CALLING LAKE — With eight summer villages and a myriad of lakes in the Athabasca region of Northern Alberta, there is no shortage of cabins, seasonal homes, and part-time residents in the area.
But tucked among the treed lots lining the shores of Calling Lake is one home unlike the rest. The blue corrugated steel sides of Tamara and Owen Larson’s Sea-Can home don’t stick out among the treetops of their lakeside neighbourhood, but according to the owners, the two-storey metal house is hard for neighbours and curious passersby to miss.
“As far as I know, this is the first Sea-Can build in this community, and it’s been a great interest for people to come and see,” said Tamara in a July 5 interview. “We’re very happy to share our home and this whole experience,” she added.
The Larson’s have lived in their lake house, built from six recycled shipping containers, since April 2023. According to Tamara, the process of designing, building, and installing their dream home was 10 years in the making — but a process well-worth the result.
“I think that really everything worked really well, and I wouldn’t do anything differently,” said Tamara. “We’re very grateful for the support we received from our family, from our friends up here, and the community as a whole because it takes a village.”
The Larsons purchased their lake property in 2014, but Tamara’s history in the community stretches back much farther than a decade.
“The first time my family ever came to Calling Lake was in 1974, and we were staying at a place called Johnson’s Resort,” she said. “My parents fell in love with this place and I think we did as young kids, too.”
Not long after their first visit, Tamara’s parents purchased a lot in the community, three doors down from the lot she and new husband Owen decided to purchase forty years later. The lot came with a quaint log cabin, which the Larson’s knew they wanted to replace, but the question was with what.
“Owen and I looked at how can we build a house that works from -40 to plus 40, and is secure,” said Tamara.
“We did do a lot of research, we looked at manufactured homes, we looked at mobile homes, we looked at prebuild … and we kept coming back to these Sea-Can homes because they were really quite unique.”
The couple contacted Modern Huts, a small company based out of Calgary specializing in custom modular homes. Together they worked with Modern Huts to create a plan for a house perfectly suited for the lot on Calling Lake.
The Larsons planned the shape, size, and placement of the house to the last detail; the 16-feet wide, 60-feet-long, 82,000-lb house is situated so that one end of the house and yard is under tree cover, the utilities room is easily accessible for maintenance, and window placement ensures privacy for everyone.
“We were very thoughtful and intentional, down to where we bought our supplies, who we hired, who the house builder was, and it really just all came together,” said Tamara.
The couple were intent on shopping local and highlighted the work of many different vendors and teams, including New Pine Creek Plumbing in Colinton, Rock Solid Concrete in Athabasca, Windsor Plywood in Westlock, and many more.
In addition to supporting local, environmental sustainability was also another priority in the process for the Larsons. Sea-Cans themselves are often only used once to transport cargo then sold due to the higher rates of incoming goods to Canada.
Aside from the containers themselves, the house is nearly net-zero, equipped with high efficiency appliances, triple pane windows with UV film and low flow showers and toilets. Although Tamara said further alternative energy retrofits aren’t in the plans due to the houses location, she said the costs for Sea-Can and traditional builds are on similar levels.
“When you’re building a house and you look at stick build versus this, the initial cost is comparable, but it’s the long-term savings,” said Tamara. “My parents are now replacing their shingles for the third time in 45 years, where we don’t have to do that.”
Painting siding, replacing the composite deck, and increasing utility costs are only a few areas the Larsons said they will save in the long run.
Tamara and Owen plan to retire in their Calling Lake Sea-Can home and continue the sense of family and community she has fostered and enjoyed since her first visit in 1974. Though they have no children of their own, they hope their efforts will allow others to one day build their own stories on the lot.
“We do see ourselves as being part of this community for a long time, and after we’re gone or it’s not for us to be here anymore, we would hope that someone up here with kids or grandkids would be more than happy to continue the legacy, because many of the people that are up here, we consider family.”
