A few months ago, we mounted a historical house sign on our home at 7 Ingleside Place in London, a sign that commemorates the names of the original owners and their occupation as well as the year of construction. The research for and production of these signs is a project of the local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. Through the report provided by ACO and my own investigations, I learned that Hubert Goodson Alford and his wife Emma bought the lot at 7 Ingleside Place in 1905 for $350 and took out a mortgage at the same time for $1300 (presumably to finance the construction of the house). At that time, Hubert was employed as a carpenter by the William Gerry and Sons planing mill at the corner of York and Ridout Streets (where Copps Buildall is located now, not more than 10 minutes’ walk from his house). Coincidentally, William Gerry’s former home is also marked with a historical house sign at 41 Craig Street, one block away. The Alfords sold their home in London in 1911 for $1800, having already moved to the new city of Saskatoon where Hubert opened his own planing mill with a brother.
Unlike some houses which stay in the same family for generations, 7 Ingleside Place has changed hands many times since then. From what I have been able to ascertain from my research, Judy and I are the 11th owners of this sturdy little “Queen Anne Revival“-style house. It has served during its 115 years as the home for a variety of men and women whose names and occupations are recorded in old city directories—a bookkeeper, a sales manager, a railway mail clerk, a foundry superintendent, a printer at the London Free Press, a worker at Labatt’s Brewery, a hospital orderly, a restaurant hostess, an undertaker, a shoemaker, a physician, and a construction company superintendent—among others. Within this odd collection I have searched for some sense of connection, the conviction that we belong here because our stories continue the stories of others who have taken shelter within these walls in times past. As Ellen Meloy says in The Anthropology of Turquoise, “Humans long for connection and continuity, for insight into the past endeavors of their species that ultimately affirm their own lives, whether by empathy or contrast.” Because this house was extensively renovated before we purchased it, we have found no memoranda from previous occupants hidden between layers of wallpaper or under the floor boards, but we were intrigued to learn that someone who lived here during the 1960s and 1970s was a runner even into his 80s (and still holds the Canadian record for males 85 years and older in the 10 mile and 15 km distances!).
Over the course of 115 years, this house has addressed the basic human need of shelter for an unknown number of women, men and children. The word “shelter”, which is derived from the English word “shield”, speaks of the protection against the elements and the physical and psychological safety and security that a home provides. Since 2007, these four walls have provided Judy and me with the security we needed to celebrate, as we did when we learned of our daughter Naomi and our son Aaron’s plans to marry the persons with whom they had fallen in love, and when we heard the news that Naomi and our other son Brendan and their partners would be blessing us with more grandchildren. This same house offered the safety we needed to mourn, as we did when I received the phone call that my father was close to death and I needed to come quickly, or when my employer informed me that they wanted me to retire much sooner than I expected. This home has served as a place of retreat, where we have spent many hours in quiet meditation and reflection—as I have often done on winter mornings, sitting by the gas fireplace with a book, gazing out the front window onto the quiet street. It has also been a place of welcome, where friends, family, and even newcomers to this country have shared our table.
Everyone understands that shelter is more than protection from the cold, the rain, the sun and the wind. It’s a space to feel safe, to have privacy, to heal and to grow. As empty-nesters, this house is more than we need, and so as Judy and I plan for our retirement we know that at some point we will want to downsize. But, we will still need some place “to call home”, even if it’s a tiny house. Home is a place that provides the safety for each person who dwells there to make the choices needed to flourish, as advocates of the “Housing First” philosophy understand. Housing First is “a recovery-oriented approach” to addressing homelessness and housing instability that is based on the conviction that people are better able to move forward with their lives if they are first housed. What we know to be true in our own lives is just as true for those living on the streets, sleeping in emergency shelters, couch surfing, or at risk of homelessness. Supportive and affordable housing providers like Southwestern Ontario-based Indwell seek to move the homeless and underhoused quickly into permanent housing, and then offer supports which enhance their tenants’ physical, mental, and social well-being. It is a costly approach, but essential for securing stable, adequate and secure housing for the most vulnerable members of our communities. The choice not to invest in this much-needed housing will cost our community even more.
Home is a place that provides the safety for each person who dwells there to make the choices needed to flourish…
Members of our communities like Paul. Paul is 55 and is diagnosed with a severe mental illness. Two years ago Paul moved into Woodfield Gate, Indwell’s first project in London. At Woodfield Gate, Indwell’s on-site staff team provides support to the occupants of the 67 one-bedroom apartments in the areas of nursing, food security, addiction and housing. This is the first time in his life Paul has had a place of his own; he had always lived with either his mother or at “the Mission”, Mission Services of London‘s men’s shelter. When Paul was asked to describe one of the happiest moments he has experienced since moving into his apartment, he said, “It was coming to my apartment and looking at the home and it was respectable. I love having my books with me. They are informative and you can re-read them and they keep down the negative thoughts too. I read the classics.” He says it is having a place to read and have coffee that makes his apartment feel like home.
There is an expression, “A house is a building but a home is a feeling.” Having a place to keep his books, a place to read and have coffee, help Paul feel at home. Having a place of his own creates the opportunity for Paul to flourish in ways that perhaps he never has before. It is essential for the well-being of Paul and thousands of others (in this city alone) who are homeless or in precarious housing situations that we work together (governments, nonprofit agencies, private sector, and donors) to increase the supply of deeply affordable rental accommodation and the level of wrap-around, on-site supports available to tenants. The re-elected Liberal government has promised to build and repair more affordable housing, but will we see action? A campaign literature slogan was “A Home. For Everyone.”, but homes for middle-class families are not homes for the most vulnerable members of our society.
Thanks to the investment that Hubert and Emma Alford made in this house and the care that all the successive owners have taken, our home at 7 Ingleside Place has served Judy and me as a safe and secure shelter for the last 14 years. And, I am reasonably confident that when the time comes for us to move to a different dwelling we will have the readiness and capacity to make that transition. For many others, their housing future is much more uncertain, threatening their ability to anticipate and welcome the growth and change needed to become fully the persons they want to be. If you, like me, are currently enjoying the safety and security of a home that facilitates your physical and psychological well-being, join me in letting your elected federal, provincial and municipal representatives know that housing policy matters to you. Join me, as well, in supporting organizations like Mission Services of London and Indwell that provide either emergency housing or a long-term supportive community to those in need like Paul.
Donate to Mission Services London.
Banner photo from istockphoto.com. All other photos and text © 2021 Edwin Wilson.
