The Upper House
(Graphite Image by Laine Dahlen)
From 1915 to 1922 the property was registered to R.S. Sherman, c/o Keefer and Townley.
In 1922, together with the neighbouring empty lot (3087 Arbutus), it was sold to W. Vaughan Robinson.
Dr. Frederik N. Robertson and his wife Eva purchased the two lots from Vaughan Robinson around 1933. These lots were subsequently bequeathed to their children Olive (m. Rose), Eric and Strowan Robertson. After the death of Olive Rose, the properties passed to her husband Andrew (Andy) Rose as part payment for shares in Tullyokie (3010 Malaspina) which was now owned by Olive’s brother Eric Robertson after he bought out his siblings.
Andy Rose gifted the lot at 3083 Arbutus to his and Olive’s son Andrew (Drew) Rose. He gave the lot at 3083 Arbutus to their daughter Erica (MissE) Rose.
Drew and his wife Joan built a log house together in 1974. They walked the Savary shoreline looking for suitable logs and used surveyor’s tape to flag them, returning later with a small boat to create their own log boom using log dogs and rope. They beached the logs near the McClellans’ cottage and brought them up to their lot by various means, using a driveway west of the Mace house. Depending on the size of the logs, they either rolled them on 45 gal. gas drums, used a truck, or relied on friends with strong backs. Joan hand-split all the cedar roof shakes and hand-mixed the cement for the root cellar. The house was completed in time for their wedding on Savary in 1975. At first it was a one-room building with a sleeping loft. When they learned that twins were on the way, they added an extension which provided room for a good-sized kitchen, an indoor bathroom and a pantry which included an old washing machine. In March 1976 Magdalene and Mirabai arrived and life became very busy. After a few years on the island with twin babies, they decided to move back to the city, and put their property up for sale.
As the corner of Drew’s lot touched the corner of the McClellans’ lot (Iotah) at 3068 Malaspina Promendade, Dell and Jane (nee McClellan) Valair bought Drew’s property in 1979. Jane’s father, W. Arthur McClellan purchased the lot owned by Erica Rose at the same time. Jane and Dell acquired the lot 3087 from Jane’s father’s estate. Acquiring the property allowed Jane to bring their three children, Sarah, Leslie and Adam, from their home in Dawson Creek to stay for the whole summer, spending lots of time with their grandparents, the McClellans, with whom they had a special relationship.
There have been some changes to the log house but the footprint is the same, as are the logs, providing warmth in the cool months and shade in the hot summer. In the summer of 1990, we installed a solar system in what we call the Upper House — as in the Senate, the House of sober second thought. It has ‘all mod cons’ in contrast to Iotah, where we have tried to keep it much as it was over a century ago. At the Upper House, gone are the struggles with ancient generators, some of which we referred to as ‘boat anchors’. In some ways things were much simpler to run in the early days, but now it would be hard to give up the convenience of electricity.
Having a family access from Malaspina Promenade right through to Arbutus Avenue gives us a quick path to the beach and also access to the woods and the south beach. Our friendly neighbours, the island deer, use the same handy access, sampling the greenery wherever they can.
There are now six Valair grandchildren — Sofia, Will, Arthur, Fiona, George and Robyn — who are enjoying the Upper House too.
Published 2024