It's Heidi and Andrew Patey's new dream home.
Mr. Patey is from the area so he and his wife decided to take root in the community for the long haul.
"St. Anthony is where we want to make our home, so we thought 'why not build our dream home?' We're never going to build again," explains Mr. Patey.
When they bought the land there was an old salt-box home on it, but renovating wasn't an option so they reluctantly knocked it down.
The couple then spent a long time looking for plans for the 'perfect home'. Mr. Patey had always wanted a log house and, when they did the sums, it turned out they would save money on the materials if they took that option. Sure, they spent more on labour, but for them it was the perfect plan.
"It was a big learning curve for everyone," laughs Mrs. Patey. "There are challenges involved with having the construction complete before you can put in pluming and wiring and that kind of thing, but we're just so happy with it."
The sight of a two-level log home in St. Anthony has certainly had people talking. And, the Patey's assure me, rubber-necking.
"Someone almost ran into the guardrail there as they were driving because they were staring at the house," Mr. Patey laughs."Everyone slows down to have a look as they drive by."
Mr. and Mrs. Patey's brand new home may be one-of-a-kind in these parts, but the couple are part of a growing set of young families who are returning to the town to build their "dream homes."
It may seem to go against the common rhetoric that the Northern Peninsula is dying, but Len Budgell from Budgell's Construction in St. Anthony says business is booming.
"We've been extremely busy this year. Over the past couple of years, actually," says Mr. Budgell. "There are a fair number of people moving to the area here. People who grew up and now have young families - they're coming back to raise their kids. Older people would often come back to retire, and they still are, but there are these younger people too."
It's not just homes, either. Mr. Budgell says commercial and residential projects are both on the rise in St. Anthony.
"We just finished up a new CT extension at the hospital ... and with the new civic centre and the school that they've been talking about, and the wharf, well a lot of people from other communities are finding work here right at the moment," he said.
"Anyone who comes here wants to live in a nice new home or renovate something that's already here, so they come and they build. There's a lot of new stuff going up."
As for Mr. and Mrs. Patey, they're happy they get to join this trend of people returning.
Standing on their newly-built deck, Mrs. Patey motions towards the water.
"Look at that," she says. "This is why we wanted to build here. That view. It's beautiful."
egraney@northernpen.ca
