Sophistication. Elegance. Come home to both at Aspac’s River Green ›› p.5
Urban village living
May 20, 2010
Life can be a village in Metro Vancouver MAGGIE CALLOWAY Traditionally, we all lived in urban villages. Schools, factories, shops, services and homes all shared a common geographic location. In the 19th century, families didn’t have cars and so relied on public transportation or, more likely, walked to jobs, schools, etc. Now, everyone seems to acknowledge that this is the preferred way to live: an eco-sensitive lifestyle, and a less stressful one. It’s interesting that in this modern world of high-speed everything, we are using our grandparents’ way of life as the model for our future. Some people are even digging up grandmother’s recipes for housecleaning products using readily available, non-toxic ingredients. We may be Twittering, e-mailing and Facebooking, but overall, we seem to be moving toward a simpler pace of life. Over the past 50 years, homebuilding has gone from massive expansion of the sub-
From yoga to Kins Farm market to cafés and fresh fish, Port Moody’s NewPort Village offers a sustainable, urban village lifestyle to its residents. Rob Newell photos
urbs to high-density highrise living, both of which, for the most part, are dependent on the car for just about everything. It is only in the past dozen or so years that downtown condo living has been supported by a variety of retail and other businesses
within walking distance. Urban village living is a hybrid of both styles. Built on the outskirts of cities, even in what was once the essence of suburbia, we CONTINUED ON P.2
Strong new home starts in April: CMHC Vancouver laneway housing means more new rental units in the city TRICIA LESLIE April was a strong month for new home construction in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Concrete was poured for 1,260 residential units throughout the month in the region, CMHC reports, while starts for single-detached units stayed strong, comprising 35 per cent of total starts, most of which were in Surrey. Condo apartment starts totalled 525 units and were primarily in Surrey, the City of Vancouver and North Vancouver. “This year, we are seeing an increase in rental units, some of which are laneway housing,” notes CMHC senior market analyst Robyn Adamache. For the year thus far, rental units as a share Robyn Adamache of new housing starts in the Vancouver CMA are about 9.3 per cent, compared to just 3.3 per cent a year ago. Most of the 415 new rental construction projects are traditional multiple-unit rental buildings and about 35 are laneway housing. The majority of the laneway housing dwellings are located in Vancouver. “We do expect the rental market to improve this year,” Adamache says. “Given the aging stock of rental units in the CMA, the increase in new rental housing projects is timely.” In the Abbotsford CMA, 55 homes were started during April, compared to 65 at the same time last year. Provincial housing starts in urban areas CONTINUED ON P.2
2 • New Local Home | May 20, 2010
Chris Dunphy, co-owner of NewPort Village’s Kula Yoga, specifically chose an urban village lifestyle. Rob Newell photos
“I arrive home refreshed
and stress-free” Inlet Seafood owner Malcom McMillan loves the lifestyle at NewPort Village.
Starts edge higher across the country CONTINUED FROM P.1
rose to 25,600 units (seasonally adjusted at annual rates) in April, up from 22,000 in March. At the national level, total housing starts reached 201,700 units SAAR in April from 199,200 units a month prior. “Higher multiple starts were nearly offset by a decline in single starts and rural-areas starts in April,” says CMHC chief economist Bob Dugan. “As a result, total housing starts edged higher in April.” Urban starts increased by 5.1 per cent SAAR to 182,500 units in April across the country, while urban multiple starts increased by by 27.2 per cent to 98,600 units, while single urban starts decreased by 12.7 per cent to 83,900 units, CMHC reports.
Business Laureates gala Junior Achievement of British Columbia inducted four business and community leaders into the Business Laureates of B.C. Hall of Fame Wednesday night in Vancouver. Alex A. Campbell, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Thrifty Foods and Robert (Bob) H. Lee, chairman of Prospero Group, were inducted at the gala event. Two 2010 inductees were honoured posthumously: Pacific Meat Company’s Jack Diamond and former real estate developer John (Jack) W. Poole, chairman, VANOC board of directors. Black Press president and CEO David Black was inducted into the Business Laureates of B.C. Hall of Fame last year.
Off the front: “We are a part of a tight community here and constantly support each other.” – Chris Dunphy CONTINUED FROM P.1
now have clusters of medium-density developments with mixed zoning, such as condo developments built around a core of retail shops and services. Unlike in our grandparents’ time, it is also essential to provide good transportation links to jobs to reduce car reliance and promote cycling and walking. The other advantage of the urban village is the sense of community they promote, as residents interact while shopping and recreating. A successful local example of an urban village is NewPort Village in Port Moody. Retail stores – carefully balanced to include a grocery store, coffee shop, butcher, baker and fish monger – and services such as banking, insurance, doctor and dentist are readily available. Not to ignore the physical, the village has Kula Yoga and Runners Den, all surrounded by condos. NewPort Village has been a success since it was built because the developer carefully considered every aspect of what makes a community thrive. Chris Dunphy, co-owner of Kula Yoga, is a perfect example of a person who deliberately sought out the lifestyle an urban village provides. “I spent years working as a financial adviser with a large bank, a stressful profession in itself, and between the stress of the job and the equally
Customers relax in the sun at Port Moody’s NewPort Village, above. Rob Newell photos
stressful commute, life was not unfolding well,” Dunphy says. “I made a conscious decision to find a home and a job that would bring me a sense of community instead of isolation, and I knew I had found what I was looking for when I saw NewPort Village.” Dunphy and co-owner Karen MacKenzie opened Kula Yoga fourand-a-half years ago, and Dunphy bought his home just a five-minute walk away from the studio.
VILLAGE LIVING
“I pick up my daily groceries in the village after work, say ‘hello’ to my fellow merchants, stop and chat with people on the street and arrive home refreshed and stress-free,” he says. “We are part of a tight community here and constantly support each other. My decision to change my life has far exceeded my expectations.” Malcolm McMillan, owner of Inlet Seafood in NewPort Village, says the village is a great place to be with customers, both local and from as far away as New Westminster and Maple Ridge; they always seem to be happy, smiling people who are looking for an alternative to the usual big-box and impersonal stores. “I find customers want to know who they are dealing with. They are very conscious, in my business, of where the fish came from, and is it sustainable,” McMillan says. “This same attitude is here in a broader sense, with people wanting to live close to where they work and shop.” Elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, developments such as Morgan Crossing and High Street in South Surrey are striving for the same ideal: urban village living, with work, retail, business, parks and recreational opportunities all within walking distance. In Vancouver, several neighbourhoods – including Yaletown – could be described as urban villages, since there are so many shops, businesses and services within walking distance. And so, ‘everything old is new again.’ For more than a century, North Americans have sprawled out because there has been unlimited room, unlike our European cousins, but even as the room to grow becomes less, it is more apparent that today’s homebuyers want to live in eco-friendly, sustainable neighbourhoods where community is more than just a word.
Publisher: Fiona Harris • 604-575-5822 • publisher@newlocalhome.com Editor: Tricia Leslie • 604-575-5346 • editor@newlocalhome.com Reporter: Maggie Calloway • maggiec@blackpress.ca Advertising Sales: Black Press National Sales • Adrian Saunders • 604-575-5812 • adrians@blackpress.ca Online Advertising: 604-575-5822 Designer: Brad Smith • bsmith@blackpress.ca New Local Home is published once a week by Black Press Group Ltd. (Suite 309 - 5460 152 Street, Surrey, B.C. V3S 5J9) 350,000 copies are distributed free across Metro Vancouver. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.
New Local Home | May 20, 2010 • 3
On Tour
A Burke Mountain Heights 3398 Don Moore Drive, Coquitlam. 778-285-6299 B Sterling 3412 Wilkie Avenue, Coquitlam. C Larkin House 1131 Pipeline Road Coquitlam. 604-552-1113
Squamish < Skye-Soleil-Aqua Presentation Centre, Unit 3, 1233 Main St., Squamish. 604-616-1215 = Furry Creek-Ocean Crest 415- Furry Creek Dr. 604-787-1456
Port Coquitlam < Pearl 2343 Atkins Ave. 604-308-0227
Richmond < Alexandra Gate Cambie-Garden City. 604-279-8866 = Centro 7180 No.3 Road-Bennett. 604-270-8305 > Remy 106- 9780 Cambie Rd. 604-274-7326 ? Hamilton Station 22788 Westminster Hwy. 604-279-8866 @ Wishing Tree Alexander Gardens. 604-871-4296 A Cambridge Park 9191 Odlin Rd. 778-297-7511 C Saffron 180-8360 Granville Ave. 604-270-2482
South Surrey-White Rock < Highland Park 160th & 24th Ave. 604-542-8995 = Glenmore at Morgan Heights 161A St. & 24th Ave. 604-542-8863 > Wills Creek 160th & 32nd Ave. 604-542-6200 ? Kaleden 2729-158th Street. 604-541-4246 @ Morgan Heights 26th Ave & 164th Street. 604-531-1111, 604-420-4200 A Cathedral Grove 2738-158th Street. 604-541-7383 B Southport 3677-143 Street. 604-292-0871 Rd
< Trend 7445 Scott Road. 604-590-5483
Langley < Bedford Landing 23015 Billy Brown Road. 604-888-2176
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< Augusta Walk / Woods at Provinceton 18199 70th Ave, 778-571-1088 = Springfield Village 8676 158 Street. 604-591-1121 > Hazelwood Estates 7881 164A Street. 604-657-5220 ? The Estates at Vistas West 16327 60th Ave. 778-574-1380 @ Vista’s West 6058 - 163 Street, Surrey. 778-571-1389 A Knoll 7348 192A Street, Surrey. 604-574-0001
< Victoria Hill McBride Ave. 604-523-0733 = Q at Westminster Quay Renaissance Square off Quayside Drive. 604-515-9112 > Port Royal Holy Ave. and Salter St. 604-520-9890
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< Levo 1170 Pinetree Way & Northern Ave. 604-464-5856 99 = The Foothills Burke Mountain, 3381 David Ave. 604-944-3188 > Tatton 1240 Holtby, Coquitlam. 604-552-2220 ? Whitetail Lane 1357 Purcell Drive. 604-552-3003 @ Belmont 1456 Avondale Street. 604-461-7113
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< Jewel 6130 WilsonAvenue at Beresford. 604-456-0688 = Brentwood Gate-The Varley 1960 Beta Ave. 604-205-7228 > Adera - Green 7438 Byrnepark Walk. 604-439-8858
= Seasons & Prelude at Milner Heights 208th St & 72nd Ave. 604-539-9484 > Time at Walnut Grove 9525-204 Street. 604-694-1819 ? Cornerstone 5655 210A Street. 604-534-6000
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< Sage 5898 Gray Ave., (UBC/Wesbrook) 604-822-0809 = Pacific Spirit UBC Westbrook Village. 604-221-8878 604-264-6477 ! District: South Main 299 East 7th Ave., Vancouver. 604-879-2010
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< Wedgewood 768 Orwell St. 604-980-2508
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Toyo Development’s Kore, located in the popular Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, offers brand-new homes to buyers starting from $429,900.
4 • New Local Home | May 20, 2010
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New Local Home | May 20 , 2010 • 5
Upscale and chic: River Green
Think Coal Harbour ... but in Richmond If you love Vancouver’s upscale Coal Harbour, with its sophisticated mix of residences, water, marinas and shopping, you will love Aspac Developments’ Richmond project, River Green. Like Coal Harbour, which was redeveloped into a posh condominium district in the 1990s, River Green is a multi-year project, expected to take between 10 to 15 years to build the full 2,600 luxury units on 28 acres. The setting couldn’t be more beautiful for this vibrant neighbourhood of riverfront homes. The first stage, designed by internationally celebrated architect James Cheng, will consist of 458 units in six buildings ranging from 700 square feet to 4,000-sq.ft.-penthouses; homes are expected to be ready for occupancy by 2012. These homes will be part of a neighbourhood of tree-lined boulevards, extensive landscaping, expansive lobbies, private islands, water gardens, public art, 24-hour concierge service and floor-to-ceiling windows, making River Green an elegant, sophisticated place to live. “River Green will demonstrate our commitment not to just building exceptional homes, but to building great communities as well,” says Aspac director Richard Li. CONTINUED ON P.6
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6 • New Local Home | May 20, 2010
Waterfront community in the making
Healthy lifestyle comes naturally CONTINUED FROM P.5
“As the most spectacular venue of the 2010 Winter Games, the Richmond Oval brought a significant amount of attention to Richmond and to this neighbourhood in particular,” Li says. “One of the legacies of these Games will be this beautiful new waterfront community, which will make Richmond synonymous with a healthy and vibrant quality of life.” River Green is perfectly situated, not just for an exceptional lifestyle; it is convenient to Vancouver International Airport, the Canada-U.S. border and TransLink’s Canada Line SkyTrain route, and it’s an easy commute to downtown Vancouver. All the homes in River Green will be built at or above dike level, with tiered residences stepping down to the water. This design was chosen to maximize views of both the Fraser River and the coastal mountains. The entire River Green community will be built with the upmost care to LEED Silver standards; LEED Canada for homes is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. The Richmond Oval. part of the community, is one of the largest sports and wellness centres in North America and offers an CONTINUED ON P.7
Living a healthy, active lifestyle is easy at River Green, especially with a waterfront walkway fronting the Fraser River.
New Local Home | May 20, 2010 • 7
Olympic Oval next door
Come home to chic elegance CONTINUED FROM P.6
extensive range of sporting facilities. Combine the Oval with the multitude of nearby cycling paths and walking trails, and you have one of the healthiest communities in Metro Vancouver. Aspac Developments Ltd. has turned over the marketing of River Green to Magnum Projects from a $9-million story centre next to the Oval. “We’ve seen that the global demand for property in Metro Vancouver, which was already high before the Olympics, has grown even more,” says Magnum Projects principal George Wong. “We believe River Green’s attention to detail and quality, along with its spectacular waterfront setting, unobstructed views of the North Shore mountains, and its location quite literally in the centre of Metro Vancouver, will make this Richmond neighbourhood one of the most sought-after properties in the Lower Mainland.” Visit www.rivergreen.com for details.
Sophisticated and stylish, the homes at River Green feature close attention to detail and quality, along with stunning views in a great location.
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8 • New Local Home | May 20, 2010
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Copyright 2010 © | Higherground Project Marketing Inc. Brokerage and Sales by Multiple Reality Ltd. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.