It’s like a mini vacation every weekend.
Carman's Vicki and Steve Hetherington spend a lot of time in their large treed yard.
"We spend Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday, as you can see, maintaining this property, this is our life," said Steve Hetherington.
Now a stake has been claimed expropriating most of their property, even taking part of their driveway.
"It's a little disturbing, yah it's unsettling," said Vicki.
The Town of Carman and four surrounding municipalities are building a new 80-bed personal care home beside the current lodge on three acres of the Hetherington's land. Four more acres was also expropriated encroaching on their home.
"They used their powers to push forward and expropriate all our property to basically say we can do what we want," said Steve.
Consultant Gordon Daman represents the local governments involved. He says the rest of the property is needed to build other phases of the project, which includes assisted living and life lease components.
"Ensuring that people can actually age in place right in the community, that they don't have to be displaced as their needs increase. It's all under one campus," said Daman.
On Wednesday, supporters of the Heatherintons packed a Carman town hall for a meeting related to the personal care home portion, calling on officials to return the four acres.
"It's wrong on whatever level you look at it," said Lori Morison.
Daman says an offer of a 90-foot buffer zone is on the table to give the Hetherington's some space. He also says a negotiated settlement for the sale of the land was attempted to no avail.
"There wasn't an ability to do that, we lament that that took place without question,” said Daman.
The Hetheringtons say the buffer is not enough, and stress this is not about money, it's about losing their backyard.
"It's unbearable, I would, ah, there's no words," said Steve.
Right now they just want to sit down with everyone involved and come up with a solution.
"Live together in harmony, that's our hope," said Vicki.
