History of the Henderson-Godolphin Cabin

 

In 1973, my ex-wife, Sylvia, and I found we had enough money to think about buying one of the few remaining lots left from the formation of BBH in the early sixties. The cost was $5,000, and the Company offered good terms - low down payment and $100 a month. When we contacted the Company, we found our timing was impeccable. We had heard 3 lots were left, but, now, only 1 - in Water Bay right next to the Bluff - remained.  So we went for it.

 

Planning to build involved numerous visits to the Kits branch of the Vancouver Public Library and much discussion in the extended family. Expense was a major concern, so no architect was hired. The cheapest roofing available was shakes from beach logs. I began splitting in 1975 and continued for a couple of years. Construction started in 1976.   Lumber, together with a huge number of bricks from the old Birks building, were delivered to the government wharf in Halfmoon Bay. At high tide, a sea truck run by  Rudy van der Madden began hauling.  Lots of people helped haul the lumber up from the beach. I remember trying to keep up with Alfred Hailey, and I think I still owe Brian Cornwall.

 

Early on, luckily still in the laying out stage, we shifted the whole structure 10 feet or so to maximize sunlight - the bluff does cast a big shadow. I think we would never have made it past the laying out stage except for a high school friend of Sylvia's who had worked in construction. He showed up for a weekend and we had the first couple of foundation pads down and creosote log posts in before he left.  Well begun is half done.

 

Then the main part of the construction crew showed up - my Dad arrived for his 'holi­days' at the beginning of July. The foundation, floor, and walls went up in no time, it seemed. Many friends and relations came to lend a hand as the month proceeded. I experienced the anxieties of having to keep people busy rather than the sweat of too much heavy work.

 

When things were well along, the building inspector, Morris-Reid, arrived at the dock, having been on North Thormanby doing an inspection. His timing was rather good. As well as my own cabin, two others were under construction without permits. I, as the others, had understood that we had an agreement with the Islands Trust - or was it the Regional District - that we could undertake construction without permits. Perhaps more fortunately, our site is more visible heading back from the beach. The building inspector put 'stop work' orders on the then Bernard-Corwall and the Bob and Wendy Simson cabins.  By the time he spotted my cabin on his way back to the dock, he was out of 'stop work' orders. In the end, it became clear that the Company had to reach some sort of agreement with the authorities - our zoning only allowed two (or four?) cabins on the entire Company property. We continued building.

 

By the end of the summer,  we had a shell and half a roof shaked.  The triangles between the roof and the walls at both ends were empty.  Half the roof spent the winter under tarps with no ill effects. The first time we slept in the cabin was Easter 1977, with both ends still open.  The summer of 1977 saw the rest of the roof shaked and the two triangles glassed in. The deck on the front took many years in coming and, once it did, the railings and stairs down to the water took as long again.

 

The back bedroom was insulated and finish put on the walls in 1996. Geordie and Roz replaced the back porch in 1997, the first renovations. Jocelyn was instrumental in installing a drain from the kitchen sink in 1997. So the cabin is over 20 years old, and still under construction. We don't have the requisite number of sheds and are looking forward to finish on the inside walls and a fireplace.

 

Jim Henderson