Tonight at midnight, one of Port Moody's older and more distinguished homes will be moved to a new address and homeowners in the area may be affected.
Noise and power outages are possible as the house moves from its current location at 2714 Clarke St. to 126 Kyle St. and BC Hydro is expected to contact residents if their power will be disrupted.
"They're hoping to not have any power outage," said city spokesperson Jillian McCavour, but she said 24-hour notice would be given.
The re-location of Centennial House, formerly known as Appleyard House, is one of the longest and most complex in the city in recent years. But movers Pridy Bros. House Moving are confident they can transport the large Edwardian home safely because they've done hundreds of similar moves over the years.
Shamus Pridy explained that the house had to be placed on a grid of steel planks and will be moved on wheels attached to a truck. Although the house is tall and nearly 100 years old, it is in good shape, having been reinforced by its previous owners, the Heritage House Pizza Co. It has already been moved once - possibly twice - before.
"This house has been seriously upgraded," Pridy said. "A lot of money has been put into it."
His brother, Leif Pridy, agreed that there are no structural concerns with the home and said it would make a great addition to the city arts precinct once it has been relocated.
Still, there are challenges.
Weather - one of the big concerns - was less of a worry when the sun returned Wednesday, making it possible to temporarily lower utility wires to accommodate the move. Scheduling and finalizing the details to make sure everything goes smoothly as planned was another challenge.
City project manager James Chandler expressed assurances that the move would would go ahead with few problems. "The people involved are experts," he said.
In fact, as many as 20 people from five companies and the city will be involved in the move, which will take about six hours, starting at midnight.
First, Moody Street, then St. Johns will have to be closed to make way for the move but drivers will be alerted to the closure by signs and city traffic managers, Chandler said.
The cost of the moving contract is about $41,000 and Centennial House will be moved to a temporary location, where it will sit for between six and nine months for a permanent foundation to be built. Then, Pridy Bros will return to place the building on new foundations, where it will remain.
The city of Port Moody took over the building from the province to make way for the Evergreen Line. Built in 1913, the house is valued for its association with Frederick Appleyard, who acquired the house around 1914, worked in the lumber industry and served on the Port Moody city council in 1917.
Find out more about the project on the city's website, www.portmoody.ca.
