Homecoming
Story Rachael Havens
Photography Sandy Mackay
Jess and Ian always knew they wanted to come back home. Jess grew up in Stayner and Ian in Creemore before school drew them away. “As soon as we had opportunity to get back, we took it,” Jess reveals. That opportunity came in Owen Sound in 2008.
A few years later, Ian met local builder Tim Clancy through a local recreational hockey league. Tim is a second-generation builder at Clancy Builders Ltd., a company building custom homes in Grey and Bruce Counties since 1988. “We don’t build the same house twice, we always start with a plan and continually customize it to the wants and needs of the customer,” Tim explains. “Even during construction, both the homeowners and I are always trying to think of new ideas to keep making the house better and better. The more work and thought that goes into something, the better the product ends up.”
This was certainly the case with Jess and Ian. It took about five years to find a lot in the Owen Sound area. By the time they began construction in 2021, the couple knew exactly what they wanted. “Ian and Jess have their fingerprints all over this house,” says Tim.
Their property has the best of both worlds, with a view of Georgian Bay in the front and mature forest in the back. It was worth the wait, as the lot perfectly suits the home. Ian describes the style as “a modern take on traditional.” The front-and-centre dormer and the big quad door, allowing for lake views, are what caught the couple’s attention.
The colours of the lake have been brought indoors. Though the design is neutral, there is a pop of blue in the kitchen to reflect the water. It’s Jess’s favourite room in the home. “I love to cook so it’s a dream for me to have the counter space, and a big gas stove and fridge,” she says.
Tim can’t pick just one favourite room in the house now that it’s complete. The open concept great room is his initial choice, quickly followed by the beautiful and functional mudroom. “It’s perfectly set up for a family to stay organized,” he says. “And the house really stands out from the road. It has great curb appeal. It’s as nice on the inside as it is on the outside.”
Jess and Ian can’t thank Tim enough for his patience and expertise. He was quick to offer helpful suggestions and took the couple to see other homes he built on several occasions. Ian explains, “we might have been hung up on something, but he had done it before and would take us to see it.” Jess adds, “nothing was overlooked, even last-minute changes. Tim always had a way of finding a way to make something work for us.”
Jess, Ian and their kids, 10-year-old Ivy and eight-year-old Evan, moved in on December 23rd, 2021. They had been living in a small townhouse during construction. Jess laughs as she recalls asking Tim, “is Santa coming to the townhouse or our house? I felt that he was going to get us in here and he did. It all came together and it was a whirlwind, but it was wonderful for the kids to come down the steps on Christmas morning.”
Now that they are settled in at home, the family doesn’t take it for granted. Jess most enjoys sitting on the deck, listening to the boats passing by, the waves and the birds. “I love wondering ‘what’s out there?’ Coyotes, deer, turkey vultures – you never know what you’re going to see. There’s a little community out here, too. You never pass a person who doesn’t look at you, smile and wave.”
Ian had a co-op placement in Owen Sound while he was studying engineering at university. When Jess was visiting, a colleague invited the couple over to their house for dinner. “That’s the reason we moved to Owen Sound, it was there, hanging out with my colleague and his family, that we knew.” That house was on the very same street that Jess and Ian now live on with their own family.
“I grew up on a farm and I feel more at home here than I have since I left my childhood home,” Jess shares. “Ian adds, “it feels so nice to be where we are.” It’s been a homecoming a long time in the making.