There’s an amazing off-the-grid homestead property hitting the North Shore market.
It’s got a hand-hewn log cabin, a functioning windmill and full barn, as well farm equipment and an outhouse. And it can probably all fit in the back of a pickup truck.
The toy cedar homestead made by Silver Harbour Senior Centre member and volunteer Robert Proulx will be offered up for sale at the centre’s annual Christmas Market.
Proulx, 82, spent hours every day for two months cutting and crafting the elaborate toy set.
“I really had a lot of fun doing this. It was not work,” he said. “When I’m doing this, all I can see is a little 10-year-old boy playing with the tractor and with the farm and enjoying himself. You know, this is my first goal – to make a little boy happy.”
Every year, Silver Harbour’s senior elves in the woodshop contribute toys, garden ornaments and other wood crafts they’ve made to the annual Christmas Market to support the non-profit.
Proulx said he’d love to see the entire project go to one buyer, although with four-feet-by-six-feet dimensions (2.2 square metres), he recognizes they’d have to have a fairly large acreage available to fit the entire thing in.
Whether the whole homestead sells as one or as individual components, from previous years’ experience, Proulx said he knows there will always be a market for handcrafted, old-timey toys.
“Everything that I make sells,” he said.
As the project was nearing completion, a young mother walking with two young boys outside the centre stopped to peer in. Proulx invited them to come inside for a closer look.
“You should have seen the size of those boys’ eyes,” he said with a laugh. “They were speechless.”
With the skill set at his disposal, you might think Proulx has a background in carpentry, or perhaps real estate project management, but in his working life, he was a director of purchasing for a large organization until his retirement 20 years ago. He’s been a regular at Silver Harbour for the last seven years.
Proulx said he is hoping the homestead will fetch $1,000, all of which will be donated back to Silver Harbour.
“This place has… in fact I would say, saved me,” he said. “I have a place to come and meet people and do something and then do something for the community.”
That kind of enrichment is exactly what Silver Harbour’s leadership has always had in mind, said Simran Likhari, arts program co-ordinator for the non-profit.
“We believe in the transformative power of creativity. Our community provides a nurturing environment where individuals can explore their artistic talents, gain a sense of purpose, and give back to a place that fosters connection and belonging,” she said. “The wooden village crafted by our talented woodworker is a beautiful testament to this spirit, blending artistry with community support and embodying the heart of what Silver Harbour stands for.”
Proulx’s homestead will be displayed at Christmas Market, which will be held on Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Silver Harbour Seniors Centre, 144 East 22nd St.
