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Dave Phillips Designs and Builds a Pavilion

"The pavilion will give you the sense that no matter where you come in you feel like you are coming in the main door." That's what Dave Phillips says about the building he has designed for Agur Lake Camp. Once you are inside he hopes you will look out in any direction and experience the tranquility of the lake and trees.

Dave's yard, in a rural property south of Oliver, is stacked with fir beams, with ends already cut with off-angle grooves. He explains that the finished structure will be neither square nor oval. There will be arches displaying the natural grain of the wood. The final shape? Well, "It will stick out the sides a bit in sort of a proud manner!" Dave suggests. I can tell he is proud of how it will look.

Working with wood became a passion for Dave when he was a boy. That led him into a career in forestry, but somehow that wasn't the right fit. Nearly five years ago he and his wife moved to the Okanagan, and Dave launched into a second career, one where he can smell the wood and shape it with his tools. He calls it Wine Country Timber Craft. (www.winecountrytimbercraft.com/contact.html)

The wood for the pavilion comes from the mountains near Okanagan Falls. The Fir Bark Beetle has killed the trees, and rather than letting them rot, they are harvested. Dave has engaged the nearby Okanagan Log and Timber Company to cut the beams. He likes the precision of their work because it makes his job much easier. Even so, he still measures many time before he makes a cut.

Chuck Edwards Heads Student Construction Crew

Chuck Edwards has been doing construction work for forty years and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that he is now sharing. Besides running C.M. Edwards Construction he is taking a course to qualify him as an instructor at Okanagan College and volunteering to supervise the students who are building the first cabin to the lock-up stage for Agur Lake Camp. His role is to guide the students in construction procedures and to be sure that the BC Building Code is followed.

I interviewed Chuck just as he was ending a lively conversation with Ken Sewell, manager of TIM-BR Mart in Summerland. Ken's company is donating the lumber necessary to build the first cabin, and Chuck was throwing the first load of planks on his truck. Both men exuded enthusiasm for doing what they can to make Agur Lake Camp a reality, and Chuck explained today's task this way:

"Today I'm picking up some lumber to build the blocks to actually start the floors on. We have to build a series of blocks to hold everything in the air. When the building is finished and we call for the truck it actually backs between the blocks and lifts the units off the blocks. Adult Lego, is what we call it!"

Students who complete this course can then qualify for their first year apprenticeship after serving 200 hours for a contractor.

For more about Chuck's business go to: www.cmedwardsconstruction.com

Chris Allen, Site Planner

This year will be the year that Agur Lake Camp gets its first cabin, a gazebo, and, things going well, a start on the network of trails which will eventually criss-cross the property. To make that happen the Board has hired a Site Planner. Chris Allen from the architectural firm of Allen + Maurer was chosen to fill that position.

After seeing plans of the proposed camp on paper Chris' decided to walk the site, even though it was covered by snow. His philosophy is to retain the natural beauty of a site and to make construction and occupation as ecologically friendly as possible. To do that he needs perspective on the lay of the land.

"We try to design buildings that fit well into the landscape" he explained. "To do a camp is about enjoying nature. We try to place buildings at the edge of wonderful areas, and if we are taking out trees we make sure it is not on the best part of the site."

Apart from the biffy, the wells and the fence around the property, nothing has yet been put on the site. It is Chris' job to determine where buildings and trails will be placed, not just now, but for ten years down the road. He will, of course work in liaison with the Building Committee of the ALCS Board. But it will be his job to keep in mind the big picture as the players in the plan each do their thing, and the camp takes shape.

When asked why he was attracted to this job Chris replied "It is a great idea and an interesting concept. It is the kind of community project we think is important."

For information about Chris' architectural firm visit www.allenmaurer.com