List My Property

Cariboo Chilcotin

 

The further north one goes in British Columbia the fewer people there tends to be. This means that the definition of luxury real estate is likely to change along with one’s surroundings. When a person from Vancouver thinks of luxury real estate it is likely that a posh condominium with the latest amenities and a view of the Pacific Ocean comes to mind. The location is generally surrounded by the very latest in terms of recreational opportunities for the modern urban citizen.

iStock 000003437297XSmall edit222
Ranch in Cariboo

Northern British Columbia has an entirely different definition of luxury real estate, one much more tempered by the rural nature of the communities here. One of the most scarcely populated regions of the province is the Cariboo Chilcotin region, located north of Kamloops and south of Prince George. The actual region includes hundreds of square miles of truly pristine wilderness.

For the person whose definition of luxury real estate includes privacy and setting, the Cariboo Chilcotin can be a paradise on earth. The very remoteness of even the cities of the region can mean an ability to enjoy a dream property with a dream view and all the recreational opportunities that the rugged country around can afford. Here you will find trophy and ranch properties perfect for the avid hunter, outdoorsman (or woman!)  and privacy galore. Let’s take a look at some of the areas where one can find some million-dollar homes within a very natural setting.

Wells Gray Region

Wells Gray Provincial Park is 5,000 square kilometres of provincial land protected for the most part from development. The area includes several high mountains, perfect for heli-skiing, as well as miles of hiking and back country bike trails.

One of the most popular draws in Wells Gray country is the abundance of fresh water which runs through many of the communities. It is along these bodies that one will find some of the finest luxury homes the region has to offer, waterfront houses overlooking some of the most pristine natural water courses to be found anywhere in the world.

Communities in Wells Gray country where one can find some prime pieces of luxury real estate include Blue River, Clearwater, and Little Fort. You won’t find much in the way of five star dining and the few golf courses can best be termed as rugged, but for the person whose idea of luxury living includes an opportunity to develop a piece of pristine and scenic real estate as a base for some rewarding outdoor activities the Wells Gray country is a perfect fit.
Cariboo Proper

To the west of the Wells Gray part of the Chilcotin and Cariboo region lies the Cariboo proper. This region includes a few small towns, none of which exceed the 30,000 mark in terms of population. Quesnel and Williams Lake are the main urban centres in this part of the region.

As with the Wells Gray country, the Cariboo region has very little in the way of what an urban eye would call luxury real estate opportunities. The main modern attraction as far as living is guaranteed to be the Tobiano Estates, now currently under construction. This site is located just south of Savona, and will include modern luxury homes along a five star golf course. Both the course and the homes situated on it will overlook scenic Kamloops Lake. The whole area is destined to be a small section of paradise within a desert setting (think Arizona).

Nechako river
River Views

The further north in the Cariboo one goes, the easier it is to see that it is the landscape that truly defines luxury real estate. While people become scarce, the opportunities for scenic real estate seem to grow. There are hundreds of lakes and rivers within the Cariboo and Chilcotin regions that include waterfront property opportunities as can be found nowhere else in the world.

Because of the small population within the Cariboo area, luxury properties tend to come in packages that can best be described as vast. A dollar goes a long way, and this helps define the type of real estate that people are interested in within the region. Ranch and trophy properties tend to be the most popular buys in this region. The big appeal of both types of property is the tract of land that is generally included. Often, the property will butt up against free flowing water or lakes, the perfect location for a majestic ranch house.

Of course, some people might be more interested in the idea of a rustic cabin in the Cariboo, and this type of property is also available. In fact, the regions around Horsefly and Quesnel Lakes are home to properties that both the tycoon and the young family would find appealing. There are resort acreages as well as small cabins all along the shoreline, although spaced out enough to make anyone forget that they have neighbours. 

When it comes to luxury living, the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia is all about spacious living with majestic natural views. There are many pieces of real estate within the area where one can find a perfect residence or vacation home, located just outside the modern hassle of life. Enjoy a winter’s soak in your hot tub while overlooking miles of snow covered, forested landscape. Fish on a lake located just out of your own backdoor, with your own private marina. Alternatively, enjoy the many hiking, biking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, hunting and other recreational opportunities that a luxury home in these remote setting can afford.

Jewel of the Salish Sea


Island life! Living on island time!

That’s the dream of an increasing number of future retirees. An idyll of privacy, security and
tranquility. So, what is the reality? Or is it all just an illusion? That depends at lot on the island in question and, just as important, on the person.
Salt Spring Island. A temperature zone climate just off the coast of southwest Canada, not unlike the northern Mediterranean, is home to the largest island in what is known as the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is so-named for the indigenous Coast Salish peoples who have lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 8000 years. Here is a small archipelago of islands tucked in between the North American mainland and Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island itself stretches almost 300 miles long, the largest island along the west coast of the Americas, and it shelters the Salish Sea from the sweep of the 5000-mile open stretch of the Pacific reaching across from Japan.

p1251h
Relaxing Island Living

Salt Spring Island (SSI) is a unique oasis of a small community lifestyle and seclusion, yet connected to the outside world both physically and artistically. Almost hidden away, even though the superferries pass it at a distance, few but island residents could pick it out from the numerous islets, islands and even headlands of Vancouver Island that loom all around it.
It is known as a healing island to many, some say due to the energy of its natural rock formations. If you look at a map of the island, you can see that it is structured geographically in three distinct sections and that if the ocean waters rose another 50 feet or so, they would divide Salt Spring into three separate islands. This is due to the low, connecting valleys of Fulford / Burgoyne in the south and the valley that stretches from Ganges Harbour to Booth Canal, two-thirds up the island to the north. In between, especially in the southern two sections of the island, are mountain peaks that reach over 2300 feet high.
However, more than anything Salt Spring is a state of mind, a state created by the creative and courageous people who have settled here since the mid-1800s. Naturally, much has changed on this island once devoted almost entirely to farming and some fishing. Although tourism is now arguably the mainstay of the economy, there are still 225 farms and 3 vineyards. Many of the traditional families that settled here in the 1800s are here today and own a number of the main businesses and some significant land holdings.
Arts. This is a special focus of island life, particularly on Salt Spring where about 100 published writers reside, whose works encompass subject matter as diverse as fiction, poetry, satire and dog breeding, to technical treatises on many and varied subjects, not the least of which is the environment. Music is also a passionate focus of Salt Springers, as we are known. From the Gulf Islands Secondary School, renowned for its music program, to the internationally known musicians who live on or own residences on Salt Spring, and who perform here throughout the year, this small island of fewer than 12,000 permanent residents supports an extraordinary music community, to the joy and benefit of all Salt Springers. Visual arts are equally well represented and cherished. SSI supports its artists, from those of national and international renown to developing and dedicated painters, film makers and photographers whose works are just starting to become widely appreciated.
Yes, we have privacy and seclusion if you want it, plus low crime and a broad feeling of acceptance of cultural, religious and political differences and backgrounds. But we are also connected like no other island in the Gulf Islands. Three airlines make scheduled flights by float plane from downtown Ganges to Vancouver every day. There are also three separate ferries connecting to SSI: one from the mainland to Long Harbour, one from Swartz Bay outside Victoria to south SSI at Fulford Harbour, and the last from Crofton, partway up Vancouver Island to Vesuvius Bay on the northwest side of SSI.
Why live here, you ask? What else is so special?
Depends on what you value, but here are some features that make SSI life uniquely livable and rewarding…
A 50-bed hospital with surgical staff on SSI, a library, 3 post offices, a new community indoor swimming pool under construction, a movie theatre, a performing arts theatre, 2 nine-hole golf courses, 4 commercial marinas, 7 public docks around the island, fairgrounds, 16 churches, 7 community halls, schools, bookstores, grocery stores, 3 banks, miles of hiking trails, 22 beaches and much more.
Even with all of its facilities, however, it is the varied richness of the people of SSI, who have come here from around the globe, that makes this island a world-class choice for living in balance with the natural world and amenities of the 21st century.
So, come and discover Salt Spring for yourself.

Author:Trev Mclean, By The Sea Bed & breakfast

Come for a visit; Stay a Lifetime!

 

el veranoOne of BC's Gulf Islands, Gabriola Island is located east of Nanaimo and has a population of about 5000. Gabriola is  an island of beautiful beaches, parks, trails, artisan studios of all kinds, theatre, two newspapers, and most of what you will need in the way of professional services, trades, non-trades, shops, restaurants and yet a peacefulness and kindness not often found in the city. The city of Nanaimo is only a 20 minute ferry ride away, close enough and far enough.  One foot in the city and one in the country. 

malaspina pathAlthough home prices have risen in recent years, prices on Gabriola remain very competitive compared to major areas close to the island. Most homes are on 1/2 to 5 acre lots, giving you lots of space to roam and privacy if desired. Many regular services are available on Gabriola (hydro, telephone, cable); however, most homes have their own wells and septic systems as there is no municipal water or sewer system.

Services on Gabriola include a variety of restaurants, a volunteer fire department, an RCMP detachment and local medical professionals. Gabriola does have facilites to help in some medical emergencies-a bonus not avaiable on some of the other Gulf Islands.

carol hanging from a threadLooking for a rural life, my own community, my own garden, learning what it means to be the steward of my land.  What a privilege.  The satisfaction of harvesting tomatoes, figs, apples, plums, currants and then sharing my abundance with my community is most definitely where it’s at.  It all goes round and comes back to ‘health, wealth and happiness’, a motto my family used as I was growing up and is still true today in its many forms.

It would be my pleasure to provide you and your families with a new outlook in life, a change to the good old country air, peace and gratitude of living on Gabriola.  I’m sure if you are interested in finding that right spot, here on Gabriola, we can do this together.

 

This article was provided by Carol Martin, Realtor on Gabriola Island.

Mayne Island
 
plane1The Southern Gulf Islands include the well-known Salt Spring Island and lesser known islands – Galiano, Mayne, North and South Pender Islands and Saturna.  These Canadian Islands are really an extension of the San Juan archipelago in Washington State.
 
 
Mayne Island, located on the southeast side of Active Pass (a main shipping channel), is now slowly being discovered as a desirable retreat.  Currently, many are purchasing property on the Island as a real estate investment, the ultimate retirement spot, or as a second home away from the city rat race.

views1 Mayne Island has a surface area of 5,750 acres.  The rich agricultural land and small hills are the result primarily of past glacial activity.  A main harbour, Miner’s Bay, is located on Active Pass and is where one lands when traveling to Mayne Island by Seair float planes from the South Terminal at the Vancouver International Airport.
 
As well, BC Ferry Corporation provides convenient ferry service to each of these Islands from either Tsawwassen, (near Vancouver, BC) or Swartz Bay, (on Vancouver Island, near Victoria).  For those traveling to Mayne, the ferries dock in Village Bay on the southwest side of the island.
 
ferry1In 1858, Captain George H. Richards and his crew on the survey ship, H.M.S. Plumper, charted the islands and the Georgia Strait region.  In honour of his lieutenant, Richard Charles Mayne, Capt. Richards named the Island.  In the same year, Capt. Richards changed the name, Plumper Pass to Active Pass, to honour the U.S.S. Active, another ship assisting in the surveying process.  Shortly after, the first white settlers discovered the Southern Gulf Islands.  Until then, those of the First Nations ancestors of the Cowichan band enjoyed the easy climate, fishing and lifestyle.

Today, full and part-time residents, small business people and artists have retired to the easy way of living on Mayne Island.  There are grocery, book and gift shops, a bakery, restaurants, accommodation, a small library, studios, post office, garages, a health clinic, fire hall and an elementary school.  High school students travel to Salt Spring Island by water taxi each day to attend classes and school activities.  Many enjoy boating activities, ocean kayaking, hiking, beach combing, bird watching, gardening, arts and crafts workshops offered by local residents, music, and island celebrations or events throughout the year.
 

Denman Island......A Natural, Rural Paradise! 

 

Denman Island, one of the Northern Gulf Islands, is just a short ferry ride from Vancouver Island where it enjoys the beauty of a West Coast rain forest surrounded by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Deman has a variety of oceanfront, lakefront and marshfront real estate for sale including bare land, rustic cabins and luxury estates.

denman1You will feel the stresses of the outside world  slip away as you drive off the ferry and head to  your island home or cottage getaway.  No need  for high heels and business suits on Denman  Island.  Hiking boots and Gortex are the haute  couture of the island.  The temperate climate  throughout the year encourages the enjoyment  of the lush forest, rocky coves, sandy beaches  and  many  hiking  trails. Outdoor  activities  include  canoeing,  kayaking,  swimming,  biking,  hiking,  fishing,  beachcombing  and  horseback  riding.   

  1. Island  boasts  an  active,  inclusive  and  vibrant  community---a  community that encourages and supports individuality and creativity.  Tucked  down the winding lanes of the island are a great many artists, artisans and  authors who draw their inspiration  from  the island’s natural beauty  and  whose work is featured at the widely acclaimed Denman Island Christmas  Faire.  The community now possesses a new Arts Centre that offers gallery  space and courses in a wide variety of arts and crafts.  And there is no  shortage of great music on the Island.  Concerts Denman offers a varied  slate  of  concerts  every  year  ranging  from  jazz  to  opera  to  folk  and  bluegrass.  Students  at  the  well  appointed  Elementary  School  benefit  greatly from the many talented Denmanites who volunteer at the school and  share their enthusiasm and expertise with the children.   

denman2Peace and tranquility are a given on Denman Island  where your solitude will only be broken by the kiyee of  the eagles overhead, the raucous arguments of the  crows, the gabble of the ducks or the barking of the  sea lions.  Each spring brings a new crop of fawns  often seen in the clearings with their mothers. tidal pools around the island offer a marine world of tiny rock crabs, sea  urchins and anemones and the wondrous moon snails and there are clams and  oysters to be had by those with a shovel, a bucket and a license.  

  1. denman3Denman  beaches  offer  stunning  views  of  the  ocean,  the  multihued  sunsets,  Vancouver  Island  and  the  snowcapped  mainland mountains.  Beachcombing is a favourite  pastime on the Island and it is no surprise that  many  island  homes  sport  creative  uses  of  driftwood  used  as  pillars,  beams  and  handrails.   The beach stroll is also the perfect place to meet  and greet your neighbours and island visitors.  It is  not uncommon for a meeting of two or three people  to turn into an island gathering with the discussion  turning  from  fishing  to  current  events  to  an  invitation  to  supper.  Hospitality  is  the  rule  on  Denman.   

denman4Denman Island is home to three provincial parks.   Walk the winding, picturesque trail through the  majestic  forest  of  Boyle  Point  Park  at  the  southern end of the island to the lookout with its  spectacular panoramic views over Chrome Island  and down Georgia Strait.   

Fillongley Park is an 80 acre park and campground  on the eastern shore of the Island.  The 10 site  campground is located on the beach and enjoys  great views across the ocean to Texada Island  and the Coast Range Mountains.  The sandy beach  and the variety and wealth of sea life make  Fillongley a popular destination for residents and visitors alike.  Hikers will  enjoy the network of trails through the forest and along the salmon bearing  stream.   

Sandy Island Provincial Park at the northern end of Denman Island features  a unique ecosystem located on Tree Island which can  be accessed from  Denman Island by foot at low tide or by boat or kayak.     

 

This article provided by RE/MAX The Islands

S5 Register