If you know me or my brother Shawn, you likely know our dad, Stephan Piernitzki. We have a small family and have always been very close. My dad is, without a doubt, the best man I've ever known. After enduring a difficult divorce that stripped him of the majority of his retirement savings after an 18-year marriage, he faced the challenge of starting fresh with grace and resilience.

Determined to build a new life, he found a small piece of land just outside Castlegar in a community called Ootischenia and set out to create his dream home. As a retired builder, my dad is both innovative and creative. He immersed himself in research on eco-friendly and sustainable building techniques, ultimately deciding to construct a "rammed earth" house.

With tireless dedication, he worked alongside a rammed earth specialist, and engineer to design the home, gathering materials from all over Canada to create the stunning rammed earth walls. The main walls of the bottom floor of the house are made of rammed earth, with a conventional wood-framed top floor. Since 2023, he has poured his heart and soul into this project working with a small extremely hard working crew. By November 2025, he had finally put the trusses and roof on before the snow fell. His plan was to finish the interior during the winter, aiming for occupancy in the spring of 2026.

Then, on December 19th at approximately 3:45 am everything changed. My dad woke up to multiple missed calls and voicemails, only to learn that his beloved home had burned in a devastating fire. The cause is still under investigation, and while he has a builder's risk policy in place, it remains undetermined when and if the insurance will react. Unfortunately, the policy only covers the building costs, leaving him without compensation for his lost time, effort, and the personal tools he has collected over the past 50 years. As you can see from the photos, debris removal and getting the site back to a state where reconstruction can begin will also be a massive task & expense.

Our family is heartbroken. This was more than a house; it was a passion project that my dad worked so hard on. At almost 70 years old, this is a heartbreaking setback at a time in life when he should be enjoying the fruits of all his hard work. Just a few weeks ago, my kids and I had the honor of visiting the build site while in the Kootenays for a hockey tournament. The pride that filled my dad as he showed us around is a memory I will cherish forever.

To help rebuild, we are planning to host a couple of “work parties” in the summer of 2026. We invite anyone who wants to donate their time and skills to assist in the reconstruction. We will have space for people to camp and encourage local Kootenays residents and others willing to travel to join us. This will be a chance not only to support my dad but also to come together, wrap him in love, and have fun while doing it.

We are asking for your support—whether through sharing this campaign, sending prayers, or any contributions you can offer—to help ease the burden of this tragic incident. This has pushed my dad back to square one, just six days before Christmas.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for any help you can provide.

https://www.mykootenaynow.com/70374/news/fire/unfinished-home-burns-in-ootischenia/