear Mountain offer the weary traveller or the romantic couple a lavish bed and breakfast accommodation minutes from Dawson Creek. Since it’s opening in the summer of 2003, the single summertime suite has had many guests from far and wide.
“Our first guests were the assistant consulate of the Swiss Embassy and his wife” said Newman.” They were a lovely couple just travelling through and they said they were honoured to be our first guests.”
Since then, guests have included European travellers stopping during a Rocky Mountain tour, American travellers of the Alaska highway and northern adventurers coming from the lower mainland.
Surprisingly, or maybe not, many of the Granaries’ guests are local. “People from Grande Prairie, Fort St. John, even Dawson Creek come to stay. Many are newlyweds, others are celebrating anniversaries and some just want to get away.” said Newman, adding some visitors are nostalgic for the country life, others are simply curious about theG ranaries and how they came to be a high end bed and breakfast.
“It was an idea that got away.” said Newman. “I started with the garden and then I wanted a lake. A rustic building would add character and charm to the scene. A business plan would give purpose to the project, and the bed and breakfast was born.”
In 2000, the hole was dug for the small lake. A year later, the granaries(two square bins and one round bin) were transported and placed on skids beside the man-made lake”The granaries came from a field six kilometers away,” said Newman. While it would have been much easier to build new, the granaries appear a more natural choice paying tribute to the region’s agricultural history.
“We had to take the roof off the round bin to get it under the power lines, said Newman. A new roof was contructed in traditional fashion. While it’s basic structure remained the same, once restored in its new location, the sides of the round wooden bin were shingled and four French doors were added. Local artist Laine Dahlen added a romantic touch to the interior of the granary with his painted mural. It encircles the dome and glows in the sunlight, which pours through the skylight-once a simple opening for grain.
“As ot be expected in an old granary, nothing was square or measured exact,” said Newman in regards to the square bins. “That made remodelling a bit more difficult.”
Nonetheless, the buildings were strapped with plywood, doors were cut and beadboard and drywall was put up inside. The auger openings became windows and the original beams remain visible. Aside from the windows and flower boxes, the exteriors of the square bins appear as they might in a farmer’s field with faded red paint and antique tools hanging from the walls.
A deck was built around the bins as a means of connecting the three rooms of the bed and breakfas suite. The two square buildings became the bathroom and bedroom. A double jacuzzi bathtub, vintage fixtures and furniture, a fireplace and warm wooden floors of the bathroom and the queen sized bed with it’s lush down duvet in the master bedroom offer a relxing respite.
“OriginallyI had thought about opening up the round bin and turning it into a tea room.” said Newman Instead, it is the dining or lounging room of the suite, complete with microwave and hot plate enclosed in an antique bureau, a dining table and confortable lounging chairs.
There is no TV or internet at the Granaries, but they are not missed. Guests are welcome to walk through the many garden trails, gaze at the birds and butterflies and follow the tracks of the visiting wildlife-moose,deer,fox,rabbit,coyote, and beaver.
“There is a buffalo ranch across the road, it is quite an attraction for some of our guests who enjoy watching and listening to them roaring and rumbling,” added Newman.
by Nancy Payne
Canada is full of destinations where visitors can catch a glimpse of wildlife and enjoy nature, and they’re not necessarily remote, hard-to-get-to areas.In the case of The Granaries on Bear Mountain, near Dawson Creek, B.C., you don’t even have to leave your room to experience the thrill of seeing wild animals wandering by.
“I love it here,” says two-time guest Jan Enns. “I’m on the road a fair bit, so typically I’d stay at a hotel or motel. Here, at breakfast, I can watch mountain chickadees right outside the window.”
The Granaries, which comprises one suite in restored and repurposed grain storage buildings as well as two rooms in an inn, was built with wildlife and nature in mind right from the start. “Trying to live green, recycling – it’s just part of my life,” says owner Heather Newman.
She and her husband Bob, worked for three years to create the unique property which opened in May 2003. It was designated at wildlife-friendly backyard by the Canadian Wildlife Federation n May 2005.
As if the reconstruction of the granaries wasn’t a big enough project on it’s own, Newman had another substantial undertaking in mind.”I think I wanted my own lake,” she says, “Dawson Creek is mostly prairie, with no great bodies of water. I wanted it for summer recreation and for the wildlife.”
Her vision left the excavators scratching their heads. As one told her, “We do square, we do circular, but we don’t do free-form.” Newman insisted her little lake be dug to three different depths to provide habitat for different creatures.”Everyone thought I was crazy, but we did it and it worked really well.”
Tadpoles and bulrushes soon commandeered portions of the lake.Deer and foxes came to drink; muskrats and ducks called it home now and then.She considered stocking it with fish, but decided against it, not wanting to tip the balance that was establishing itself.
As with other portions of the grounds, Newman had native trees and shrubs planted around the lake, which helped attract larger visitors.”We get a lot of moose. They’ve pruned the trees I planted, and not in a nice shape. But they have to eat too, so we coexist.”
Many species of birds – mainly prairie species – light in the greenery, providing hours of fascination for guests. Newman provides binoculars and a bird guide to help with identification of species.
To encourage cavity nesting birds and other animals, dead trees are left to go back to nature in their own time. Birdhouses around the property also encourage feathered wildlife to take up residence.
The gardens, which drew astonished praise during the annual tour of gardens in the area, are mostly made up of native species and those that require little watering.
Rain barrels collect moisture to be used on the gardens. Lawns are not watered, and grass clippings left to decompose where they fall.
Kitchen waste and other items ware composted and anything that can be recycled is. “My footprint is slightly smaller because my waste is being recycled here,” says Enns.”Plus I can compost my apple cores and banana peels!”
Newman strives to buy as much local – organic if possible – food as she can, and uses lots of produce from her own garden in the summer. It’s all part of a philosophy of living with nature to provide room for everyone, from wedding parties to hungry moose.In an age when electronic gadgets invade every waking moment, her guests appreciate the emphasis on the natural world.”The only distractions are nature and each other. It’s a chance to slow down, sit outside and read a book.”
Satisfied guest jan Enns couldn’t agree more. “I really feel connected to nature and much more grounded when I stay here.”
The Granaries on Bear Mountain, a unique local Bed and Breakfast, is being immortalized in quarter inch scale complete with tiny artwork , furniture, and fittings. Even mini pots of flowers.
An Alaskan resident, Megan Kirkingburg, stayed at the Granaries on her journey north from the lower 48 and was so taken with them that she decided to recreate them in miniature.
The art of making doll houses is certainly not new. There are whole magazines dedicated to the craft. Building the shells is the easy part. Decorating the insides can be almost as costly as redecorating a whole house according to Megan and can take one to two years.
Heather Newman, owner of the celebrated bed and breakfast, suggested a showing for the eventual finished work of art at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery and contacted the curator Ellen Corea. She was thrilled with the idea and has tentatively booked the show for Aug 2008 to give other doll house hobbyists a enough time to construct their inspirations to display.An Alaska highway theme would really tie the show together and could fit in perfectly with the launch of
Alaska Highway House and other aspects of the tourism plan for Dawson Creek commented Ryan MacIvor, local tourism director.
Armed with lots of digital photos and measurements of all the buildings, Megan reports that she has the “Mini Granaries “well on their way. The walls are up with one set of french doors installed and the remainder of the building parts ordered . The rest of the pieces will be made by hand-a great winter activity.
Other miniature enthusiasts should contact Ellen Corea at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery to learn more about the project
by J.B. MacKinnon
“Whoa, now,” says Garry Loiselle, sounding just like the rancher he is, a man who pronounces his French family name loy-Zel, as if he wrote westerns for a living. Which might not be a bad idea. We are sliding backward downhill in a pickup truck, slick mud spraying up the windows, everything banging and thumping, everything trying to shake itself loose from everything else. Read full article.
By Tanya Linton, photos by Janis Nicolay
“I call it Euro Country meets Cape Cod meets Little House on the Prairie,” Heather Newman says with a laugh of her picturesque guest retreat in Dawson Creek, B.C. Situated across the lake from the home she shares with her husband, Bob, what was once only a dream for the former Vancouver couple has turned into a stunning reality – a combination of rooms with an airy feel and a multitude of French Country touches. “After 14 years here, we had beautiful gardens, a man-made lake, everything. The next logical step was to build a cabin on the other side of the water.” But instead of constructing something new, the couple opted for a trio of antique granaries that now make a singular statement on the opposite shore.
“We live in a small piece of B.C. that is more like the Prairies,” she says. “There are old wooden granaries everywhere. It got me thinking that we could cluster three of them together to make one lovely space.” The idea was a unique one, but dragging rotting wooden structures over six kilometres of land, renovating them and outfitting them with a French Country flair was more than just a weekend project. “It became my obsession for a few years,” Newman adds.“The round building needed a new roof,” she continues. “And I put in some sets of French doors. They opened up the space dramatically.”
Together the structures – a traditional round granary sandwiched by two rectangular versions – seem like they were always meant to be in this simple configuration. Not attached, but a “holler-width” apart. “They aren’t connected, which makes it interesting if it’s raining,” Newman says. “But it’s also part of the fun of the place.”
When it came time to decorate, Newman had her heart set on a sophisticated French Country scheme, but her bank book was leaning more toward cheap and cheerful rather than fine antiques. Shopping was a challenge as well, since Dawson Creek is nestled in the heart of the country and void of pretty home furnishing stores. Catalogues and the local hardware store offered the essentials, and formerly loved objects from Newman’s own house, such as salvage finds, slipcovered chairs and patio furniture, all found a new life in The Granaries on Bear Mountain, as the couple calls their bed-and-breakfast endeavour.
Budget-friendly decorating fast became Newman’s motto. Using bed linens to make window coverings was the inexpensive solution to buying designer fabric in bulk. In addition, multi-functional pieces abound in the B&B, like the antique buffet in the lounge that conceals kitchen essentials, such as a hot plate, microwave oven and coffee maker, for overnight guests. An old stove, tin watering cans and an original gate from the granaries create an exterior setting full of rustic charm. “Sometimes when the B&B isn’t full, my husband and I book a night for ourselves,” Newman states with a smile. “Our home is minutes away, but when we stay out here, we feel like we’re on vacation.”
