KITCHENER

They call it their cabin in the sky.

In a towering, 58-year-old silver maple, Steve Norris spent 15 months building the ultimate treehouse for his two sons.

"I got into this and I thought, 'I'm going to do this right. I'm not going to build a shack,' " Norris said yesterday in the backyard of his Edwin Street home.

Now, Stephen, 7, and Ryan, 16 months, have their own elaborate play space, four metres in the air.

It's unlike any other treehouse in southern Ontario, Norris says.

It's equipped with electricity and cable TV. There's an intercom so Norris can talk to his kids if they're having a sleepover, and a urinal that drains into a pail beneath the structure.

A smoke detector is wired to the house, so family members can be alerted to any smoke, whether they're in the treehouse or not. A revolving light clicks on when the treehouse's trap door opens (where a rope ladder drops down).

Old fire horns that Norris snagged from the University of Waterloo blare if an intruder tries to break into the fort. "It sounds like an air-raid back in Berlin. But I had to do it for my peace of mind."

Even the family's Jack Russell-cross, Sammy, has his own ramp. Norris made it after the dog fell near the top of the wide, stair-like ladder.

The roof is sealed and welded on tight, and the floor is sturdy enough to hold an adult. Stephen sleeps in a loft bed, Ryan on a mini-futon and their father on a pull-down bed.

Norris said he always tries to supervise the kids in the fort. For now, little Ryan is only allowed in the treehouse with an adult.

Throughout construction, Norris tried to avoid nailing directly into the maple to prevent damage. He also left space around the trunk for growth and shifting.

"The tree is the boss," said the 49-year-old UW maintenance electrician. "This has been a labour of love."

He's never taken on a big building project before. But he's always wanted a treehouse. Norris grew up with a father in the navy, moving several times between Ontario and Nova Scotia.

"We had a big tree in our front yard," he said of one home. "I was climbing around on it all the time. But my dad was never around."

Eight years ago, when Norris and his wife, Theresa, bought their house near Hillside Park, the huge, backyard tree sealed the deal. Then, in June 2007, Norris decided he would give his kids what he never had.

After more than a year of research, gathering scraps from UW campus -- such as discarded dimmer light bulbs and thick rope -- and many late nights pounding nails, Norris's idea came to fruition.

"I wasn't sure he was going to do it," said Theresa, 35. "He had some drawings and he had a lot of ideas in his head. But it turned out really good."

He figures it cost about $5,000 to build, and he insured it for $20,000.

Staff at the Kitchener bylaw office and the planning and building department told him he didn't need a permit. The treehouse is not considered a permanent structure and as long as it doesn't wreak havoc on the neighbourhood, it's not a problem, he said.

Norris made sure the treehouse windows don't face the neighbours' yards, and water doesn't drain onto their properties.

His son Stephen says the treehouse is already a hit with his friends, who are lined up waiting for invitations to sleepovers.

Norris wants to see his sons grow up with the treehouse, which he thinks will last about 15 years.

"We're planted here now," he said.

arobinson@therecord.com