This was the second time that Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver has run the Coldest Night of The Year event in North Vancouver. But unlike the previous year, there was no snow this time (though we did have to content with some light rain).

On Saturday, February 24th, over 150 enthusiastic walkers and volunteers took to the streets of Lower Lonsdale, showing their support for the work we are doing to create more affordable housing options in the Lower Mainland. Thanks to the support we received, we raised over $35,000, with donations continuing to roll in post-event. We are incredibly grateful for the support we've received from our lead sponsor Neptune Terminals, whose generosity helped make this event a success.

“We were so excited to take the route through the heart of Lonsdale this year,” says Jonathan Fehr, the event director and resident of North Vancouver since 2018. “We had the opportunity to gather in a busy section of the city and to come together in support of those facing housing insecurity.”

Along the way, our walkers were treated to rest stops sponsored by Anthem and Three Shores Development. Incredible volunteers from those organizations came together to provide much-needed refreshments and a chance to recharge.

We were also fortunate to have the support of BC Housing, who sponsored walks across the province with grants. Additionally, we had three incredible route sponsors: 1 Degree Planning, Mercury Transport, TD Bank, and Jet Pet Resort North Shore. Devon Owen Personal Real Estate Corporation came on as a community sponsor. The support of these organizations has been instrumental in helping us further our mission of providing affordable housing for all.

Delicious soup was provided to everyone by Eighties Restaurant, and there was nothing but praise for the cook. We also had coffee donated by Starbucks and timbits and hot chocolate donated by Tim Hortons.

“I need to take a moment to highlight that our volunteers for the day were truly incredible,” says Fehr. “Many of them arrived early to help with setup. The event would not have run smoothly without their support in during the walk and through assisting with tear-down. We are grateful for their dedication and hard work!”

Fehr also gave a special shoutout to all the fundraising teams and individual fundraisers who went above and beyond to raise funds for affordable housing.

“Your efforts have made a real difference in the lives of families in the Greater Vancouver area,” he says.

Did you miss this year's event or not hit your fundraising goal? Donations are still being accepted until March 31st. Visit https://cnoy.org/location/northvancouver and select your walker/team to support or choose our official team, Habitat Hardhomes, to help us increase our impact. Every dollar counts, and your support means the world to us.

More pictures of the day are also available on the event page, so head over there and take a look at the activities of the day.

Petr Basel — one of our Mission Partner Families — has a diverse professional background. Since immigrating from the Czech Republic in 2009, he has worked in hospitality, ran his own videography business, driven bus around Vancouver, and now has a full-time job with the city of Mission. But more recently, he’s created a side-business in the field of home care and maintenance as a way to build up his savings.

It all started when he was living in Whistler many years ago and cleaning windows. He enjoyed the work and found it to be profitable at that time, so he decided to try his hand at it once again in his new Mission community. Within months, the business (Mission Window Washing) took off and Petr found he was having to take bookings weeks in advance. This quickly led to expanding his services to gutter cleaning, as well.

“I added gutter cleaning because it kind of goes hand in hand with windows,” explains Petr. “In the Spring, I plan to add pressure washing for homes, roofs, and driveways.”

“With this new business, there’s so many homes and buildings to clean, and the advantage is I can be home for dinner and not on the road.”

— Petr Basel

Transitioning Career

While Petr loved his 6+ years of work as a self-employed videographer and photographer, he found it challenging to pursue new contracts in a highly competitive market. There were days where work was plentiful, then times where he’d have no work for months. On top of that, many of his contracts required him to spend a lot of time traveling and away from his family at home.

“With this new business, there’s so many homes and buildings to clean, and the advantage is I can be home for dinner and not on the road,” says Petr.

The Challenge of Home Ownership and An Unexpected Opportunity

Petr says that he loved his time living in Whistler and Vancouver, but found that the soaring real estate prices made it feel impossible to try raising children.

“We liked it in Vancouver, but rent was going up every year,” explains Petr. “We started at $1300 for a tiny old one bedroom. Within five years, it had gone to $1750. For us, this was quite a lot.”

Discouraged and faced with the prospect of an unattainable housing market in Vancouver, Petr considered moving as far away as Smithers to pursue home ownership. But everything changed when he learned about Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver and was able to secure a house for his family in Mission.

“I had no idea Habitat was here, at first,” explains Petr. “When we learned about it, we applied. It took some time, but we got very lucky and received housing in Mission. It’s unreal. We have some really good neighbors. We have a playground right in front of our door, and a safe place for our kid. Coming from our one-bedroom tiny apartment to a three-bedroom townhouse with a garage – that’s something we couldn’t imagine.”

“I’m very thankful for everything, and try to volunteer my time.”

— Petr Basel

Changed Lives Change Lives

Grateful for the opportunity, Petr now actively volunteers his time with Habitat whenever he can, and cleans gutters for some of the other Habitat homes in Richmond and Mission at a discounted rate. Every chance he gets, he spreads word about the work that Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver is doing in the Lower Mainland.

“We need more of this for everybody. Housing is a huge issue now,” says Petr.

As Petr continues to see success and growth in his business, he remains dedicated to spreading awareness about affordable housing solutions and contributing to the well-being of his community. His story serves as an inspiring example of how housing stability can make such a difference in an individual's journey and how that can make an even bigger positive impact on the lives of others.

On the afternoon of Saturday, September 17, Habitat Mission families came together for a community potluck BBQ. What a day it turned out to be – warm sunshine, delicious food, fun games and constant conversation between our families, their children and Habitat staff.

In July 2021, 7 families moved into Phase 1 of our Mission homes and in July 2022, an additional 12 families moved in once Phase 2 was completed. With summer, school starts and back to work busyness, many families had yet to connect.

Our new partner family Denice took the lead in organizing the event, with the assistance of Amber who organized ‘get to know you’ games for everyone to enjoy.  All the families brought drinks, food, and treats to share… including many special traditional foods from around the world.

Families enjoyed an afternoon together at their first BBQ… it certainly won’t be their last! Recipes were exchanged, school ride sharing plans made, and babysitting arrangements set-up. What a wonderful community our families are creating in their new home, new neighbourhood and new community.

 In addition, we are grateful to DoorDash for their generous partnership that enabled us to supply the families with some must-have BBQ items.