AS SEEN ON TV

Location: 340 – 3rd St, Craik, SK, Canada price: $80 000 $59, 900 (as is)

(photos/slide show in links and posts below)

Unique, off-grid, straw-bale wrapped home, on the main street of Craik, SK. Situated on 2 large lots (formerly 6 small ones) for a total lot size of 150 (frontage) x 130. The lots are zoned commercial, well treed yet loads of space for gardening (pesticide free since 2006, at least).

The home is a 1 ¾ story, 3 bdrm stick frame house built in 1906. eco-renovations and upgrades include: new windows; insulated attic (cellulose); new wood stove and chimney; extended roof, newly covered with tin in 2009; straw-bale wrap around the exterior of home on 3 sides; Solar Electric power system (small, yet expandable. Easily adjustable panels (from inside) mounted on roof to.

NOTE: This is an incomplete renovation, hence the reduced asking price.

It is approximately 1000 sq ft with living, kitchen and bath on main, and 3 bedrooms up. There is a small dugout basement with easy access to plumbing, also a fantastic cold storage. There is a small, enclosed back porch and garden shed out back. The home is connected to town water and sewage, but not to gas or electricity (reconnecting is doable if you wish).

Besides being situated on the beautiful Canadian prairie, Craik is adjacent to Arm Lake, and the Arm River valley. Situated close to those are the Craik Eco-Centre (5000? Sq ft straw-bale building with many other ecological features. It house the Solar Garden Restaurant, gift shop, meeting rooms and golf clubhouse); Craik Eco-Village (burgeoning community with many different styles of eco-construction underway (straw-bale, earth-bag, buried shipping containers, etc)); Craik Regional Park (camping, fishing, outdoor swimming pool); and the Craik Golf Course.

Being on Main (3rd) Street of Craik, this home is within a very short walk to the Co-op grocery store; community greenhouse; post office; bank; pharmacy; library; farmers market; bar and grill; community hall (Legion).

Other amenities in Craik are: K – 12 public school (with growing enrolment); Co-op hardware and gas station; Regional Health Centre and local Doctors office; Catholic and Untied Church; Motel, RCMP detachment, community hockey and curling rink.

Craik has gained notoriety for the past several years over it’s decision to embark on a path of sustainability. The Craik Sustainable Living Project (CSLP) was formed and it’s first project was the eco-centre – open in 2003. Since then the Eco-village is being developed, the golf course attained Audubon Certified status for it’s eco-initiatives (current status?). A brand new ‘Mainstream’ bio-filtration water plant just came on line in August 2009. Many new people have moved here, or in the process of, to pursue their own green dreams and open businesses (Riverstone Studios, Shorland Kitchen and Bath, Titan Clean Energy, etc)

Craik is approximately half-way (130 km) between Saskatoon and Regina on the double wide hwy 11 (Louis Riel Trail), and also approximately equal distance (650 km) to Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary.

The CSLP has been very active over the years organizing community events such as the Annual Solar Fair; hands on workshops (straw-bale construction, masonry, composting, greenhouse design and construction, etc); Local Food challenges. CSLP membership is open, and they meet once monthly. Another sub-group was recently formed (CSLP Health Committee) and they’ve taken on pesticide education, anti-idling campaign, eating healthy, etc. A newly formed 4H Sustainability Club has been active helping kids learn about gardening, greenhouses, and compost.

More info:

slide show of house and property at www.boilingfrog.ca

Town of Craik www.craik.ca

CSLP www.craikecovillage.ca

Kelly: 306-734-2823