By Heino Molls – Mary became a Realtor back in the 1964 when she was 29 years old. At that time she lived in the same Canadian prairie town that she grew up in. It was a place she loved. It was home. For her the prairie sky was magic. The endless horizon stretching out from the edge of town was full of possibilities.
Mary began her real estate career with enthusiasm. She had a sincerity for the families she worked for and a genuine drive to help them gain home ownership. It was Mary’s fundamental belief that home ownership and pride of property was the foundation of a good community.
As the 1970s unfolded, things were tough for her town. The grain elevators and giant storage buildings that once employed hundreds had been shut down and abandoned. Property values began to decrease in Mary’s town.
Now after 10 years as a Realtor, Mary knew almost everyone in the community. Her drive to get people into their own homes and help them move to larger ones when needed gained her a reputation in town as a great facilitator. She could speak to mortgage brokers, bankers, builders, lawyers, politicians and everyone else it took to cajole a young family into a home of their own.
Mary had an idea to turn the old grain elevators and storage buildings into a theatre and artistic center. She spread her enthusiasm and creative dreams among officious government paper pushers and local investors, and formed a group of developers from out of town into a cohesive unit working together.
The theatre drew from large cities like Winnipeg, Regina, Minneapolis and even Chicago. When they arrived they purchased works from local artists, stayed in local hotels and boosted the economy of her town. Property values returned. In fact, they went up as new housing was built for new families who moved in. Mary said the success of the town would never change as long as home ownership remained its foundation.
Mary’s achievement became legendary and soon she received calls from other communities. A lumber town in British Columbia was in peril when the mill closed. What to do? Mary went to the town and visited the town offices. “Mr. Mayor,” she said, “I have an idea. You are looking to the forest for help that it can no longer give to your town. Turn around and look at the beautiful ocean behind this town. Years of logging has damaged its shoreline. Clean it up and people will return. Come on, let’s get out there right now and start.”
A few years later a resort was built right on the shore where Mary began cleaning up. Townspeople were employed. Many lived in homes that Mary had described to mortgage lenders with an enthusiasm that was difficult to turn away. “Home ownership,” said Mary, “will maintain this town because tourists will be pleased to see the wonderful houses surrounding the resort.”
During the 1990s Mary moved to the big city of Toronto. She had become wealthy enough to buy a condo in the inner city. But when she moved in she saw with despair how run-down the buildings next to her were. They were rental units subsidized by the government for low-income families.
Mary stormed to Queen’s Park and demanded to see her member for provincial parliament. The member explained to her that the people in these buildings were transient and poor. There was nothing to do but continue repairs that would be endless and ruined through indifference.
Mary said, “Mr. Minister, I’ve got an idea. Home ownership will overcome indifference. It will bring pride to this neighbourhood. It will reduce the cost of repair and raise the profile of the entire community.” She talked to him about resources that were right in front of them. “Let’s go see some lenders, builders, mortgage insurance companies and let’s meet some local Realtors. Let me show you the difference in a neighbourhood that receives help for ownership, not rent. Home ownership will be the foundation of a new community.”
As things turned out, it became one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods in the whole city.
When Mary turned 70, she treated herself to a winter holiday on a small island in the Caribbean. One day she wandered away from her hotel and came upon poverty, the likes of which she had never seen before. A hurricane some months before had caused devastation to people and land that had been wretchedly poor to begin with. No one owned a home here.
Mary cashed in her return ticket and went to the island embassy.
“Mr. Ambassador” she said, “I have an idea.”
Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected].
By: Heino Molls
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