MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Fall 2017

90 ML BLUE FALL 2017 Largely constructed with insulating concrete forms, the home is extremely efficient, with a boiler, in-floor heating and two woodstoves within the house. And the owners are all set to lessen their dependence on the grid as well. “I think we’re the first people in Ontario to get the Tesla [Powerwall] 2 batteries,” says Mark’s wife Jacqueline Bourgeois. “We just paid for them, they’re coming at the end of the month. We’re putting solar panels on the back side of the garage. That will be nice from an energy perspective.” Avid cross-country skiers, the 5,280-square-foot house sits on 36 acres, complete with 3.5 kilometres of trail. But as Mark points out, those trails are, “best for snowshoeing. Especially when you have one of the best places to ski in Canada just up the road.” That place is Nordic Highlands. The family is heavily involved there. “Our daughter is captain of the ski team, I do waxing and Jackie is the team mom. That’s the main reason we moved here.” And it’s the main reason for what Mark jokes is the most important room in the house: the waxing room. Complete with workbenches, a TV and ventilation to remove waxing fumes, Mark can tune the family’s entire fleet of skis here in the comfort of their own home. And then drive a mere three minutes to use them. Now that’s good living. Mark Tarnopolsky gets ready for winter in the waxing room.