Fair warning, this story is very heart-warming.
That’s figuratively speaking for many, but it’s literal for Jim Good who’s lived in a home on his namesake park’s property for over 20 years, but the money to update it for the colder climates was never there.
It was put into keeping Goodsir Nature Park in top condition for year-round visitors, so the Prince George community decided to do something for the founder and operator.
As part of the park’s 30th-anniversary celebrations, Good is receiving a new roof and heating system for his home free of charge and thanks to a fundraising campaign that collectively, and fittingly, brought in more than $30,000.
“I’ve never expected something like this,” said Goodsir following today’s surprise. “It caught me off guard. I’m so appreciative of the concerns in the community and people are caring; it really means a lot to me.”
Ridgeline Roofing has already started the work on Jim Goodsir’s new roof, stating it’s important to give back to those who give their time & energy into the community | #CityOfPG @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/n0UfGrIrNW
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) September 30, 2019
Good has recently been living in his camper instead of his own home because of the lack of heat and chooses to do so about four or five months in a given year.
The camper has a heating system, but that’s not the main reason why he chooses to move in there, even when it gets really cold.
“I like to be close to nature,” he said. “At the same time, I come outside, walk up the driveway and give an old-fashioned handshake and a welcome to all my park visitors, and that really means a lot to me. If this is their first time here, I say, ‘Welcome to Goodsir,’ and if they’re from out of country, ‘Welcome to Canada,’ and explain what there is to see here, and it really just stems from that.”
Goodsir Nature Park spans 160 acres and features over 3,000 plant species, which Good has collected throughout his travels across Canada and has never regretted it, sacrificing weekends and potential time off to dedicate himself to the park.
“More than six decades of my life that it took to put everything together, [...] I don’t know what it’s like to have a vacation because I’ve never had one, but I don’t miss it. I still certainly like to go out on the ground, look for stuff, study the plants, get my hands dirty, document my findings, photograph everything I see, and I had no idea, looking back on all those years, that it would all lead to something like this.”
The financial breakdown for Good’s home renovations saw Prince George residents give $10,000 via a GoFundMe page, the first $5,000 of which was matched by the Brink Group of Companies, and then materials donated by a local heating company and Rona.
“Jim’s home that was built about 20 years ago has somewhat deteriorated because Jim spends all of his money into the park, and so we knew we had to do something,” said John Brink. “I think for about 19 or 20 years, he had no hot water. I think, in a general sense for everybody, come out here, especially this time of the year, it’s so beautiful, the beautiful colours of fall, so this park is here year-round and Jim manages it year-round. We’re very pleased to be working with him and everyone else to make this jewel shine even more.”
When asked if there was any future plans for Goodsir Nature Park for the fall and winter seasons, Good didn’t have much to say except wishing for more opportunities to share his backyard.
“I just plan on continuing and I can’t think of a finer way to spend my retirement years just being here, sharing my life stories, my life travels and what I’ve done.”
Goodsir Nature Park is located in Salmon Valley at 22825 Old Summit Lake Road North.
Admission to the park is by donation and is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
