Behind Lance Mihalick鈥檚 castle-to-be is the story of a dragon.
Ongoing renovations on the Salmon Arm resident鈥檚 downtown property, located on the corner of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue SE, is undoubtedly turning heads as a 10-metre tower with battlement now stands connected to his family鈥檚 updated 1930鈥檚 bungalow.
If all goes as according to plan, in five-years time the little house will no longer be recognizable. In its place will be what will look like a two-storey castle, complete with concrete walls stamped to look like aged stone, arched doorways and windows, a faux portcullis and a waterfall that will feed into a little moat.
Mihalick is doing the renovation on his own, with the help of a friend and a family member, applying skills he鈥檚 honed as an artist and self-taught carpenter to bring his vision to fruition. And while he recognizes even now the project stands out in the neighbourhood, Mihalick isn鈥檛 afraid to do things differently. This is part of a personal philosophy that began with a Grade 6 art project, a vase and a dragon.
鈥淢y dad had a vase that he bought at someplace and it had a dragon on it, and I thought it was a cool dragon, I鈥檓 going to draw the dragon,鈥� explained Mihalick. 鈥淏ut I couldn鈥檛 get the detail into a small, little picture, so I got the big tablecloth paper and I painted a dragon. It was probably pretty hokey鈥� In my mind it was probably awesome, but I鈥檓 in Grade 6 right. But I do remember everybody else was showing their pictures at show and tell, and when it was my turn, I rolled mine out and everybody went, 鈥榦oh.鈥� It had that 鈥榦oh鈥� and 鈥榓ah鈥� factor, and I thought that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 going to do 鈥� do stuff bigger all the time, better鈥�
鈥淪o no matter what I do, and I鈥檝e always told my son, no matter what you do in life, make sure you do it the best, the best of your ability. Because if you say, 鈥楢h, that鈥檚 good enough,鈥� that鈥檚 all your life is going to be is good enough. If you do it the best, your life will be the best.鈥�
The renovation began with the house itself, as it had neither a foundation nor insulation and was in poor shape. While doing the work, Mihalick learned from a passerby that the home had once been a church.
鈥淪o this was a church built in 1938, it was the Full Gospel Presbyterian Church,鈥� said Mihalick. 鈥淭he reason I know that is because when I was raising the house, this older gentleman came by and he said, 鈥榊ou know your house used to be a church? I said was it? And he said, 鈥榶eah,鈥� and he went and got a book from the library and showed me and it鈥檚 in the archives and there鈥檚 no mistaking this is the house.鈥�
Mihalick鈥檚 inspiration for the castle-styled home came to him years ago while painting the murals of old English street scenes in the Mall at Piccadilly.
鈥淚鈥檝e always liked the way it had the stone and wood,鈥� said Mihalick. 鈥淚 did a lot of research to paint that mural and the more research I did鈥� I just thought that castles and that were cool, I鈥檝e always like them.鈥�
Veronika Mihalick, Lance鈥檚 wife, is supportive of the renovation, which she views as forms of self-expression and personal growth. The Mihalick鈥檚 five-year-old daughter, Lanika is also onboard, offering input for the design of her future bedroom in the tower鈥檚 top floor.
To others, who might think differently of the castle reno, Lance asks they wait to see the completed project.
鈥淎s it comes together, and people drive by 鈥� they鈥檒l be bringing people by to look at it whether they like it or don鈥檛 like it鈥� But once its starts coming together, I think the town will start to back me up,鈥� said Mihalick.
Asked what he鈥檒l do in five years when the castle is complete, Mihalick said it鈥檚 a surprise.
鈥淚鈥檝e got more things up here,鈥� said Mihalick, pointing to his head. 鈥淢y biggest regret is I鈥檓 not going to live long enough to do all that I want to do. But there鈥檚 more to come.鈥�
@SalmonArm
lachlan@saobserver.net
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