When the home away from home is home

Between operating the Minto Manor B&B and their community involvements, David and Edna-Mae Johnson are a busy pair

Edna-Mae and David Johnson chose Revelstoke because of family history and the chance to participate in community happenings. — Glynis Fediuk photo

One of the best ways to get a feel for Revelstoke is simply start walking. Head up Mackenzie Avenue, past the Grizzly Plaza, and you'll start seeing a number of immaculately-maintained homes, dating from the early 1900s. One of the grandest homes is the Minto Manor B&B, constructed in 1905.

Edna-Mae and David Johnson, the owners and operators of the Minto Manor, are originally from Calgary. The couple spent their professional lives in Montreal before moving to Revelstoke. Moving from one of Canada's largest cities to a town of approximately 8,000 might seem an unusual choice, but the Johnsons' reasons were twofold. David's grandparents had a homestead at the nearby village of Burton, and other family members worked for the CPR. But aside from this familial draw, the Johnsons wanted a place where they could be active in community happenings.

"Revelstoke just kept saying home to us," said Edna-Mae. "It was partly because we knew the area, and partly because we like to give to our communities as part of living there and we felt we could do that in Revelstoke. That was what made the decision."

She's not kidding. Edna-Mae has sat on several boards and plays the organ for church services and weddings. David is the chair of the Revelstoke Railway Museum and the chairman of the board for the Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation. His involvement in both the heritage aspect and the progressive side of Revelstoke gives him a unique perspective on the happenings of the city, and the areas where history and progression collide. For all its heritage, the Minto Manor has a very modern heating system. Waste wood from the nearby Downie lumber mill is burned in high-efficiency combustors, providing steam for the mill and hot water for several large buildings in Revelstoke, such as the aquatic centre and city hall.

"That's the kind of progressive activity that Revelstoke has taken over the years to really improve the town and to support local industries," said David. "It provided a means for Downie to get rid of some of their waste wood which previously had been going up in the beehive burner. It was a very positive thing."

The chance of a lifetime

The Johnsons took the reigns of the Minto Manor in October of 2003, though the home has been a B&B since 1988. Buying the manor was a matter of chance; it happened to be on the market when they arrived in town. In their eight years of their ownership, they've hosted 6,500 guests from 33 countries. Breakfast with their guests is a highlight of the day for the Johnsons; Edna-Mae said that conversations with visitors highlight that despite whatever is on the news, there are many positive and wonderful things around the globe. Their guests arrive as strangers and leave as friends.

“I like it here,” said Edna-Mae. “I'm enjoying it very much. We have no plans to go anywhere else. We said when we moved here that if it was the wrong move, we'd look each other in the eye and say so—but we didn't have to do that.”