Finally the culvert

So after about a month's worth of phone call exchanges, Mr. Lacroix showed up with this truck and backhoe and unloaded 200 tons of sand right in front of the lot and started cleaning the ground to install the 24' culvert. After properly packing the sand underneath so that the tube doesn't sink too much after packing another 2 feet of sand over it, the culvert was installed and the driveway entrance started to take shape.


While Mr.Lacroix was gone to a dentist appointment Yvon took the time to properly inspect the culvert......*sigh*


It was really cool to see this guy go with his backhoe. It made me think about all the times I tagged along with my uncle Maurice to go push some snow or dig holes in my grand-father's back yard. hehe









Next step will be for Mr.Lacroix to come back and unload another 2000 tons of sand and and gravel to complete our driveway and clear the ground of stumps and prep for building.

Anyways, lots of pictures and videos to show for. You can see how the work was done.

We have an address!

Today was an important day. Apart from starting the blog, we had our first productive visit at one of the City Hall Service Centre.

Here's all you need to know to go from lot without road access to a culvert, laneway, address and 911 post:

1. You need to fill out the Private Approach Permit with information regarding the legal description of the lot (since it doesn't have an address yet)
2. You also need to attach a sketch of your lot and where you want the driveway to be, including width of laneway(see bylaw for restrictions). There are size restrictions for width of culvert etc. We figured the wider the better so went with the full 9m culvert.
3. Pay the 200$ fee associated with the permit and inspection. While you are at it, fill out the 911 post application. It's needed so you may as well get it over with. Basically, the 911 post is the little address post which will be at the end of your street. It's there so that emergency vehicles can easily find you. It costs 50$ for them to make it and once your driveway is in, you install it yourself(there's guidelines as to where to put it..they will give this to you as well).
4. They will assign you with an address..which is quite exciting because that means you can technically put in a mailbox on your street and start receiving mail! woohoo!
4. The inspectors will come to visit the lot and where you plan on building the culvert, proposing the diameter of it and making sure everything is OK with location.
5. You hire someone to put in the culvert and put in the stone.
6. The inspectors come to visit again, making sure you did a good job.
7. You can now enter your lot from the street, recieve mail and get stuff delievred to your place! Weeeeee! Rejoice! :P

Now the question is...when will Google be able to recognize our new address as valid?

How it all came to be...

I loved the experience of blogging about our 1971 VW Westfalia's restoration and trips at http://coast2coastblog.blogspot.com/. So much in fact, I decided to blog on our next project: building a country home on a 5 acre wooded lot.

I bought the lot in 2001 soon after I graduated from University. Finding it was a mixture of determination and pure luck. I decided to look at local maps and set out on nearby dead ends and dirt roads looking for lots for sale. I knew what I wanted: minimum 5 acre of forest. Somewhere quiet but close to my family. Dry land with good water...a good place to build a nice cozy country-cottage type home.

Weeks went by and no luck. One afternoon, I was driving down a small dirt road, a bit dissapointed that I wasn't seeing "for sale" signs anywhere when a gorgeous doberman (at the time I thought it was a great dane) ran onto the street, forcing me to come to a complete stop. To my right was a tiny for sale sign, almost faded by the last rainfall. I looked at the trees beyond the sign and immediately got goose bumps. It was BEAUTIFUL.

I put the car in park, walked out..greeted the very friendly doberman and jotted the number down. A few phone calls and some legal stuff later, I was the proud owner of the property.

It's been 8 years now, and I still feel like the luckiest girl alive to have been at the right place at the right time to find this gem.

Eight years went by quickly. My parents helped me clear and burn the brush in the first few years. After that,I visited often. Sometimes to just have a picnic, sometimes to go for a walk, but always to daydream of the day I'd eventually build there.

And now the time has come. I couldn't be happier :)

I hope you enjoy reading our newest blog, and learn with us as we set on this owner-builder adventure.

Be good.