Leo Katila spends hours every day on his sprawling north Nanaimo property and has been dubbed 'Mayor of the Street' by his neighbours. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

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NANAIMO — Maintaining his flawless half acre Nanaimo property offers Leo Katila the gift of being excited to wake up every morning.

The 90-year-old’s lot is often mistaken for a public park, where a winding gravel path dissects hundreds of shrubs and dozens of trees, accompanied by a magazine cover-worthy lawn.

The pristine path is occasionally used by people believing it’s public park space, who are surprised to end up outside a home and sometimes greeted by the friendly Katila. He refuses to put up a sign informing people it’s private property.

“They walk down the trail on the property, which is okay, I don’t mind — and I understand that it looks a bit like a public park, but that’s my public park and anybody can use it.”

Outside of occasional help from contractors and family members, Katila tends to his sprawling property by himself, usually for several hours a day.

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His physical and mental health depends on it, with Katila’s wife receiving advanced residential heath care.

“This is a very important part of my day,” Katila told NanaimoNewsNOW while tidying up the foot path of his Stonewood Pl. home on the corner of Uplands Dr.

Katila took a much-deserved break on the backyard patio he built to expand on what drives his diligent property maintenance routine.

When he and his wife bought the lot on the former site of a golf course more than a decade ago, towering blackberry bushes consumed large chunks of the property.

Katila hired a landscape architect to help him realize his vision, which often attracts praise from people passing through.

His love for gardening goes back to his youth.

Katila’s parents emigrated from Finland and worked hard to establish a flourishing orchard with hundreds of fruit trees in rural Port Alberni.

Decades later, Katila’s hands are still often dirty.

“There’s a great satisfaction in watching stuff you planted as a baby and now they’re mature, it’s wonderful,” Katila said.

He raved about endless knowledge available online to help cut down on gardening gaffes he made many years ago.

Following a long career owning a Port Alberni car dealership, Katila knew he wasn’t in a position to sit still in his mid 50’s when he sold the business in 1986.

Katila enjoys a rest on his favourite bench overseeing Stonewood Pl. in Nanaimo’s Uplands neighbourhood. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

In Katila’s retirement years, flying radio controlled airplanes became a big passion, while gardening and lawn care remained close to his heart.

Katila is content puttering around his property, often donning knee pads, a shovel and pruning shears — it’s an uncommon site for a person his age.

“I can sit out with a fire in the evening and glass of wine and I’m a happy camper. I know people in their 90’s and they’ve given up.”

During the end of his break, Katila’s eyes light up while pointing out several flowers beginning to bloom and colourful shrubs forming.

Spring leading into summer is Katila’s favourite time of the year.

“I envy myself in that I’m so excited about it. Digging in the dirt, it’s no problem. Its been a great experience, life has been good to me, I know I have lived in the best of times.”

Katila is a legendary figure in his neighbourhood.

The friends of the highly popular anchor of the area are constantly stopping by to check in on the energetic senior.

Gerard Hurrel moved into his home with his wife shortly before the Katila’s arrived. He described Katila as inspiring and highly respected.

“If you need any help, any advice, talk to Leo.”

Hurrel described Katila as “non-stop” with his property maintenance, whether it be snow removal in the winter or trimming plants in the growing season.

“For the whole street we call him the mayor of the street, because he looks after everybody.”

The long winding path is often mistaken for a City-owned park and draws countless walkers on a near-daily basis. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes