The house I love and live in for most of the year is pink, a quiet, gentle pink. We live in the upper two stories and my business, Heartsease, has the main floor. The house is situated on a corner of an almost inner city neighbourhood, Wolseley, across the river from affluent River Heights, in Winnipeg. It is a neighbourhood that has always been known for its socialist values- famous for Nellie McClung, the woman behind getting the vote for women.

It was built in 1907 for John and Florence Livesay, both journalists, progressives, left-leaning activists and she, also a poet- and here they had a child, Dorothy, who was to become a well-known poet. She is my favourite woman poet and I have every one of her publications. I also had the pleasure of sharing a public reading with her. She was gracious, honest, and generous in sharing the podium with amateurs- also somewhat bawdy and very entertaining!

Between Dorothy's time and my time in the pink house it has seen any changes. It was converted to a duplex years ago and I get many people into the shop who fondly remember living here. Before that it was a boarding house for prostitutes- a safe haven after working hours- I think all of the Livesay's would have loved that!

I don't know when the house became pink but that is what caught my eye many years ago. I always loved the area and I always was drawn to this house. When it came on the market a few years ago it was a disaster but my beloved indulged me to have a look at it and he was as smitten as I. We tiptoed through, not wanting to touch anything- it was so gross- and we knew it was for us to save it and give it a new life.

So here we are.

We live, we love, we create, we celebrate the Livesay's- thank you for this magnifisent house- we are so proud and happy to be here!