Longhouse to be reborn

Page 8

Al Ross Jr. wasn't as happy to see the crane come to the Tseshaht Longhouse on this second occasion.

The first time the crane came to this location, it was to lift the huge, hand-adzed beams of the new Tseshaht Longhouse into place.

That was more than 22 years ago.

In February, the crane came to tear down the longhouse that Al Ross Jr. and the late John Dick, had spent a year of their lives building by hand.

"We hand cut those planks with a power-saw, and barked and hand-adzed two truckloads of prime logs," said Ross, never removing his gaze from the crane and the workers as he spoke.

The Tseshaht Longhouse, located beside Highway 4 just west of Port Alberni, was never used for any formal occasions. Al Ross Jr. is sure that will change once it's rebuilt on the banks of the Somass River, beside Tseshaht First Nation's Maht Mahs Gymnasium.

Because the longhouse lacked kitchen and bathroom facilities, it never hosted the ceremonies or events it was meant for.

"I feel like I should be doing something to mark this occasion," said Jane Jones as she watched the crane remove the first cross beams. "But unfortunately, this longhouse was never used."

If the proposed new site is approved for construction, longhouse events can be supported by the kitchen and washroom facilities in Maht Mahs Gym.

The three-feet thick, huge cedar beams required a crane and a high-rigger. Construction manager Howard Little oversaw the removal of the longhouse planks by students of the Youth Services Program.

Howard has also been travelling around Vancouver Island looking at bighouses, comparing structure designs before building the new Tseshaht longhouse.

"We have to make sure everything is in place before the new building goes up," said Howard, who is pouring over maps in his spare time, tracing underground water and sewer lines in the area around Maht Mahs.

"I've never really been into this kind of stuff," said Howard, a contractor specializing in residential and commercial construction. "But the more work I do on this project, the more enthusiastic I am about the opportunity to build the new longhouse."

Until site location and funding arrangements are secured, there is no time frame for construction of the new Tseshaht Longhouse.