Ray Parry Jr. recalls the building of the Anderton Arms apartment building beginning in 1964, as he lived next door in what is now known as the Cona Hostel in 1953.
His father, Ray Parry Sr. built the Anderton Arms. Parry Sr. had his own building company, Parry鈥檚 Sheet Metal Roofing Company. It occupied the bottom floor of the Cona Hostel building while the family home was upstairs.
The Cona Hostel building has its interesting past, starting as the original location of McPhee鈥檚 and Son鈥檚 hardware store on Fifth Street (then Union Street) in Courtenay but was then moved in 1913. Parry Jr. believes that the Cona should be a heritage building.
鈥淒uring the war, it was a first aid station鈥t鈥檚 an old building,鈥� said Parry Jr.
Both Parry Sr. and his wife worked on building the Anderton Arms. They sold the building in 1967.
The Anderton Arms had ten suites when it was originally erected. The building鈥檚 retaining wall bordering the Courtenay River is now failing, leaving existing tenants with the necessity to vacate the premises by the end of the year. The City of Courtenay bought the building and eviction notices have gone out. The tenants have four months to find new housing.
鈥淚 was shocked to read that they are tearing down the building. I feel bad for the tenants that live there,鈥� said Parry Jr. 鈥淭here is a lack of housing in the area in general.鈥�
Parry Jr. fondly remembers growing up near the Anderton Arms and its construction. He recalls his grandfather planting six-inch fir trees along the edge of the hostel, making the area more homely.
"I spent many years [there] myself."
The Anderton Arms is slated to be demolished after the four-month notice to tenants is up and the city plans to naturalize the area. There is no ability to repair the retaining wall.
