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magazine / jf03
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January/February 2003 issue |
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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
A roof, a hearth, a home
Inuit may no longer live in igloos, but their ingeniously constructed snow domes
have become, the world over, an enduring symbol for shelter. And, in particular,
shelter in Canada, the theme for this special issue.
Forget superinsulated houses. The most energy efficient and affordable dwelling
ever produced anywhere, I'd argue, is the igloo. All the materials necessary for
its construction are locally available. In the forbidding cold of an Arctic winter,
it can be heated to comfort level with a simple seal-oil lamp and the warmth of
a family's presence. Yes, even when it was widely used, it was only ever a seasonal
abode. But what a marvellously clever response to the primordial human need for
shelter.
For those of you familiar with the classic design of the igloo, you'll notice
the architectural shortcomings of the one on our cover. It was chosen for its beauty
and to convey the idea of shelter. A proper igloo has a sunken and covered entrance,
which traps cold air below and conserves warm air in what might be called the family
room. The dome, which in a well-built igloo has the tensile strength of a Roman
basilica, should actually be a spiral, with each block winding upward and inward.
The remaining hole at its crown would be fitted with what a mason calls a keystone,
which is slipped into place and then shaved to the snugness of a peg in a cribbage
board.
The design ingenuity of the Inuit inspired all of us within the editorial group
here at the magazine as we debated the focus of this special issue. We settled
on stories that are about innovation and about the passionate attachment people
have not just to their houses but to their homes, the boundaries of which can be
as private as a set of rooms or as public as a neighbourhood. In our "Discovery" department,
Stephen Hume tells the story of the enterprising father who floated the family
cabin down a channel so that his kids could be closer to their school, Joe Fiorito
describes how Toronto's Seaton House is reaching out to the city's hard-core homeless,
Amy Jo Ehman tells us about houses that could be ordered from the old Eaton's catalogues
and Dave Smallwood reports on the people who are still making the white canvas
tents that once sheltered prospectors in the Klondike.
In the lead essay, Merilyn Simonds reflects on the history of house design and
construction in Canada and on what makes a house a home. Margo Pfeiff travels to
the Labrador coast to report on and photograph the new community Innu residents
of Davis Inlet have helped build for themselves nearby. Bruce McDougall visits
WindSong in Langley, B.C., for a story on a dedicated group of idealists attempting
to create a co-operatively run, environmentally sensitive community. Brian Atkinson
photographs five households in the Fredericton area whose occupants were invited
to tell us in their own words what they love about their home. Marci McDonald profiles
Canada's guru of affordable housing, McGill associate professor Avi Friedman. On
our back page, Lynn Coady offers advice on the perils of basement apartments. And
one final treat, unrelated to the shelter theme, check out the winners of our 18th
annual photo contest.
While we were completing work on this issue, we received word that David Bartlett
had died. Our condolences to his family. He was a force in local politics, enjoyed
a long and accomplished career in the federal public service, was a dedicated supporter
of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and, from 1967 to the present, served
on our Editorial Advisory Committee. Some of the ideas for this issue were suggestions
he made during committee meetings. He was a fount of wisdom, formidably eloquent
and utterly devoted to this country and its prospects.
— Rick Boychuk
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