The village of Anmore has run out of options to save the former home of B.C. pioneer Margaret 'Ma' Murray and is now appealing to heritage buffs and entrepreneurs to move the century-old cottage and restore it.
A request for expressions of interest has been posted on the BC Bid website for someone to retain, move and restore the original Ma Murray homestead. Ideally, the proponent would move the 700 sq. ft. building to private land but the village will consider a proposal to put the cottage on civic property, depending on the use, parking requirements and revenue sharing, among other things.
Mayor John McEwen said only oldest portion of what was once used as Anmore village hall is worth saving, according to Heritage BC, and the village needs the structure moved to make way for a new village centre.
Another portion of the building, a converted garage used for village administration but decommissioned in 2012 because of rodent infestations and other problems, will be demolished.
"We want to build a new village hall there [and] because there's a septic system and all of the services are there [the building needs to be moved]," McEwen said.
This is the last chance for the building that once housed newspaper pioneer Ma Murray and her family, and McEwen said proposals such as moving the building to the Ioco lands and turning it into a restaurant have not panned out.
"We're hoping that with publicity, some people would come forward," he told The Tri-City News.
As to the logistics of moving the former homestead, it's entirely feasible, said a spokesperson for Port Coquitlam's Nickel Bros. Adam Knipfel said his company was brought in to have a look at the building and although there is no firm proposal, the move would be standard and not pose a risk to the structure.
"If it's not collapsing now, it's not going to collapse on our transport with the proper moving equipment," said Knipfel, who said the 60-year-old company has moved many older homes over the years.
Other than adding some bracing to the structure, the move would be straightforward, he said.
The deadline for the request for proposals is July 15. For more information, visit bcbid.gov.bc.ca.
