Eleven years ago, a group of friends and I embarked on an extraordinary adventure by purchasing a five – acre island near Halifax, Nova Scotia. These infrequent visits to our island haven have always been a much – needed escape from the digital world, a chance to reconnect with nature away from the confines of a computer screen. But the Covid – 19 pandemic threw a wrench into our island plans, and the years that followed were filled with unexpected challenges and heartwarming moments.
Before the pandemic, progress on the island was a slow, two – steps – forward – one – step – back kind of journey. When the pandemic hit, and we were unable to travel to Canada for three long years, it felt like we had taken three giant steps backward. The most pressing issue was the damage inflicted by a hurricane. It destroyed the dome cap of our yurt, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The real problem was the failing vinyl roof of the yurt. Small holes had started to appear, and the wind viciously whipped them into gaping gashes. Every storm that rolled in was like an unwelcome guest, pouring gallons of water into our once – cozy yurt.
This past year, Brian and I knew we couldn’t put off the roof project any longer. We decided to design a rigid wooden roof, a task that seemed daunting as there was no clear guide on how to do it for a yurt. We reached out to other island owners for help, but no one volunteered. Just when it seemed like we were on our own, Brian’s friend Andy came to the rescue, driving all the way from Montreal with a truckload of tools.
Brian and I huddled in his apartment, sketching out what we thought was a brilliant plan. The yurt, with its thirty – foot diameter and thirty – two rafters, seemed like it could be tamed with some clever woodworking. We thought we could cut plywood into upper and lower pieces to fill each “pie wedge” of the roof, and we were confident it would be a relatively straightforward process. We ordered the wood and rubber roof coating, feeling optimistic about the upcoming trip.
Roof Trip 1: A Trial by Fire
Our first trip to the island for the roof project was nothing short of a nightmare. It took days just to get the lumber to the island, prep the yurt, and remove the old, moldy cotton lining. And then, right from the start, Brian and I had a major disagreement on how to build the roof panels. I proposed an assembly – line approach, while Brian wanted to custom – build each panel. I managed to convince him to try my way, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t going to work. The framed windows and doors restricted the placement of rafters, and the way the rafters latched onto the aircraft cable around the yurt added another layer of complexity. We soon realized that the top ring of the yurt, damaged in a previous incident, had thrown off the alignment, making each panel a unique, non – standard shape.
We ended up having to climb onto the roof, measuring five different dimensions for each panel. Then, we created a CAD model to get the precise cuts. But there was no room for error; we had no extra wood, and disposing of pressure – treated plywood on the island was a hassle.
Getting the panels onto the roof was another adventure in itself. Our first attempt ended in disaster when I almost got pushed off a ladder. Andy, the more safety – conscious of us, needed a walk to calm down after witnessing the near – accident. Eventually, we got climbing gear and managed to hoist the panels up.
Over the ten – day trip, we were constantly behind schedule. What started as grand plans of installing skylights ended up as a race to just get the roof panels up. By the end of the trip, I was exhausted beyond belief. Every muscle in my body ached, and I was ready to throw in the towel. But Brian, the ever – determined friend, stayed up until 4 am, installing most of the top panels. The only thing that stopped him from finishing was the poor cell service on the island, which prevented him from accessing the online CAD software.
Despite our progress, I felt a twinge of worry when my dad and uncle warned me about leaving pressure – treated wood exposed to the elements. I had never really thought about it, and I started to dread our next visit.
Roof Trip 2: A Community Effort
For our second trip, we managed to gather more help. Ben, Mai, and Todd joined us, each bringing their own unique energy and skills. With more hands on deck, we were able to tackle not just the urgent roof project but also a whole host of other tasks.
We finally paneled the walls of the indoor shower that Brian and I had framed years ago, despite the surprise of finding a carpenter ant colony in the stack of plywood. We cleaned and organized the yurt, rewired electronics, reinforced the rafters, and even made improvements to the outhouse.
But the most game – changing project of all was getting internet on the island. Our cell service had deteriorated during the pandemic, and we were desperate for a connection. When I mentioned the idea of a point – to – point wireless link to our mainland neighbors, their enthusiasm was overwhelming. They were more excited for us to get internet than we were!
Installing the system was not without its challenges. We had to set up the transmitter at a two – family house where our neighbors’ parents and cousins lived. The parents were incredibly helpful, with the father even drilling the necessary hole in the house before I could offer. But when we hooked up the receiver on the island, it didn’t work. I had to go back to the mainland, interrupting the family’s movie night, to troubleshoot. The cousin, who I barely knew, couldn’t have been more kind and welcoming.
Finally, we got the internet up and running, and it was incredibly fast. That night, we relaxed in the yurt, enjoying the luxury of being connected. And Mai, the unsung hero, braved the thick forest to run an internet cable to my cabin, emerging victorious despite her shredded rainsuit.
The island’s journey during the Covid era has been a rollercoaster of challenges and triumphs. But through it all, the sense of community, both among my friends and with our mainland neighbors, has been the guiding light that has helped us turn our little island dream into a reality, one step at a time.
