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EDITOR/SENIOR MEDIA CONSULTANT
Merlyn Minty
204.782.8692
merlyn.minty@nexthome.ca
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Terry Buhay terry.buhay@mediaclassified.ca 204.333.7183
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on-site management
window coverings
24 hr. emergency number
games/lounge area • squash courts / sauna
exercise room • indoor & visitor parking • located at the corner of Broadway & Donald Street
THE kitchen
by SALINA YARA HALABI
Forget the local Happy Hour – informally fabulous kitchen gatherings are here to elevate a weeknight or add a twist to your weekend itinerary. The kitchen is no stranger to impromptu gatherings. It’s a space where the senses are ignited with flavours and scents that activate memories and inspire adventures. Not to be confused with the formal dining area, the kitchen is where things get real, where people are comfortable, and often where the best conversations happen. Play off the energy of this effortless social space by bringing in pieces that encourage lingering within the kitchen. Comfortable kitchen island seating or a bistro style table can make your kitchen space the “it” destination of the home. Don’t have the space for seating? Bring the kitchen experience to another level by using a stylish bar cart filled with the small bites and sips that pair perfectly with friends and catch-ups.
A social kitchen is a space where hors d’oeuvres are the main event – and they’re celebrated with interesting small plates with dedicated utensils. It’s where eye-catching glassware and unique coasters make a simple beverage feel curated, and little details like playful cocktail napkins or adorned appetizer picks turn a night-in to an intentional experience. The kitchen is where life lives in the home, so give it the details and accessories that make its energy thrive.
1. Strawberry thief paper napkins. simons.ca
2. Bormioli Rocco stone D.O.F glasses. heartofthehomeyeg.ca
Welcome to Windsor Luxury Estates – the perfect place to call home in Windsor Park! You’ll love our modern and roomy Bachelor 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments, complete with convenient in-suite laundry, private balconies, walk-in closets, premium finishes, and all the comforts to turn your new space into your dream home. At Windsor Luxury Estates, we’re delighted to be a pet-friendly community, because we know your furry friends are family too!
BUILDING AMENITIES:
• 100% Handicap Accessible Building
• Pet Friendly with a wash station available on the main floor
• Gym On-site
• Storage Lockers available on each floor
• Bike Storage and repair area on the main floor
• Card Access “FOB” entrance to the building
• Elevator Service from the underground parkade to the top floor
• Indoor and Outdoor parking options
• Extensive Soundproofing throughout
• High-end Finishes
• 16 Different Suite Options
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• Quartz countertops
• Modern European-style stainless steel sinks, taps, and faucets
• Stainless steel full-size appliance package
• LED pot lights throughout each unit
• 8ft high smooth painted drywall ceilings
• In-suite side-by-side washer and dryer
• City and suburban view
• CCTV (closed circuit) security cameras
• Forced air heating and cooling system
• Balcony with glass railing
ST. VITAL
BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
St. Vital is a sprawling suburban area in Winnipeg wading far and wide between two rivers. The Red River marks the west boundary and the Seine River marks the east. Carriere Avenue is the northern boundary and the rural municipality of Ritchot is the southern boundary.
Newer, amenity-oriented neighbourhoods dominate the landscape in clusters in smiling St. Vital. The suburban style of family living close to the country gets richer in the south, but all homes and residents seem fairly prosperous and settled. Old St. Vital has some francophone history, yet it’s largely overshadowed by modern cosmopolitan consumers who want to shop and live in luxury by the river.
As the middle child in a French family of three sisters, St. Vital starts out as gregariously urban with long rows of strip malls braided alongside a huge shopping mall and cosy middle-class lots near the river. Furthest south, the landscape suddenly becomes rural, running past shops into pastures of prairie grass and corn mazes. Professional residents know how to maneouvre around roadblocks from busy Bishop Grandin Boulevard to the farmers’ markets. Starting out traditionally Francophone, St. Vital has grown and significantly changed over the years. Decades ago, she became
overwhelmingly Anglophone, but now there is a lot of variation between neighbourhoods and more ethnic diversity among new residents. More seniors typically reside along the northwest and residents with higher incomes and education are located further south.
St. Vital offers a lot for middleincome families. A smaller budget might find North St. Vital more central and affordable. Big budgets build in the south.
The growing trend toward diversity and demand for new housing has made St. Vital homeownership-competitive. With Baby Boomers retiring, there is also a growing need for multi-family homes and services. Apartments, condos and townhouses situated close to the malls and main bus
routes have much to offer with balconies, granite counters, large suites with lofts and some with a highrise view.
Traffic is constant east to west and on main cross streets, covering large expanses of land by high-speed roads. Buses are frequent, especially at the northern intersections. Pedestrians and cyclists congregate closer to the south by the mall or on residential streets. A trip to the airport could be half an hour.
Major parks and centres include St. Vital Park near the Red River, Maple Grove at the southern tip, plus Jonathan Toews Community Centre and St. Vital Centennial Arena.
St. Vital is loved by residents and visitors. The shopping is stupendous, but a car is a must.
Dawn Peter is an author and freelance writer in Manitoba.
Watching the sunset in St. Vital Park.
DAWN PETER
BUILDING AMENITIES:
• 100% Handicap accessible building
• Pet friendly with a wash station available on the main floor
• Storage lockers available on each floor
• Bike storage and repair area on main floor
• CCTV (Closed Circuit Security System) Video Surveillance of parking areas, exits, entrances and elevator
• Card Access “FOB” entrance to the building
• Elevator Service from underground parkade to fourth floor
• Extensive Sound proofing throughout
• Heated underground and exterior with visitor parking available
RESEARCH MOVERS BEFORE YOU HIRE
Hiring the right moving company can save you lots of work, stress and headaches.
However, you’ll want to be careful that the company you hire is above board and upholds strict standards.
How can you tell?
Do your research. Is the company a member of the Canadian Association of Movers (CAM)? You can also contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and your provincial government’s consumer protection agency.
You can also: Ask three movers for estimates in writing; get the terms and conditions of your move in writing; ensure you know how your goods will be protected for loss or damage.
Does the company have a minimum charge, and how are you charged after that minimum is met? Will you be charged for fuel or travel time to and from their office to your home? Will there be a fuel surcharge or a stairs or long-distance walk charge if they have to park the truck some distance from your door?
Is there a deposit required, and what kinds of payment options are available? Do they offer free quotes? How do
they arrive at a valuation that is covered by insurance?
It’s best for everyone involved to have a moving contract that outlines what is expected. Read it and ask questions about anything you don’t understand.
Hiring a company you can trust makes for a more comfortable, less stressful and successful move.
Chuck Resnick is vice-president Marketing and Operations for Two Men And a Truck - Canada, a division of Heron Capital Corporation. Visit twomen.ca
Living with roommates has many benefits but it can get a little tricky if you don’t decide how to deal with the usual living costs that go along with rent. I’m talking about replenishables such as toilet paper, food, dish soap, light bulbs, paper towels, etc. The sooner you choose the best way for you and your roomies to buy this stuff, the better. It will help you avoid fighting over who uses the most toilet paper.
TAKE TURNS BUYING: This works if – and only if – everyone agrees to it. If not, it’s chaos. You probably don’t want to buy toilet paper and just assume your roommate will grab it next time, because that roommate might never buy any. Be clear — I’ll buy this pack; you buy the next.
Decide who buys what and for where if you’re going to take turns. Same goes for groceries, cleaning supplies and anything else you might share.
THE SLUSH FUND: If you think it’s necessary, create a fund that you all contribute to that will be there when you need essentials. Placing a jar in the kitchen works as long as everyone agrees not to use the funds for take-out (it can be tempting when you get low on groceries). Decide on an amount that everyone will contribute on a weekly or monthly basis, and confirm what the funds will be
used for to buy. Will they strictly be used for household supplies or will they pay for groceries, too?
KEEP THINGS SEPARATE: If you can’t all agree on the best way to deal with replenishables, it’s best to keep it all separate. If you’re living with someone you strictly consider a roommate, and not necessarily a friend, this is often the best bet. It can get tiresome to split up toilet paper but it can also avoid awkward scenarios and fights about money. There’s nothing wrong with keeping things to yourself, plus it can make your monthly budgeting a lot easier.
EMBRACE
FAMILY LIVING: If you’re close with your roommates, you might not need an actual system. For some roommates, especially those who have lived together for a long time, these things just work themselves out. You’ll grab toilet paper when it’s on sale, and so
will your roommate. You’ll make dinner, they’ll do the dishes, and vice versa. If you like to bake, and your roommates like to eat your baking, they’ll make sure the house is always stocked with flour.
When you live like this, you have more of a family dynamic than a roommate agreement. It can be wonderful to have a relationship like this, but it’s not for everyone. Make sure you’re all on board before you start using your roomies’ shampoo or eating their cereal!
Jackie Marchildon is a bilingual writer and editor. She spends her time searching for hidden gems across the city, whether it’s new neighbourhoods and restaurants or upcoming trends in real estate and home decor.
PEMBINA HWY.
LIFETIME RENTER -
IT’S A LIFESTYLE
KATHRYN KUSYSZYN
To buy or to rent? You may not think it’s anybody’s plan, but being a lifetime renter is actually a great choice. It’s one that’s already a common experience in cities like New York, Miami, Boston and LA, where owning property is beyond most people’s income level and location is more important that homeownership. It’s also catching on with a generation that doesn’t want to be tied down with financial responsibility instead of the financial freedom to move and pursue different opportunities. It’s hard to fathom for some people. The media is constantly making ownership the most desirable goal, but the reality is, home ownership isn’t for everyone. Conventional wisdom says buy if you can, especially with the current low interest rates, because you build equity. And if you’re young, you need a place to live and to house your children. When you sell, you’ll be able to afford a nicer home or make a profit and downsize. It all sounds great in theory, however, that theory assumes that you will buy at the best time and sell at the best time, thus maximizing your profits. Nor does it factor in the costs of inflation, renovations, maintenance and upkeep, property taxes and so on. In some cases, being a lifetime renter is the preferred option. Here are some scenarios where those who could afford to buy still opt to rent, and why.
Young professionals more interested in travel than yard work. Couples without children who travel a lot often prefer to ditch the gardening obligations, bills and headaches associated with owning a home. Footloose and fancy free, they would rather put their money into an investment portfolio. Let the landlord deal with utilities and upkeep. They’re off on adventures! Entrepreneurs running a business. They frequently work long hours and struggle to find time for family and friends, never mind house repairs or tenants. Any extra funds they have are being put into building the business, therefore owning a home is not a priority.
People in careers that are planning to transition in the next three to five years. If they own a home they may be stuck selling during a down market but have little choice in the matter since it their time to move on. Being a renter makes it easier to pick up and leave when they need to, and practically speaking, their time and energy are focused on their careers.
Families with small children or caring for elderly family members may simply not have the time that home-owning requires. They are choosing the priority of family, and that is certainly a full-time job in and of itself. Giving a rent check and then forgetting about it for 30 days is infinitely easier to manage than the responsibility of home-owning. One of the added benefits of being a lifetime renter in provinces with rent control – your cost of living doesn’t rise at the same rate as inflation. If you keep the same apartment, your rent can only go up by small increments, after 10, 15, 20 years, you’ll find your rent will be greatly under the market rent values in a high-demand area. If you match any of these scenarios, you will likely enjoy being a lifetime renter.
Kathryn Kusyszyn is a health and lifestyle consultant in Victoria BC. and is a long-time freelance writer. yogakat.ca
• Modern, Elegant, Spacious Open Concept Suites with 9’ Ceilings
• 10 Floor Plans to Choose from, Ranging In Size from 1,036 sq ft to 1,550 sq ft
• 2 Bedroom / 2 Bathroom and 1 Bedroom / 1 Bathroom Suites Available
• Large Kitchens with Walk-In Pantry and Double Sinks
• Fridge, Range & Dishwasher Included
• Individual Temperature Controlled Suites with Forced Air Heating & Air Conditioning
• Geared to Low Maintenance Lifestyle
• Yard Care & Snow Removal Provided
• Safe, and Friendly Community
• Heated Indoor Parking & Storage Available
• Ample Visitor Parking
• Common Rooms with Full Kitchen Available for Tenant Gatherings & Private Bookings at No Charge
• Guest Suite Available in Phase 1
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• Wide, Wheelchair Friendly Bathrooms & Hallways
• In Suite Laundry Room and Storage
• Large Living Room Windows Providing Lots of Natural Light
• Suites in Phase 2 Offer Large Kitchen Islands & Quartz Counter Tops Throughout
• Window Coverings Included
• Large Private Balcony for Each Suite
• Central Elevator for Convenience and Ease
• Security Entrances Controlled from Each Suite
• Walls Engineered for Sound Reduction
• Interconnected Fire Alarm System
• Rent Includes Heat, Hydro, Water and Wireless Internet
