Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • The Great Outdoors

Mountain Home: The House That Steel Built

  • July 13, 2017
  • Ben Osborne
Total
2
Shares
2
0
0
0
0
0
Total
2
Shares
Share 2
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

Rolling up the gravel driveway of SJ Sherbanuk’s home in Banks it’s clear the guy is obsessed with steel; an old truck chasis swings across the road as a gate, and further up the hilly, winding track, an old Model T Ford sits rusting away in the bush. Then there’s the house itself; nestled on the edge of the woods of a 37-acre property, Sherbanuk’s home humbly towers three stories up into the green canopy, the orange rusting steel outer shell of the home complementing the green of the leaves that surround it.

 

Mountain Homea
S.J. Sherbanuk living the dream … singletrack right out the front door.

Words and photos: Colin Field and Glen Harris

An obsession with customized steel and the outdoors gave birth to this uniquely functional Banks home

A house where seemingly no expense was spared, the house was originally a home for Sherbanuk and his fiance (now-ex-fiance). Designed by Duntroon architect Jim Campbell of Rockside Campbell Design Company Inc., Sherbanuk was looking for what he calls a “shed.” And that’s what Campbell designed. Finished in May of 2007 there were 72 site meetings over the course of its construction to make sure that Sherbanuk got exactly what he wanted.

“I wanted to build a home that had flow to it, where rooms were multi-purpose, and using what the land had to offer, things like the passive solar,” says Sherbanuk. “I didn’t want to make a statement, like, oh I have a six car garage.”

Originally from a small mining town in Northern Ontario, 54-year-old Sherbanuk is as obsessed with steel as he is the outdoors. While he makes a living from recycling old steel, his free time (which he seems to have plenty of) is full of cycling (mountain bike and road), climbing, skiing and general outdoor activities. That’s how a guy like him ends up in a place like Banks.

 

Mountain Homeb

 

“I had a place on Georgian Bay, I have a bedroom in a multi-million dollar Muskoka cottage, and I chose to build here,” he says. “The reason being is that it’s four seasons and I love to bike and climb. As far as I’m concerned it’s one of the best road cycling areas in Eastern North America. I just go out my door. And the two mountain biking venues; Three Stage Trail is about seven minutes, Kolapore’s about 12. Then climbing we’ve got Metcalfe, Young’s Point, Old Baldy, they’re 15 minutes at most. And I created a three km trail here.”

A visit to Sherbanuk’s home is a lesson in simplicity and efficiency; nothing in the 3500-square-foot building is randomly placed.

Coming in from a ride or climb, the flow of the place is immediately apparent; hop in the outdoor shower to wash off the sweat and dust before heading into the garage. While there’s no chance of pulling a car into the room, there is space to put other things in here; like skis, bikes and climbing gear. A customized (steel) hanger system keeps the muddy bikes off the ground and out of the way. Skis hang loosely and a plethora of tools, lubes and components line the workbench (you guessed it, steel), with great lighting, and a hassle-free concrete floor that is easy to clean.

 

Mountain Homeg

 

From there you go into the ‘mudroom’–what most people would call a large walk-in closet–where muddy biking gear can be thrown directly into the washing machine. The small, but functional sauna is only a few steps away.

This guy has it all figured out.

A visit to Sherbanuk’s home is a lesson in simplicity and efficiency; nothing in the 3500 square foot building was randomly placed. From windows, to doors, to bicycle racks, everything is created to make for ease of use and practicality. From the soothing aesthetics of the interior steel wall that towers upwards, to the sliding panels that create extra walls so guests basically have their own apartment. In the main, open concept living area a large sectional couch can be pulled apart and reconfigured for ultimate comfort, while the dinner table is on wheels and also comes apart to create a variety of configurations for entertaining (“I got the idea from Stadtländer…”). The entertainment system is contained in a large ominous steel cabinet that continues through the long window/wall to the outside where it becomes not only a rusting work of art, but a functional charcoal barbecue. Custom furniture can be found throughout the house, as can custom steel fixtures made by a local fabricator.

 

Mountain Homef

 

With radiant heating, a wood fire and bedside windows in the master bedroom that allow breezes to blow through the room like a well-ventilated tent, the thought and effort that went into this building are too many to number. We haven’t even made it up to the third floor yoga studio with its uniquely placed windows and fold out kids’ beds.

And while you would think putting this much thought and effort into a home would guarantee that it’s a dream home, Sherbanuk’s recent e-mail states something quite different:

“After going back and forth over many months I have decided to sell Banks only if I get the right number.  In the meantime it’s business as usual. I built Banks for two people and now that I am solo I want to downsize. Jim C., the architect and I are looking at new options in the area (a lot smaller) to ‘do it’ again. I’m still going to spend the same amount of time up here doing the things I love utilizing a smaller footprint.”

So if you too are obsessed with steel, and the outdoors, this place can now officially be yours. That is of course if you can come up with the right number.

 

You might also like:

Screen Shot 2017 07 13 at 7.58.02 AMARGOSY DREAM: LIESL PETERSEN’S GROOVY, LITTLE CAPSULE OF COMFORT
It’s a tale as old as the mountain town itself —outdoor junkie falls in love with town, inflated housing market blows it out, costs jump, and the colourful locals that make up the community tapestry are forced to scramble, or get crafty… Read more

Total
2
Shares
Share 2
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Banks
  • Mountain Home
  • Ontario
  • Rockside Campbell Design Company Inc.
  • SJ Sherbanuk
Ben Osborne

Previous Article
  • Mountain Biking

Sweaty Solstice: Sunup To Sundown: A Sea To Sky Riding Tradition

  • July 6, 2017
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
  • The Great Outdoors
  • Videos

Across the Salty Roads Part 2: Marquesas

  • July 14, 2017
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • The Great Outdoors

Helly Hansen Presents: Adventure Planning 101 with Squamish SAR

  • Sarah Bulford
  • May 16, 2022
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • The Great Outdoors

Blower Pow and Disappearing Pants

  • Sarah Bulford
  • April 26, 2022
View Post
  • In This Issue
  • The Great Outdoors

ML Launches Mushroom Life

  • Sarah Bulford
  • April 1, 2022
View Post
  • Leslie Anthony
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play
  • The Great Outdoors

Spring at Sun Peaks

  • Sarah Bulford
  • March 8, 2022
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • The Great Outdoors

Backcountry Skier John Baldwin Headlines VIMFF’s 2022 Best of British Columbia Night

  • Sarah Bulford
  • February 22, 2022
View Post
  • FALL GEAR
  • SPRING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • The Great Outdoors
  • WINTER GEAR

The Legend of San Poncho

  • Editor
  • December 9, 2021
735990496 1280x720
View Post
  • The Great Outdoors
  • Videos

Friday Flick: Island of Plenty

  • Sarah Bulford
  • July 2, 2021
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • The Great Outdoors

Win Adventures to the Filming Location of the HISTORY® Channel’s “Alone” Season 8!

  • Sarah Bulford
  • June 8, 2021
Featured Posts
  • Skiing at Hudson Bay Mountain in Smithers 1
    Where Eagles Dare
    • March 27, 2023
  • Mountain-Life-20th-showreel 2
    20 Years of ML
    • March 24, 2023
  • Mustang-Survival-WOMENS-HELIX-CCS 3
    Gear Shed: Our End-of-Winter Picks
    • March 23, 2023
  • natural-selection-Redbull 4
    Friday Flick: Natural Selection Tour Highlights
    • March 17, 2023
  • Powder-Highway-BC-ski 5
    Powder Highway Revisited
    • March 21, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • AleTrailsSouthernInterior_Vernon_MikeGamble_LookoutTrail_BenHaggarPhoto
    Ale Trails: Southern Interior Part 1, Vernon + Shuswap
    • March 20, 2023
  • Elements-Outfitters-Filson-cabin
    Elements Outfitters Partners with SALTS to Protect Alberta’s Incredible Landscapes
    • March 16, 2023
  • Bora-Boreal-Quebec-winter-cabin-stars
    Bora Boréal: Frozen in Time and Ice
    • March 14, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
No one called me Feet Banks back in 1987. In those days, most people called me by my given name—except for my ski buddies, to whom I was known by the most badass moniker to ever schuss the slopes: Twinkle Toes.
We’re celebrating 20 Years of Mountain Life!
From The Gear Shed: Last Monday was the official start of spring, but we know there’s still some winter to be shredded. So ML staff and partners have picked the latest jackets, lanterns, bindings, mugs and drysuits for winter-spring.
Exploring the sights around beautiful Sutton, Quebec with ML creator @adv_bird ❄️🫶
Back on the road with three generations, dancing lifties, best-on-planet pizza and elusive-but-exquisite pow days.
Live It Up EP 24 is out now!
The Southern Interior region of BC holds an ecological cross-section of the province with alpine meadows, arid Douglas fir grasslands, damp cedar and hemlock forests of the Columbia Mountains and the warm expanse of Shuswap Lake.
Do Not Disturb mode activated ✅ #mountainlifer
Conceived by superhuman snowboarder @travisrice, the @naturalselection Tour highlights earth’s premier riders, from big-mountain mavens to Olympians, all competing on the most stoketastic—and unpredictable—terrain known to humankind.
Built upon a shared desire to enjoy, respect, and advocate for Alberta’s incredible landscapes, it was a natural fit for @elementsoutfitters to work with a local conservation organization @saltslandtrust to highlight the province’s rugged beauty and outdoor apparel to match.
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

No one called me Feet Banks back in 1987. In those days, most people called me by my given name—except for my ski buddies, to whom I was known by the most badass moniker to ever schuss the slopes: Twinkle Toes.
We’re celebrating 20 Years of Mountain Life!
From The Gear Shed: Last Monday was the official start of spring, but we know there’s still some winter to be shredded. So ML staff and partners have picked the latest jackets, lanterns, bindings, mugs and drysuits for winter-spring.
Exploring the sights around beautiful Sutton, Quebec with ML creator @adv_bird ❄️🫶
Back on the road with three generations, dancing lifties, best-on-planet pizza and elusive-but-exquisite pow days.
Live It Up EP 24 is out now!
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.