BY CRAIG GILBERT
ItÂ?s that time of year again: the vehicular voyeurs of Greater Sudbury get their day to see the beauty inside some of the homes they have been trying to get a glimpse of through the front windows all year.
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The Elizabeth Fry Chapter of the IODE, a womenÂ?s charitable organization, will be staging its annual Tour of Homes event Sept. 10 from 1 pm to 8:30 pm.
The $20 ticket buys access to five homes for perusal and enjoyment. The homes can be visited in any order between 1 and 3 pm. Homeowners ask that visitors remove their shoes. People might want to bring along a pair of light slippers.
The first home on the list is owned by Laurentian University and occupied by its president, Judith Woodsworth and her husband, Lindsay Crysler.
Passport holders can drive to the historical house at 179 John St. and experience its California-style architecture with a view of Paris Street through the Spanish-style arched windows. Original terra-cotta tiles and a Baldwin grand piano are a couple of historical features.
The house was built in 1930 by R.D. Parker, then a manager at Inco.
The next two houses are a package deal. Martha and Mike McLaughlin and their neighbours, Louise and Fritz Grottoli bought the lot they live on as a team and custom built their duplexes at 431 and 433 John St. The McLaughlinsÂ? kitchen features cherrywood cupboards (and fridge, if you can believe it) and granite countertops.
The living room and lower level feature Â?strategically placedÂ? art by several local artists.
The GrottolisÂ? claim to fame, meanwhile, is innovative use of space. The couple had to downsize from a 2,600 square foot home to a 1350 square foot duplex and came up with some interesting ways to do so. To find out, youÂ?ll have to see them for yourself.
At 3145 Bancroft is the house that Lise Gross built. Her husband, Wally, helped with the tear-down before the renovations, but the plumbing, electrical work, carpentry (custom furniture and fixtures) were left to Lise.
And finally, 15 minutes east of Falconbridge Road live Joan and Jeannot Clement. This Â?miracleÂ? of an old home has been modified by the couple from the large arched windows in the front to the basketball and volleyball courts, pool, sauna and waterfall in the backyard. Inside highlights include an oak and granite kitchen, a bar and a chessboard built by their son. It will be worth the drive to 87 Jourdrey St. in Wahnapitae to see this house.
Passports can be picked up at A touch of Class, Forget-Me-Not Flowers, ClementÂ?s Mens and Ladies Wear, My
MotherÂ?s Treasures, NatureÂ?s Yard, Charm Plus and Morden Photography.
