ALBERTANS HEAD FOR HILL PAGE I10
Units offered at Silver Star near Vernon, B.C.
DAlberta buyers definitely took a break during the recession. But as things get better, they are coming back now. Albertans can’t help but love our resort, our snow and our weather. DON KASSA, RE/MAX
evelopers up at Silver Star Mountain Resort near Vernon, B.C., take the ski-in ski-out mantra seriously — very seriously.
When our family throws open the side door from our unit at the Snowbird Lodge condominium-hotel, we’re greeted by the powdery snow of the Main Street Skiway run.
We clip our skis on and prepare to make a tough decision.
Do we make the 30-second glide into the multicoloured Victorian-themed village and have croissants and hot chocolates at Bugaboos Bakery?
Or do we continue down the mountain to catch a chairlift that will put us into 1,226 hectares of skiable terrain over 115 runs serviced by 12 lifts?
Don’t worry, you’ll have time to do both.
We’ve picked Snowbird Lodge as the base for our weekend foray to Silver Star because it’s the newest and most luxurious accommodation on the mountain.
You can use it like a hotel, with rates starting from $174 a night, or you can buy one of the 54 units, which start at $488,000 for an 888-square-foot, two-bedroom condo.
“There’s been a recession. But we’re not having fire sales at Snowbird,” says CEO Ian Grant of Silver Star Mountain Resort, which developed Snowbird Lodge.
“It’s too good a property in too good a location. We’re looking for buyers willing to pay a premium for quality and location.”
So far, such purchasers have come from as close as Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver and as far away as England and Hong Kong.
“Alberta buyers definitely took a break during the recession,” says ReMax agent Don Kassa, who sells a lot of real estate at both Silver Star and in Vernon.
“But as things get better, they are coming back now. Albertans can’t help but love our resort, our snow and our weather.”
Yes, the weather. While it’s certainly cold enough to dump seven metres of snow annually on Silver Star and create a long ski season that stretches from November through April, average daily temperatures are a relatively mild -5 C.
And at an elevation of 1,915 metres the sun is usually shining and the sky is generally blue.
That’s exactly what attracted Silver Star homeowner Patti Wild and her husband David from Brockville, Ont.
“Silver Star is magical, like living in a pretty snow globe,” she says.
“The air and the sky seem to sparkle because it’s so dry and crisp and sunny. We love the real village feel and all the amenities, but also being so close to nature.”
Snowbird Lodge has all the fixtures, finishings and furnishings you’d expect in a luxury property.
But the real selling point is that old real estate adage: location, location, location.
Right at the end of Silver Star Village’s main street, it offers incredible proximity to shops, restaurants and services, not to mention the convenience of skiin ski-out, eliminating the hassle of carrying skis and catching shuttle buses.
While Snowbird Lodge’s location is second to none, its other attributes are certainly worth mentioning.
It’s a five-storey landmark in the village with its red, blue, green and yellow exterior punctuated with timber-supported turrets and towers.
Interiors are best described as cosy-ski-lodge-gone-luxe. Carpeted, open-plan living rooms feature double-height ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, plush upholstered couches and oversized distressed leather armchairs all facing the dark-wood feature wall housing gas fireplace and flat-screen TV.
Kitchens are outfitted with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, dark maple wood cabinets and cork tile floors. Dark wood beds and armoires populate the bedrooms.
Bathrooms also have granite countertops, gleaming fixtures, soaker tubs and rain showers.
On the balcony there’s a sixperson hot tub and views of ski runs and the Monashee Mountains.
There’s also the aforementioned side door that opens right onto the Main Street Skiway run from the locker-room where residents and guests keep their skis.
Other building amenities include a fitness room, lounge, wax room, 24-seat theatre, underground parking and housekeeping.