8 minute read
Where to Buy Rustic Luxury
Sun Peaks A four-and-a-half hour drive from Vancouver, or easily accessible via canoeing, camping, hiking, snowmobiling and houseboating. Recent listing: A unique opportunity to own a self-sufficient 28-acre waterfront property on Shuswap Lake offers
Kelowna or Kamloops airports, Sun Peaks Resort is ideal for summer and winter activities (it’s Canada’s second-largest ski area). Recent listing: This massive six-bedroom, five-bathroom custom timberframe chalet, situated on one of the community’s largest residential lots, features extensive natural rock, lofty ceilings, radiant-heat flooring and wrap-around outdoor decks with incredible views. $2,930,000.
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Peachland Located midway between Kelowna and Penticton on 11 kilometres of Okanagan Lake lakefront, Peachland puts its residents in reach of more than 200 estate wineries and microbreweries, plus hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trails. Recent listing: The recently rejuvenated Headwaters Family Resort is a business opportunity in waiting: 10 rustic guest cabins and 14 RV campsites (most with views of the lake), a lodge/store and 1,200 sq ft of Sicamous Situated halfway between Calgary and Vancouver, Sicamous derives its name from a Secwepemic First Nations word meaning “in the middle.” Visitors and locals enjoy
waterfront, plus all the equipment to run it. $1,095,000. tree houses, rainforest trails and hand-built cabins, with off-the-grid power, waterfall energy and a greenhouse for sustenance. $1,999,000.
Princeton Situated in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the Similkameen Region, this town is known for forestry, mining, agriculture, ranching and the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. It’s a family-friendly community with familyfriendly home prices. Recent listing: This custom built six-bedroom, three-bathroom 3,520-sq-ft log home is situated on a private lot within 17 kilometres of Manning Park and Lightening Lake, close to hiking trails. It has a separate-access two-bedroom suite, which has rentalincome potential. $429,900. Osoyoos This town with a population of 5,085 is the hub of Canada’s only semi-arid desert region. Hike the tranquil Okanagan River and climb Mount Kabou, e-bike cruise along Black Sage Road and indulge at local wineries. Recent listing: A custom-built West Coast timberframe, with five-bedrooms and five-bathrooms, is perched above Lake Osoyoos with panoramic views of the lake, town and mountains. It includes a guest suite, wine cellar, theatre room and a separate suite above a triple garage. $1,299,900.
Golden A rugged Kootenay town tucked between the peaks of the Columbia and Rocky Mountains, Golden lays claim to some of the best hiking, kayaking and mountain biking in the province. Recent listing: This stunning four-bedroom, four-bathroom timberframe mountain property features an open concept main level with timber staircase, a gourmet kitchen, two master suites with views of the ski hill and a boot room with dryers and racks to handle all your gear. $1,399,000.
If your dream has been to find a rustic log cabin or a mountain-modern timberframe home, here are some B.C. gems to which you could make a rural escape.
By Right Sizing Staff
For direct links to all listings, go to rightsizingmedia.com/rustic
Fernie Tucked away in a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains called the Elk Range, Fernie is known for its lovingly restored storefronts, high-paying mining jobs and the wild bowls of Fernie Alpine Resort. Recent listing: This spectacular custom built three-bedroom, four-bathroom timberframe situated in Black Rock Estates features 26-foot Douglas Fir-lined ceilings, curved trusses, hickory hardwood flooring and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, plus a heated three-car garage. $1,295,000.
Whistler Whistler is not only a popular snow-season recreation destination, but also attracts more visitors from Victoria Day through Labour Day than it does during the winter, making it an ideal year-round investment or residence. Recent listing: This luxurious custom built four-bedroom, four-bathroom log cabin is situated on the Valley Trail, minutes from Creekside Village, and features a two-story stone fireplace, open floor plan, vaulted ceilings and a master with a walk-in closet plus walk-in shower with steam room. $2,899,000.
Courtenay On the east coast of central Vancouver Island and considered the urban hub of the Comox Valley, Courtenay offers culturally rich diversity, year-round recreation, beaches and natural beauty. Recent listing: This West Coast chalet, perched high above Beaufort Heights on Mt. Washington, features six bedrooms and six bathrooms that have been divided into four separate suites, all with en suite baths, plus a sauna, eating bar and two entertainment rooms, perfect for hosting family and friends. $899,000. Gabriola Island This beautiful island is located 5 kilometres from downtown Nanaimo, accessible via BC Ferries. It has the highest percentage of working artists per capita in Canada and is known as the “Isle of the Arts.” Recent listing: A timeless West Coast Pan-Abode log home located on the waterfront, with incredible ocean views, has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, open-concept living space, a newer kitchen with stainless appliances and a large recreation room downstairs, ideal for hobbyists. $774,000.
Sooke Located on the southwestern tip of Vancouver Island, a one-hour drive from Victoria, Sooke is in temperate rainforest, creating one of the mildest climates in Canada. It’s ideal for outdoor recreation such as fishing, hiking, sailing and whale watching. Recent listing: Escape to this four-bedroom, three-bedroom, double A-frame home on 4.4 acres of land 40 minutes from Victoria. It has stunning wood craftsmanship, a 21-foot ceiling, custom wrought-iron railings and a separate, tenanted suite above large workshop. $998,000.
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WINE AND DINE
Feed and water your B.C. staycation this autumn with sustenance stops at great winery eateries.
By Gail Johnson
With vineyards dotting the map from the Gulf Islands all the way to the Purcell Mountains, wine touring is a wonderful way to explore B.C. Several wineries have exceptional restaurants right on-site, making this kind of local discovery all the more tantalizing. Verify safe-dining policies and changes to operations via restaurant websites and on-premise signage.
Long before grapes ever started growing in B.C., there were Indigenous people caring for and living off the land. The Syilx people call the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys home, and Indigenous World Winery offers a taste of First Nations culture. At its on-site restaurant, the Red Fox Club, traditional ingredients star in modern dishes. Seared trout with salsa verde and wilted greens, grilled-elk flank stir-fry, puffed wild rice with sticky maple-glazed pork belly bites and bison tenderloin carpaccio adorned with pickled Saskatoon berries are examples of food from the land with colourful, contemporary flare. redfoxclub.ca
Chef de cuisine Andrea Callan at Red Fox Club at Indigenous World Winery.
The Bistro at Northern Lights Estate Winery, Prince George
B.C.’s most Northern winery specializes in wines made of fruits grown on-site, such as haskap, gooseberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry, apple, rhubarb and more. Its restaurant rests on the banks of the Nechako River, on the territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. Mezze platters, cheese and charcuterie boards, and naan flatbread pizza are ideal for sharing with people in your bubble. Brunch is a draw too, with dishes like peach-and-pecan French toast and Neptune eggs Benny with crab and roasted asparagus among the highlights. northernlightswinery.ca/bistro
What do Lillooet and the Okanagan have in common? Hot, long, and dry summers that yield fantastic wine. The ancestral territory of the St’át’imc First Nations, located at the southern tip of the Cariboo Chilcotin, Lillooet is also home to Fort Berens Estate Winery. With sweeping views of the vineyards and the Coast Mountains, the Kitchen features internationally inspired dishes showcasing ingredients from nearby farms: Spray Creek Ranch chicken cacciatore and Moroccan-spiced Three Raven Farmstead lamb wrapped in phyllo pastry, for example. Hyperlocal fruit and vegetables are often handpicked the same day they appear on the field-to-fork menu. fortberens.ca/The-Kitchen-at-Fort-Berens
Unsworth Restaurant at Unsworth Vineyards, Cowichan Valley
Newly designated by the provincial government as a sub-geographical indication of B.C.’s wine regions, the bucolic Cowichan Valley (derived from the Coast Salish term Quw’utsun’ or “land warmed by the sun”) has come into its own as a premier grape-growing part of Vancouver Island. Unsworth Restaurant, set in a restored early 1900s farmhouse, has several charming small rooms and a patio that overlooks the winery’s 12 acres, a walnut and apple orchard and a vegetable garden. The menu changes with the seasons—from the pizza and pasta to the cheesecake and gelato selections—but always features fresh, local, sustainable ingredients. unsworthvineyards.com/unsworth-restaurant
ABOVE The Kitchen at Fort Berens Estate Winery. BELOW Nk’Mip Cellars’ patio.
The Patio Restaurant at Nk’Mip Cellars, Osoyoos
The terrace adjoining Nk’Mip Cellars, North America’s first Indigenous winery, is a special place. Surrounded by First Nations culture and history, the view is sloping vineyards, with Osoyoos Lake as the picture-perfect backdrop. Steps away is the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, where you can learn about the Syilx people and their connection to the Earth. That interconnectedness carries over to the restaurant, which focuses on Indigenous-inspired farm-to-table innovations like salmon-and-fry-bread crisps, lentil-and-cauliflower tacos and sponge toffee with Saskatoon-berry gelato. Pair with a glass of Nk’mip’s Qwam Qwmt (meaning “achieving excellence”) wines, estate bottlings produced in limited quantities. nkmipcellars.com/The-Winery
