Protecting Your Investment When the Fun Ends
Is there anything better than hitting the open road in your recreational vehicle? This is the moment you have worked hard to enjoy and the last thing you want to worry about is how you are going to protect your investment when you return home or when the seasons start to change. Canada has an extremely harsh climate when it comes to maintaining recreational toys — the winter beats down on them with rain and snow, while the summer heat can deteriorate the exterior paint and seals. Easy Build has the solution to protect your investments, while providing a fast and durable shelter that won’t break your budget.
The company specializes in pre-engineered steel-framed structures that are erected out of galvanized steel tubing using their patented “slip-fit” system. The structures are designed for an expedited installation process with the added durability to withstand our tough winters. Additionally, your building will be maintenance-free once it is erected, as you will not have to worry about rust, rot, or termite damage. The steel frame can be anchored into any foundation and it has the ability to be disassembled and relocated with minimal material loss. As an added benefit of the product, you are able to add on to the footprint of the structure by adding onto the length of your building with ease. The structures range from 10ʹ to 50ʹ in width (clear span), with clearance heights starting at 8ʹ and through 16ʹ, with the length being as long as you require.
Easy Build has structures that range from
roof coverage only to fully enclosed garage packages equipped with overhead and main doors, windows, insulation options, and more. They provide a variety of sheet metal profiles and colour options to choose from to ensure your structure is aesthetically pleasing and matches the other buildings on your site.
If you own any type of recreational vehicle, there is an essential desire to keep them protected, well-maintained, and able to perform at any given moment. By sheltering these products, you are sustaining their value as a long-term asset while avoiding investing more capital into unnecessary repairs and maintenance. This proactive decision to shield your possessions will help you to enjoy them for an extended lifetime and potentially increase the resale value based on the retained condition of the unit. Easy Build Structures has a fast and durable building solution for almost any situation and the company will work with you to help solve your individual shelter requirements and ensure you have safety and security for your recreational vehicles and toys. With the continual rising construction costs and extending time for traditional wood buildings, their portable framing system is the cost-effective and efficient answer to your shelter needs.
Two decades ago, people would joke about the quality of British Columbia wines, preferring wines from the Napa Valley in California or the Burgundy Region of France. That attitude no longer exists, as BC wines can compete with any wines around the world. In April 2017, at the 34th International Wine Challenge in London, England, the gold medal was won by the Meyer Family Vineyards near Oliver for their Pinot Noir. Other winning wineries include CC Jentsch Cellars, Church and State Wines and Popular Grove Winery.
The viticultural or wine industry is not very old in the province, with the first winery being Calona Wines, dating back to 1931. In 1984, there were only 13 wineries operating in BC. There are now 929 vineyards and 341 licensed wineries across the province, with 171 wineries located in the Okanagan Valley. The starting point began nearly 30 years ago with the creation of the BC Vintners Quality Alliance (BCVQA), the organization that certifies wines and supervises the wine industry. Today, wine contributes 2.8 billion dollars into the BC economy, with BC wines so popular they are now sold at many larger BC grocery chains. Many wine lovers have taken wine tours in the Naramata Bench, located north of Penticton. Some of the more popular wineries include Kettle Valley, Lang and Red Rooster. Others prefer the wine of Central Okanagan, such as Mission Hill, Summerhill Pyramid, Mt. Boucherie and Quail’s Gate. In the South Okanagan are popular wineries like Burrowing Owl, Stag’s Hollow and the Gehringer Brothers.
SUMMERLAND WINES
To make good wine it is necessary to have good grapes. Summerland is one of the emerging regions for wine production, with 18 wineries and four cider companies. It is part of the Okanagan Valley’s designated appellation region, which is a geographic region that matches grapes with the soil. There are five growing appellation regions in BC, including Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands, Similkameen Valley and of course, the Okanagan Valley. The quality of wine produced depends on soil type, temperature, moisture, slope of the vineyards and of course, the sun. The best grapes around Summerland for red wine are Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah. For white wine, the grapes are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc.
The easiest way to explore the Summerland wineries is to drive the Bottleneck Drive, which is 8 to 10 km long, extending from Dirty Laundry in the south to Savard Winery north of Summerland.
THE BOTTLENECK DRIVE
The first stop is the Visitor Centre in Summerland to pick up a map of Bottleneck Drive, then head south on Victoria Road. The road meanders through orchards, vineyards and wineries, but there are plenty of directional signs. Wine tasting is not a race, so select four or five wineries and savour the experience. In most wineries the wine tasting is free, or your money is refunded when you purchase a bottle of their wine.
Our first stop was the boutique-style Dirty Laundry Vineyard. The background story behind this winery starts with a laundry business that was not making money, so the owner added a second floor brothel, which did made money. Men left the Dirty Laundry with a smile on their face and clean clothes. The facilities now include a first-class restaurant, wine store and, of course, a tasting bar. The Kettle Valley Railroad even passes
through the vineyard, adding to the ambiance.
Our second stop was the Thornhaven Estates Winery, located at the base of Giant’s Head Mountain, which is an old volcano. The breathtaking view of the South Summerland Hills is a great place to sip merlot and watch the day drift by.
The third stop was Haywire Winery at Okanagan Crush Pad. With a name like ‘Crush Pad’, the wine has to be good. This is an organic vineyard that is free of synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. There are very few wineries in BC that are organic, requiring a different winemaking process. Crush Pad also provides a tour of the winery and explains how their wine is made, using concrete tanks to age the wine.
The fourth stop was the Sage Hills Estate Winery, also an organic winery. They specialize in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer grapes, selecting the grapes to match the soil and Summerland’s temperate microclimate. The tasting room also has a million dollar view of Lake Okanagan, north or south.
What about the wine? My favourite wine is a merlot, but there are many other excellent wines along Bottleneck Drive. Of the Top 30 wineries in the Okanagan Valley, Dirty Laundry is ranked #8, Okanagan Crush Pad is #10 and Thornhill Estates is ranked #11. Some of the red wines we purchased included a 2015 Pinot Noir from Dirty Laundry, a 2014 merlot from Thornhaven Estates, a Narrative Cabernet and a white 2014 Pinot Gris from Sage Hills. We also visited the tasting rooms of a few other wineries and discovered Syrah wines, an emerging red wine in the Okanagan. Salut