Virden’s Habitat for Humanity committee handed over house keys to Priscilla Gompf at a celebratory key ceremony, Jan. 29, attended by local people involved in the project, also Mayor Murray Wright, representatives from Manitoba Housing and Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg.
It was a warm community affair with a chorale number, “Bless This House”, and Gompf was presented with a Bible. Everyone enjoyed a noon meal together in Sacred Heart Parish Hall.
Head for the project in Virden, Karen McKinnon brought highlights of the build.
Along with a number of daily volunteers (see Jan. 11 issue) Virden Oil Capitals loaned their strength to the project. The house walls were built on the floor and raised Aug. 10, with the help of four Oil Capitals and their Asst. Coach.
“The roof was built on the ground in the front yard and it was another exciting day when Fontana Trucking sent a huge machine and two very capable men who raised the roof and sat it perfectly onto the walls,” McKinnon explained.
With a lot of nailing, the interior walls were built. Members of the Oil Caps lifted drywall from the truck, through the basement window and helped put it up.
Volunteer Fran Bayliss called the job relaxing and enjoyable. McKinnon said, “I think that a lot of that was due to our site manager, Wilbert Friesen… he showed us how to do something and then let us carry on, only to interfere when we asked for help or if something needed to be fixed.”
