They're all moved in.
Two local families officially received the keys to their Habitat for Humanity-built duplex - the first Habitat homes in Humboldt - last week.
A key presentation ceremony, attended by approximately 50 people, was held in council chambers at Humboldt's City Hall on February 8.
Social Services Minister June Draude presented both families with keys to their new houses, and they received other gifts from the City of Humboldt, Habitat for Humanity and local groups like the Prairie Patchworkers Quilt Guild.
Both families had already moved into their homes, however, at least a week before the ceremony.
"They're loving it so far. There's more room to run around in," said Habitat homeowner Greg Pascal about his three children prior to the key ceremony.
Greg, his wife Toni and their children Alex, Kaydence and Shyanne, have been working on the house they now own through the Habitat for Humanity program for months. Together, they worked over the 500 hours required by Habitat for homeowners, though they don't know by how much. They stopped counting after reaching 500.
How does it feel to be finished?
"Very, very good," Pascal smiled, juggling one of his daughters in his arms.
Getting those hours in wasn't easy.
"They only worked (on the house) until five, so it was weekends," he said of the time they gave to the build. Luckily, his job allowed him every second Friday off, so he was able to spend those hours on the house.
"Now that it's all done, I get my weekends back, too," he grinned.
The Pascals had been renting a mobile home in Humboldt. Their new space is much larger - about twice as big, it's heated properly, and it's their own.
"That's a big thing right there," he said of ownership.
Habitat for Humanity allows families who need a hand up, not a hand-out, to give sweat equity in place of a down payment on a home, allowing them to purchase a home sooner than they might have been able to on their own. Habitat families hold and pay an interest-free mortgage on the home through Habitat.
The mortgage payments go into a revolving fund, which are used to build more affordable Habitat homes.
Without Habitat, would the Pascals have been able to purchase a home of their own at this point?
No, Pascal said.
"It could have been years down the road before an opportunity would have been able to come up, for any reasonable price, anyway," he stated.
A huge number of volunteers helped construct the duplex on the 500 block of 2nd St., which is now home to the two families.
"Their help is greatly appreciated," said Pascal. "It absolutely would not have been done without their help."
The donations of everyone - time and money to the project - is "very appreciated," he said.
Kristine Knudtson, who lives in the other side of the duplex with her children McKenzie and Skyler, is moved in an unpacked, she told the Journal.
They've even got a cat named Joey as a new addition to their family, now that they are in a home they own.
Getting her 500 hours in working on her new home was partially due to the cooperation of her employer, she said, who would give her days off during the week if it worked out.
Knudtson also relied a lot on her family at the Alliance Church, she said.
"They have been an amazing, constant support through all of this," she said.
To the volunteers who helped build the house, Knudtson had this to say.
"Thank you so much for making our dream come true this soon."
She recommended other families in the same situation they were in look at getting involved with Habitat.
"Especially if you don't think you're going to get it. Go ahead and do it anyway," she grinned.
"I'm so grateful God has blessed us with this opportunity," she said, and all the people who made it happen.
"Our friends lifted us up and prayed for us," she said. "I could mention so many people who have been so involved and helpful. We are truly blessed."
The ceremony begins
At the key presentation ceremony in City Hall, while temperatures outside hovered below freezing, Bob Bellamy, co-chair of the Humboldt Habitat for Humanity project, asked those present to cast their minds back to June 28, when the temperature was plus 24C and they officially broke ground on the project.
They had big plans, big goals and a big vision for Humboldt's first attempt at a Habitat project, he said, and all of them have been surpassed.
Humboldt is one of the smallest communities in Saskatchewan to take on a Habitat build, Bellamy said. But that didn't seem to hold it back.
Ivan Buehler, the other co-chair of the Humboldt project, credits its success to the support of the community.
"Without the financial and labour contributions from individuals, organizations and businesses, what has been accomplished here would not have been possible," he said. "We thank all of those people and the great volunteers who did much of the work."
The families did a huge amount of work on their own homes.
"Both families should feel proud. They're done their 500 hours, which is also remarkable," Bellamy said. "They were there a tremendous amount of time."
The build was finished in just seven months if you go by the date the first wall went up, which was July 17. That's faster than builds in Saskatoon.
"To me, that's phenomenal," said Bellamy.
"You've shown us up. We're so proud of you," noted Barb Cox-Lloyd, CEO of Habitat Saskatoon at the ceremony.
"Habitat for Humanity Saskatoon is very excited that the first build in Humboldt is complete and families are moving in," said Cox-Lloyd. "Humboldt is the first chapter set up by Habitat Saskatoon and we are very impressed with the way the community came together to volunteer, donate and to see this project through."
This first project will hopefully not be the last, from what Cox-Lloyd said. As the families take on their mortgages, those funds will be reinvested in building more homes in Humboldt, she noted.
That build is likely at least a year away, however, Bellamy indicated.
"We'll maybe see you in 2014," he said.
As the provincial government provided, through Sask. Housing Corporation, $100,000 in funding for the Humboldt project, Minister June Draude, who is responsible for Sask. Housing Corp, got to present the families with the keys.
"Today's dedication reminds us that when we all work together, we can help make housing affordable," Draude said. "In fact, ensuring access to safe and affordable housing is an important component of our Saskatchewan Plan for Growth. That is why our government, through Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, is so proud to help Habitat for Humanity make this happen."
For Humboldt to make their first Habitat house actually two homes is a credit to the loving and generous people who live here, she noted.
"Less than eight months ago, it was a piece of ground. Now it's two, not houses, but homes," Draude said.
Mayor Malcolm Eaton, before presenting the families with two mailboxes, said he brags about Humboldt and this region all the time.
"This is a great community," he said.
And what makes it great is doing things like they did that day.
"I'm so proud of everyone," he said of the Habitat project, from the families who stepped forward and contributed so many hours, to those who made donations of time, money and materials.
"It was great to see it unfold. We have something to be proud of here," he said.
The mailboxes he presented will come in handy as the city continues to grow, he said, and perhaps one day we get home delivery of mail. Until then, he laughed, the boxes will work well for newspapers and flyers.
The families also received quilts from the Prairie Patchworkers Quilt Guild at the ceremony - because, said member Shirley Goodrich, a house is not a home until it has at least one quilt - door mats from Habitat for Humanity Humboldt, and homeowner guides from Habitat Saskatoon.
Tim Prytula, the project manager for the Humboldt Habitat build, was praised by many for his patience in dealing with a volunteer construction crew, and his dedication to getting the houses finished quickly and properly.
After the ceremony was complete and his job was officially done, Prytula was all smiles.
"It's very rewarding in some ways... and very sad in others," he said.
"I've worked myself out of a job in Humboldt," he added with a laugh.
But Prytula is extremely satisfied with the end result.
"The families are happy, they have beautiful homes that are very usable for all their lives," he said.
"It's nice that Humboldt and area can get involved in that type of program and donate their (time). Many came back several times to help."
Things just seemed to go their way, he indicated of the build's quick pace. Their only delay was at the beginning of the build, when it kept raining into the hole they had dug for the basement.
"There were no real delays (after that)," he said. "No downtime or major issues. It came together without any glitches."
Working with volunteer builders was a little more challenging than directing a regular construction crew - he spent a lot of his time showing volunteers how to do things, sometimes more than once - but he didn't seem to mind that. It just took a little extra organization.
"It was a learning experience for them," he said of the volunteers and their families who worked with him. Now, especially the families know what goes into building a house from the ground up.
Prytula enjoyed the work so much that he's willing do it all again.
"I'd consider doing a Habitat (project) in Humboldt again," he said.
