Right Sizing Spring 2023

Your Final Opportunity

To Own At The Okanagan’s Best Beachside Community

Skywater at Movala is the next level of modern beachside living located in the coveted Lower Mission area within walking distance to everything. Premium lake and city vistas, contemporary upscale interior design by award-winning Begrand Fast, and Kelowna’s largest terraces complement Movala’s unmatched resident-exclusive amenities and landmark LEED-certified architecture.

Skywater at Movala is the next level of modern beachside living located in the coveted Lower Mission area within walking distance to everything.

Skywater at Movala is the next level of modern beachside living located in the coveted Lower Mission area within walking distance to everything.

Premium lake and city vistas, contemporary upscale interior design by award-winning Begrand Fast, and Kelowna’s largest terraces complement Movala’s unmatched resident-exclusive amenities and landmark LEED-certified architecture.

Now is the perfect time to take advantage of these final homes with limited time incentives!

Premium lake and city vistas, contemporary upscale interior design by award-winning Begrand Fast, and Kelowna’s largest terraces complement Movala’s unmatched resident-exclusive amenities and landmark LEED-certified architecture.

Now is the perfect time to take advantage of these final homes with limited time incentives!

Now is the perfect time to take advantage of these final homes with limited time incentives!

OVER70% SOLD

OVER70% SOLD

LAKE VIEW HOMES STARTING IN THE MID $500’S

LAKE VIEW HOMES

STARTING IN THE MID $500’S

LAKE VIEW HOMES

STARTING IN THE MID $500’S

12 BOLD, BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERS BY THE BEACH

Farmhouse meets beach house in this bright home for sea lovers. Centennial Beach is just a 10-minute walk—so close you’ll feel the seabreeze from your front porch. Interiors feature 9-foot ceilings and a neutral palette. Large windows frame views of farmland, and the detached garage has space for outdoor gear. Walk to Southlands’ lively Market Square, farmers’ markets, and Four Winds Brewing's future restaurant. Check the tide tables each morning and decide whether the ocean’s rhythms call for kayaking or beachcombing. This home could be The One.

Nicola Lake, a few minutes from Merritt, B.C.

Photo by Darren Robinson.

The more I venture outside of Vancouver, the more I want to explore: I keep finding so many new places where I could live and/or play. Many are entirely new communities that are being built less than an hour from Vancouver, and so many other vibrant communities are located between Vancouver and Calgary—and are well worth the drive (or flight).

Some communities as near as Tsawwassen and as far as Kelowna, or even in the Columbia Valley, are being completely revitalized—they’re nearly unrecognizable these days, actually! Offerings of sparkling new kitchens, local farmers markets, hiking trails and beaches within walking distance are all part of the attraction of these places. Of course, the trend of working from home has certainly facilitated much of this growth in B.C.’s smaller centres.

Even though the local and global markets continue to fluctuate, the value in B.C.’s smaller communities remains strong. Similar to the broader trends of real estate sales and prices decreasing, surprisingly, housing inventory in many communities is still very low, and in some places bargains are still few and afar. Compared to 2021, when real estate was booming, today many developers have been very cautious about overbuilding their inventory. The good news is that building prices have stabilized, and builders have become more available.

In this issue, we look at many other considerations in right-sizing your life that deserve some attention, such as commuting options (see page 16), and the importance of regional healthcare (see page 26). If you dream of living in a pristine, remote location, there are also building challenges worth considering (see page 20). All that said, many of our sources and partners believe that most challenges of achieving your ideal right-sized life can be overcome anywhere in B.C., and are typically worth the effort.

If you are contemplating downsizing, upsizing, or are looking for a new, affordable place to live within B.C., be sure to also review our website archives (rightsizingmedia.com). Over the last five years we have compiled and curated much information and useful resources, profiling more than 100 B.C. communities, developments and lifestyle choices.

I think you’ll agree that our writers, editor, designers and digital media team are leaders in their field, and these award-winning, dedicated, multitalented media also have a passion for small towns in B.C. Feel free to reach out to us online to help you in your search for your small-town pursuits.

Steve Dietrich Publisher

Publisher, Founder Steve Dietrich

Editor Charlene Rooke

Head Designer Amélie Légaré

Online Design John Magill

Proofreader Lisa Manfield

Digital Media Manager Charity Robertson

Video Production Chris Dietrich

Writers

Catherine Dunwoody, Janet Gyenes, Matt O’Grady, Joanne Peters, Steve Threndyle.

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Distribution

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Right Sizing magazine, established 2018. The magazine will be published four times per year by Publimedia Communications Inc., established 1996. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, or the staff. All editorial is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. The publisher is not responsible for any liability associated with any editorial or products and services offered by any advertiser. Editorial submissions will be considered, please send them to the publisher.

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Cover Image BC Ferries pulling out of Snug Cove on Bowen Island.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Dispatches

By Right Sizing staff

Summerland Embraces its Environment

This South Okanagan community isn’t just building an ambitious solar-generation facility on its outskirts—it’s seeking to create an entire Eco-Village nearby, for like-minded residents to live lightly on the land. Just three kilometres from downtown, it hopes to build a community hub and 47-acre park plus homes, all with First Nations and Indigenous perspectives in mind. Active transportation, including biking and hiking paths, would connect the community. summerland.ca

Buy here

Farm-Fresh Homes in Tsawwassen

In the Tsawwassen/Boundary Bay area of Delta, Southlands is reinventing the agrarian, homestead lifestyle. On more than 530 acres, Southlands aims to be North America’s largest farm-rooted community, eventually featuring 950 homes, a Market District, biking/hiking paths and 100 acres of parkland. Grounding the whole community is the Southlands Grange Centre for Farming and Food, a sustainable-food hub hosting everything from cooking classes to farm tours, plus farmer training and farm-business incubators. discoversouthlands.ca

2023 BC Assessment value of a Summerland home: $790,000 (up 14% from 2022)

Third Wilden Living Lab Home Goes Live

Demonstrating that net-zero living is not only possible but beautiful, the Wilden Group has built the third home in its Living Lab series, in collaboration with UBC Okanagan, Okanagan College, AuthenTech Homes and FortisBC. The home complies with BC Energy Step Code’s highest standard, Step 5, to which all new buildings will have to conform by 2032. Learn about the home by dropping in to experience fun, interactive displays through May 18, every day except Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m., 215 Echo Ridge Drive, Kelowna. wilden.com

Buy here

2023 BC Assessment value of a Kelowna home: $988,000 (up 14% from 2022)

Southlands Tsawwassen Farmers’ Market. Photo from discoversouthlands.ca.

Wilden Living Lab. Photo by Wilden.

Eco-Village Concept Plan. Photo from summerland.ca.

Buy here 2023 BC Assessment value of a Delta home: $1.428 million (up 11% from 2022)

- J. PENDLETON

Dining

Stars with the

The biggest news to hit B.C.’s restaurant scene recently was the launch of the Michelin Guide in Vancouver in late 2022, making it only the second city in Canada, after Toronto, to be included in the prestigious global rankings. However, Vancouver is hardly unique when it comes to standout eateries.

Here are a few top dining destinations across B.C. that will put stars in your eyes.

By Joanne Peters

The Restaurant at Naramata Inn, naramata

Okanagan-born executive chef Ned Bell, a longtime advocate for sustainable seafood, takes a hyperlocal focus to the menu in the dining room of the charmingly restored 1908 Inn. Think seasonal ingredients such as spruce tips, sumac, nettles and morels foraged around the Naramata Bench, plus sustainably sourced goods from nearby farmers, fishmongers, cheesemakers, coffee roasters, beekeepers and more. It’s all to give diners a taste of place—or, as Bell’s team calls it, a “Naramatian” experience. With the 12-room hotel’s location in the heart of the Okanagan’s wine country, the available B.C. bottles and pairings are unparalleled. naramatainn.com/eat

Wild Mountain, sooke

With views to the Olympic Mountains beyond Sooke Harbour, Wild Mountain is a celebration, and ardent supporter, of the local food community and economy. The team belongs to the Slow Food Chef’s Alliance, and sustainable, old-school techniques like whole-animal butchery, preservation, fermentation and foraging are the norm. Metchosin-area grains are milled nearby for brick-oven pizza, while the house-made charcuterie selection is a draw in itself. Real food in all its simple glory is served along libations by local winemakers, brewers and distillers. There’s also an online store for everything from honey to salad dressing, to ship the memories home with you. wildmountaindinners.com

Photo by Naramata Inn.

brassica , gibsons

The small town of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast has big names and even bigger flavours at Brassica, a “community to table” restaurant that brings people together through food. The eatery fronts Coho Commissary and supports its many local makers by featuring their artisanal products, and those from other B.C.-based eco-conscious culinary creatives, on a family-style sharing menu. As proof of concept, its walls are lined with glass jars of pickles and preserves. The eatery is led by the top team of pastry chef Hilary Prince and head chef Jack Chen (partners in work and life), whose impressive resumes include time at numerous acclaimed places at home and abroad, including Vancouver’s MichelinRecommended L’Abattoir. Dishes change frequently, but we love the resto’s house-made Boursin-style cheese, seaweed beignets and Parisienne gnocchi. brassicagibsons.com

Unsworth R estau rant, Mill Bay

Situated in a restored early-1900s farmhouse amid the bucolic surroundings of Cowichan Valley’s wine country, the restaurant at Unsworth Vineyards overlooks picturesque vines, apple and walnut orchards, plus a vegetable and herb garden. Chef Maartyn Hoogeveen, whose experience includes roles at a New Zealand winery and a Michelin-rated restaurant in Sweden, puts the region’s abundance of seasonal produce and seafood at centre stage, with a suggested pairing from Unsworth’s award-winning portfolio for each menu item. There’s a forno oven for fresh-as-it-gets pizza; local foodies can get a membership for the Community Supported Restaurant program, offering uber-local dinners for members. unsworthvineyards.com/visit/restaurant

Pluvio restaurant + rooms, ucluelet

The little Ucluelet restaurant (in the same blue building that offers lodging) has numerous prestigious nods to its name—which is derived from “pluviophile,” meaning someone who loves the rain. In 2022 alone, it was named Canada’s Best Destination Restaurant and earned a spot on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. It’s headed by acclaimed executive chef Warren Barr (formerly of Vancouver’s Le Crocodile and Tofino’s Wickaninnish Inn) and his partner, hospitality pro Lily Verney-Downey. The pair aims to give people a true taste of the West Coast: think grilled local spot prawns, albacore tuna crudo and roasted local sablefish as a few examples from the ever-changing three-course or chef’s tasting menu. At the same time, they don’t shy away from exemplary ingredients from further afield (such as premium Alberta grass-fed beef and Ontario bison). This is one of those places where every dish is executed with fine technique and colourful creativity, creating an ideal dining experience—even in pouring rain. pluvio.ca

Photo by Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms.

Photo by Wild Mountain.

Photo by Unsworth Restaurant.

NEW PERSPECTIVES ON LANDLORDING

By Janet Gyenes

Whether it’s a luxury home on a lake or a condo close to urban amenities, snapping up real estate in one of British Columbia’s growing right-sized communities has historically been a solid longterm investment. Purchasing a rental property to secure your financial future or retirement can still be a great way to diversify your investments and income stream, while building long-term equity.

However, factor in the increased costs of financing and evolving changes to the Strata Property Act (such as regulating shortterm rentals), and landlording might appear to have more shortcomings than strengths these days. With these new economics and policies, is investing in a rental property still attractive?

The answer is as varied as the real estate landscape across the province. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reported that 2021 was a record year for sales, with seven market areas setting new highs. Now, and looking back at 2022, things have shifted significantly.

Supply and Demand

The Association of Interior Realtors®-Okanagan described December 2022 home sales activity in the region as “softened,” recording a 42.8 per cent decrease in the number of units sold yearover-year. Overall inventory skyrocketed 93.5 per cent at year end, with more than 6,000 units for sale.

While real estate markets are always cyclical, an increase in supply can present opportunities for would-be landlords. Location, as always, is a key consideration. Monitoring long-term trends to track population numbers is one way to assess whether a small city or region is ripe for future growth. Between 2016 and 2021, for example, two of the five fastest growing census metropolitan areas in Canada were Kelowna (including West Kelowna, Lake Country, and Peachland) and Kamloops, increasing by 14 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

Is owning a rental property in B.C. still a smart investment? It can be, with the right considerations in mind.

Recent changes to the Strata Property Act ended most rentalrestriction bylaws across the province (though prohibiting shortterm rentals of less than 30 days, and allowing 55-and-over seniors housing, are still allowed). Strata councils can no longer restrict the number or percentage of strata units that can be rented, for example—a move by the B.C. government to theoretically increase affordable rental housing, which remains in high demand.

Residential rental-property trends currently favour landlords, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Commission data, with B.C. topping the list of the country’s most expensive rents. Rent for a two-bedroom purpose-built apartment averaged $1,721 in B.C. communities over 10,000 people last year, up 11 per cent from 2021. While that average is driven by the pricey Vancouver market ($2,002), Victoria ($1,669) and Kelowna ($1,690) were not far behind.

Consider Cash Flow

Regardless of region, whether purchasing a rental property will translate into a steady source of income still comes down to calculations. As with any investment, you need to turn down the noise that comes with market fluctuations and dial in to factors such as your investment horizon time, appetite for risk and how much you can afford, including a down payment.

One basic measure of affordability is cash flow. Subtract your total monthly expenses from the property’s gross income to get an idea of what to expect. Remember: if the roof of your rental house starts to leak after a winter storm, you’re on the hook for the repair as well as other maintenance costs. Those include property

taxes, insurance, and management costs (if you don’t anticipate managing renters yourself), including strata fees. If your property’s expected cash flow is negative, you might be wise to make some concessions.

You can never predict the future, but it’s smart to plan for potential scenarios. If interest rates increase, ensure you can still afford the mortgage when it comes up for renewal, even if you didn’t have to pass a so-called stress test to originally quality. A short-term sell-off could cost you money, depending on market conditions.

Example of a landlord’s scenario. https://wowa.ca/calculators/rental-property-calculator

coming soon mountainside estate lots valley view resort townhomes mountainside cabins

HIGHLANDCROSSING.CA

GETTING FROM A, B, C

By Matt O’Grady

BY PLANE

REGIONAL: Long a favoured way of traveling from Vancouver’s harbour to downtown Victoria, the Sunshine Coast or the Islands, Harbour Air (harbourair.com) has recently reinstated more harbourto-harbour routes: from Vancouver to Kelowna and Seattle. Servicing many of B.C.’s more remote regions, such as Masset in Haida Gwaii, Pacific Coastal (pacificcoastal.com) has also launched seamless interline transfers with WestJet. For 35 years, Smithers-based Central Mountain Air (flycma.com) has connected people across B.C. and Alberta: if you’re trying to get from Terrace to Prince George, or Quesnel to Vancouver, it’s the quickest way.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL: Calgary-based discount airline Lynx Air (flylynx.com) launched last year, and offers direct flights from YVR to Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. Porter Airlines, (flyporter.com), a boutique airline that’s long operated out of Toronto, has expanded its hallmark “luxury on a budget” service (free beer, wine and snacks; free wi-fi) to Vancouver. Through a Toronto hub, Canada Jetlines (jetlines.com) flies to Vancouver, Calgary and spots like Las Vegas. For those living closer to Abbotsford than YVR, West Jet-owned Swoop and Edmonton-based Flair (flyswoop.com, flyflair.com) make that airport an option for many destinations.

More than ever, virtual work means a “commute” might take you from Armstrong, Britannia Beach or Comox to one of B.C.’s business hubs. Here’s a modern guide to transportation options.

Photo by Steve Dietrich

RIDE HAILING: Uber and Lyft have been operating in the Vancouver market for years, and several homegrown ride-hailing services now also serve smaller B.C. markets. Whistle (whistle.ca) serves the Sea-to-Sky corridor (from Whistler and Pemberton through to YVR) and the Tofino and Ucluelet areas. Victoria-based Lucky to Go (luckytogocanada.com) operates from Nanaimo to Prince George, Kelowna and points in between. Kabu (kabu.ca) runs in Kamloops and Kelowna (in addition to Vancouver and Victoria), with plans to expand. Under its driver and transportation umbrella, the B.C. government maintains an online list of approved ride-hailing companies.

CAR SHARING: While ride-hailing relies on somebody else driving you, car-sharing means you drive somebody else’s vehicle. Turo (turo.com/ca), available across Canada, is often billed as the Airbnb of cars: a matchmaking service that puts short-term vehicle leasers in touch with owners, with options in many far-flung B.C. locations. B.C.’s larger cities (Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna) have fleet-based car-share services like Evo, Modo and Zerocar. Some of these allow for one-way travel, and others (such as Modo) compete with rental companies for multi-day trips. Increasingly, cities are even securing car-share spaces in their downtown cores.

CARPOOLING: If you’re the kind of person who needs their own hands on the wheel, but would like to make some cash (and new acquaintances) on the way, the Poparide app (poparide.com) is for you. Post a trip with start and end points, which anyone needing a lift can search for a match, with payment through the app.

If your regional carpool program is registered and recognized with TransLink, you can take advantage of Park & Ride Carpool programs at transit hubs where carpool vehicles containing at least two people can access priority spaces to park in the lots. —Catherine Dunwoody, Right Sizing Spring 2020

CLOCKWISE, STARTING TOP LEFT Evo, Uber, carpooling, luckytogocanada.com

In Northern B.C., BC Bus North (bcbus.ca) offers service between Prince Rupert, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Valemount and points in between. On the Island, the VI Connector (viconnector.com) bus is a popular seasonal (now only in summer) way of getting around. IslandLink (islandlinkbus.com) offers van service between Nanaimo and Tofino, also serving Port Alberni and Ucluelet. The Sunshine Coast Connector (sunshinecoastconnector.ca) has daily service from Langdale Ferry to Powell River and points in between. In the Okanagan, Ebus (myebus.ca) has daily KamloopsSalmon Arm-Kelowna routes with service to communities such as Chase, Sorrento and Enderby. BC Transit connects the South Okanagan (for instance, between Kelowna and Penticton), using both a fixed schedule and on-demand stop requests (bctransit.com).

By Catherine Dunwoody

The Builder

AJIA Custom Prefab Homes

The Location

A recreational home built on Indian Arm inlet

The Challenges

“When it comes to out-of-the-way, off-grid places, logistics are the big thing,” says AJIA president Norman Morrison. This house sits on top of a rock face, so that meant barge and helicopter were the only options for bringing materials to the site. Coastal weather was another factor to consider, as helicopters cannot fly through fog, “and if you book one, you pay whether fog rolls in or not,” says Morrison. The home’s location did not have a reliable water supply, either—a potential concern for meeting fire regulations.

The Solutions

“Being properly prepared is crucial, so our barge was set up with packages weighing about 1,800 pounds [more than 800 kilograms] each, ready for the helicopter to take over without being overweight carrying it.” AJIA pre-builds home components offsite, so they can be assembled when they arrive. To address installation of mandatory sprinklers without a conventional water supply, the solution was to put in big water storage tanks. “In our history as a company, we’ve learned to make our list and check it twice,” says Morrison, avoiding any blind spots or unexpected building challenges.

The Result

“Our client is very happy in this beautiful spot for their dream home.”

All custom homes come with their share of hurdles— add on a remote building site, and you’ll need the right builder as a partner, to help you handle every challenge. We chatted with three prominent builders working in some of B.C.’s most beautiful and remote places, about how they tackled successful projects for their clients.

The Builder

Discovery Dream Homes West

The Location

Powell Lake, near Powell River

The Challenges

A water-access-only-location means that “every timber, shingle and window plus concrete has to be barged in and offloaded at the waterfront,” says Danny Mauro, design and consulting associate for Discovery. That means concrete trucks are unable to access the area, so “we look at other suggestions like ICFs [Insulating Concrete Forms], where the blocks are set up and concrete is mixed on site,” says Jason Sharpe, senior design manager and project coordinator. Mauro adds that “some remote builds have no AC power, so generators are typically the only means to power tools and other equipment,” usually gas-powered generators, requiring a fuel supply. “Getting workers to and from sites can also be challenging.”

The Solutions

The Discovery team finds that log, timber frame or panelized homes make for a faster assembly, being constructed from pre-cut materials, which saves time on site. “We drive the loaded truck as close to the lake marina as we could, then unloaded individual skids on to a barge, then onto a smaller truck that goes to the site. A small crane truck transfers the skids,” says Mauro.

The Result

When clients choose a log-homestyle, Discovery is “able to save several weeks of framing time, as well as reducing trades to close the building in,” says Sharpe, as no drywall, mudding, taping or wall insulation are required. By working smart, the team will finish within the limited seasonal weather window. “I guess the bottom line is: No building project is impossible if you have the right tools and approach,” says Mauro.

Photos by Discovery Dream Homes.

The Builder

Pan-Abode

The Location

An accessory building on an island located in Howe Sound

The Challenges

“The island is a stone’s throw from the mainland, but there are no roads or bridges so it can only be reached by boat or barge,” says Pan-Abode president Rauvin Manhas. There was limited space on the building lot, which also came with extensive rules concerning design, setbacks, maximum height, plus the number and size of windows on the building. All materials had to be offloaded by hand, and moved via a small trailer pulled by a golf cart. “It was not possible to use heavy equipment during construction due to logistical restraints; all construction and assembly had to be done manually,” says Manhas.

The Solutions

Extra time was spent on design to ensure all regulatory requirements were met. A barge delivered heavy items like logs and beams, and because Pan-Abode logs are a maximum of about six metres (20 feet) long and 36 kilograms (about 80 pounds) each, that allowed for relatively easy handling during construction without needing heavy equipment.

The Result

“Our customer’s accessory building met all of the extensive permit requirements for West Vancouver,” the municipality with rules that applied to the island build, says Manhas. “The owner is very happy.”

Photos by Pan-Abode Homes International.

HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Canada is making the future of our healthcare system a top priority. Look to some of B.C.’s right-sized communities for fresh approaches to delivering holistic healthcare that will support everyone from kids to seniors.

By Janet Gyenes

Staffing the Care Teams of the Future

Stories about lineups at drop-in clinics and the shortage of family physicians tell one story. Yet statistics from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) show that the number of family doctors in Canada increased 24 per cent (47,337) in 2021, compared to a decade earlier, with B.C. having more per capita than the national average.

The difference comes down to fragmented data. Right now, there isn’t a single source of public health data bringing together the big picture of where resources, from doctors to dollars, are distributed. A Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy is in the works by the federal government to analyze and improve current health-data collection and sharing methods to achieve better outcomes.

Everyone agrees, though, that career opportunities in healthcare, wellness and social assistance are expanding. WorkBC’s most recent Labour Market Outlook (LMO) projects just over one million job openings from 2021 to 2031. A projected 14 per cent of jobs will be in healthcare and social assistance, and other in-demand roles will include registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, nurse aides, orderlies and patient-service associates.

Already, B.C. is experimenting with different pay models for family doctors, and making it easier for internationally trained nurses to qualify to work here, by providing financial support for fees and expenses, and with information portals like HealthMatch BC.

Spotlight: Recruiting in Campbell River

The northern reaches of Vancouver Island have long been a draw for residents and visitors enamoured with nature and culture, but attracting healthcare professionals to permanently relocate to the region hasn’t been as easy. The Campbell River and North Island Labour Market Partnership Project is tackling that challenge. Members from the city of Campbell River, the Regional District of Mount Waddington and the Strathcona Regional District are studying changes to the policies and regulations that have put pressure on the region’s economic landscape.

“Access to healthcare is something that many people consider when choosing a place to live, so it also helps to attract and retain other employers and workers within a community,” says Rose Klukas, economic development manager at the City of Campbell River.

The project, which is slated to be completed in early 2024, has already received $250,000 in funding from provincial and federal governments through the Community and Employer Partnerships fund.

“The City of Campbell River values healthcare. It’s one of Council’s priorities and plays a crucial role in supporting the social and economic well-being of communities and the health and wellness industry is an integral part of Campbell River’s diversified economy,” – Rose Klukas, economic development manager at the City of Campbell River.

Facilities to House Future Innovation

B.C. is not only building a number of new hospitals in the Lower Mainland, but is also putting healthcare dollars into new facilities for currently underserved provincial regions. On Vancouver Island, the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project is building a $1.45-billion, 204-bed hospital that will include inpatient, outpatient and ambulatory services, operating rooms and expanded imaging and emergency capabilities.

Northern B.C. has at least three significant new facilities coming, including one in Dawson Creek that’s still in the planning stages. The Mills Memorial Hospital Redevelopment Project is investing $622 million in a Terrace-based centre for trauma, orthopedic, pathology, radiology, clinical and pharmacy services, as well as a training site for medical students. The $158-million Stuart Lake Hospital Redevelopment Project will serve Fort St. James and the surrounding First Nations communities with acute and long-term hospital beds; emergency, medical imaging, laboratory and supporting services; plus a primary-care clinic.

Spotlight: Community Collaboration in Summerland

An innovative team-based approach is taking place in Summerland to expand housing and build health services right into the blueprint. Parkdale Place Housing Society, which already runs two affordable residences for independent seniors, has proposed a new 81-unit residence with a primary healthcare centre on the main floor. The community’s doctors have endorsed the plan; all signed a letter of agreement to work together to set up the centre and co-locate to serve the community. Parkdale Place will also request funding from B.C. Housing. The portion of the commercial space set aside for the health centre will be stratified so ownership can be transferred to another non-profit or charitable organization, which will rent the space to doctors at market rates. Summerland City Council has also agreed to provide up to $1.5 million in support by waiving development costs and fees.

Plan for Parkdale Place. Rendering: Meiklejohn Architects

Plan for Cowichan District Hospital.

Construction of the Stuart Lake Hospital in Fort St. James.

UNDER THE Flourish Sun

• CENTRAL TO MAJOR BRITISH COLUMBIAN HUBS: METRO VANCOUVER: 2.5 HRS | KAMLOOPS / KELOWNA: 1 HR

• TRANSPORTATION HUB: 4 MILLION VEHICLES ANNUALLY

• MUSIC FESTIVAL DESTINATION

• AFFORDABLE | BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE

• VIBRANT, FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

• COMPREHENSIVE AMENITIES: CONFERENCE CENTRE | POOL | ARENA | MAJOR RETAIL CHAINS | MORE

• OUTDOOR RECREATION: HUNDREDS OF LAKES | TRAILS | CAMPING | FISHING | MORE

Future-looking Treatment Innovations

Spotlight: Treatment Close to Home in the Kitimat-Stikine Region

Some regions of B.C., with vast distances between communities and complex healthcare and wellness issues (including mental health and addiction) are responding with innovative new care models and facilities. For instance, the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Plan includes expansion of Seven Sisters, a regional mental-health facility. “Seven Sisters is a valuable facility in Northwest B.C.,” says Colleen Nyce, chair of the Northern Health Board. “The increase in the number of beds, the size of the facility and the amenities in the facility will improve the quality of living and care for patients and improve the ability for staff to give that care.” Northern Health notes the doubling of both facilities means staff are in demand to fill a long list of new roles, including Indigenous patient liaisons, dieticians, lab techs and health-information professionals.

The Northern First Nations Alliance (NFNA) is also planning to build a full-service detox and wellness facility in Terrace. The 12,000-member NFNA proposes that the new space address multiple issues (like mental health, homelessness and addictions) and promote cultural programming such as traditional medicine and healing practices distinctive to the northwest First Nations. The Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice, a communitybased group of family physicians, is lobbying the Regional District of KitimatStikine to form a task force that will develop a business plan outlining the benefits of the detox facility to serve the regions’ residents.

The community of Kitimat has big plans to ensure its most vulnerable residents get the care they need. A new 44-unit safe-housing development is being built to support women and children leaving violence. The project came together with community partners including the  Tamitik Status of Women Association, the District of Kitimat, B.C. Housing and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. “The District of Kitimat is proud of its support and to see this housing become a reality,” says mayor Phil Germuth. “This development means a safer community for our residents who need that support the most. The on-site daycare at this facility will also provide an immense benefit to our local families and will support our residents’ ability to work in the community.”

Although supply-chain issues and increasing construction costs have slowed down progress, the Kitimat Valley Housing Society (KVHS) is still as dedicated as ever to raising $5 million to make the Dementia Home Pilot Project a reality. KVHS notes the design of the state-of-the-art building has been informed by current research in elder care, specially addressing the challenges faced by people living with dementia.

Construction of a new Seven Sisters mental health residential facility adjacent to the new Mills Memorial Hospital will start this summer. Illustration from Northern Health Authority.

RIGHT-SIZED EVER AFTER? A TALE OF TWO FAMILIES

For

By Steve Threndyle

Back in 2019, tech recruiter Steve Sakamoto and his family cashed in on the rising value of their Coquitlam townhouse and relocated to Lantzville, the B.C. town north of Nanaimo that they’d visited on a family vacation a year prior.

Sakamoto is the kind of highly experienced knowledge worker who has been at the cutting edge of the telecommuting trend for over two decades. After his employer’s parent company filed for bankruptcy and he lost his job last October, he noticed with some chagrin that some potential employers weren’t necessarily interested in yet another virtual employee.

“Tech companies were already starting to tighten their belts and they were also beginning to demand a return to the office.” After completing a couple of short-term contracts, Sakamoto landed a remote-work position with Vancouver-based biotech giant Stemcell Technologies.

As a recruiter, Sakamoto believes that North American companies will lose out if they don’t continue to offer work-from-home options. “Technology has been developed to enhance human productivity, not to limit it.”

The Sakamotos have taken to Island life in a big way: they’re thrilled by the access to trails, beaches and all manner of outdoor activities. “We’re truly living in paradise and have no desire to move back [to the Lower Mainland],” he says.

Rid ing a Rising Tide

Similarly, the rising tide that lifted Lower Mainland real estate to unprecedented levels during the first two years of the pandemic prompted Ean and Sibylle Tinsel-Jackson to make a major lifestyle change.

“We had this big house in North Vancouver that we’d put onto the market back in 2019 … but we didn’t get any bites,” says Ean, who has been a business coach in B.C.’s tech sector for the past 20 years. By 2021, they were able to re-list and get the price they were asking for. There was one problem: “We had no clue where we’d go. We were going to be living out of our car if we didn’t find a place within two months,” he says.

these big-city homeowners who opted for smaller-town B.C. life—either before or during the pandemic—the change has been positive and lasting.

Harbour entrance with view from the ocean in Nanaimo.

Suitable houses in the places they liked, such as the North Shore, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, were in very short supply and high demand. The Tinsel-Jacksons were already quite familiar with the Sunshine Coast. Ean, a keen ultra-runner, was the first person to run the 180-kilometre Sunshine Coast Trail nonstop, and the family had previously enjoyed kayaking in Desolation Sound.

A Powell River realtor virtually showed them two listings within their price range and said that they’d have to come up with a subject-free offer and be prepared to bid over asking price to secure either of them—common market conditions at the time.

There was a healthy margin between what they sold their house for in North Vancouver and what they ended up paying in Powell River, which doubtless eased the transition. Happily, the new house they selected had good bones and had been well-maintained, minimizing the risk they took on by making an offer that was not subject to an inspection before closing.

When Jackson decided to enclose the carport and build a garage, however, he came up against a challenging reality. “There are only a handful of drywallers here in town and they were booked up a year in advance.” Finding services for the family, such as a new doctor and dentist, has proven to be difficult as well.

“We said that we’d give it a year or two to see how things work out,” Ean says. “We’d lived in a lot of big cities and the timing was right to try a small town. So far, so good.”

Ean and Sibylle Tinsel-Jackson collecting chanterelles near their new home in Powell River, B.C.

View of Sicamous, Shuswap Lake and Mara Lake from Sicamous Lookout. Darren Robinson/Shuswap Tourism

“We’d lived in a lot of big cities and the timing was right to try a small town. So far, so good.”

HIDDEN JEWEL: POWELL RIVER

By Janet Gyenes

It’s never hard to find nature, art and culture in Powell River. At 32 Lakes Cafe and Bakery, for example, there’s a composition of objects such as flowerstone from nearby Texada Island and sunbleached shells and sea glass. The installation was created by Ryan Mathieson, who co-owns the cafe with Nevada McCarthy, and guests can contribute when they drop by for a pastry, to pick up locally roasted coffee beans or to see work by emerging artists.

“We were looking for more of a sense of belonging, a sense of community,” says McCarthy, sharing what lured the couple to the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver four years ago. She was working in the coffee industry and both studied art, so 32 Lakes is a culmination of passions that has evolved into a community hub.

That’s typical in Powell River, part of qathet Regional District that includes the unceded traditional lands of the Tla’amin Nation. The city of Powell River itself (about 6,000 people) sits on a 58-kilometrelong peninsula between Saltery Bay and the village of Lund. Highway 101 ends there, but just beyond is Sarah Point, the start of the 180-kilometre Sunshine Coast Trail, Canada’s longest hutto-hut hiking trail.

An easy way to get a feel for the area’s allure is to take a 20-minute hike among the arbutus trees to Valentine Mountain. At the peak, the forest opens up to panoramas of the Salish Sea plus Cranberry and Powell Lakes. You’ll see about 400 buildings born out of the Arts and Crafts movement, when the Townsite (a neighbourhood that’s now a National Historic District) was planned in

1910 for what was once the world’s largest pulp and paper mill. The Indigenous name for the large Tla’amin settlement that originally occupied the mill area is tiskʷat, meaning “big river.”

One reminder of Powell River’s early dedication to the arts is the neighbourhood’s Patricia Theatre; the 1928 building that replaced the 1913 original is Canada’s longest running. Festivals like the International Choral Kathaumixw (started in 1984) and PRISMA (Pacific Region International Summer Music Association) celebrate the art of music. “Students come from around the world [for PRISMA] to study with first-chair instrumentalists and conductors from world-renowned orchestras,” says Scott Randolph, director of properties, development and communication for the City of Powell River.

The community’s affordability has always been a draw, Randolph adds, and lifestyle enhancements are ongoing. Fibre-optic internet keeps the community connected, enabling remote workers and businesses to thrive. In addition to two BC Ferries routes to Powell River, the city has a regional airport. Harbour Air Seaplanes has daily flights between downtown Vancouver and Powell Lake, which is home to some 200 off-the-grid floating cabins that are popular as vacation rentals.

Nevada McCarthy sums up how Powtown locals spend their downtime: “We’re outside. Campfires on the beach in winter. Hiking, biking, swimming. We’re constantly going from ocean to lake, lake to ocean: how many different bodies of water can we swim in in a day?”

Where Highway 101 ends and the Sunshine Coast Trail begins, find a vibrant community that was built on forestry and the arts.

Photo by City of Powell River.