'Now we've got new dreams,' couple says
Published Wednesday December 3rd, 2008
Who said life isn't interesting?
For Ryan Thompson and his wife Elizabeth Demerson of Nashwaak West Road near Taymouth, the last seven-plus days have gone from one extreme to another.
In just over a week, they lost one house but gained another.
On Nov. 24, the couple was told it could no longer live in its one-bedroom home at Porters Brook because the highway leading to it was unsafe and was being closed indefinitely.
Thompson and Demerson were given the choice of selling their house to the government or face possible expropriation.
"The rug was pulled out from under us and our dreams were taken away," Demerson said. "I really loved our property. We had plans, we had dreams. It's got beautiful, 150-year-old pine trees in the yard and is right on the Naskwaak (River)."
The Department of Transportation said it was closing down the 1 1/2-kilometre section of Nashwaak Road at Porters Brook because highway engineers identified slope-stability issues.
Andrew Holland, a communications officer with the Department of Transportation, said experts looked at the condition of the guardrail along that stretch of road, as well as the retaining wall, and action needed to be taken immediately.
"For the benefit of the travelling public - school buses or local residents who travel this road daily - they felt it would be important to close this road indefinitely because of the unstable soil conditions," Holland said.
"The terrain is very difficult to deal with."
Holland said it will cost at least $1.5 million to repair the road.
Once conditions and potential dangers were explained to Thompson and Demerson, who have an infant daughter, the decision not to stay was an easy one. A deal was quickly reached with the government and, within a couple of days, they found a new house on Cross Creek Road.
Instead of dwelling on the negative, Demerson said she and her husband view the flurry of events as the prelude to good news.
"Now we've got new dreams and found a house that fits everything that we want right now," she said. "We are looking forward and making the best out of a bad situation."
She said she and her husband received a fair price for their home and that's all they wanted.
Demerson said it was better for all parties, including the government, to err on the side of caution, especially where there's a safety issue.
"The road is collapsing," she said. "We understand if the road is unsafe; we don't want to be on it either."
The couple hopes to be in the new house by Christmas.
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Looks like there will be a Christmas after all. And its our little beans first one so its even more special!